SANTA CRUZ
Although much of the South Bay is known for its innovations in technology, not all residents have benefitted from the development. Underserved populations are detrimentally affected by gentrification, homophobia, redlining, limited access to healthcare, homelessness, unemployment, as well as gender and racial biases. We recognize that all of these factors, working in congruence with one another, especially affect the wellness of marginalized communities and individuals. In 2017, in efforts to bridge disparities in health care in the Bay Area, a small group of young Sikhs pursuing their educations at UC Santa Cruz put their passion and ideas together to start BPSHI at UC Santa Cruz.
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The UC Santa Cruz chapter of BPSHI strives to help decrease health disparities by focusing not only on doctor visits, but also the many other factors which contribute to a patient’s wellness. We thrive to keep Sikhi central in our work by serving the local Sikh community while also expanding our services to other communities in the South Bay. Seeking the blessings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, over the span of just one year, the UC Santa Cruz chapter has grown overwhelmingly into a strong group of passionate and dedicated young students.
Current Projects
Clinics
UCSC BPSHI will be doing around 9 clinics this academic year (around 3 per quarter) in locations such as San Jose Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont Gurdwara Sahib, Tracy Gurdwara Sahib, Livermore Gurdwara Sahib, Milpitas Gurdwara Sahib, and Hayward Gurdwara Sahib. Their clinics often include an education and awareness table where people can educate themselves through reading pamphlets as well as a kid’s section where kids can spin a wheel if they answer an educational question correctly. The purpose of this aspect of the clinic is to help increase awareness about health issues and science that people and kids may not know about.
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Fundraisers
UCSC BPSHI will hold around 5-6 fundraisers to raise funds for their clinics and chapter operations. These fundraisers will include selling samosas, boba, chaa, pizza, donuts, and even merchandise!
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Statistical Analysis
A year long goal UCSC BPSHI has for this academic year is to record the number of patients, the average age, and other statistics about the average patient that visits the clinic at different locations so they can compare the statistics at each clinic. This allows them to see the which locations need clinics more frequently.
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