The 2024 presidential campaign was rife with rhetoric around migrants coming to the US to commit violent crimes. This narrative about a “migrant crime wave” was so inflammatory that it arguably bolstered its loudest advocate’s path to victory. But of course, it was simply not true.
In Buffalo and across the country, we in primary care bear the brunt of the brokenness of our healthcare system. It’s not possible to really understand the stress on primary healthcare if you don’t understand the brokenness of how we pay for healthcare and have access to healthcare, instead of having single payer national healthcare.
Knowing all that God has done for us – immensely good things – we are here as an Organization to treat “foreigners” and “strangers” and really, anyone in need, as our neighbors, friends and families. Above all, we must love them as we love ourselves.
The health center grounds have been transformed to prepare for this service and for the past 24 hours our staff and community members have been preparing a meal for everyone using an outdoor cooking fire. It is possible that the celebration will go long with too many speeches, but what a privilege to be here to celebrate 10 years of God’s faithfulness to Jericho Road in rural Sierra Leone. It will be an emotional service.
By God’s grace.
Seeing my Black patients on the East Side die younger, watching my sons experience this country as young Black men, and growing up with so many of my loved-ones being incarcerated, has made me understand the our present is still very much connected to our past history of slavery, segregation, and terror-lynching. I am determined to do something about it.
In this moment of time in our nation, when it feels like there is so much division, too much hatred and not enough caring, it seemed important to challenge all of us to consider the basic notion of “Who is my neighbor?” And what does it mean to “love my neighbor?”
Today, we join the nation in mourning the loss and celebrating the remarkable life of former President Jimmy Carter. His legacy of dedication to human rights and to the poorest among us, lives on.
President Carter invested five decades of his post presidency life to champion bringing basic health to some of the poorest people in the world.
It was just a regular Tuesday when Jorge Ardila knocked on Vive’s door. He had been there before, but not quite like this. Jorge and his family stayed for just one night at Vive when he was a young boy. The next day they received a warm meal, some legal help, and took a bus to Canada. There, they were granted refugee, and eventually, citizenship status. Now a pilot, Jorge had a chance to come back to Buffalo–as he was scheduled to fly the Sabres to a game in Newark!
We are one body, with many parts. It doesn’t matter where in the organization we are tasked to work, we should know that every single effort will somehow impact patient care. Whether one on one interactions or just behind the scenes, our work matters. We are one. I am so very proud to say that I am Jericho Road.
A recent video shows the brutal murder of Robert Brooks, a Black prisoner, by at least 7 White prison guards in upstate New York. This incident highlights the systemic racism that fuels such violence and the need for us to confront it. At Jericho Road, we are committed to loving our neighbors and advocating for a world where racism no longer exists.
