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Dear Friends of the CERI Community,
At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, my first worry was for our survivors. Having suffered from PTSD and multiple layers of life challenges, I was deeply concerned about the impact of this unexpected hardship on their lives. However, it has been incredible to witness their resilience. Though this pandemic has impacted many of their lives economically and triggered PTSD symptoms, our survivors are coping well by reaching out to other community members, talking with our staff and staying connected to family.
Reflecting back to my early days of launching CERI, questioning our ability to serve a community suffering from severe PTSD, I would have never dreamed of witnessing such an incredible transformation. Our community's display of resilience is not only a testament to their inner strength, but is also evidence of the relentless dedication of our therapists, outreach workers, and volunteers. Needless to say, without funding from Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services and your generous donations, CERI could not have faced its challenges in serving its clients. On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, I express my deepest gratitude for your support.
*** I would like to take this opportunity to share some of our activities in the last two weeks Our clinical and outreach team have called 160+ community members, older adults, adults, and youth to make sure of their physical and mental well being and to offer emotional support. When the virus started out, a team-made “wellness kit” for all clients that included hand sanitizers, soap, tea, and CDC translated guidelines; most recently our team and some of our elders are making homemade masks for the elders in the community. Our outreach team has delivered groceries to our elders and care packages to families with small children. In addition, CERI has been providing cash assistance to clients, elders, and youth whose income have suffered during these times. Our entire team has been collecting and translating COVID-19 related information from trusted sources like CDC and sharing them with clients. CERI is also committed to informing and protecting our members from the many ongoing scams related to COVID-19 (especially those who are selling products under the name of “cure”). Our youth outreach specialists have been hosting phone and zoom meetings with our youth to keep them informed about the virus, helping them understand ways they can support and protect their families, especially their elders who are more vulnerable to the virus. Our team has partnered with other local advocacy groups in East Bay to advocate for the freezing of rent for tenants who have lost income. Last, but not least, our outreach team has been supporting our clients with filling out and submitting their 2020 Census forms
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