FACS’ “Sari-Sari Store” and Filipino Pride on Display at the Stanford Hospital
On a breezy Thursday morning in October, the Bass Promenade at the Stanford Hospital was abuzz with activity …and Pinoy energy! It was the inaugural outdoor fair of the Philippine Nurses Association of Northern California – Stanford Subchapter (PNANC-Stanford), in collaboration with Stanford’s Asian and Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group (ERG), in their Filipino Heritage Month Celebration on the historic campus.
PNANC-Stanford Leader Elisa Nguyen, SHC vice president and chief nursing officer of patient care services, led the exuberant team of Filipino American nurses and healthcare professionals, in a fantastic display of cooperation, organization, and fun-loving camaraderie that perhaps, only fellow Fil-Ams will immediately recognize. Clad in a long and delicate piña ( pineapple fiber) “jacket” over her smart office get-up, Elisa and her fellow leaders stood out magnificently in their Filipiniana finery, and Filipino pride was swelling and bountiful.
Around 20 exhibitors participated in this inaugural activity – from selling specialty books and beautiful gowns to parol-making activities and other crafts. SHC employees and exhibitors were treated to a sumptuous lunch of Filipino lechon, pansit, lumpia shanghai and rice. There was even a food truck offering some frosty dessert! Members in colorful Filipino native costumes, lovingly sewn by a PNANC leader’s industrious mother, presented cultural dances and songs -- well-rehearsed and deeply felt, despite what must be a nurse’s grueling work schedule. Stanford Medical Center ICU Nurse Liz Borgueta coordinated the creation of these native costumes with tremendous help from mom Ruby Mendoza. But nothing was more ubiquitous than the Karaoke singing that followed after the presentation, when SHC Fil-Am staff unveiled their hidden singing talents, and the sound of Filipino songs filled the air. To many, it felt like home for a few precious hours, and it was unforgettable.
FACS’ involvement with this event was made possible by the earnest coordination between Brendalyn Ucol-Co, a patient care manager at the SHC Emergency Department and a member of PNANC-Stanford’s board, and FACS Leader and SHC staffer Maggie Suarez-Calixton. Fair participants – hospital staff, patients, university staff – sampled some serious Filipino snack favorites such as Curly Tops, Choc-Nut, Clover Chips, and Sunflower crackers at the FACS “Sari-Sari” Store. FACS leader volunteers tabled at the fair, led by Maria Leano-Atanacio, Diane Abundabar, Lanelle Neumann, Dinah Rojas, Eunice de Lumen, Elena Infeld, Michelle Decker, and other leaders. FACS is thrilled to be supporting our Filipino American community at the Stanford Hospital. Thank you to the officers and members of PNANC-Stanford for this wonderful opportunity.
