Diversidad, equidad e inclusión

CSC SGV DEI Progress in 2022

CULTURE:

In 2021, a lot of work was put into putting Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley internally into a stronger position in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

• Created a wall of inclusion in CSC’s main hallway
• Encouraged staff to add pronouns to email signatures and Zoom profiles
• Translated all participant forms accessed by Spanish speaking participants to Spanish.
• Hired a Program Director of Asian decent

In 2022, CSC has consistently carried on these practices to solidify our commitment to DEI. Furthering our efforts to improve our internal culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we have:

• Hired a Latina Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
• Taken on trainees of different ethnic backgrounds and bilingual skills
• Actively participates in both CSC HQ’s DEI Task Force and Latinx Affiliate Committee
• Included an article in our Q1 newsletter about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CSC
• Hired a male Hispanic Office Manager

PROGRAM:

• Continued the Technology Lending Library
• Applied for funding for a men’s support group
• Melissa Parra, COVC, did extensive work reaching out to lapsed Spanish speaking CSC participants to revigorated the attendance in Spanish speaking programs
• Translated numerous more pages on our existing website to include Spanish translations
• Translated all pages on CSC’s upcoming website to convert to Spanish with a toggle
• Relaunched Spanish speaking programs to a hybrid format, welcoming technology challenged participants back to in-person attendance
• Launched a weekly text message to Spanish speaking participants with an outline of programs for that week
• Held a West African Drum Circle on 5/2/2022
• Held a Health Disparities workshop on 4/18/2022
• Held a Return to Wellness session in Spanish in partnership with City of Hope
• The Black Support Circle attended Healing Blue together as one of the group members participated in the performance which honors women who have and are battling breast cancer, Lineage Performing Arts Center, Pasadena.

OUTREACH:

• Attended Pasadena’s Black Mental Health Task Force – Outreach Workgroup Meeting
• Vicki Laidig shared about CSC’s services to 120 people at Neighborhood Church, who donated proceeds of their “Share the Plate” program to CSC
• Continues to look for local diversely-owned businesses for fundraising partnerships
• Scheduled regular social media posts highlighting health disparities in the Black community to promote our Black Support Circle
• Julie has joined the NAACP to build a stronger relationship with the organization and be more immersed in updates in the local Black community.
• Julie has made additional connections with:
  • California Black Women’s Project
  • Pasadena Black Equity Project
  • Therapeutic Play Foundation – delivered flyers to their Pasadena office
  • The Black Mental Health Taskfroce
  • Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
  • Painted Brain
• Melissa’s connections:
  • Attended Rhythms of the Village Festival in Altadena
  • Jacque James from NAACP Pasadena Chapter will start to teach a Pilates class for CSC in 2023.
  • We started a conversation about collaborating with NAACP on a Cancer Screening event in February or March at their location in Pasadena. We will also be put on their website under resources, promoting Black Support Circle. 
  • Families Forward-met with Elva the executive director and will be presenting to their parents about our services
  • Meeting with Frances at California Black Women’s Health Project, after thanksgiving break. 
  • Participated in the East LA Mexican Independence Parade festival where there was over 3,000 people attended.
  • Attended Oaxaca Health Bazaar + LGBTQ+ 
  • Attended had a table at Alma Fuerte Health and Community Fair. 
  • Attended and presented at HerHealth Now Conference with Worksite Wellness LA-Women’s Health. Mainly Spanish speaking promotoras. 
  • Attended Rooted and Rising in Lincoln Heights for a health fair.
  • Connected with AltaMed foundation and they recorded a short video in Spanish and English about our services. 
  • Distributed our flyers at a few clinic in Sylmar through a contact that’s a nurse practitioner there. 
  • Called 100+ to share about our first Return To Wellness in Spanish, Volver al Bienestar. Was able to gather 7 women for an 8-week program. 
  • Received a plug on instragram with called Tamarindo Postcast-that’s geared towards Latinx Community. 
  • Jackie James from NAACP Pasadena Chapter will start to teach a Pilates class for CSC
  • Family Forward
• Natalie Smalley + Chrystle White
  • Contacted the DEI Physician Champion at Kaiser and has plans to reconnect her
  • Contacted several area churches primarily serving the Black community
  • Shared about CSC to Sisters in the Community
  • Alexis Brooks, MS RD, and Victoria Smalley, RDN, MPH – both have nutrition backgrounds and would like to work with Spanish speaking members
  • Interviewed on KPFK.org Gospel Classics for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Attended The Wellness Group’s 21st Breast & While Health Breakfast Forum-Celebrating women’s Health, Proud Bird Tuskegee Ballroom. 

Q1 2021:

• The Board launched a new DEI committee comprised of Directors and community stakeholders. The purpose of this committee was to inform how we should move forward in this area.
• The DEI Committee set measurable goals for 2021:
  • Recruit 2 new diverse Board members
  • Schedule 3-4 new cultural programs
  • Build 3-4 new cultural organization relationships
  • Execute 1 collaboration with a black-owned business
• We created a Director of Diversity staff position to ensure that someone would be intentionally directing our DEI efforts
• We held a Black Information Night (virtual)

Q2 2021:

• CSC secured funding from the Pasadena Community Foundation for a new Black patient and survivor support group, the Black Support Circle, which began in Q2l. (The DEI Committee helped to inform how to create, name, and launch this group.)
• We started a Technology Lending Library for our Spanish speaking members who did not have the technology or internet to join virtual programs; two foundation funders awarded us grants to purchase iPads and mobile hot spots
• CSC secured doctors of color to present virtual educational workshops, including Rick Kittles, Ph.D., Director of Health Equities at City of Hope, who presented a workshop on Health Disparities and has since joined our Professional Advisory Network
• We wrote press releases for local media promoting our DEI initiatives
• We began new relationships with local cultural organizations including the Altadena Chamber of Commerce (which has a 22% Black population) and the Pasadena Chapter of the NAACP
• Translated all of our online forms to have Spanish versions

Q3 2021:

• CSC is seeking diversely-owned businesses for collaborative fundraisers/givebacks:
  • Bonnie B’s Smokin’ Barbecue – July 29th
• To diversify our staff, when hiring, CSC reviews resumes with an eye not just for skills, but for diversity, and our most recent hire is of Asian descent
• We have set up a team of Black supporters who are poised to reach out to local Black churches to spread the word about CSC
  • Chrystle White (CSC Member)
  • Natalie Smalley (CSC Board Member)

Q4 2021:

• CSC continues to schedule fundraisers with local diversely-owned businesses:
  • UEDF Fish & Chips – October 14th
  • Burrito Express – December 6th
• Created a spanish language flyer advertising CSC’s services and Grupo fuerza y esperanza
• Created a flyer for the Black community highlighting CSC’s Black Support Circle
• Presented at the Sisters Coming Together Luncheon hosted by the Southern California Women’s Conference on October 9th
• Presented and held a booth at Pasadena’s first Black Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center on November 6th