Cyclists deliver coffee, staples, smiles

By JULIE MINDA

A ministry founded by a Sister of Mercy and supported by a foundation connected with CommonSpirit Health is providing practical aid to the growing population of people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento, California.

The Mercy Pedalers nonprofit that Sr. Libby Fernandez started and now directs dispatches volunteers on cycles each day to provide coffee, water, basic personal care items and companionship to unhoused people throughout Sacramento. Sr. Fernandez recently expanded the initiative to Stockton and is soon starting up in Placerville. Sr. Fernandez says these California communities have serious issues with homelessness.

Sr. Fernandez says the main goal of the ministry is for the pedalers to provide a loving presence to some of the communities’ most vulnerable people. She hopes that the pedalers also can address some unmet needs of those they meet, including by referring them to social service providers.

Sr. Fernandez says she encounters dozens of people during each of her own expeditions as a pedaler. “I get to know them by name,” she says. “I always ask, ‘How can I help?’”

It can take time for some to trust Sr. Fernandez and the other pedalers and ask for more than the basics. “Over time, with deeper conversations, I can (learn of) their

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SSM health nurses start Buddy Program for patients with mental illness

By VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN

Patients who need a little extra support while getting mental health treatment at SSM Health DePaul Hospital — St. Louis are getting a buddy to help.

The buddies, who are hospital employees, match with long-term patients in the behavioral health unit who have little to no outside support or don’t get visits from friends and family. The pairs make a standing weekly appointment of at least 30 minutes to read together, play a game, color, make a craft, and otherwise forge a supportive relationship.

The Buddy Program started earlier this year, but care providers already see results, including a decrease in negative behaviors among the patients. “Overall, some of them seem happier, and it gives them something to talk about,” said Stacie Estes, a nurse who manages the program. “When I come in, I’m always hearing stories about what they’ve done with their buddy.”

As partner in SkillBridge program, CHRISTUS eases service members’ shift to civilian careers

By KARI WILLIAMS

When Air Force veteran Shelby Lopez’s initial plans to transition to a civilian career fell through, CHRISTUS Health system offered a new path.

In May 2022, she became the first of 50 veterans onboarded to work for the Irving, Texas-based system through a collaboration with the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program.

SkillBridge, established in 2011, connects the military with civilian organizations to give military members within 180 days of leaving uniform the opportunity to work in the civilian sector. CHRISTUS is among more than 3,200 civilian organizations in the program. Other Catholic health systems that participate in the program include Ascension and Bon Secours Mercy Health, according to the program’s website.

“I was just excited to start something new but do it with an opportunity to find