Bay Area

Breast Cancer Risk Drives Lifestyle Changes for Charlotte Maxwell Clinic Volunteer

In my role as a driver for the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, I feel patients are super excited to have someone who is compassionate and empathetic. Sometimes we talk about recipes and sometimes we talk about their previous experiences not related to cancer and that’s great because it’s like having that driver be your ‘friend’ for the moment to take your mind off having treatments.

Published

2 years ago

November 5, 2021

Oakland Post

Michelle Meza has been a driver with CMC since 2017. Melbra Watts is the executive director.

PART III

By Michelle Meza with Melbra Watts

My son was going to college, and I was seeing my breast doctor and rambling on about my empty nest when she said ‘Why don’t you volunteer? You have time on your hands. Look into something you’re passionate about.’ I’d always volunteered and asked myself ‘what am I passionate about?’ And I realized it was staring me in the face—women’s health. I feel that my journey came full circle when I actually started to look for a place to volunteer.

I looked at multiple places here in the Bay Area, but I really loved the mission of the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic. What touched me was the story of how the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic came together. These women loved their friend so much that they rallied around her and were uplifting her to have the best treatments that they could possibly give her, and she was doing the same thing looking at research of what she could do to have a better quality of life and treatment and healing. That struck as a personal note to me; it touched my heart. Unfortunately, she did pass away but it was such a special story.”

Visiting the clinic, you instantly feel welcomed, loved, accepted. You’re not looked at any different from the color of your skin or your economic situation. Just, ‘we’re here to help.’”

I didn’t choose to become a driver; it was given to me.

Maybe that person is having a bad day. I try to put myself in their shoes—if somebody were picking me up, what would I like somebody to do for me? ‘Would you like me to put some music on for you or would you like me to put the heated seat or AC on?’ And even if they don’t feel like talking, that’s totally fine. Perhaps they need a moment of silence, and this is for them to have their peace and get ready to have their treatment. I’ve always tried to make the patients feel welcome and as if they were a friend or family member.

I’m super passionate about working in the nonprofit world helping women any way possible. Being underprivileged and a woman of color is hard enough and to have health situations on top of that is even harder.

Charlotte Maxwell is a beacon for women who are going through their cancer journey, and that’s what drove me to volunteering with the clinic and that’s why I’m still there. I believe in the Clinic and think that somehow an endowment needs to come their way. The Clinic is a diamond in the rough; it’s helped so many women.

For the past 30 years, Charlotte Maxwell Clinic (CMC), the Oakland-based nonprofit women’s clinic, has been supplementing Bay Area low-income women’s standard cancer care with complementary therapies free of charge—including acupuncture, herbs, homeopathy, massage, guided imagery, movement, nutrition advice, and self-care education.

These services are made possible by a network of dedicated volunteers that include practitioners of holistic modalities, language interpreters, and drivers who use their own vehicles to transport clients to and from their CMC appointments.

Michelle Meza has been a driver with CMC since 2017. Melbra Watts is the executive director.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

A West Oakland Family Business Gains Popularity for their Homemade Granola

Don't Miss

Focusing on Financial Health: Charting the Path Toward Your Next Milestone

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”