Sierra Health Foundation

Check out the October issue of our Partnerships newsletter, announcing new resources available for communities hit hardest by COVID-19, the launch of the Build.Black. podcast, a mental health-focused funding opportunity, job openings and more! https://www.sierrahealth.org/partnerships

Across the state, Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted Black, Latinx, Pacific Islander, immigrant and low-income populations. We're joining thirteen philanthropic foundations and the Public Health Institute to launch Together Toward Health, a $20m initiative to stop the spread of coronavirus and strengthen health and resilience in California’s most impacted communities. Together Toward Health will work with community-based organization to amplify public outreach efforts, expand workforce development and reduce the spread of COVID. See if your organization qualifies for a supporting grant. https://www.phi.org/press/togethertowardhealth/

We applaud #CA Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris & Governor Gavin Newsom’s goal to reduce adverse childhood experiences by 50% in a generation. Preventing childhood trauma & investing in healing will improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of children across the course of their lives. To achieve this goal, we need to think bigand focus on prevention. Clinical screenings and after-the-fact interventions alone will not prevent children from experiencing trauma and abus...e in the first place. That’s why we need to go #beyondscreening. That means preventing childhood trauma by: - Strengthening economic supports to families, like expanding access to living-wage employment, paid family leave, and social safety-net programs - Promoting healthy social norms that protect against violence and adversity - Providing access to housing and healthy community development - Ensuring every child gets a strong start in early childhood, childcare, school, and after-school settings Why this matters now: #COVID-19 has made it clear just how critical prevention and preparedness are to ensure health and safety, and underscored that CA’s low-income communities & communities of color that get hurt the most when we fail to plan ahead. As we move toward recovery from this pandemic, our focus on reducing the burdens of childhood trauma and toxic stress will matter more than ever. Community-based approaches that focus on healing and the social determinants of health can help prevent adverse childhood experiences and support children and families through hard times. Read the report, Beyond Screening: Achieving California’s Bold Goal of Reducing Exposure to Childhood Trauma - and please share with your networks! https://preventioninstitute.org//beyond-screening-achievin

Check out the latest issue of Partnerships, with COVID-19 resources, updates on community partners working to improve college access for boys and men of color and #Census2020 participation and a number of new job opportunities! https://sierrahealth.org/partnerships

COVID-19 Community Testing Sites are located throughout the county, in neighborhood spots so it's easy for you to get tested!

14 foundation CEOs joined together to call on CA to transform its youth justice system: "We have a critical window to ensure fair and equal opportunity for our young people and we must seize this moment to make real change. https://cafundersforbmoc.org/california-must-transform-its/

We join a broad coalition of more than 30 California philanthropic organizations to stand together to address deep racial inequities and call for increased investment in our communities to ensure a more equitable future. Read our open letter. https://bit.ly/3iqMFxZ #InclusiveCalifornia

This month's Partnerships newsletter features COVID-19 resources, a new behavioral health funding opportunity and a celebration of Juneteenth and partner efforts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Read the full issue here: https://www.sierrahealth.org/partnerships

Enjoying this beautiful virtual concert today, full of powerful performances and connection: https://youtu.be/LK0_6NAcoNE

Don't miss this weekend's Youth and Community PopUps! #sacyouthpopup The Sacramento LGBT Community Center Roberts Family Development Center BCLC North Highlan...ds Foothill Farms Iu Mien Community Services Hmong Youth and Parents United Self Awareness and Recovery - SAR Greater Sacramento Urban League City of Sacramento, Government See more

Don't miss tonight's virtual concert, featuring the iSound youth choir and other special guests. Watch party at 8pm - right here! I Sound Performing Arts Community Development Inc.South Sacramento Christian Center

https://buff.ly/2CaY0BU. and Black Child Legacy Campaign - RAACD are teaming up this week with community partners and leaders for a week of action dedicated to deep investment in community. The list of activities will be updated daily - check it out on social or blackchildlegacy.org

Join Sacramento Youth and Community PopUps for some virtual fun this weekend! #sacyouthpopup Greater Sacramento Urban League Roberts Family Development Center The Sacramento LGBT Community Center BCLC North Highlands Foothill Farms City of Sacramento, Government

We are in an extraordinarily difficult moment. The public murder of George Floyd has catalyzed advocates whose protests and direct actions have brought the world’s rapt attention to issues of police violence, disinvestment and policy injustice in Black communities. The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade weigh heavily on our hearts and remind us of all whom we have lost, including Stephon Clark, over the decades. We have seen more devastated familie...s and communities than we can count. We are called to reaffirm unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. It gives us tremendous hope to see new and long-time advocates organizing across the country for policy and systems changes that will dismantle the institutional racism that perpetuates and enables racially motivated violence. We hear the expressions of righteous anger, fear and grief as a wake-up call that refuses to be ignored. We stand in solidarity and outrage with those who are working through their pain for solutions and will not be satisfied with excuses and delays. As a philanthropic organization dedicated to health and racial equity, we remain steadfast in our support of community organizations and leaders who share this commitment. We will always prioritize the voices of directly impacted communities, advocate with those at the center of the work, and align ourselves with those relentless champions for social justice. We see you and we stand with you. This is a time to look to the future and prepare for deep changes rooted in challenging policies and practices. We don’t have all of the answers, but, as always, we will continue to learn from the leaders in our communities. We commit ourselves to lifting up and actively supporting the solutions they develop. We call on all Californians from those who experience these injustices and inequities daily to those who have the economic and political resources to help create change to stand up and take action together, not only in the streets, but in the city halls, board rooms and legislative chambers where lasting transformation can begin. We look forward to continuing our work together in support of our shared vision for an equitable and just California and nation. ----- We are posting resources on the Sierra Health Foundation web site and The Center web site and invite you to use and share them widely: sierrahealth.org and shfcenter.org