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A message from SBSS Board Co-Chairs, Jodi Cohn & Andrea Leeb
We are pleased to announce that Darlene Kiyan has been named Chief Executive Officer of St. Barnabas Senior Services, effective Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Ms. Kiyan comes to SBSS from Toberman Neighborhood Center in San Pedro and has significant experience leading organizations and impacting the lives of families through various programs. Drawing from her vast experience and skills set, she has consistently focused on leadership, education, and the physical wellbeing of her clients.
Before she began her meaningful work at Toberman Neighborhood Center, Ms. Kiyan worked with numerous organizations including the YMCA of Greater Los Angeles, Playworks Southern California, and Break the Cycle; serving as executive director of these organizations since 1999. She is recognized for increasing organizational and community engagement as well as developing and maintaining a wide variety of programs, strategic planning, fundraising, and much more.
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we are grateful for the hard work of the search committee and are confident that the most qualified candidate was selected to lead SBSS through a new and exciting transition. We look forward to beginning this phase under Ms. Kiyan’s exceptional and promising leadership.
Please join us in giving Ms. Kiyan our warmest welcome.
Best regards,
Jodi Cohn and Andrea Leeb
SBSS Board Co-Chairs
A Farewell Message From Rigo
As I enter the last few weeks as President and CEO of SBSS, I reflect on how much SBSS has grown in these last 13 years. When I accepted the position in 2008, I was prepared for any and all challenges that were headed my way, such as the recession which left many low income older adults housing insecure and even homeless. The team and I did all that we could to expand our programs and services to reach more communities and included services for family caregivers as well. We co-founded the Los Angeles Aging Advocacy Coalition (LAAAC) and have managed it since its inception. LAAAC gives older adults more of a voice within their communities. We also launched our Aging into the Future events to help educate older adults about the opportunities that technology provides and our more recent program, GOAL:Tech to provide literacy education for older adults as we navigate through the pandemic and beyond.
A focal point for me has been to make sure that everything we do is through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and I am proud that the SBSS team and I became champions for the population we serve. The legacy I leave is the trust that our older adults, their families, and their communities have in SBSS to help them age well with dignity and respect.
From the global recession to the global pandemic, SBSS has become stronger, more resilient, and more invested than ever in the impact we have in our communities. The strength of our entire staff and the organization has made this difficult decision a little easier. While there will always be challenges, I know SBSS will always emerge better than ever, and will always keep the most vulnerable older adults at the center of everything we do – I’ve seen it time after time.
On my toughest days, it’s the people who kept me going.
To all the SBSS older adults we’ve served: You’re the reason I do what I do. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. It’s been an honor and a privilege to do so.
To our partners, past and present: Thank you for trusting me and SBSS. Thank you for giving so much of your time and experience. Together, we changed the world by helping our communities, one person at a time.
And to our supporters: Thank you for believing in our mission, our vision, and our work. Without your investment, trust, and belief in us, we could never achieve what we have accomplished.
Thank you to my board for their support over the years and to my SBSS team across and throughout the organization. We’ve been through so much together, I can’t help but care for you all.
I’m deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as SBSS’ President and CEO. I will miss the SBSS family, but I know SBSS will continue to thrive without me. I know the SBSS future is bright, and I invite you to be part of it with our board, staff, and new leadership. It’s always been your support that allows SBSS to be a beacon of light for so many.
Please consider a gift today, in honor of our past and as an investment into SBSS’ future.
In gratitude,
Rigo J. Saborio
SBSS President and CEO
Gift cards to those who help others protect themselves from COVID-19
La Opinion published an article regarding SBSS’ Dinner and a Dose program.
Translated version below:
St. Barnabas Senior Services rewards volunteers who take seniors to receive the vaccine with a dinner.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan tells the story of a man who found a wounded traveler on his way and stopped to help him, bandaged his wounds and, mounting his horse, took him to an inn and cared for him.
During the covid-19 pandemic, millions of good Samaritans gave their time and effort to help others and are still doing so. Such is the case of Zoila Esperanza Carrillo, a 76-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, who wanted to make sure her friend Ana Arévalo received the vaccine and is protected against the pandemic.
Zoila and Ana met years ago when they both worked caring for people at home. Over the years, Ana lost her sight until she became blind.
“My friend Ana worked all her life like me, in Home Care. She had a work permit and now that she is blind, she doesn’t receive a cent from the government," shared Zoila, in an interview with this media outlet. "Before the pandemic I liked to pick her up, take her to afternoon Mass. Every time I had a little change, I liked to invite her to eat, or look for some little thing to give her," he added.
But everything changed with the pandemic and, momentarily, the friends stopped meeting and going out. But Zoila continued to watch over Ana, and when St. Barnabas Senior Services organized a vaccination clinic, she made sure to pick her up and take her to receive her immunization.
Zoila, who lost another good friend to covid-19 in February this year, also took another friend and her daughter to be vaccinated.
"I'm happy to help people. Thank God, I have someone to help me and so I can help my friends," she explained.
A dinner and a dose (Una cena y una dosis)
To reward Zoila and other good Samaritans who take their grandparents, family members and other loved ones to get vaccinated, St. Barnabas Senior Services (SBSS), in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), created the "A Dinner and a Dose" program, which hands a $25 DoorDash card to those who take others to get vaccinated.
On Wednesday of this week, during an emotional event, SBSS announced the new program by presenting the card to Zoila and other good Samaritans so they can share a dinner together, after getting vaccinated.
The initiative began on June 9 and will go on until the stock of gift cards is exhausted.
"Dinner and a Dose" is part of SBSS' efforts to increase vaccination in Los Angeles, especially among low-income elderly people with limited English language," explained Trisha Hanudel Lopez, SBSS Director of Development. The center, one of three from the nonprofit, is located near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, an area where 48.5% of the population is Latino, 11.6% Asian and where nearly 60% of its residents speak a language other than English at home.
"Through the campaign, we hope seniors can safely reconnect with their loved ones, starting with a meal we invite them to," added Hanudel Lopez.
"We serve older adults, a vulnerable population with many needs, from housing, to transportation, to health care. But seniors also have a great need to connect socially," explained Miguel Velasquez, Administrator of the SBSS center located near MacArthur Park. This new program allows third-party people to reconnect, after being vaccinated and share a dinner with a loved one.
Vaccination in the family
Los Angeles resident Maggie Escobar was another good Samaritan whose actions were rewarded by SBSS. With the arrival of the pandemic, Maggie and her family decided to quarantine together.
"My children moved into my house and there were nine of us in total. From my 82-year-old mother to the youngest, 7 months old, we decided to quarantine at my home," explained the Latina mother. Many of the Latino households in Los Angeles are multigenerational and include grandparents, babies, and uncles, and other relatives of different ages.
With the authorization of the vaccines, Maggie decided that they would vaccinate two at a time, so that there would always be someone who could take care of the rest.
"We were all a little scared, we didn't know what to expect, but one by one they got vaccinated," explained Maggie, who, like so many Latina mothers put her children and family first, and was the last to receive the immunization, to make sure everyone was okay.
During the launch of the program Dinner and a Dose, Maggie also received her DoorDash card that she will share with her loved ones.
Multi-ethnic population
The zip code in which the SBSS center is located is home to immigrant families, not only Hispanic, but also Asian, with a high rate of Korean immigrants.
During the launch of the new program, food cards were also handed out to Korean residents who took the time to take someone to get the vaccine and protect themselves against COVID-19.
The SBSS center, founded in 1908, serves people over the age of 70 on average, who generally live alone, with few family members and speak very little English. The 35% of those attending the center are Asian, 33% Latino, 25% white and 6% African American. Most of the seniors served by the organization rely on their Social Security of $800-$900 a month to cover all their expenses and depend on Medicare and Medicaid for their health care.
"God and my parents blessed me with a big heart," Zoila said upon receiving her gift card."I am always looking to do charity work. It gives me great joy to be able to help," she concluded.
In detail
A Dinner and a Dose: SBSS is offering a DoorDash card to those who take the time to take a family member, friend or community member to vaccinate.
For more information you can visit: www.sbssla.org/dinner-a-a-dose or call 213-435-3993.
To view the article in Spanish, please visit: https://laopinion.com/2021/06/10/tarjetas-de-regalo-a-quienes-ayudan-a-otros-a-protegerse-del-covid-19/
Check out our Dinner and a Dose press event in English, Spanish, and Korean.
Hear Maggie, Zoila and Anna, and Mr. Lee share their own experiences in keeping their communities healthy.
St. Barnabas Senior Services and the California Department of Public Health launch “Dinner and a Dose” campaign to give gift cards to people who help others get their COVID-19 vaccine
(Los Angeles, California – June 9, 2021) St. Barnabas Senior Services partnered with the California Department of Public Health to launch "Dinner and a Dose" today, a campaign that gives $25 DoorDash (a food delivery app) gift cards to people who take the time to help their older friends, family, or community members get the COVID-19 vaccine.
After helping someone get their COVID-19 vaccine, participants should fill out, and submit a photo through, an online form to receive their gift card. The form and more instructions can be found at www.sbssla.org/dinner-and-a-dose. “Dinner and a Dose” will run from June 9, 2021 until supplies last.
“Dinner and a Dose” is part of St. Barnabas’s ongoing efforts to increase vaccination rates in Los Angeles, particularly among low-income seniors with limited English proficiency. The campaign was conceived to make vaccines more accessible for people who face barriers to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, such as lack of transportation or technology, disabilities, or limited mobility.
“Through the campaign, we hope that older adults can begin to reconnect safely with their loved ones – starting with a meal on us,” says Trisha Hanudel Lopez, Director of Development for St. Barnabas Senior Services.
A leader in the aging services sector, St. Barnabas Senior Services has been at the forefront of providing accurate, timely information about COVID-19 and vaccines to seniors in Los Angeles. The organization has devoted itself to helping disadvantaged older adults get vaccinated, establishing a COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Center and hosting talks on vaccine equity and safety.
Most significantly, St. Barnabas organized and hosted a week-long community vaccine clinic at its Mid-City location in April 2021. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, they distributed over 1,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to older adults, their caregivers, and members of local communities. St. Barnabas’s multi-lingual staff facilitated vaccine appointments in English, Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin.
“I see ‘Dinner and a Dose’ as a natural extension of the work we did with the vaccine clinic in April,” explains Hanudel. “[With the clinic,] we saw how important the vaccine was in helping family members feel safe reconnecting with each other. We gave vaccines to not only older adults, but also to their loved ones: family members, friends, and caregivers. With ‘Dinner and a Dose,’ we hope to see more vulnerable older adults get vaccinated, with the help of the ‘good Samaritans in their own lives, so they can feel safe in seeing with their loved ones again.”
For questions, please contact Trisha Hanudel Lopez at phanudel@sbssla.org or call 213-355-8554.
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