Stupski Network Participants Receive Certificate of Completion

This past February saw Glide Memorial Church (GMC) celebrate approximately 36 individuals made up of community leader volunteers, GLIDE staff, and partners who completed training through the Stupski Community Care Network, for purposes of learning how to identify congregants and community members who need care, or are caregivers for those in need of care, and their families who care for them.  

The network is a collaboration with the MERI Center for Education in Palliative Care (UCSF/Mt Zion) and the Alameda County Care Alliance (AC Care Alliance).  

The celebration included recognizing and handing out certificates to those who completed two or more training courses created by MERI & ACCA.

Linda Mantel receiving her Stupski Community Network training certificate. Stupski Training Coordinator, Miguel Palmer is to her right.

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the Stupski Community Care Network training and program,” said a beaming Linda Mantel. “The training sessions were excellent, and I learned a great deal about palliative care — what it is and how it works for those experiencing a terminal illness and facing end of life.” 

Because of population ageing and an associated increase in prevalence of chronic conditions across OECD countries, the number of people in need of end-of-life care is growing and expected to reach 10 million people by 2050, according to The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

Worldwide, only about 14% of people who need palliative care currently receive it, according to the World Health Organization. 

Stupski training participants learned how to have conversations about serious illness, advanced illness, multiple diagnosis, palliative, and/or end of life stage care needs.

This is done with hopes of providing resources and matching participants and their caregivers with much needed resources; such as: healthcare providers, food resources, essential medical equipment support, care giver respite, and many other needs that may exist to increase health, quality of life, or alleviate challenges & needs.  

“The objective was and is an important step for any of us to begin the conversation about healthcare choices that we will all confront sooner or later,” said Community Care Minister, Martial York. 

Community Care Minister Martial York receives his Stupski Community Network training certificate. To his left is Dr. Reverend Clyde Oden Jr., retired Pastor and Associate Director of the Alameda County Care Alliance (AC Care Alliance).

“From my perspective I/we do not begin the conversation about health care and end of life decisions until we are in crisis mode, which is not by any means the best time to start the discussion. The questions that the Stupski project brought to my attention were when and with whom do we have this conversation,” added York.  

“We talk about death and going to “heaven or hell”, but the important conversation is about how we die,” summarized York. “It’s how we approach the dilemma of serious illness among family, friends, or loved ones when approaching the end of life.”

The Stupski project training was a step forward for participants into having the types of conversations that are many times held too late or made to seem too uncomfortable to talk about.  

Future trainings will be offered to GLIDE participants in the near future for Stupski through the AC Care Alliance. In the meantime, those interested can contact Freddy Martin,Congregational Life and Community Engagement Manager via email at fmartin@glide.org with any questions.