Rooted in Love: A Response to Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Parting Prescription for America
When Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, the 21st Surgeon General of the United States, released his Parting Prescription for America, he left behind more than policy reflection. He offered a healing-centered roadmap focused on connection and community. His prescription urges us to use love as a guiding principle in the face of division, loneliness, and despair. At the St. Joseph Fund (SJF), this message resonates with our mission. As we reflect on Dr. Murthy’s words, our team offers responses that not only affirm his vision but also reveal the root of our work.
“Philanthropy should focus back on its very true essence, which is love.” – Amy Huang, Program Officer
Amy reminds us that the philanthropic sector, shaped by transactional systems, can lose sight of its original intent. “Philanthropy should not be extractive,” she notes, “where we tend to monitor and prescribe something for the community to respond to us.” But Dr. Murthy’s call to action reframes this.
For Amy, “Philanthropy is a place of love – love for people, love for community.” In this reimagined model, our roles as funders shift from prescribers to participants. “Our role of philanthropy should also be part of community,” Amy says, “not an entity overpowering it.”
Her reflection echoes Dr. Murthy’s message that love and connection are not side effects of good policy. They are the root cause of meaningful change.
“Ultimately, we’re trying to build community.” – Jason Lacsamana, Director, Programs and Partnerships
For Jason, Dr. Murthy’s prescription serves as a guidepost. “The work of SJF is healing-centered capacity building that results in community power,” he explains. “The strategy to get to health and wellness is to support and build or find community.” In Jason’s eyes, this is intrinsic to SJF’s DNA.
“When we talk about equity, we’re talking about community. When we talk about diversity, it’s the communities that make up our community. And inclusion is recognizing every person, seen or unseen.”
His reflection powerfully translates Dr. Murthy’s message that community isn’t just a means to an end—it is the end. In our work, from capacity building to advocacy, it is both the why and the how.
“If one person is hurting, everyone’s hurting.” – Gabriela Robles, President & Chief Executive
Gabriela brings this vision full circle with a truth learned from lived experience, “It takes a community.” She reflects on how her upbringing shaped her understanding of collective care, “There isn’t a sense of an individual. When individuals are suffering, everybody drops what they’re doing.”
Gabriela sees the alignment between Dr. Murthy’s call and SJF’s initiatives, emphasizing that “we can have all the capacity-building toolkits and stuff, but if the individual and the community aren’t in a good place, then we’re not doing a good job.”
For her, healing begins with meeting people where they are, acknowledging fear and suffering, and showing up with presence, empathy, and hope.
Dr. Murthy’s parting prescription is both a reflection and an invitation to return to our shared humanity through love, healing, and togetherness. Amy, Jason, and Gabriela have very individual experiences, yet they share a single truth: “Community is not only the solution; it is the purpose.” At SJF, we are committed to walking this path, rooted in love, and striving to help communities flourish, hope, love, and grow.
