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Celebrating June with Pride and Joy
June is Pride Month—a time to honor the resilience, beauty, and joy of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s an opportunity to celebrate identity, build connection, and reaffirm our commitment to a more inclusive world. At Caminar, we are proud to stand alongside LGBTQIA+ individuals and uplift their voices every day.
Because of you, more people are finding belonging and affirmation. Your generosity helps create spaces where LGBTQIA+ individuals can build community, express themselves freely, and experience the joy that fuels hope and transformation. Your support is making a real difference.
Your gift ensures these programs continue to uplift and celebrate LGBTQ+ lives. Together, we can help more people experience the strength and joy of being part of a caring community—right when it matters most.
Together we celebrate, together we thrive. Thank you!
Caminar Welcomes New CFO
Lynne Silva, MBA joined Caminar in May as our new Chief Financial Officer.
Lynne brings more than 20 years of healthcare finance leadership experience across both provider and payer organizations, including leadership roles at Santa Clara Family Health Plan, Stanford Medicine Partners, and Hill Physicians Medical Group. Her expertise includes financial strategy, budgeting and forecasting, revenue cycle operations, regulatory compliance, operational improvement, and finance system transformation.
As CFO, Lynne partners closely with executive leadership and the Board of Directors to strengthen financial stewardship, enhance operational visibility, and support Caminar’s long-term sustainability and growth.
Lynne holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Francisco State University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Data Analytics from Louisiana State University Shreveport.
A Bay Area resident, she lives with her husband and her fur baby Evee. They enjoy spending time with their son and family nearby.
Caminar Speakers Series: AI and Mental Health
On Wednesday evening, May 13, Caminar hosted Caminar Speakers Series.
Caminar Speakers Series brings together thought leaders and experts to discuss timely mental health and wellness topics. Our May event featured a conversation with Caminar's CEO, Mark Cloutier, and Dr. Shannon Wiltsey Stirman, Stanford professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, on the very current and highly relevant topic of AI and Mental Health.
Guests enjoyed an engaging conversation about appropriate applications of AI in mental health, including areas of opportunity and caution, as well as hopes for the future of AI in this field. Some of the highlights include how AI can supplement therapy, privacy issues, and the tools being created using AI. Guests then had the opportunity to ask questions and gain further insights from our featured speaker.
Caminar Speaker’s Series was a free event, made possible by our generous sponsors and media partners, including Citizens Business Bank, Newfront, San Francisco Business Times, and Silicon Valley Business Journal.
Please view the recording of the event here.
Caminar in the News
Mark Cloutier in Forbes - 'Successism' Is Failing Our Kids
Caminar CEO Mark Cloutier, a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council, authored his latest article on Forbes: "'Successism' Is Failing Our Kids"
Cloutier writes, "The goal should not be to raise impressive young people on paper. It should be to raise resilient, grounded individuals who know who they are when no one is watching. What's more, we need children who are equipped with the self-awareness, relational skills and emotional steadiness that schools rarely teach and transcripts never capture."
We invite you to read the entire piece here.
The LGBTQ Youth Space in NorCal Public Media
During the beginning of LGBTQ Pride Month, Northern California Public Media highlighted the amazing staff and services of the LGBTQ Youth Space in their Connect the Bay segment. The LGBTQ Youth Space is one of three programs housed in Caminar's LGBTQ Programs, offering critical services to the LGBTQIA+ community in Santa Clara County.
Please check out the video here.
Supporting Teens and Family
During Mental Health Awareness Month, the Palo Alto Daily Post spotlighted the Caminar Teen and Family Wellness Center - Palo Alto. The article recognized both the services we provide and the critical need for a program like this within the Palo Alto community.
Please check out the article here.
Why I Donate
- An LGBTQ Youth Space Donor
Ways to Give
Become a Safety Net monthly sustaining donor and join our effort to empower and support individuals today.
Donate online or by mail:
Caminar Development
411 Borel Ave, Ste 101
San Mateo, CA 94402
Become a SAFETY NET SUSTAINING MEMBER by making a monthly contribution in any amount
Make a lasting impact by including Caminar as part of YOUR LEGACY - email mdunbar@caminar.org (all inquiries are confidential)
