Helping San Jose’s most vulnerable

“We have a number of services that are really focused on COVID across the board,” said Brett Bymaster, Director of Healing Grove Health Clinic (HGHC). “For folks that have means, we offer concierge primary care for $200 a month and each paying member finds two low-income members to access that money. It’s kind of a TOMS shoes— buy one, gift two model.”

The City of San José is reaching vulnerable residents by partnering with community-based nonprofits committed to providing direct assistance to communities most at risk.

Organizations specializing in medical care, food distribution and economic relief are essential partners to continue increasing community access to well-needed services.

However, when it comes to responding to this pandemic, there’s one nonprofit in San José that is taking on the economic challenges of COVID-19 on multiple fronts— and that’s Healing Grove Health Clinic.

Healing Grove Health Clinic employs residents in need of financial assistance through a food distribution program at various faith-based institutions such as the Cathedral of Faith. Photo courtesy of HGHC.

As a recipient of the City’s Collective Impact Grant (CIG), HGHC is providing community-based healthcare to affected residents while also addressing social issues such as food insecurity, housing displacement, and unemployment.

Accessible healthcare remains a challenge for San José’s most at-risk residents. According to HGHC, they have tested 2,500 of the “most at-risk” San José residents for COVID-19, and these vulnerable residents tested at a positivity rate of 15 to 25 percent. This is compared to Santa Clara County’s positivity rate at 1.8 percent.

“Healthcare is probably the most segregated part of modern society and that’s been particularly critical during COVID because many community clinics have cut back services,” Bymaster explained.

HGHC is providing walk up COVID-19 testing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which they started at the beginning of shelter-in-place.

Aside from providing well-needed healthcare to San José’s challenged communities, HGHC is helping at-risk residents with rent relief and employment opportunities from October 15 to December 30 through the grant.

HGHC offers employment opportunities for at-risk residents who are performing essential services such as food distribution drive-thru sites for other impacted residents. Photo courtesy of HGHC.

“We’ve identified 34 people who are behind in rent and have had a COVID impact and we’re paying them (through a redistribution program) to help distribute food to other low-income families,” Bymaster stated.

Describing the program, Bymaster said, “It’s really an employment program, a rent relief program and a food insecurity program. I think it’s really neat that we’re able to use these funds in a creative way to solve a number of different problems — all at the same time.”

“We’ve been able to provide about $900,000 in grant assistance and direct financial aid. And with this (Collective Impact Grant) and other funding sources, we expect that number to be between $1.5 and $2 million dollars a year,” added Bymaster

Participants employed in HGHC’s food distribution program pose for a quick photo at Cathedral of Faith. Photo courtesy of HGHC.

Through the recently issued CIG, community-based organizations like HGHC are rolling out crisis response plans across San José to directly support at-risk residents that need it the most.

Healing Grove Health Clinic is in need of donations, partners and volunteers. Learn more by visiting www.healinggrove.org today.

To find out how you can access food resources in your neighborhood, please visit bit.ly/SCCFoodMap. #SiliconValleyStrong #SVEats #KeepSJHealthy