More Than a Holiday: Fred Finch Staff Reflect on Pride, Juneteenth, and the Power of Belonging

Each year, Pride Month and Juneteenth offer opportunities to celebrate history, honor resilience, and reflect on the ongoing pursuit of equity, inclusion, and belonging.

At Fred Finch, Juneteenth is recognized as an agency holiday, giving employees time to rest, reflect, celebrate, and honor the significance of the day. Throughout June, we also celebrate Pride Month under this year’s theme, “Love is Love,” reaffirming our commitment to creating affirming, trauma-informed spaces where LGBTQ+ youth, families, staff, and community members feel seen, valued, and supported.

During a recent All Staff meeting, our Staff Voices Open Forum created space for employees to share meaningful and personal reflections on what Pride Month and Juneteenth mean to them. Among those sharing their perspectives were Jade Longmire, Engagement Specialist with San Diego Child and Family Team (CFT) and leader of Proudly You, and Francisca (“Fran”) Verduzco, Care Coordinator with San Diego Specialized Wraparound.

Their reflections remind us that these observances are about far more than dates on a calendar—they are about community, visibility, resilience, liberation, and the freedom to be ourselves.

For Jade Longmire, Juneteenth is more than a historical observance. While widely recognized as June 19, 1865—the date when the last enslaved people in the United States learned of their freedom—Jade also sees it as a celebration of connection and shared experience.

“When we talk about Pride Month and Juneteenth, we often focus on what these observances are, but I think it’s just as important to talk about what they mean.”— Jade Longmire

Growing up, Juneteenth brought together neighbors, families, local businesses, and friends who felt like family. Those experiences shaped her understanding of belonging and continue to influence her perspective today.

“It was always something I looked forward to. Everyone was together. The aunts and uncles you don’t officially have, the cousins, the friends who become family. It was a chance to celebrate community.”— Jade Longmire

For Jade, Juneteenth and Pride share a deeper connection through resilience and collective advocacy.

“What stands out to me is what many communities have in common—shared struggles for liberation, resilience, and civil rights.”— Jade Longmire

She sees those connections extending beyond annual observances and into everyday acts of solidarity and mutual support.

For Francisca (“Fran”) Verduzco, Pride begins with visibility.

“When I think about Pride, the first word that comes to mind is visibility.”— Francisca Verduzco

As a queer, neurodivergent immigrant, Fran reflected on the importance of intersectionality and how overlapping identities shape lived experience. In her work supporting youth and families, she emphasizes a foundational truth: “There is no one right way to live or to be.”

This perspective informs how she supports queer and neurodivergent clients, helping them challenge limiting expectations and embrace authenticity.

Fran also shared the importance of creating spaces where people can show up without shame or apology. One of her most formative experiences came from her father, who encouraged her, when she came out, never to see herself—or allow others to see her—as less than because of who she is.

“My hope for every queer person is that they never feel the need to apologize for who they are.”— Francisca Verduzco

The themes Jade and Fran shared—community, visibility, acceptance, and belonging—extend well beyond Pride Month and Juneteenth.

They are reflected in the daily work our staff do alongside the youth, families, and communities we serve. Our work is rooted in compassion, inclusion, trauma-informed practice, and culturally responsive care. These values are also reflected internally through employee-led spaces and affinity groups such as Proudly You, an affinity group for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. Unlike groups focused primarily on organizational initiatives, Proudly You offers space for connection, support, and renewal—helping staff show up as their authentic selves in both their work and their lives.

As Jade described, the group fosters belonging so staff can continue supporting clients and communities while also caring for one another.

While Pride Month and Juneteenth each carry distinct histories, both remind us of the importance of dignity, visibility, resilience, and community.

Together, Jade and Fran’s reflections highlight a shared truth: everyone deserves to be seen, valued, supported, and accepted for who they are.

And that is something worth honoring—not only during Pride Month or on Juneteenth, but every day.