Category Archives: Spirituality Initiativ

10/11/25 – Interfaith National Day of Prayer: Pour Out to Your Higher Power of Hope and Be Filled

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On behalf of the Spirituality Initiative of San Mateo County, we are excited to invite you to our 10th Annual Interfaith National Day of Prayer 2025 at Woodside Road United Methodist Church (2000 Woodside Road, Redwood City), on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. 

Previously held in the San Mateo County Courthouse Courtyard, this year, we move indoors to provide an increased sense of safety and security in these sensitive times. The congregation of Woodside Road United Methodist Church welcomes the opportunity to host a powerful multifaith, multicultural event, centered on the theme “Pour Out to Your Higher Power of Hope and be Filled.”

We are ALL touched by behavioral health challenges, in our lives, often in our families, and certainly in our community. This event brings together diverse people of faith who will join countless others across the country in a national act of defiance for the status quo, surrender, unconditional love, and radical acceptance. We would be honored to have your Health Equity Initiative provide a resource table at the event. We believe that your services are essential to our community and directly align with our mission of providing hope and support through spirituality. Having your Health Equity Initiative present will provide attendees with direct access to vital behavioral health and wellness resources, reinforcing our message of prioritizing faith in one’s journey to wellness and recovery. Your presence would be essential to the spirit and success of this event, and we hope that you can join us.

Please extend a warm invitation to family, friends, and peers.

Sadly, this year’s Interfaith National Day of Prayer may be the last major affirmative act of the Spirituality Initiative, as San Mateo County funding through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) is set to change in July 2026, making your presence and contribution especially meaningful. 

More info at https://www.smchealth.org/dayofprayer

10/1 – Interfaith National Day of Prayer: You Are the Light in Loneliness & Healing

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Join us for Interfaith National Day of Prayer on Tues, 10/1/24, 12PM-2PM at 400 County Center, Redwood City! 

We are ALL touched by mental illness. Only with the guidance, prayers and actions from our faith and behavioral health networks working together, will our communities reach better mental health and well-being.

At the Day of Prayer for Behavioral Health and Understanding, faith and secular leaders will join hundreds of events around the country to publicly recommit ourselves to replace misinformation, blame, fear and prejudice with truth, inclusion and love in order to offer hope and support to those most in need.

Community members, consumers, family members, faith community and behavioral health providers all welcome!

The National Day of Prayer has been observed in San Mateo County since 2016.

For more information contact: Isaac Frederick at ifrederick@smcgov.org or Pam Ward Pious at wpam3238@gmail.com.

Building Connections at Healing Connections Open Mic

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ICYMI: On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity partnered with the Spirituality Initiative and Voices of Recovery to host “Healing Connections” Open Mic event to honor May Mental Health Month, promoting mental and spiritual wellness. This event was sponsored by Supervisor David Canepa.

The wellness open mic event celebrates healing community connections through the sharing of collective creative expressions. As a signature event for May Mental Health Month, the event served to combat the loneliness crisis/epidemic in San Mateo County. To take action against the loneliness crisis/epidemic, our Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in January declaring loneliness a public health crisis, pledging to promote social connection in our communities. According to the 2023 San Mateo County Health and Quality of Life Survey, 45% of residents in San Mateo County residents were experiencing difficulty with loneliness and isolation. Now more than ever it is important to find ways to connect with one another and the “Healing Connections” Open Mic was a means to foster further connection within the community. Through the volunteering of San Mateo County Health Ambassadors and Voices of Recovery tabling resources to share with the community, the wellness event was able to create a welcoming and positive atmosphere.  

Healing Connections was pleased to bring together artists of various backgrounds and provide a safe space for their performances. Pam Ward Pious, Spirituality Co-Chair, graciously kicked off the event with her poetry. The event was honored to have San Mateo County Health Ambassadors John Butler and Yrene Orue share their stories and their poetry. Cinthia Castro and Lourdes Briseno, who are also San Mateo County Health Ambassadors, shared their stories and performed their pieces in Spanish. The “Healing Connections” Open Mic was also honored by the appearance and performance of San Mateo County Supervisor, Noelia Corzo, during the event. Lastly, BHRS ODE would like to provide a special thank you to Dr. Jei Africa, Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, and San Mateo County Behavioral Health Commissioners Michael Lim and Leticia Bido. 

BHRS ODE, San Mateo County Spirituality Initiative and Voice of Recovery would like to thank everyone who attended the “Healing Connections” Open Mic event. The sharing of stories and performances helped to further de-stigmatize mental health and spread awareness of May Mental Health Month, while inspiring others to share their stories; therefore, aligning with BHRS ODE’s values: 

  • Utilizing sharing stories (in this case: poems, stories, etc.) and lived experiences to reduce stigma against mental health and substance use conditions 
  • Amplify the voices of our underserved or underrepresented community members 
  • Raise awareness about how our performers shared their personal journeys to receiving Behavioral Health support. Their stories help us improve our behavioral health outcomes, making them more equitable and inclusive for all SMC community members 

BHRS ODE aspires to host a similar event in the future to be of service and to cultivate a more equitable and inclusive community for all.  

Written by Ayanna Wade, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity Intern

2/29 – Honoring our Shared Humanity: Countering Islamophobia and Antisemitism  

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Hello, 

Islamophobia and antisemitism are on the rise locally due to international events. People in our community have lost loved ones, experienced increased hate and divisiveness, and some have lost a sense of belonging and community.    

  The County of San Mateo Office of Racial and Social Justice is partnering with the Islamic Networks Group (ING), County Health’s Office of Diversity and Equity, the Spirituality Initiative, and the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort to host a webinar to increase understanding and belonging as we acknowledge the experiences of many Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab communities, among others in San Mateo County, and strive towards connecting across our shared humanity.

Zoom Webinar Event: Honoring our Shared Humanity: Countering Islamophobia and Antisemitism 
Date/Time: Thursday, February 29th, 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm 
Register: http://bit.ly/smcsharedhumanity 
Interpretation Available: Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.  

We would like to make this webinar accessible. If you have other language needs or methods that can help increase accessibility for you, please email us by 2/22: equitysmc@smcgov.org.  

The live webinar will feature Maha Elgenaidi and Karen Stiller, Muslim and Jewish speakers from the ING Interfaith Speakers Bureau, in a facilitated conversation and Q&A with Pastor Bussey, co-chair of the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort. The webinar will address the following topics: 

  • Understanding the history of Islamophobia and antisemitism and how they manifest today. 
  • How to counter both forms of bigotry. 

We hope you can join us in support of our shared humanity across all our diverse communities in San Mateo County. 

**Please note, attached are outreach materials in Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.**

In community, 
Isaac Frederick & Pam Ward-Pious
Co-Chairs of BHRS Spirituality Initiative

Anti-Hate-Webinar-Flyer-SpanishDownload
Anti-Hate-Webinar-Flyer-ArabicDownload
Anti-Hate-Webinar-Flyer-Simplified-ChineseDownload

10/10 – National Day of Prayer: Serenity for Behavioral Health & Understanding

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Join us for National Day of Prayer: Serenity for Behavioral Health & Understanding on Tuesday, 10/10 from 12pm to 2pm at 400 County Center, Redwood City!

We are ALL touched by mental illness. Only with the guidance, prayers and actions from our faith and behavioral health networks working together, will our communities reach better mental health and well-being.

At the Day of Prayer for Behavioral Health and Understanding, faith and secular leaders will join hundreds of events around the country to publicly recommit ourselves to replace misinformation, blame, fear and prejudice with truth, inclusion and love in order to offer hope and support to those most in need.

Community members, consumers, family members, faith community and behavioral health providers all welcome!

The National Day of Prayer has been observed in San Mateo County since 2016.

This event will be in-person with livestreaming. To register for the livestreaming, click here.

Flyers-National-Day-of-PrayerDownload