Kaiser Permanente continues to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, especially during the holiday. In service areas like Santa Clara County and greater San Jose, staff show their commitment to service, compassion, and equity through various partnerships and events during MLK week. One such initiative is “Project in a Box,” a collaboration with Hands On Bay Area, which allows KP personnel to give back to their community.
As an Associate Counselor in MHTP’s Post-Master’s Fellowship Program and a Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Trainee Liaison, I was thrilled to participate in Project in a Box. This program provides children in need with soft, cuddly toys for their emotional well-being, sending volunteers all the materials needed to assemble three stuffed friends for the recipients.
Giving back to the children in my community was deeply fulfilling, especially since I remember relying on soft toys to combat loneliness while growing up in poverty. Contributing during MLK week heightened my pride as a Black clinician, a role in which I rarely saw people from my community. Honoring MLK week goes beyond meeting immediate needs; it preserves Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and his dream of a world where all children, regardless of cultural identity, can laugh and play together.
I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in such initiatives through my work at Kaiser. In a world where diversity is increasingly challenged, these small acts of kindness serve as meaningful forms of resistance and empowerment, keeping MLK’s important dream alive.
Contributed by: Sikeza C. Fowlks, Associate Post Master’s Fellow, JEDI Trainee Liaison
