by Catholic Charities – January 5, 2021

It was a touchdown for the Lakeview/OMI Wellness Community Hub as it was honored a “Hometown Hero” by the San Francisco 49ers! An initiative of the OMI Community Collaborative of which Catholic Charities is an active participant, the Wellness Community Hub and its members were recognized by the Niners for their ongoing and valuable contributions to the health of San Franciscans.

As a lead Hub partner, Catholic Charities participated in this neighborhood collective’s efforts to better community wellness by providing a space at Catholic Charities San Francisco Adult Day Services at 50 Broad Street to distribute health resources. Since March 2020, the Hub has tested more than 15,000 people for COVID-19, vaccinated over 2,500, and provided more than 12,000 bags of groceries to those in need.

“People in our community know where to go for support,” said Patty Clement, Catholic Charities Director of Client Services and ardent leader of the Lakeview/OMI Wellness Hub’s efforts. “They know where the help is. Catholic Charities is proud to be a vital part of this effort to keep our neighbors safe and healthy.” The vaccination site at Catholic Charities Adult Day Services parking lot became a popular vaccination and testing destination particularly for delivery, taxi, and bus drivers since it was located right off the highway. “Because I’m a frontline worker, it was really important to me to be able to get tested regularly and vaccinated. The accessibility was amazing,” says one bus driver whose daily route passes our Catholic Charities Adult Day Services.

Catholic Charities has been involved with the OMI Community Collaborative since its inception roughly 12 years ago. Our leadership in responding to urgent community needs is what makes us an integral and trusted partner with the City of San Francisco and other community-based organizations. The Lakeside/OMI Wellness Community Hub is one of many COVID-19 wellness vaccination and testing sites Catholic Charities has held throughout San Francisco. It is also a strong reflection of the impact our presence has in the greater Bay Area: we are here every day, dedicated to supporting our ongoing community-wide recovery from the pandemic.

Congratulations, Lakeview/OMI Wellness Community Hub, for your well-deserved award from the San Francisco 49ers! Catholic Charities is honored to be part of this winning team. Together, we accomplish the remarkable.