Obituary: Jean Forbath, founder of Share Our Selves, opened eyes to those in need
The longtime Costa Mesa resident, who experienced health complications in her later years, was surrounded by family and loved ones, who noted the devout Catholic passed shortly after the death of Pope Francis in Vatican City.
'She'd spent all of Holy Week at home with all of her kids and grandkids,' daughter Mary Cappellini said Wednesday. 'And it was just an hour after the pope — it was quite the experience.'
Forbath was recognized by numerous honors, including Costa Mesa's 'Woman of the Year' award in 2017 and the O.C. Human Relation Commission's 'Legacy Awards,' honoring the county's civil rights heroes.
Yet, her personal pathway of charitable service had relatively modest origins.
Inspired by a 1969 adult education class at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, in which participants pondered the social doctrines of the church, Forbath thought about how she and others could help neighbors in need.
What started out as charitable donations of food, clothing and material goods swiftly turned into a coordinated effort as participants got to know the people they were helping — and in 1970 the nonprofit Share Our Selves (SOS) was born.
'Our organization brought to the foreground that there were needs in Costa Mesa that people were closing their eyes to,' Forbath recalled in 2017.
Forbath led a team of volunteers as they opened their first free medical and dental clinic in 1985 and started an 'Adopt a Family' Christmas program that now benefits 1,200 families annually.
SOS today provides medical and dental care for nearly 16,000 individuals across Orange County in eight locations and provides food and financial assistance to countless others.
'We're really staying rooted in the legacy of what the original vision was, because the need is still there today,' SOS Executive Director Christy Ward said Wednesday. 'We're doing really expansive work, but a lot of what they did still goes on — we just added to it.'
Forbath tirelessly advocated for access to affordable housing and medical care for the county's poor, regularly appearing before the Costa Mesa City Council and Orange County Board of Supervisors.
She worked as the unpaid executive director of Share Our Selves for 22 years and retired in 1991, though she remained on its board for 39 years.
In 1993, she co-founded the Costa Mesa nonprofit Save Our Youth (SOY). The group provides academic readiness and leadership opportunities to first-generation college students from low-income families, annually bestowing a 'Jean Forbath Scholarship' to standout youths who strive to change the world for the better.
'When you think of Jean Forbath, everyone thinks about Share Our Selves, but I think about the big contribution she made to youth,' Joe Erickson, SOY co-founder and a former member of the Costa Mesa City Council, said Wednesday. 'I'm happy she lived a good, long life and I was part of it.'
Forbath is predeceased by her husband Frank and son Joe and is survived by children Steve (and Betsy) Forbath, Kathy (and Bahram) Esfahani, Mary (and Cesar) Cappellini, Susie Forbath, Patty (and Steve) Uchytil and Brian (and Georgina) Forbath, along with 15 grandchildren.
A service is planned for May 9 at 1 p.m. at Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 20444 Magnolia St., Huntington Beach. Donations may be made to Share Our Selves or Save Our Youth's Jean Forbath Scholarship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business Journals
"Inspiring leaders of tomorrow — St. Luke, the first Catholic IB School in the Pacific NW."
St. Luke School — Inspiring Leaders of Tomorrow The First Catholic International Baccalaureate (IB) School for Primary and Middle Years in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1957, St. Luke School has been a cornerstone of academic excellence and community engagement in the north King/south Snohomish region. Initially staffed by three Edmond Dominican Sisters and one lay teacher, our first classes welcomed 125 students in grades one through five. Over the decades, we've grown and evolved—today serving over 260 families and 450 students in Preschool through eighth grade. Our reputation as one of the marquee Catholic schools in the area is built on a steadfast commitment to academic rigor, values-based education, and continuous innovation. Facilities and instructional programs are continually enhanced, and students enjoy a variety of extracurricular opportunities that enrich the learning experience. A Regional First in Catholic IB Education: In February 2021, St. Luke School became the first Catholic school in the Pacific Northwest authorized to offer both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). This distinction places St. Luke in an elite category of schools worldwide, blending the depth and discipline of Catholic education with the globally recognized inquiry-driven IB framework. The PYP serves students from Preschool through grade five, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and the ability to make connections across disciplines. Students explore transdisciplinary themes such as Who We Are and How We Express Ourselves, building essential skills for lifelong learning. The MYP, designed for grades six through eight, challenges students through a broad curriculum that includes language acquisition, sciences, mathematics, arts, and design, while encouraging independent thinking, collaboration, and service. The program culminates in an 8th Grade Community Project, a meaningful capstone that demonstrates each student's ability to apply their learning to real-world challenges. Educating the Whole Child: Our mission—Inquiring minds, hearts for Jesus, and hands for service—guides every aspect of the St. Luke experience. We aim to educate the whole child: intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and socially. Through a combination of academic excellence, faith formation, and community involvement, we prepare students to lead lives of purpose, compassion, and integrity. A Strong, Supportive Community: St. Luke is more than a school—it's a network of connection and support. Our close-knit community includes dedicated faculty and staff who know students by name, active parent organizations that support and enrich school life, and a parish that is deeply invested in the well-being of every family. These relationships help foster an environment where students feel valued, engaged, and inspired to reach their potential. Why St. Luke Stands Out: Proven Excellence — Over 68 years of continuous growth and achievement. Innovative Approach — First Catholic IB Primary and Middle Years School in the Pacific Northwest. Mission Alignment — Grounded in Catholic faith and the IB's global perspective. Community Focus — Strong partnerships among families, faculty, and parish. Holistic Development — Academic rigor combined with character formation and service. Join Us: We invite families and community members to learn more about what makes St. Luke School exceptional. Whether you are seeking a high-caliber education for your child, an engaged and values-driven community, or a school that blends tradition with innovation, St. Luke offers an unparalleled experience. Where leaders of tomorrow begin today — discover St. Luke School, the first Catholic IB School for Primary and Middle Years in the Pacific Northwest. Visit to explore our programs, schedule a tour, and see firsthand how St. Luke inspires students to think deeply, act justly, and lead with heart.
3 days ago
Mental health clinics in violence-prone South Sudan are rare and endangered
MUNDRI, South Sudan -- Joy Falatiya said her husband kicked her and five children out of their home in March 2024 and that she fell apart after that. Homeless and penniless, the 35-year-old South Sudanese mother said she thought of ending her life. 'I wanted to take my children and jump in the river,' she said while cradling a baby outside a room with cracked mud walls where she now stays. But she's made a remarkable recovery months later, thanks to the support of well-wishers and a mental health clinic nearby where she's received counseling since April. She told The Associated Press that her suicidal thoughts are now gone after months of psycho-social therapy, even though she still struggles to feed her children and can't afford to keep them in school. The specialized clinic in her hometown of Mundri, in South Sudan' s Western Equatoria state, is a rare and endangered facility in a country desperate for more such services. Now that the program's funding from Italian and Greek sources is about to end and its future is unclear. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at Internationally, many governments and other organizations offer help and information on how to contact them is available online. ___ The clinic is in one of eight locations chosen for a project that aimed to provide mental health services for the first time to over 20,000 people across this East African country. Launched in late 2022, it proved a lifeline for patients like Falatiya in a country where mental health services are almost non-existent in the government-run health system. Implemented by a group of charities led by Amref Health Africa, the program has partnered with government health centers, Catholic parishes, local radio stations. Across South Sudan, there has been massive displacement of people in the civil war that began in 2013 when government troops loyal to President Salva Kiir fought those loyal to Vice President Riek Machar. The eruption of fighting was a major setback for the world's newest country, which became a major refugee-producing nation just over two years after independence from Sudan. Although a peace deal was reached in 2018, the resumption of hostilities since January led the U.N. to warn of a possible 'relapse into large scale conflict.' The violence persists even today, with Machar under house arrest and government forces continuing with a campaign to weaken his ability to wage war. And poverty — over 90% of the country's people live on less than $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank — is rampant in many areas, adding to the mental health pressures many people face, according to experts. In a country heavily dependent on charity to keep the health sector running, access to mental health services lags far behind. The country has the fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa and is ranked thirteenth globally, World Health Organization figures show. In South Sudan, suicide affects mostly the internally displaced, fueled by confinement and pressures related to poverty, idleness, armed conflict, and gender-based violence, according to the International Organization for Migration. 'Mental health issues are a huge obstacle to the development of South Sudan,' said Jacopo Rovarini, an official with Amref Health Africa. More than a third of those screened by the Amref project 'show signs of either psychological distress or mental health disorders,' he said. "So the burden for the individuals, their families and their communities is huge in this country, and it has gone quite unaddressed so far.' Last month, authorities in Juba raised an alarm after 12 cases of suicide were reported in just a week in the South Sudan capital. There were no more details on those cases. Dr. Atong Ayuel Longar, one of South Sudan's very few psychiatrists and the leader of the mental health department at the health ministry, said a pervasive sense of 'uncertainty is what affects the population the most" amid the constant threat of war. 'Because you can't plan for tomorrow," she said. 'Do we need to evacuate? People will be like, 'No, no, no, there's no war.' Yet you don't feel that sense of peace around you. Things are getting tough." In Mundri, the AP visited several mental health facilities in June and spoke to many patients, including women who have recently lost relatives in South Sudan's conflict. In 2015, the Mundri area was ravaged by fighting between opposition forces and government troops, leading to widespread displacement, looting and sexual violence. Ten years later, many have not recovered from this episode and fear similar fighting could resume there. 'There are many mad people in the villages," said Paul Monday, a local youth leader, using a common derogatory word for those who are mentally unwell. 'It's so common because we lost a lot of things during the war. We had to flee and our properties were looted.' 'In our community here, when you're mad you're abandoned,' Monday said. As one of the charities seeking to expand mental health services, the Catholic non-governmental organization Caritas organizes sessions of Self Help Plus, a group-based stress management course launched by WHO in 2021. Attended mostly by women, sessions offer simple exercises they can repeat at home to reduce stress. Longar, the psychiatrist, said she believes the community must be equipped with tools 'to heal and to help themselves by themselves, and break the cycle of trauma." But she worries about whether such support can be kept sustainable as funds continue to dwindle, reflecting the retreat by the United States from its once-generous foreign aid program. The project that may have helped save Falatiya's life, funded until November by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Athens-based Stavros Niarchos Foundation, will come to an end without additional donor funding. Specialized mental health services provided at health centers such as the Mundri clinic may collapse. 'What happened to me in the past was very dangerous, but the thought of bad things can be removed,' Falatiya said, surveying a garden she cultivates outside her small home where a local man has allowed her to stay after taking pity on her. She said that she hopes the clinic will still be around if and when her 'bad thoughts' return. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mental health clinics in violence-prone South Sudan are rare and endangered
MUNDRI, South Sudan (AP) — Joy Falatiya said her husband kicked her and five children out of their home in March 2024 and that she fell apart after that. Homeless and penniless, the 35-year-old South Sudanese mother said she thought of ending her life. 'I wanted to take my children and jump in the river,' she said while cradling a baby outside a room with cracked mud walls where she now stays. But she's made a remarkable recovery months later, thanks to the support of well-wishers and a mental health clinic nearby where she's received counseling since April. She told The Associated Press that her suicidal thoughts are now gone after months of psycho-social therapy, even though she still struggles to feed her children and can't afford to keep them in school. The specialized clinic in her hometown of Mundri, in South Sudan' s Western Equatoria state, is a rare and endangered facility in a country desperate for more such services. Now that the program's funding from Italian and Greek sources is about to end and its future is unclear. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at Internationally, many governments and other organizations offer help and information on how to contact them is available online. ___ The clinic is in one of eight locations chosen for a project that aimed to provide mental health services for the first time to over 20,000 people across this East African country. Launched in late 2022, it proved a lifeline for patients like Falatiya in a country where mental health services are almost non-existent in the government-run health system. Implemented by a group of charities led by Amref Health Africa, the program has partnered with government health centers, Catholic parishes, local radio stations. Across South Sudan, there has been massive displacement of people in the civil war that began in 2013 when government troops loyal to President Salva Kiir fought those loyal to Vice President Riek Machar. The eruption of fighting was a major setback for the world's newest country, which became a major refugee-producing nation just over two years after independence from Sudan. Although a peace deal was reached in 2018, the resumption of hostilities since January led the U.N. to warn of a possible 'relapse into large scale conflict.' The violence persists even today, with Machar under house arrest and government forces continuing with a campaign to weaken his ability to wage war. And poverty — over 90% of the country's people live on less than $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank — is rampant in many areas, adding to the mental health pressures many people face, according to experts. In a country heavily dependent on charity to keep the health sector running, access to mental health services lags far behind. The country has the fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa and is ranked thirteenth globally, World Health Organization figures show. In South Sudan, suicide affects mostly the internally displaced, fueled by confinement and pressures related to poverty, idleness, armed conflict, and gender-based violence, according to the International Organization for Migration. 'Mental health issues are a huge obstacle to the development of South Sudan,' said Jacopo Rovarini, an official with Amref Health Africa. More than a third of those screened by the Amref project 'show signs of either psychological distress or mental health disorders,' he said. "So the burden for the individuals, their families and their communities is huge in this country, and it has gone quite unaddressed so far.' Last month, authorities in Juba raised an alarm after 12 cases of suicide were reported in just a week in the South Sudan capital. There were no more details on those cases. Dr. Atong Ayuel Longar, one of South Sudan's very few psychiatrists and the leader of the mental health department at the health ministry, said a pervasive sense of 'uncertainty is what affects the population the most" amid the constant threat of war. 'Because you can't plan for tomorrow," she said. 'Do we need to evacuate? People will be like, 'No, no, no, there's no war.' Yet you don't feel that sense of peace around you. Things are getting tough." In Mundri, the AP visited several mental health facilities in June and spoke to many patients, including women who have recently lost relatives in South Sudan's conflict. In 2015, the Mundri area was ravaged by fighting between opposition forces and government troops, leading to widespread displacement, looting and sexual violence. Ten years later, many have not recovered from this episode and fear similar fighting could resume there. 'There are many mad people in the villages," said Paul Monday, a local youth leader, using a common derogatory word for those who are mentally unwell. 'It's so common because we lost a lot of things during the war. We had to flee and our properties were looted.' 'In our community here, when you're mad you're abandoned,' Monday said. As one of the charities seeking to expand mental health services, the Catholic non-governmental organization Caritas organizes sessions of Self Help Plus, a group-based stress management course launched by WHO in 2021. Attended mostly by women, sessions offer simple exercises they can repeat at home to reduce stress. Longar, the psychiatrist, said she believes the community must be equipped with tools 'to heal and to help themselves by themselves, and break the cycle of trauma." But she worries about whether such support can be kept sustainable as funds continue to dwindle, reflecting the retreat by the United States from its once-generous foreign aid program. The project that may have helped save Falatiya's life, funded until November by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Athens-based Stavros Niarchos Foundation, will come to an end without additional donor funding. Specialized mental health services provided at health centers such as the Mundri clinic may collapse. 'What happened to me in the past was very dangerous, but the thought of bad things can be removed,' Falatiya said, surveying a garden she cultivates outside her small home where a local man has allowed her to stay after taking pity on her. She said that she hopes the clinic will still be around if and when her 'bad thoughts' return. ___
