The Baby Therese Rose / Sara Chavez Kids Corner was unveiled today at the Ribbon Cutting ceremony at the Alhambra Police Department. With press on hand to document the event, Mary Glenn did the honors and officially made the room "open for business."
Pictures from the event can be viewed by clicking on the slideshow below:
An article about the room ran in the Pasadena Star-News.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
My story and the Mental Health Task Force Connection
by Esther Siu (Mental Health Liason)
I like to go back in my early days and find traces of my early life working with community back home in Hong Kong. The earliest experience I remembered was in middle school when I joined an after school program. I was assigned to read to the blind at a Catholic center while the blind person typed it in Braille. I remember how nervous I was at the beginning and how they laughed and thanked me for what I did. That helped and made me understand, they were just like me. As I became a young adult, I had a friend who was a social worker working with mentally challenged children. I went to visit her and spend the morning at the center with the children. The staff there showed a lot of patience and love. I can tell the children felt it because they were laughing and playing. A morning well spent and perhaps led me to think of what I wanted to do later on in life. Becoming part of Kingdom Causes Alhambra, gave me the opportunity to continue some of these early beginnings as I work with the mental health task force in the city of Alhambra.
Mental health awareness became an interest of mine because I have an uncle who struggled with schizophrenia for a good part of his life. Before my grandfather passed away, he told the brothers and sisters to take care of their youngest and most tender brother. So they took turns taking care of him up till the very end. I had the privilege to visit Uncle Chester once at the institution where he was hospitalized. It was quite a challenge to be among so many people with mental health illness issues. When my uncle passed away, he left behind some money. Since he had no children, the money was distributed among the nieces and nephews. I used it to subsidize my tuition at Fuller. I tell his story because I owe him a “thank you.” I took comfort that many people will benefit from what he gave me. This is how I would remember him.
by Esther Siu (Mental Health Liason)
I like to go back in my early days and find traces of my early life working with community back home in Hong Kong. The earliest experience I remembered was in middle school when I joined an after school program. I was assigned to read to the blind at a Catholic center while the blind person typed it in Braille. I remember how nervous I was at the beginning and how they laughed and thanked me for what I did. That helped and made me understand, they were just like me. As I became a young adult, I had a friend who was a social worker working with mentally challenged children. I went to visit her and spend the morning at the center with the children. The staff there showed a lot of patience and love. I can tell the children felt it because they were laughing and playing. A morning well spent and perhaps led me to think of what I wanted to do later on in life. Becoming part of Kingdom Causes Alhambra, gave me the opportunity to continue some of these early beginnings as I work with the mental health task force in the city of Alhambra.
Mental health awareness became an interest of mine because I have an uncle who struggled with schizophrenia for a good part of his life. Before my grandfather passed away, he told the brothers and sisters to take care of their youngest and most tender brother. So they took turns taking care of him up till the very end. I had the privilege to visit Uncle Chester once at the institution where he was hospitalized. It was quite a challenge to be among so many people with mental health illness issues. When my uncle passed away, he left behind some money. Since he had no children, the money was distributed among the nieces and nephews. I used it to subsidize my tuition at Fuller. I tell his story because I owe him a “thank you.” I took comfort that many people will benefit from what he gave me. This is how I would remember him.
Monday, June 23, 2008
CITY SPOTLIGHT
Person of the Month for June:
Ruben Miramontes and Alhambra volunteers
By Dawn Miller
For the month of June, Kingdom Causes is spotlighting 10-year-old Ruben Miramontes and the community members of Alhambra who have rallied around his family, his mom Valerie Franco and Ruben’s 8-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother, to help the family in a difficult time. Ruben is afflicted with ALD a degenerative disease made famous by the movie, Lorenzo’s Oil.
Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, is a genetically determined neurological disorder that affects 1 in every 17,900 boys worldwide. The presentation of symptoms occurs between the ages of 4 and 10, and affects the brain with demyelination. Ruben is losing his eyesight and also his hearing.
Ruben’s mom is a County employee and had already exhausted her sick and vacation leave. After being told that her son had only months to live, she has taken an extended leave of absence to care for him and spend as much time with him as possible. The family has been meeting all their bills through donations from friends and co-workers, but is expecting more doctors’ bills and funeral expenses.
On June 21st, members of the San Gabriel Valley YMCA, the Alhambra Firefighters, Alhambra Autokraft and the Alhambra community, including Councilman Gary Yamauchi, held a carwash at the San Gabriel Valley YMCA and Alhambra Autokraft to raise funds for Ruben’s medical care and his family’s ongoing financial need. They were assisted by Alhambra city Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, students from the Y and local schools and other members of the community. This was a great example of people in the community collaborating to make a difference for a family in need. They volunteers we are spotlighting did so much to “inspire”, “connect” and “mobilize” the community around a worthy cause. For their hard work, we want to spotlight all who came out to help Ruben’s family with the challenging months ahead!
Person of the Month for June:
Ruben Miramontes and Alhambra volunteers
By Dawn Miller
For the month of June, Kingdom Causes is spotlighting 10-year-old Ruben Miramontes and the community members of Alhambra who have rallied around his family, his mom Valerie Franco and Ruben’s 8-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother, to help the family in a difficult time. Ruben is afflicted with ALD a degenerative disease made famous by the movie, Lorenzo’s Oil.
Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, is a genetically determined neurological disorder that affects 1 in every 17,900 boys worldwide. The presentation of symptoms occurs between the ages of 4 and 10, and affects the brain with demyelination. Ruben is losing his eyesight and also his hearing.
Ruben’s mom is a County employee and had already exhausted her sick and vacation leave. After being told that her son had only months to live, she has taken an extended leave of absence to care for him and spend as much time with him as possible. The family has been meeting all their bills through donations from friends and co-workers, but is expecting more doctors’ bills and funeral expenses.
On June 21st, members of the San Gabriel Valley YMCA, the Alhambra Firefighters, Alhambra Autokraft and the Alhambra community, including Councilman Gary Yamauchi, held a carwash at the San Gabriel Valley YMCA and Alhambra Autokraft to raise funds for Ruben’s medical care and his family’s ongoing financial need. They were assisted by Alhambra city Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, students from the Y and local schools and other members of the community. This was a great example of people in the community collaborating to make a difference for a family in need. They volunteers we are spotlighting did so much to “inspire”, “connect” and “mobilize” the community around a worthy cause. For their hard work, we want to spotlight all who came out to help Ruben’s family with the challenging months ahead!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Alhambra PD Kid's Corner Funds Raised
Hello everyone!
The Children's Room (now named the Kid's Corner) is coming along nicely. This past Saturday we had some volunteers come and help us unload all the furniture, put the TV on its bracket, cover our temporary sofa (we have a really cool one ordered) and put all our toys and books in their place. Thanks to those that came out!
We are still in need of funds and donations for the room. Check out the pictures below and let us know if you like to donate toward anything on our wishlist. An updated wishlist can be found under the pictures!
Peace,
Dawn
Hello everyone!
The Children's Room (now named the Kid's Corner) is coming along nicely. This past Saturday we had some volunteers come and help us unload all the furniture, put the TV on its bracket, cover our temporary sofa (we have a really cool one ordered) and put all our toys and books in their place. Thanks to those that came out!
We are still in need of funds and donations for the room. Check out the pictures below and let us know if you like to donate toward anything on our wishlist. An updated wishlist can be found under the pictures!
Peace,
Dawn
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
7th Annual Mental Health Conference for Faith Leaders
by Esther Siu, City Intern
Last Thursday June 5, 2008, Mary and I attended the 7th Annual Mental health Conference for Faith Leaders, 2008. The title of the Conference was, “Empowering Individuals, Families and Communities”. The conference took place at the California Endowment Building located next to the Union Station at the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The event was free and it drew a crowd of about 250 leaders of different faith communities. According to the conference spokesperson, this was by far the largest gathering. The support indicated the concern for mental health wellness across religious lines.
After the opening ceremony, the first presenter, Craig Rennebohm, the founder of “Mental Health Chaplaincy”, spoke. The title of his talk was, “Out of Depths: Mental Illness, Spirituality and Caring Community”. Dr. Rennebohm has worked with the homeless population in Seattle, Washington, many of whom have mental illnesses. He shared passionately about his own struggle with depression. Then he gave suggestions on how to befriend those with mental illnesses living on the streets. They are often very lonely. The key phrases he used were “coming along side” and “having/demonstrating compassion”. It reminded me of Jesus as he reached out to the leper who wanted to be healed. The acceptance and embrace were as important to the leper as the actually healing.
After a sumptuous buffet lunch and some networking, the afternoon session began. The presenter was Rev. Siang-Yang Tan, PhD. The title of his talk was "A Spiritual Perspective on Mental Illness: Sin, Sickness, or Satan”. Dr. Tan said there was a time when all mental illnesses were thought of as demonic possession. Then there was a time when people thought mental illness was a myth. In his view, both were wrong. In order to accurately diagnosis the mental illness, Dr. Tan suggested that we needed to know the root causes. It could be brought on by guilt, a moral cause, or an illness such as the chemical imbalance of the brain or an evil spirit. In each of these situations, the treatment should be different.
The afternoon program included the interfaith panel and other workshops. It is important for the faith community and mental health community to work together for wholeness of the individual and community. Both play vital roles in the healing and wholeness process. Our hope is to be instrument’s of God’s shalom.
by Esther Siu, City Intern
Last Thursday June 5, 2008, Mary and I attended the 7th Annual Mental health Conference for Faith Leaders, 2008. The title of the Conference was, “Empowering Individuals, Families and Communities”. The conference took place at the California Endowment Building located next to the Union Station at the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The event was free and it drew a crowd of about 250 leaders of different faith communities. According to the conference spokesperson, this was by far the largest gathering. The support indicated the concern for mental health wellness across religious lines.
After the opening ceremony, the first presenter, Craig Rennebohm, the founder of “Mental Health Chaplaincy”, spoke. The title of his talk was, “Out of Depths: Mental Illness, Spirituality and Caring Community”. Dr. Rennebohm has worked with the homeless population in Seattle, Washington, many of whom have mental illnesses. He shared passionately about his own struggle with depression. Then he gave suggestions on how to befriend those with mental illnesses living on the streets. They are often very lonely. The key phrases he used were “coming along side” and “having/demonstrating compassion”. It reminded me of Jesus as he reached out to the leper who wanted to be healed. The acceptance and embrace were as important to the leper as the actually healing.
After a sumptuous buffet lunch and some networking, the afternoon session began. The presenter was Rev. Siang-Yang Tan, PhD. The title of his talk was "A Spiritual Perspective on Mental Illness: Sin, Sickness, or Satan”. Dr. Tan said there was a time when all mental illnesses were thought of as demonic possession. Then there was a time when people thought mental illness was a myth. In his view, both were wrong. In order to accurately diagnosis the mental illness, Dr. Tan suggested that we needed to know the root causes. It could be brought on by guilt, a moral cause, or an illness such as the chemical imbalance of the brain or an evil spirit. In each of these situations, the treatment should be different.
The afternoon program included the interfaith panel and other workshops. It is important for the faith community and mental health community to work together for wholeness of the individual and community. Both play vital roles in the healing and wholeness process. Our hope is to be instrument’s of God’s shalom.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Alhambra Police Dept Kid's Corner is almost ready! A great group of Kingdom Causes volunteers worked this past Saturday afternoon to clean all the old furnishings out of the room and get it re-painted and ready for all the new furniture, toys and games that are being donated or funded by members of our community. Please contact our office if you'd like to help with the next work day on June 14th. Below is an updated list of items we still need and a fundraising meter showing how close we are to our goal of completing the room. Thanks for all your support!!
By Dawn Miller
By Dawn Miller
Monday, June 02, 2008
As We Journey Together in Alhambra:
Mental Health Task Force Roundtable Discussion with Alhambra Pastors
May 22, 2008 by Esther Siu (City Intern)
Last Thursday, May 22, at 9 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Alhambra, about 25 Alhambra Pastors gathered together for a roundtable discussion hosted by the Mental Health Task Force of Kingdom Causes Alhambra. I was excited to greet them as they pulled up at the parking lot and walked into the room. For those of us who did not get a chance to have breakfast, we were delighted to find hot coffee and fresh donuts waiting for us! We felt immediately at home.
Once settled, Mary Glenn, Executive Director of Kingdom Causes Alhambra, gave a brief introduction and made everyone felt welcomed. From the surveys we collected, there were main issues to be discussed. We divided the topics. Mary, who had been a youth pastor and Dr. Christine Wong whose expertise is in youth and family hosted the first table. The discussions centered on youth issues such as gang related activities in the schools and cross cultural relationship in the families. There were a lot of good discussions as Pastors shared their experiences and situation in their congregations. The question was, “How do we make the Gospel message relevant to the young people and serve families more effectively?” It is a real challenge to church leaders since the community of Alhambra is quite diverse.
Laura Depp, a Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor and Kathy Ermeling, a Certified Grief Counselor hosted the second table. Their discussions centered on the topic of depression. Laura gave a general introduction on how to recognize depression while Kathy spoke on specific situations such as depression among the elderly and those who are grieving. There was a lot of interest in the material presented and good sharing from Pastors. The discussion ended with a question and answer time. Everyone went away having a better grasp of this illness that has touched and changed many people’s lives. Time went by quickly. After the discussions, we broke into small groups for prayer.
It was a wonderful to be part of this experience. The Pastors of Alhambra came together with a sprit of unity. I am reminded of Nehemiah who prayed and encouraged the people of Jerusalem to begin building the city wall as it lay in ruins. The people responded, ‘“let us start building,” So they committed themselves to the common good.’ (Nehemiah 2:17, 18) We too have begun to rebuild our city walls!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
CITY SPOTLIGHT
Person of the Month for May:
Joe "Peppy" Sciarra
Joe "Peppy" Sciarra is the poster boy for heart health and getting Alhambra residents involved in raising money for the Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Peppy had his own eye-opening experience with heart health when he had chest pains and an angioplasty in 1996. He says he recognized the signs of his heart trouble after a presentation at an Alhambra Rotary Club meeting. As a result, he started supporting the Heart Institute which birthed the Alhambra Heart Walk with support from the Alhambra Rotary Club members. A community event for many years, this year’s Heart Walk was a tremendous success with over $7,000 raised for the children’s hospital. In speaking with Peppy and his wife, Lucille, after a recent Rotary meeting, it is clear that he is touched by how the Children’s Hospital serves patients without regard to their ability to pay for medical services. He is committed to raising money for this worthy cause through the Annual Heart Walk and getting community members motivated to care for their own and their families’ heart health. Peppy credits the Rotary club and a team of people for the success of the Heart Walk, not wanting to take the credit for the event himself and because he champions a spirit of community ownership and heart health awareness on behalf of all of Alhambra, Peppy is our City Spotlight Person of the month. He exemplifies our motto at Kingdom Causes of inspiring, connecting and mobilizing people for community transformation.
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