A Living Archive of Love: The Best of Our Blog
From our founding in 1986, long before timelines and newsfeeds, people learned about the St. Joseph Fund (SJF) the old-fashioned way. Our work was shared by word of mouth in a slow, steady, and deeply rooted way.
As the internet grew and the digital landscape reshaped how communities share information, our written stories became a living archive of how love, community power, and courageous leadership show up in real life. Rooted in Christ’s healing ministry, our blog traces the path from big ideas like equity and justice to the grassroots efforts in our communities.
As we look back on some of our most-read and most-loved posts, a shared theme emerges. Community is not only a strategy. It’s the purpose. Together, these reflections remind us that every act of care, every organizing effort, and every shift in philanthropic practice is part of a much larger tapestry of healing.
Rooted in Love: A Response to Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Parting Prescription for America
This piece reflects on Dr. Vivek Murthy’s “Parting Prescription for America,” a call to address division and loneliness with connection and love. Our team shares how this vision mirrors SJF’s core belief that philanthropy is, at its heart, an expression of love and that community is not just a means to an end, but the end itself.
Practicing What We Preach: Funder Organizing and the Transformation of Power
Stepping behind the scenes of philanthropy, this feature explores what it means for funders themselves to organize, unlearn, and share power. Drawing on SJF Program Officer Amy Huang’s experience with Justice Funders’ Harmony Initiative, the post shows how retreats, relationship-building, and regenerative practices can transform both funders and the systems they influence.
Op-Ed: My Parents Were Essential Workers
In this reflection on a Los Angeles Times op-ed by Board Member Joe Lumarda, we revisit his parents’ experience as essential workers serving alongside the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. Their story of dignity, respect, and care becomes a lens for understanding our ongoing commitment to “dear neighbors” whose labor sustains our communities, and why supporting organizations that stand with workers remains central to our mission.
Health Equity and Strengthening Community Power
This post examines the connection among health equity, structural determinants of health, and community power. It highlights why addressing conditions alone is not enough and how shifting power, resourcing grassroots leaders, and building long-term organizing capacity are critical to achieving true health justice in communities.
Turning the Pages of Our Leadership Team’s Most Impactful Reads
Sometimes building community power starts with the books that shape our imaginations. In this article, our leadership team shares the stories that have marked their journeys—from memoirs of migration and resistance to classics on urban planning, gathering, and friendship. The books they share illustrate how reading nurtures the inner life of leaders committed to justice and joy.
Building Community Power Through Eviction Diversion
Focusing on housing justice in Orange County, this post examines eviction as both a cause and a symptom of poverty. It highlights eviction diversion as a powerful tool to prevent homelessness and instability. It also underscores how research, collaboration, and policy change can strengthen community power and protect families at the brink.
Honoring St. Joseph’s Day by Elevating the Voices of Our Community
This reflection connects the Feast of St. Joseph with the launch of the St. Joseph Summit Series, a gathering space designed to honor and uplift community leaders. It centers St. Joseph as a model of humble, steadfast care for workers and describes how the Summit Series, although no longer active, was vital to our partners at the time in support of capacity building, shared learning, and movement-building for long-term change.
Taken together, these stories trace a single arc: love moving through people and institutions to build communities that are more whole, more healed, and more able to flourish, hope, love, and grow.
If you enjoyed reading (or rereading) these features, we’d love to stay connected. Sign up for our Rooted in Love updates on our website or LinkedIn to have stories like these and new reflections, partner spotlights, and invitations to action delivered directly to you.
