A PHC board member reflects on a lifetime of public service, community organizing, and the power of collaboration to expand care access.
By: Frank Benest, former City Manager of Palo Alto and PHC board member
I was raised by my mother, Rosy, a poor Arab immigrant, lifelong teacher, and deeply engaged community member. From an early age, she impressed upon me the importance of service, fairness, and standing alongside those whose voices are too often unheard. Those early lessons have stayed with me and continue to shape how I approach my work.
As a young person, I tried to live out those values through hands-on organizing. I worked as a community organizer in Mexico City, helping with the formation of cooperatives, and later assisted in coordinating the Grape Boycott for the United Farm Workers on the East Coast. These experiences taught me the importance of collective action and deepened my understanding of how systems can be structured to better serve people facing the greatest barriers. In that sense, the mission and work of Peninsula Healthcare Connection (PHC) feel like a natural extension of values I have carried throughout my life.
Twenty-five years ago, while serving as City Manager of Palo Alto, I was involved in the development of the Opportunity Center as a multi-service center and supportive housing project. Guided by a committed Community Working Group, the project brought together community organizations and local government partners around a shared goal: creating a place where unhoused neighbors could access both housing and comprehensive services. My role focused on working with city staff to move the project through a complex approval process so it could move from vision to reality. The Opportunity Center stands as a testament to what collaboration across sectors can make possible.
In this later chapter of my career, I feel fortunate to come back to this work by serving on the PHC Board. PHC’s presence at the Opportunity Center clinic, along with its case management services and street medicine outreach, reflects a commitment to meeting people where they are. The Food Closet has also become an important part of this ecosystem, recognizing the central role that access to nutritious food plays in overall health and stability.
Looking ahead, I am especially interested in supporting the development of 51 Encina as an expanded healthcare clinic with additional specialty services. Especially as the current clinic is bursting at its seams. This effort represents an important opportunity to extend care and respond more fully to the needs of our community.
I am encouraged by the direction Peninsula Healthcare Connection is taking and grateful to be part of an organization that continues to evolve in response to community needs and shifting public policy. As PHC looks toward the next 20 years, I’m excited by the opportunity to contribute to work grounded in dignity and community health.
