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The Miracle of Morning
Vesper Society believes that a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. The month of March marks two years since COVID-19 shut down our society, brought out the best and exposed the worst in us. As we emerge from this pandemic, let us remember the struggles we went through these past two years, for they will continue to define how we create a better world going forward. On this last day of Women’s History Month, we turn again to our beloved inaugural poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, who continues to inspire us from her book Call Us What We Carry. THE MIRACLE OF MORNING We thought we’d awaken to a world in mourning. Heavy clouds crowding, a society storming. But there’s something different on this golden morning. Something magical in the sunlight, wide and warming. We see a dad with a stroller taking a jog. Across the street, a bright-eyed girl chases her dog. A grandma on a porch fingers her rosaries. She grins as her young neighbor brings her groceries. While we might feel small, separate and all alone, Our people have never been more closely tethered. The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown, But how we will weather this unknown together. So, on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend. Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend. As one, we will defeat both despair and disease. We stand with healthcare heroes and all employees; With families, libraries, waiters, schools, artists; Businesses, restaurants and hospitals hit hardest. We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof, For it is in loss that we truly learn to love. In this chaos, we will discover clarity. In suffering, we must find solidarity. For it’s our grief that gives... Read More
Expanding Healthcare Access in the African American Community
Every day Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. One year ago we welcomed our newest partner Marin City Health and Wellness Center and we took this opportunity to interview CEO Harold Wallace. Can you tell us about the history of Marin City? During World War II, the waterfront shipyards in Sausalito were used to produce Liberty Ships between 1942-1945. Thousands of workers migrated to the Bay Area to work in the shipyards, many of whom were African Americans from the South. After the war, they stayed because they could not move elsewhere due to restrictive racist covenants. What kind of healthcare was available to Marin City residents? Even though Neighborhood Health Centers were established in 1965 under the administration of President Lyndon Johnson, it wasn’t until 2006 that the Marin City Health and Wellness Center (MCHWC) was established thanks to grassroots efforts. MCHWC has been operating out of a temporary clinic all these years. We broke ground for a new clinic last September 2021 and expect it to be open in mid-2022. It will be the first time in 80 years that the community will have a viable comprehensive community health center. It is a travesty that the community has not had access to quality healthcare all these decades. How are you expanding access to healthcare in the African American community? In Marin City we are thrilled to put up a health center of substance that can provide excellent primary care. In addition, we are planning many wellness programs to ensure residents can lead healthy lifestyles. Later this year we will move into phase II of expanding the facility at MCHWC. MCHWC has another clinic in the Bayview Hunters Point which has the highest percentage of... Read More
welcome new board members!
Vesper Society is delighted to welcome two leaders who join our board of directors this year: Jerry Brown and Joann Conroy. They share Vesper’s belief in the simple idea that a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. We look forward to working with them to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. Douglas (Jerry) Brown served with the U.S. Peace Corps in Niger and Cameroon, the USDA in Latin America and the Caribbean, and U.S. AID in 32 African countries. Jerry has a graduate degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University. He currently serves on the Church Council at Augustana Lutheran Church in Washington, DC, working on anti-racism learning and advocating for affordable housing and decent wages. Jerry has extensive community outreach and church in society experience. Rev. Joann Conroy is a tribal member of the Oglala Sioux. She serves as chaplain for the Good Samaritan Society/Sanford Health in Maplewood, MN. Her ministry includes St. Paul Area Synod Advocates for Racial Justice and Justice Ministry education program at Auburn Seminary in New York. Rev. Conroy is president of the American Indian Alaskan Native Association of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and serves on the board of the National Lutheran Campus Ministry. These remarkable individuals bring deep experience and gifts that reflect our commitment to our values of service, justice, and partnership. With their compassion and expertise on our board, we are one step closer to our vision of a world that protects human dignity and enhances human potential. Learn more about board... Read More
Opening 2022 with Amanda Gorman’s poem
Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. We open 2022 by sending wishes for a healthy new year and Amanda Gorman’s poem, New Day’s Lyric. She continues to inspire us by saying “For wherever we come together, we will forever overcome.” May this be the day We come together. Mourning, we come to mend, Withered, we come to weather, Torn, we come to tend, Battered, we come to better. Tethered by this year of yearning, We are learning That though we weren’t ready for this, We have been readied by it. We steadily vow that no matter How we are weighed down, We must always pave a way forward. This hope is our door, our portal. Even if we never get back to normal, Someday we can venture beyond it, To leave the known and take the first steps. So let us not return to what was normal, But reach toward what is next. What was cursed, we will cure. What was plagued, we will prove pure. Where we tend to argue, we will try to agree, Those fortunes we forswore, now the future we foresee, Where we weren’t aware, we’re now awake; Those moments we missed Are now these moments we make, The moments we meet, And our hearts, once all together beaten, Now all together beat. Come, look up with kindness yet, For even solace can be sourced from sorrow. We remember, not just for the sake of yesterday, But to take on tomorrow. We heed this old spirit, In a new day’s lyric, In our hearts, we hear it: For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. Be bold, sang Time this year, Be bold, sang Time, For when you honor... Read More
Let’s Stay Connected
This photo of the Redwood Sky Walk was taken at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, Humboldt County. It is California’s oldest zoo, founded in 1907. “The Redwood Sky Walk is a self-guided interpretive experience designed to educate, inspire, and delight visitors. Learn about the rich hidden ecology of the world’s tallest trees from an entirely new perspective.” Redwood tree roots are shallow and can extend up to 100 feet from the trunk. The roots intertwine with other roots, sometimes even fusing, and together form a root system that strengthens all the trees. We chose this image for the holidays because of you – our program partners, friends, colleagues, fellow travelers on this journey we call life. We are grateful to be connected, for it grounds us and inspires us to keep moving forward. These past two years have been so hard and we all had to dig deep into our emotional reserves. As a part of the Vesper community, do stay in touch with us, let us know how you’re doing. We wish you and your loved ones a healthy and joyous holiday season. May the coming year be a good... Read More