As the CEO of the Davis Street Community Center, Inc., Rose Padilla Johnson is intricately involved in organizing and leading the center’s numerous community outreach programs for the greater San Leandro area. Founded in 1991, Davis Street serves more than 15,000 people per year by providing access to comprehensive resources that address families’ financial, mental, and physical well-being. Rose Padilla Johnson is also a longtime member of the San Leandro Rotary Club and has spearheaded the organization’s involvement with Faces of Hope.
When a baby is born with a cleft lip or palate, an opening exists between its mouth and nose, prohibiting the roof of the mouth from closing completely. Aside from external deformities, the condition can make eating and swallowing extremely difficult. The cleft lip or palate can also cause speech impairments and social stigma. Faces of Hope provides surgeries for children suffering from these conditions, in the hope that it will help kids lead confident, self-sufficient lives.
Since 2005, Faces of Hope has sent teams of medical and non-medical volunteers to Guatemala to provide life-giving surgeries to patients with cleft lips and palates. Volunteer teams consist of surgeons and dentists, people who care for the families of those receiving surgery, individuals who cement current partnerships, and medical professionals who provide additional training to local medical personnel.
