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THANK YOU, CAROL!
Carol McKevitt is retiring after 22 years with Vesper Society! Former, current, and incoming board members celebrated Carol, at Scott’s Restaurant, in Jack London Square. We are grateful for her many years of steady service. Carol’s last day in the office is December 20. Please note the office is closed for the holidays from December 21 – 29. Carol begins her new chapter on January 1, 2024 — what a wonderful way to start the new year! Please join us in wishing Carol the very best!... Read More
Congratulations Marin City Health and Wellness Center!
Everyday Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of Marin City Health and Wellness Center (MCHWC) flagship clinic and its new Women’s Health Clinic in San Rafael! Marin City residents through their grassroots efforts fought to make primary care accessible for low-income families in this historically African American community dating back to 1942. During World War II many African American shipyard laborers migrated from the South and eventually settled in Marin City by choice or due to racial discriminatory laws limiting housing opportunities. The new 23,629 square foot facility on Phillips Drive replaces a 17-year old temporary clinic space and doubles the patient capacity. Here are some quotes from MCHWC’s leadership. Nancy Johnson, Chair, Board of Directors states: “The opening of these two new centers is consistent with MCHWC’s mission of providing innovative health and wellness services to all, with the goal of African American health equity. They are key components of our overall expansion plan, which included the previous opening of the Bayview Clinic in San Francisco. Now, after 17 years providing care at Drake Ave., we have …these new centers in Marin. It’s a dream come true.” Harold Wallace, CEO, explained that “The new clinic is night and day compared to Drake Ave. It’s twice the size and a modern, highly functional facility. We have added staff, more medical exam rooms and dental chairs; have expanded behavioral health spaces and installed an emergency generator. Plus, we have implemented new technologies – including a 360-degree dental x-ray machine, an intraoral dental x-ray system, telemedicine for behavioral health, a fiber-connected IT system, and wireless technology inside the building.” “In addition to making this a highly functional facility, it was important... Read More
Reflecting on Parliament of the World Religions 2023
Vesper Society believes that a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. Our spiritual life is an integral part of being well and we reflect on the Parliament of World Religions (PoWR) that was held in Chicago, the week of August 14, 2023. 7,000 practitioners of faith, academicians, faith seekers, and activists from 95 countries and 210 faith traditions gathered to reflect on the theme “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom and Human Rights.” PoWR was convened 130 years ago at what is now the Art Institute of Chicago. Swami Vivekananda introduced Hinduism to the US in 1893 and called for religious tolerance and an end to fanaticism. One hundred years later the Parliament was incorporated in Chicago with the 1993 gathering exploring how to address the critical issues facing the world. One of Vesper Society’s early supporters, the late Rev. William Lesher (president of PLTS – Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary 1973-1979 and Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago 1979-1997) was president of PoWR from 2003-2010. Christianity has dominated the American landscape and that is changing. Pew Research Center projects that by 2070, Christians could fall below 50% of the US population. On a global scale, Islam is growing faster than any other major religion and if this trend continues, Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians by 2050. That is why it was fascinating to see hundreds of faith traditions at the Parliament. Rev. Dr. Moses Penumaka leads the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries at PLTS in Berkeley that has long been promoting interfaith studies and will soon be introducing groundbreaking curriculum for Native Americans. We asked him to reflect on these questions. The Sikh community provided daily vegetarian meals called langar for the convention participants. Why is this significant? Guru... Read More
Hiking Humboldt Kids
Vesper Society lifts up through service, breaks down barriers, and elevates community voices. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, First 5 Humboldt encouraged families to stay active and spend time outdoors in nature. They reached out to hiking legend Rees Hughes, author of Crossing Paths: A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader and Hiking Humboldt Volume 2 to create a resource for this purpose. The wonderful result of this collaboration is Hiking Humboldt Kids, published by Backcountry Press. First Five Humboldt purchased complementary copies for local families with children ages 0-5, just in time for summer break. As it turns out, older folks really enjoy the length of the hikes too. It took almost two years to produce the book that includes history, fun facts, and activities, all designed to inspire wonder and appreciation of nature. Educators, photographers, artists, and translators all contributed to this bilingual English/Spanish edition. Respect for the complex history of Humboldt and the humility of the leaders who made this happen is notable, in the Land Acknowledgement, at the very beginning of the book. The rich and stunning lands within the boundaries of Humboldt County include the traditional, ancestral, and present homelands of several Indigenous nations, including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Wailaki, Wiyot, and Yurok. These lands were taken from these communities during an extended period of forced removal and genocide that has had far-reaching impacts, yet these peoples have been and continue to be stewards of this place. We honor and acknowledge the strength and resilience of these communities that came before us, that are with us now, and the future Indigenous peoples of this area. We have endeavored to weave in this recognition throughout this book. We would like to extend our gratitude to those who have shared perspectives and knowledge with us on... Read More
Celebrating the Class of 2023
Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. This month we honor the Class of 2023 who lived through the pandemic and had to cope with loss, grief, and social isolation. We celebrate their spirit and perseverance and wish them the best as they begin their college experience in the fall. (Photo Credit: Esteban Ojeda, Holtville Tribune) From the Imperial Valley, we congratulate three students who received Exemplary Community scholarship awards from the IVROP Community Foundation. Robert Urena served the El Centro community with over 800 community service hours. He coached in Special Olympic events, helped clean up neighborhood parks, and assisted senior citizens. Robert will be attending Imperial Valley College and aspires to become an athletic director. Jaira Betancourt served over 300 community service hours at the El Centro Regional Medical Center and participated in the Health Occupations Students of America. Jaira will be attending Imperial Valley College and is interested in healthcare. Laura Avila served over 275 hours at the El Centro Regional Medical Center and participated in the allcove program at Stanford University. Laura will be attending UC San Diego and will pursue a psychology degree with a specialization in clinical psychology. From South Los Angeles we congratulate all graduating seniors who were part of the Kid City program and will start their college careers in the next few months. Bhea Bourbon — CSU Long Beach, Nursing Program Kimberly Navarro – UCLA, Nursing Lizbeth Ramirez — UC Davis, Biological Sciences Hilary Rocha Gonzalez – UC Irvine, Public Health Sciences Magaly Chuta – UC Irvine, Biological Sciences Daniel Martinez – CSU Los Angeles, Chemistry Nicole Moreno – CSU Northridge, Engineering Alex Ordonez – CSU Fullerton, Occupational Therapy Jasmine Lara, Hannah Diaz, and Jessica Hernandez — UCLA,... Read More
Asian Health Services Community Healing Initiative
Vesper Society believes a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. This month we asked Julia Liou, MPH and Thu Quach, PhD to talk about the Community Healing Initiative at Asian Health Services in Oakland, CA. What is the context for the Community Healing Initiative? These past three years tested our resilience and our ability to adapt while continuing to be grounded in serving and advocating for our patients and community. Not only were we blamed for COVID, but our patients and communities were overlooked and ignored. We saw our mental health visits increase by 2.5 times. There was a meteoric rise in anti-Asian hate and violence where incidents increased by 300%. There were significant gaps in Alameda County for limited English proficient Asian immigrants and refugees to receive victim support services and violence prevention interventions. As a result, Asian Health Services launched the Community Healing Initiative (CHI). What does the Initiative do? We are one of three pilot Anti-Asian hate action centers in partnership with the Asian American Foundation. As part of CHI, we provide direct services for survivors of hate and violence. Fear and trauma are directly linked to the health and well-being of our community. Our therapists, social workers, and lay counselors provide mental health counseling and systems navigation. Survivors experience many challenges such as a reporting process that retraumatizes, lack of communication by law enforcement and government agencies, stigma related to mental health therapy, social isolation, and intergenerational trauma. That is why we provide case management, victim assistance funds, and legal referrals. What are some new partnerships and services you have been able to offer? We are now able to offer alternative forms of healing such as Tai Chi, yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, and food – all of which... Read More