Transparent People

How many times have each one of us come upon homeless whom we think are addicts and avert our eyes, or look right through them as if they are transparent, for fear of having to engage in any communication at all with them? Unfortunately, by not recognizing them as human beings we are not taking action to help them deal with their challenges and so we marginalize them, warehousing the problem. There are countless reasons why there are so many people dealing with addictions, homeless or not. The bottom line is that we as a society must begin to see these fellow human beings. "Transparent People" is a collection of real-life experiences from people who have risen from a life of addiction into a life of recovery. It is an attempt to obtain a glimpse of what life events led them into their addictions, their lives in that addiction, and what prompted them to emerge from that cycle. Through understanding more in depth from the point of view of someone with an addiction, we can find clarity, work toward solutions and create hope.
About the Author: Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE is the CEO of La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation. She founded La Maestra to provide healthcare, education and social services to help low-income, diverse residents in her inner-city San Diego community to become healthy and self-sufficient. Since 1990, La Maestra has grown into a nationally-recognized organization with 450 staff serving over 45,000 patients annually, with locations in City Heights, El Cajon, National City and Lemon Grove and services across San Diego and other counties. In 2010, La Maestra launched I Choose Recovery!, a program offering affordable, temporary and long-term supportive housing with integrated services including health care, counseling, job training and placement, and community service opportunities. The program aids men from diverse backgrounds who are recovering from substance abuse or addiction to re-enter society with a clean start. Zara has been recognized locally and nationally for her commitment to develop and share La Maestra's innovative, scalable Circle of Care(TM) model, a holistic approach to addressing health and wellbeing needs of these emerging communities. In her commitment to share innovative approaches to addressing needs of underserved communities, Zara participates in many local, national and global initiatives and has formed the Circle of Care Nationwide Collaborative. She shares nationwide through presentations and consultation for health centers and nonprofits. Her expertise includes: cultural diversity and social determinants of health and their impacts on low income, immigrant, public housing residents, homeless, victims of crime and others; innovative healthcare and social service delivery models such as telehealth and peer promotora programs; developing successful partnerships with diverse stakeholders; medical-legal-social services integration; economic empowerment via microlending and social enterprise; and healing through art. In 2010, La Maestra Publications released The Soul Speaks, a collection written by Zara of eleven real-life stories told by people who have come from all over the globe, eventually settling in inner-city San Diego. The book exposes readers to what reality is for people with different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs and who survive through oppression, poverty and tragedy, and finally find the will and determination to escape, start over and thrive in their new community.