Como Directora Ejecutiva de HBI, a menudo me preguntan qué me inspira para seguir adelante y continuar impulsando nuestra misión de construir futuros para los niños, las familias y los profesionales sanitarios. La respuesta es sencilla y profunda: son los chicos a los que tenemos el privilegio de cuidar y el increíble personal que vuelca su corazón y su alma en este trabajo a diario.

En este fin de semana de Pascua, tiempo de reflexión, renovación y esperanza, me conmueven profundamente las lecciones de paz, generosidad y compasión que se despliegan ante mí a diario. Estas lecciones no vienen en grandes gestos o logros monumentales, sino en los momentos tranquilos y sencillos que me recuerdan el verdadero significado del cuidado y la integridad.

Pienso en el otro día, cuando vi a uno de nuestros hijos sentado con su hermano pequeño. El pequeño estaba enfadado, sus hombros temblaban de frustración y, sin decir palabra, su hermano mayor lo abrazó. No era sólo un abrazo: era un recordatorio suave y tácito de amor, seguridad y conexión. Al observarlos, me sorprendió la belleza de aquel momento. Fue un recordatorio de por qué hacemos lo que hacemos, y por qué nunca debemos dejar de trabajar para garantizar que HBI disponga de los recursos necesarios para seguir construyendo futuros para los niños y las familias.

Estos momentos de amor y cuidado no son aislados. Son el tejido mismo de nuestro trabajo. Todos los días veo a niños que ayudan a niños, a miembros del personal que se sientan tranquilamente con un niño en sus momentos más vulnerables, simplemente dando espacio a sus lágrimas y frustraciones. Estos actos de compasión son profundos en su sencillez, y me recuerdan que el cuidado no consiste en arreglar o solucionar, sino en estar presente, en mostrarse con amor, paciencia y comprensión.

Nuestro personal es el corazón y el alma de HBI. Encarnan los valores de compasión e integridad en todo lo que hacen. Su dedicación me hace sentir humilde. Lo veo en los pequeños actos silenciosos que a menudo pasan desapercibidos: un profesor que se queda hasta tarde para ayudar a un niño con los deberes, un cuidador que anima amablemente a un chico a intentarlo de nuevo tras un contratiempo, o un miembro del personal que se toma el tiempo de escuchar, escuchar de verdad, los miedos y sueños de un niño.

Y luego está nuestro equipo administrativo, los héroes anónimos de nuestra organización. Su trabajo suele realizarse entre bastidores, raramente reconocido, pero esencial. Son los que hacen que HBI funcione y garantizan que podamos vivir nuestra misión cada día. Desde la gestión de presupuestos hasta la coordinación de la logística, desde la creación de asociaciones hasta el fomento de nuestra comunidad de simpatizantes, sus incansables esfuerzos hacen posible todo lo que hacemos.

Pienso en las incontables horas de comunicación, conexión y planificación que se dedican a crear y mantener nuestras asociaciones. Estas relaciones son la base de nuestro trabajo y exigen un nivel extraordinario de compromiso y cuidado. Nuestro equipo se vuelca en este trabajo porque cree, como yo, en el poder de la comunidad para crear el cambio.

Y luego estáis vosotros, nuestra comunidad de donantes. Vuestra generosidad es la razón por la que podemos hacer este trabajo y tener un equipo tan dedicado y apasionado. Cada donativo que haces y cada momento que pasas apoyando a HBI es un acto de amor y de creencia en nuestra misión. Formas parte de esta historia de atención y compasión, y te estamos profundamente agradecidos.

Reflexionando sobre el verdadero significado del cuidado, la compasión y la integridad, esta Pascua me siento inspirada por la belleza de nuestro trabajo conjunto. Me inspiran los chicos que me recuerdan cada día el poder del amor y la conexión. Me inspira el personal que da tanto de sí mismo a este trabajo, y los donantes que lo hacen posible.

Me recuerdan que la paz y la generosidad no son ideales abstractos, sino experiencias vividas encarnadas en momentos sencillos y cotidianos de atención y conexión. Son un hermano abrazando a su hermano, un miembro del personal sentado tranquilamente con un niño o un donante que decide dar.

A medida que avanzamos, me comprometo a garantizar que la HBI siga siendo un lugar donde puedan florecer estos momentos de amor y cuidado. También me comprometo a construir futuros para los niños y las familias, a apoyar a los profesionales sanitarios que formamos y a alimentar las asociaciones que hacen posible nuestro trabajo.

Gracias por formar parte de este viaje. Gracias por creer en nuestra misión y compartir nuestra visión de un mundo en el que todos los niños conozcan la seguridad y el amor que merecen.
Que esta Pascua nos recuerde a todos el poder de la paz, la generosidad y la compasión. Que todos encontremos inspiración en los sencillos y bellos momentos de cuidado y conexión que nos rodean a diario.

Con gratitud y esperanza.

This blog post is a bit of a shift. Thank you for reading.

For over 30 years, I have worked directly and indirectly with people experiencing homelessness – as a physician, a researcher, and an advocate. During this time, I have seen the faces of homelessness change, yet the suffering remains constant. At this point in my journey, I am less interested in dissecting how we arrived at this crisis and more focused on finding a way out.

This morning, I witnessed something that stopped me in my tracks. Standing in the cold drizzle, a young person gathered their plastic bags—the entirety of their life contained in fragile, disposable vessels. Their hands, swollen and puffy, bore the unmistakable signs of an injection drug use history. Their youth was overshadowed by the bleakness of a life filled with pain, their face a silent scream of despair.

How is it okay for those of us who live with the comfort of warm homes, stable jobs, and secure lives to pretend this suffering isn’t real? How can we walk past these lives, reduced to shadows, and not feel the weight of our shared humanity? The truth is, we are no longer mere voyeurs to this crisis. We are complicit. Our indifference, our inaction, and our collective forgetting have made us participants in the long-term societal impact of homelessness.

We need to stop seeing homelessness as “their” problem and start recognizing it as “our” problem. The young person I saw this morning is not a stranger. They are our neighbor, our friends, our co-workers, our family. We are connected, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Their suffering reflects our society’s failure to care for its most vulnerable, a mirror held up to the cracks in our systems and hearts.

The causes of homelessness are complex—poverty, addiction, mental illness, systemic inequities, and a lack of affordable housing—but the solution starts with a fundamental shift in perspective. We must stop seeing people experiencing homelessness as “other” and start seeing them as part of us. This shift requires more than empathy; it demands action.

We need policies that prioritize affordable housing, access to healthcare, and comprehensive addiction treatment. We need communities that embrace, rather than shun, those struggling. And we need to hold ourselves accountable—not just our governments or institutions, but each of us as individuals. What are we doing to help? What are we doing to advocate for change? What are we doing to ensure that no one has to stand in the cold drizzle, carrying their life in plastic bags?

Homelessness is not inevitable. It results from our choices as a society—choices we can unmake. But doing so requires us to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, inequality, and complicity. It requires us to move beyond charity and into the realm of justice.

The young person I saw this morning deserves better. They deserve a chance at a life filled with hope, dignity, and opportunity. We deserve the chance to have them as colleagues, neighbors, and aspiring members of our society. We all deserve a chance to be our best. Let us not turn away from their pain.

Let us not forget that we are all connected. Let us find a way out—together. It all starts with some form of action. We can do this. I know we can.

The world feels heavy right now. We are navigating a landscape of heightened tensions, global challenges, and personal conflicts that permeate every aspect of our lives. Just this week, the President of Perú declared a state of emergency and issued a decry to allow other military to assist the police in combatting an upswell in violence. This collective stress is not just external—it reverberates within us, setting off the “alarm bells” in our brains and pushing us into fight-or-flight mode. But while this response is natural, it isn’t the only way forward.

There is another path—a quieter, more intentional one. It’s about slowing down, reconnecting with ourselves, and rediscovering a sense of balance through mindfulness. It’s about stepping off the autopilot of our daily routines and choosing a more conscious way of being.

Our brains are wired for survival. When we perceive threats—whether global conflicts, personal challenges, or even the constant buzz of bad news—our stress response kicks in. This ancient system, designed to protect us from danger, often leaves us feeling trapped in cycles of anxiety, fear, and reaction.

But here’s the truth: We don’t have to live in this heightened alarm state. We have the power to pause, breathe, and reframe our experiences. This is where mindfulness comes in.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present—fully aware of our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings without judgment. It’s not about ignoring the chaos around us but about learning to respond to it with clarity and calm.

The journey begins with small, intentional steps:

1. Moment-by-Moment Awareness: Start by noticing the triggers that set off your fight-or-flight response. Is it a news headline? A difficult conversation? A stressful deadline? Acknowledge these moments and permit yourself to pause.

2. Expanding the Practice: As you grow more comfortable with mindfulness, extend this practice beyond moments. Try connecting hour by hour, day by day, and eventually integrating mindfulness into your life.

3. Reconnecting with Others: Mindfulness isn’t just about inner awareness; it’s also about fostering deeper connections with those around us. When we become more present with ourselves, we naturally create space for more genuine relationships.

We must give ourselves the space to commit to this practice and embrace mindfulness. This is not self-absorption—it’s a mindset shift. It’s about understanding the roots of our stress, traumas, and histories and allowing these insights to guide us toward deeper connections.

This space is where healing begins. It’s where we stop viewing our challenges as barriers and start seeing them as opportunities for growth.

The first step to reconnecting is deceptively simple yet profoundly impactful: being around people and seeing them as people. This means acknowledging the shared humanity in everyone we encounter. It’s about embracing the community’s complexity, uncertainty, and challenges without taking things personally.

When we create a space within ourselves for connection, we see others not as obstacles or threats but as individuals navigating their journeys. This perspective shift opens the door to empathy, understanding, and a deeper sense of belonging.

The challenges we face—both individually and collectively—will not go away overnight. But we have the power to change how we respond to them. We can navigate these turbulent times with greater resilience and grace by slowing down, reconnecting with ourselves, and embracing mindfulness.

So, let’s take that first step. Let’s create space for awareness, connection, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. It’s not an easy path, but it’s one worth walking—moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day.

The world may feel overwhelming, but within each of us lies the power to create calm amidst the storm. The techniques I have described are all drawn from our research – The Communities of Excellence. Although there is no magic wand to awareness, we can begin to build a deeper relationship with ourselves. This is truly metamorphising.

Mindfulness is not a quick fix but a transformative practice that starts with a single breath. We’ve got this. We truly do. But we can’t do it alone. Let’s stick together and take that first breath to reshape our awareness with one another.

As the Executive Director of Health Bridges International (HBI), I’ve come to embrace the notion that change is not only inevitable but can also serve as a powerful catalyst for growth. Every day, as I step out the door, I am reminded that life is constantly in flux. A short walk down the street from our house in Portland, past three historic cemeteries, offers a daily meditation on the passage of time and transformation.

With their timeless presence, these cemeteries hold stories of lives once lived and memories that continue to inspire. One of them has even found new life, doubling as an off-leash dog park where I often walk and run with our standard poodle, Rio. The joyful energy of the dogs contrasts sharply with the silent, reflective beauty of the benches and gravestones—a reminder that even in places of mourning, there is room for renewal and play.

Every time I pass the bench engraved with the profound message, “All things will change, and get better,” I am struck by the optimism that can only come from true resilience. This inscribed truth feels particularly poignant today as it echoes the transition we face at HBI. We are bidding farewell to a pillar of our community, Karen Falkenstein, who has been a treasured member of our team for nearly twenty years. Karen’s departure as the Director of Operations fills us with a deep sense of loss, as her contributions have touched countless lives through her unwavering dedication and infectious passion for our mission.

Karen’s legacy is interwoven into the fabric of HBI. She has been so much more than a colleague—she was a force of compassion and innovation. Under her influence, our programs flourished, and her spirit will forever remain a guiding light in our halls. While we grieve her leaving, we also celebrate the beginning of a new chapter for her and the organization. As I watch the dogs scamper freely in the park—a subtle yet stunning representation of change—I feel a bittersweet echo of our journey: a blend of sorrow for what once was and hope for what lies ahead.

In embracing this transition, I invite you to reflect on how change touches every facet of our lives. It shapes our communities, organizations, and even the places we consider sacred. Though today we part ways with a dear friend and colleague, the spirit of transformation inspires us to continue our work with renewed vigor and openness to the opportunities that change invariably brings.

At HBI, we remain committed to bridging healthcare and community support gaps, even amid change. We are focused on crafting a future that honors our past, cherishes the present, and eagerly anticipates the promise of tomorrow. To Karen, thank you for all you have given us, and I wish you the brightest chapters ahead. To our community, we say: All things will change and get better—and together, we will rise to meet that promise.

In a world saturated with talk of “challenging times” and endless questions about “how we’re holding up,” it’s time to shift the focus. The non-profit world knows firsthand what it means to navigate economic, political, and social waves. We’re not immune to shifting administrations or evolving policies but are called to rise above these challenges.

For over 20 years, we’ve been sustained by the power of collective action and the unwavering generosity of individuals, foundations, and groups who believe in our mission. Now, more than ever, we must embrace our role as the change the world needs.

We are the bridge, connecting communities, fostering understanding, and building a better future. In times of division, we are the force for good that unites, not fractures. Our work transcends the immediate concerns of next week, next month, or even next year. We are holding a space, creating a place where the next generation can access the lives they deserve. This is our commitment, our calling, and our unwavering purpose.

Let’s move beyond simply acknowledging the challenges and, instead, materialize the solutions. Let’s harness the power of our collective spirit and continue building a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. But we can’t do it alone.

Join us in building this bridge to a brighter future. Here are a few ways you can get involved:

• Donate: Your financial contribution, regardless of size, directly supports our programs and allows us to reach more children.
• Volunteer: Share your time and talents by volunteering with an organization whose mission resonates with us. Volunteer with HBI – we have opportunities for everyone, from event support to data processing. Contact us at: info@HBInt.org
• Spread the word: Share this blog post and our mission with your friends, family, and network. Help us amplify our message and inspire others to join the movement.

Together, we can be the change the world needs. Let’s build that bridge: one act of kindness, one donation, one volunteer hour at a time.