By Williamena Kwapo | OBSERVER Staff Writer
While many people spend the holidays gathered with loved ones indulging in food, traditions and creating lasting memories, countless workers leave their families and homes to serve their communities.
Among them are two Black women in Sacramento, each holding down essential roles during the holiday season. For Charde Vance, a nurse providing critical care, and Latesha Pierce, a wellness center manager supporting Sacramento’s unhoused and underserved population, the holidays are about more than celebration. It’s about providing service, advocacy, and hope.
Vance is a newly minted registered nurse, or RN, who recently transitioned from being a licensed vocational nurse, or LVN, after earning her nursing bachelor’s from Nightingale College. Her journey reflects her deep commitment to health equity and representation, particularly as a Black nurse in California, where she is now one of only a little more than 4% of black nurses. She speaks passionately about the need for more Black voices in health care and the importance of advocacy in breaking barriers.
“I don’t have to do this,” she says. “I get to do this. I do it for my people. I do it for my family. I do it for other Black people that are aspiring to be nurses and were told that they couldn’t be.”
Her work at long-term care facilities during the holidays highlights the unique sacrifices of health care workers. While her family gathers for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s, she’s leaving her two sons and husband to tend to patients who may not have anyone else to care for them. For her, this is a calling, a chance to offer comfort and connection during what might otherwise be a lonely or difficult time for her patients.
“Celebrating holidays is not just about the day. It’s about what the day really brings” she says. “So sometimes me and my family choose to celebrate either late, early, or even on a different day, reminding ourselves who I do this for.”
Pierce manages a wellness center that serves Sacramento’s most vulnerable. Her work, which she says is rooted in love and community, becomes even more significant during the holidays when the absence of family or stability is felt intensely. At her center, unhoused individuals find more than a meal; they find dignity, belonging, and moments of release from their daily challenges.
Pierce speaks to the predictability and unpredictability of her work. Each day involves meeting people where they are, whether by providing a safe space to rest, leading wellness groups, or connecting individuals to life-changing resources such as housing and recovery programs. During the holidays, her center transforms into a beacon of hope and provides a sense of home.
“For me and countless other Black workers who keep this city running, the holidays aren’t about stepping away, they’re about showing up,” she says. “We serve meals, provide warm coffee, facilitate wellness groups, and offer a safe, nonjudgmental space for those who feel forgotten by the world. We meet people where they are, holding space for grief, celebration, recovery, or even just the silence that comes when someone finally feels safe enough to rest”
Despite the sacrifices, both women find joy in their work. Whether it’s the satisfaction of a patient’s smile or the gratitude of someone who feels seen and supported, they know their efforts create ripples of impact that extend far beyond the holidays. Their stories remind us of the unseen labor that sustains our communities, particularly during times of celebration.
For these two women, the holidays are less about personal traditions and more about embodying service, compassion, and advocacy; values that make the season truly meaningful.