Acts of Kindness Appreciated at Santa Rosa Community Health Center

By Mazher Mir

Our local community health center known as Santa Rosa Community Health has done something that is deeply meaningful to me. My dad, whom we lost less than a year ago, was a frequent visitor at the clinic’s largest location known as Vista Family Health Center. This center since then was affected by the Tubbs Fire. I can recall several occasions in which I had to drop him off at the clinic main entrance to find a parking space, which were scarce. I had relief knowing that the first person my father would see was a young man named Nehemiah who is professionally known as a Greeter. His kind acts varied from smiling to opening the door for my father and at times my Mother. Such a simple act of kindness, often goes unnoticed, however, his humbling smile. We become so entangled and involved with our everyday routine that we forget how powerful a smile can be. A smile is comparable to a medicine in my opinion, it has holistic properties that can change someone’s mood and perception. I have been in many businesses in which I am not greeted with a smile and it does change my behavior while in the store.

Vista Family Health continues to be under construction and it may take another year for this to be completed. Fortunately for our community, SRCH has opened their newest campus, Dutton Campus. Many of the organizations patients will recognize an image that makes part of their mural. This image is a painting of Nehemiah who has now been a permanent addition to this center. It feels my heart with joy and gratitude that he is still at the center to make many more of our Santa Rosan’s feel welcomed and dignified. This is a grand gesture of commitment from SRCH arriving in the midst of a healthcare financing dogma. I feel that our community has really proven these qualities as a beacon for diversity and inclusion.