News

Dear Valued Community,

As we come together this month to celebrate the Lunar New Year – a time marked by joy, happiness, and optimism – we cannot ignore the recent mass shootings that have occurred here in California.

Eleven people lost their lives in a senseless shooting in Monterey Park, California, during a Lunar New Year celebration earlier this month. Just days after, our community was shocked to learn about seven more deaths in a mass shooting close to home in Half Moon Bay, California.

My Santa Clara Family Health Plan family and I express our sincere condolences to the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay communities. We are saddened and horrified by these tragedies. As a community health organization, we stand by our vision of health for all – condemning all acts of violence. We call on all residents, community partners, and elected officials to support and care for one another, and do what we can to help bring this senseless public health crisis to an end.

Many shooting victims identified as Asian Americans, who have been unfairly and incorrectly targeted since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Members of our immigrant farmworker community, who experienced significant hardship amplified by the pandemic, were also targeted by this senseless act of violence. To members of our community affected, including our immigrant farmworkers and Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities, I stand in solidarity with you and share my heartache and frustration with the rise in hate crimes, racism, xenophobia, and anti-Asian sentiment.

Our commitment to the health of our community compels us to take action. On February 4, we’ll gather at the SCFHP Blanca Alvarado Community Resource Center to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Approaching this event in light of the recent tragedies brings mixed feelings. In the spirit of togetherness, we hope you join us to celebrate the New Year and our Asian American community, visit the health and resource fair, and experience healing in the power of community.

We would also like to share some resources to take care of yourselves, and hope you will pass them on.

• To access mental health support through SCFHP’s Medi-Cal plan, visit our behavioral health services page.
• Dial 988 for Santa Clara County’s mental health hotline, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• For more Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) mental health resources--including bystander trainings, local organizations, and resource guides--visit Santa Clara County’s published resource sheet
• Donate blood through the American Red Cross and the Stanford Blood Center.

In addition, here are ways to directly help the communities impacted by the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings:

• Donate to the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund, organized by Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California.
• Donate to the Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund, organized by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
• Donate to the Half Moon Bay Strong Fund, organized by Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS).

Sincerely,

Christine M. Tomcala

CEO, Santa Clara Family Health Plan