In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of public service, justice, and equality, Kaiser Permanente employees across Northern California rolled up their sleeves this month to help their communities.
More than 1,900 employees came out for nearly 40 volunteer activities at schools, food banks, parks, and other community organizations. They packed lunches for seniors, fixed up public school grounds, or sewed blankets for those who need them. Volunteering is not just for one week around the MLK Day holiday. Throughout 2025, Northern California employees logged 40,000 volunteer hours.
Parnika Kodali, chief operating officer of the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco service area, spent 3 hours at Junipero Serra Elementary School in San Francisco raking leaves and painting with about 25 other employees.
Kodali said King’s legacy of equality for all people was a major influence on her family’s ability to emigrate to the U.S. from India when she was 9, when no one in the family spoke English. That legacy allowed her family to succeed in a place foreign to them.
“Both of my parents had to work to support us after we emigrated, and the community helped take care of us kids,” said Kodali during a break from raking leaves with Brian Lucero Contreras, the communications and public affairs lead for Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco. “I believe in supporting our immigrant families and the people Kaiser Permanente takes care of, and that’s why I am here. Our mission to elevate the health of our communities is very important to me.”
Volunteers at the school painted benches and exterior walls, cut back overgrown shrubs and bushes, and cleaned up all the debris.
The event was the first for Jonathan Reyes, who has worked in the Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco IT Department for 17 years.
“As I get older, I feel everyone should be required to volunteer,” said Reyes, who added that his employee goals include volunteering. “We’re blessed to have these good jobs at Kaiser. So, it’s good to give back.”
Bonnie Fabian, clinical pharmacy director at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center on Geary Street in San Francisco, volunteered at the school, too. She has been at the hospital for 22 years in a variety of positions, and volunteers frequently at Kaiser Permanente-sponsored events and others in the community.
“It’s rewarding to see people supporting their communities,” said Fabian, who grew up San Francisco’s Sunset District. “I like to volunteer in places like this school yard where I can see a visible change when we leave.”
School Principal Katerina Palomares said the Kaiser Permanente volunteers are inspiring to the students and their families.
“They serve as models to our children for building community,” said Palomares. “Every time we have volunteers, all the kids are like, ‘Wow, look what they did. That is so cool.’ That enthusiasm trickles down to our families and inspires them, too.”
