Empowering Holistic Wellness: Charlotte Maxwell Clinic's 2023 Highlights
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At Charlotte Maxwell Clinic (CMC), we are committed to providing free access to compassionate, integrative care for San Francisco Bay Area low-income, underserved and immigrant women facing any kind of cancer. Thanks to the invaluable support from our partners, including Mayway Corp, we continued to ensure that those in need can access our services in 2023.
As more people than ever are facing economic challenges in the SF Bay Area, CMC expanded the income eligibility for its services by 40-55%, depending on household size at the beginning of the year. Women with a cancer diagnosis or recurrence in the past two years and an income of up to $51,030 per year (or $105,000 for a family of four), may now be eligible for CMC’s integrative care. The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in Alameda County also allowed CMC to expand services as we could cease separation of clients and shifts based on vaccination status.
The recruitment and training of 61 new practitioner and program support volunteers, almost doubling our initial Covid re-opening volunteer count of 81, has contributed more capacity for us to provide services. This dedicated corps, specializing in a variety of modalities, delivers CMC’s diverse array of 1-on-1 and group offerings, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage/bodywork, reiki, nutrition, and yoga. Program support volunteers conduct health checks, provide shift coordination, data analysis, Spanish and Cantonese language interpretation, and more, and help steer the organization in the right direction.
As a result, CMC increased the number of days it is open from 3 to 4 days a week, and so far has provided over 1,600 complementary integrative care sessions for more than 200 clients. For those unable to visit the clinic, many of our practitioners offer one-on-one telehealth sessions.
“Excellent quality integrative cancer care. I received acupuncture, homeopathy, massage and much needed herbs and supplements.The staff is caring, supportive and professional. I am happy Charlotte Maxwell is available to the community. It has helped me navigate how to become healthy again after cancer treatment.” CMC client
Our group wellness classes also provided ongoing care. In addition to virtual Qigong and Reiki group sessions, CMC hosted several in-person workshops, including a four-part stress reduction series in collaboration with Akila Health, soul-soothing sound healing journeys with Roxy Rogalski, and UCSF-sponsored healing in nature excursions to Mt. Sutro where clients experienced tai chi, serene nature walks, chair massages, native tea tasting, and nourishing food.
CMC also continued and expanded its free food pantry. In addition to the organic veggies provided by Full Belly Farm and the nourishing soups donated by volunteer extraordinaire Nancy Chang’s Purpose and Hope, CMC distributed wholesome prepared meals food from Nibll, Vita Kitchen and Daily Bread to clients.
Thanks to support from local donors, including Mayway Herbs and Fungi Perfecti, CMC has been able to ensure that clients have access to supplements and herbs prescribed by our qualified practitioners, free of charge.
We actively connected with community partners to enhance the care provided to our clients. Our partnership with Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College (AIMC) expanded with Master's level acupuncture students offering community acupuncture weekly. We also grew our partnership with Samuel Merritt University, welcoming a senior Occupational Therapy student to provide more support in this modality.
Recognizing the challenges faced by the Black community, we continued our collaboration with the Moyo Institute on a "Love Letters to Our Bodies" program for African American women facing cancer. Additionally, our 3-year project with community organization BLACC and Stanford University has progressed with the hiring of a Peer Navigator to provide support and advocacy for our Black/African-American clients with breast cancer.
CMC hosted its first virtual event, "Wellness and the Healing Journey," featuring Emmy-award winning journalist Ysabel Duron, which was attended by more than 80 people throughout the community last spring. Additionally, in its first production since the pandemic, the 8th Annual Musical Extravaganza to Benefit Charlotte Maxwell Clinic drew over 200 patrons in person and via live stream to a captivating and soulful concert last month.
We are most grateful to all our collaborators for the opportunity to nurture wellness and empower holistic wellbeing for women who otherwise would be unable to afford the life-sustaining integrative treatments CMC provides. The kind support of each volunteer, program, academic and community partner, and donor directly improves the lives of underserved women with cancer in our community!
To support their mission, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic's Giving Tuesday/End-of-Year campaign. You may also mail a check to: Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, 411 30th Street, STE 508, Oakland, CA 94609; text “CMCCares” to (510) 694-0477; or call CMC at (510) 601-7660 ext. 224 with any questions.
