January 2022
A new year brings new hope
By Chet P. Hewitt
President and CEO
In my January 2021 message, I praised the millions of Californians whose contributions were making it possible for our state and nation to navigate the global health crisis. I, like countless commentators, researchers and politicians, took special care to shout out a subset of those we now routinely refer to as essential workers – low-wage workers who continue to make extraordinary contributions in our battle against the COVID-19 virus while facing significant personal risks. In California, they are largely workers of color from communities of color, who pick and process our food, manufacture and deliver needed goods and services, and stock shelves in supermarkets and drug stores across our great state.
Our expressions of gratitude for their efforts are well founded, as is our newfound willingness to admit their work has always been essential to our collective health and well-being. However, these workers, their families and the communities they live in deserve much more than our collective thanks. As this year begins, policy at the federal and state level is pivoting toward recovery and we find ourselves positioned to make good on promises to address the racial, social, environmental and economic inequities that exacerbated their vulnerability to COVID-19-related illness and death.
Two important examples are the recently enacted federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the state-funded Community Economic Resilience Fund, both of which are focused on rebuilding and updating our economy. While the federal bill lacks specific requirements for advancing racial equity and inclusion, California has the ability to advance these goals through the flexibility granted to states from the federal government. The Community Economic Resilience Fund, on the other hand, clearly lists the advancement of a “sustainable and equitable recovery from the economic distress caused by COVID-19” and “improving equity outcomes by race, ethnicity, gender and geography” as primary outcomes.
As determinants of health-focused institutions, we at Sierra Health Foundation and The Center are made hopeful by what we are witnessing. Accordingly, we plan to advocate alongside our partners to ensure the billions of dollars that flow from these efforts are about more than bridges and roads. We will collaborate with communities in our region and across our state to ensure recovery discussions include their ideas and aspirations for healthier regional economies and communities. This could include replacing dilapidated schools, reducing air pollution, ramping up the construction of affordable housing, ensuring everyone has access to clean water, and investing in the technological and human capital our public health infrastructure requires to better serve us all. Doing so will create economic opportunities and improve living conditions and health outcomes now and for generations to come in communities many essential workers call home.
At Sierra Health Foundation and The Center, we believe that once-in-a-generation federal spending and record-setting state budget surpluses make these goals attainable. As we work through the Omicron-driven COVID-19 spike, lets organize, build community power and plan a recovery that honors the contributions of low-wage essential workers. No performative talk, excuses or backtracking. Let’s start this year with a non-negotiable commitment to building the inclusive, equitable and healthy California for all right now.
Funding opportunity: COVID-19 Mitigation Project
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation and the State of California’s Department of Health Care Services are pleased to announce the COVID-19 Mitigation Project funding opportunity. With grants up to $100,000 over three years, mental health and substance abuse disorder providers will expand services to provide education on COVID-19 testing, implement on-site COVID-19 testing, collaborate with community partners to prevent infectious disease transmission, expand COVID-19 response services to those connected to the behavioral health system, and support the maintenance of healthy environments.
For additional information and application instructions, please review the Request for Applications. Applications are due on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m.
Investing in California’s San Joaquin Valley Communities is focus of new book chapter
California’s San Joaquin Valley is one of the most culturally diverse and economically important parts of the state. However, disparities in living conditions and other social determinants of health have contributed to the region’s high rates of disease and health issues. A new book from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis looks at these challenges in the San Joaquin Valley and other rural areas of the United States — as well as the promise of their future.
Investing in Rural Prosperity, published in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Board, seeks to help rural communities achieve shared economic prosperity by outlining a new framework for how to approach rural development successfully, showcasing stories of progress in different communities, and highlighting recommendations for action by policymakers, practitioners, funders and researchers. The book includes contributions from 79 authors in the United States and abroad, representing financial institutions, nonprofits, philanthropies, academia and government agencies.
Four Sierra Health Foundation senior staff members and a partner at Avivar Capital authored Chapter 26 — Investing in California’s San Joaquin Valley Communities — which spotlights The Center at Sierra Health Foundation’s San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, a community-driven funder collaborative launched in 2014 in recognition of historical inequities, as well as public and philanthropic underinvestment, across the region.
The book is available free of charge electronically or in hard copy on the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis website.
Vaccine Equity Campaign partners share community successes
Our Vaccine Equity Campaign funded partners throughout California continue to lead outreach activities that help vulnerable communities get vaccinated — in collaboration with community organizers, community health workers, promotoras and clinicians. Following are success stories from a few of our dedicated partners.
East Bay Sanctuary Covenant has interacted with 1,023 community members through community canvassing and tabling at churches and flea markets, text and phone banking, health fairs and Zoom workshops. At vaccination clinics conducted in partnership with La Clinica de La Raza, 301 people were vaccinated.
Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN) has reached 993 individuals to disseminate information related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination in hard-to-reach neighborhoods in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Fresno counties through community canvassing and tabling, door-to door outreach and hosting a vaccination clinic, where 20 community members were vaccinated.
Stanislaus Asian American Community Resource has connected with more than 2,000 individuals through door-to-door canvassing, community canvassing and tabling at local businesses, temples, churches and community centers, one-on-one direct messaging, phone banking and hosting vaccination clinics. At their vaccination clinics, a Hmong doctor talked about the importance of vaccinations and a Laotian family shared their personal tragedy of COVID-19 deaths and how vaccination could have prevented them.
The Vaccine Equity Campaign is funded by the Almond Board of California, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The California Endowment, Facebook, IKEA US Community Foundation, Kaiser Foundation, Netflix, NextGen America and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Photo: East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Health Fair with community partners on Sept. 3.
MBK Sacramento offers leadership and skill-building opportunities for young men of color
Since 2018, the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Sacramento Collaborative has been committed to improving the educational, health, social and economic outcomes for local boys and men of color. Two upcoming programs will provide opportunities to build brotherhoood as well as leadership and creative skills.
Through the MBK Sacramento Youth Fellowship Remix, 15 young men of color will lead community change, build brotherhood and take their leadership skills to the next level. The cohort will begin in February and conclude in May. The Youth Fellowship Remix is led by partner agencies 4 Your Epiphany and Urban Strategies, Inc. Applications are due Jan. 28. Apply using the MBK Sacramento Youth Fellowship Remix application.
The MBK Sacramento All Access Creator Academy was created using youth voice from previous Youth Fellowship cohorts with the goal to develop anti-violence videos along with the MBK Sac All Access podcast to increase awareness and access to MBK Sacramento health, education, workforce and public safety resources. Five Creator Academy participants will learn about social media and content creation, build a brotherhood and expand their personal leadership skills with other content creators. The academy is presented in partnership with 4 Your Epiphany – Top Floor Creatives. Applications are due Jan. 28. Apply using the MBK Sacramento Content Academy application.
We will share updates in Partnerships and on the MBK Sacramento webpage.
1321 Garden Hwy, Suite 210, Sacramento, CA 95833
916.993.7701 | impact@shfcenter.org | www.shfcenter.org
San Joaquin Valley Office
1401 Fulton Street, Suite 800, Fresno, CA 93721
559.992.0670
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