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Welcome New Board Members!
We are delighted to welcome two new directors to the Vesper Society Board this year, Irene Heinemeier and John Larson. Both new directors attended the City of Oakley Youth Summit last November where they saw our core value of service in action. Vesper board members conducted workshops for middle and high school students and volunteered as room monitors. Irene Heinemeier has been in healthcare her entire career, first as a medical technologist and the last thirty years in healthcare administration in California, Nevada, Virginia, and Maryland. John Larson is a speaker, teacher, and motivator who began his journalism career at the Boston Globe in 1979 and was an NBC correspondent for 14 years. Learn more about board members Miyoko Oshima,... Read More
Light The Way
Recently, we created a new brochure to celebrate Vesper Society’s 50th anniversary. We hope you’ll take a moment to read it and join us in reminiscing about our past and looking ahead to our future. Within the brochure, we see a photo of four children running across a field, evoking Ralph Waldo Emerson when he said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Such is the essence of Vesper Society. Through the years, we’ve been faithful to a simple idea: a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. Our dedication to strengthening communities runs deep, and we will continue to apply our partnership approach to improve the lives of our neighbors. We look forward to introducing our fabulous partners in California to you in the coming year. During this holiday season, we are grateful to have you in our circle of friends and it gives us great comfort to know you are engaging in acts of compassion to heal our world. May we find a way towards peace. Miyoko Oshima,... Read More
Modoc Medical Center’s Tele-Diabetes Care Program
Located in the rural northeastern portion of California, Modoc Medical Center (MMC) has seen to the healthcare needs of its community since 1951. A 16-bed, critical access hospital providing family practice medicine, emergency services, and physical therapy, MMC serves the residents of Alturas and the surrounding area, covering about 4,500 square miles. MMC also operates a skilled nursing facility and provides other ancillary services. MMC’s mission is to elevate the provision of healthcare by creating a partnership with its patients, employees, businesses, and community. Embedded in this mission statement is the fundamental belief that success depends on the ability to provide quality healthcare services to patients and establish the processes and culture that puts patients at the center of the work. In a community with very limited resources in helping patients manage chronic diseases, MMC developed the Comprehensive Diabetes Care Program. Vesper Society supported MMC’s expansion of this program by providing group telehealth diabetes education classes that include a diabetic educator, a dietician, and a pharmacist. This comprehensive educational approach provides patients with the knowledge they need to manage their diabetes. Through this program, MMC and Vesper sought to improve the health and well-being of Modoc County residents and to give them the tools to continue helping... Read More
50th anniversary celebration
Vesper Society recently held its 50th anniversary dinner at Scott’s Restaurant in Jack London Square, Oakland. Long-time friends, current board members, colleagues, and project partners gathered on a lovely summer afternoon to exchange hugs, greet new friends, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow Vesper supporters. Attendees spanned six generations – a result of Vesper’s long history and varied pursuits – and we were all energized by a deep sense of continuity from past to present. Highlights of the evening included Barbara Varenhorst reading statements from key individuals and supporters, and stories from Vesper’s founding 50 years ago from Bob Brorby whose first-hand knowledge was inspiring to hear. I had the pleasure of walking everyone through our Vesper family photo album spanning half a century of pictures and memories. Throughout the decades we have had the opportunity and privilege to partner with volunteers, community leaders, medical professionals, and lay persons who truly amaze us with their commitment to service. In whatever way you may have supported Vesper these past 50 years – Thank you! You have helped light the way for many people and communities. We invite you to view photographs from the celebration and we hope you enjoy the snapshots from this memorable evening. Miyoko Oshima,... Read More
The new vesper.org!
Welcome to our new website! We are delighted to share stories and information about our organization. This is a very special time for Vesper Society as we celebrate 50 years of helping overlooked communities to thrive and prosper. For the past two years the Vesper Society Board of Directors has been clarifying and focusing our work. We have deepened and broadened our understanding of community and are adapting our approach to the 21st century. Anything seemed possible in the 1960s when Vesper Society was founded. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Medicare Bill of 1965, and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 shaped the world into which Vesper Society was born. That is the ethos we carry forward into our next 50 years; one where we identify emerging trends and are on the leading edge of change to build long-term solutions with communities. From creating one of the first hospices west of the Mississippi, to being one of the first hospital conversion foundations, we hope you enjoy stories about our past, present, and future. Miyoko Oshima,... Read More