Welcome!
We had some exciting events, celebrations, and other posts shared on our social media channels this past month. Read on for a recap of last month’s highlights here at Uplift Family Services!
Hearts & Hands Luncheon
Save the date for our 2020 Hearts and Hands Luncheon and join us in building a brighter future for children and teens in our community!
This month we announced the date for our annual luncheon and opened ticket sales! We are raising funds for our Addiction Prevention Services program, as well as our “Whatever it Takes” fund.
We hope you will join us on Friday, April 24, 2020 at 11:30am at Villa Ragusa in Campbell.
In addition, we shared two blog posts with stories behind our vision for this year’s luncheon event. First, we wrote to share about the impact of our Addiction Prevention Services program. Later, the last week of February, we highlighted Roger Barney, our longtime supporter and board member and this year’s Community Hearts & Hands Award recipient.
Los Angeles ICARE Awards
This month, the LA Region held their annual ICARE Awards (Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Excellence) and acknowledged the amazing work our staff does every day. Congrats to Nancy, Alexandra, Jasmine, Jennifer, Yuriana, and Alma for going above and beyond and embodying our agency core values!
Integrity – Nancy Alvarenga
Collaboration – Alexandra Pena
Accountability – Jasmine Cadena
Respect – Jennifer Wong
Excellence – Yuriana Luna
All ICARE – Alma Gomez
Alma Gomez
In addition to being recognized with the LA Region “All ICARE” award, Alma Gomez was also celebrated this month for her 20-year work anniversary! Alma shares, “Working for Uplift Family Services for the past 20 years has definitely made me appreciate what I have. Although I don’t work hand in hand with our families, I see and hear our staff engage with our families with their whole hearts. They truly embody the mission. After 20 years I still get up each and every morning LOVING my job and if I can do anything to help make our staff’s jobs easier, they know they can always count on me. THANK YOU Uplift Family Services for being such an awesome agency!”
We are so grateful for you, Alma! Your dedication, compassion, and above-and-beyond service to your colleagues, our values, and our mission truly make a positive difference!
Toni Welch
We also had the chance to celebrate Toni Welch’s 30-year work anniversary!
Quality Support Associate Director Simon Purse shares, “Toni is a much admired and respected member of our Bay Area region team. She has worked tirelessly to raise funds and provide services for those in addiction recovery. She continues to design new programming to meet the needs of the community, and always supports her team to develop and grow.”
We are so grateful for you, Toni and we can’t wait to raise funds for your Addiction Prevention Services program this April at our Hearts & Hands Luncheon and shine a spotlight on the amazing work you do every single day!
Holiday Donation Drive Results
The results for our annual year-end donation drive are in! Thanks to amazing support, our holiday donation drive raised $113,000 to support children and families recovering from difficult and traumatic circumstances.
On behalf of our entire staff, board, and our Uplift families, we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue making a real and lasting difference for the children we serve.
In conclusion, we send our best wishes for a year of healing, hope, and wellness to everyone in our community!
Lionhearted
In the February issue of Lionhearted, we talked about some of the things we’ve done to become a more trauma-informed agency.
Endless Summer Valentine’s Day Party
Thank you to the National Charity League (NCL), Miakel Bishay Salon, Bryant Reichling Real Estate, and the “Hollies” for being such great volunteers! Because of their support, we were able to throw a fun Valentine’s Day party for our Endless Summer children in Los Angeles.
The kids had a blast decorating Valentine’s Day goody bags and cookies. We would also like to give a special shout out to our Board of Governors, Boni Bryant, and Sheri Weller for donating the yummy cookies and the materials.
Human-Centered Design
This month on the blog, we talked about human-centered design; a creative process that starts with people and ends with solutions tailored to their needs. Read part one here, and tune in for part two in the coming weeks!
California Alliance of Child and Family Services Conference
This month, members of the Uplift Family Services Executive Team, including Vice President for Research & Development Eleanor Castillo Sumi, Ph.D., BCBA-D attended the California Alliance of Child and Family Services conference. We’re so grateful to be a part of this community that promotes safety, well-being, and health for California’s children, youth, and families.
Parent Institute Dinner
The final week of February, the families of our Parent Institute program were treated to a delicious dinner sponsored by our Vice President of Fund Development & Marketing, Lisa Alegria, and prepared by chef Joseph Badaro of Hummus Labs.
The dinner was put on thanks to veteran volunteer Patrick Moya, Lisa, her son James and daughter Rebecca, and chef Joseph of Hummus Labs. Together, they experienced firsthand the sense of community and support that Parent Institute offers to our families, volunteers, and staff.
Thank you, Joseph, Lisa, Rebecca, James, and Patrick, for making this dinner a special one for our families. Sponsoring a dinner for our Parent Institute program is a great way to get involved! In addition, you’ll experience the impact this program has on our families and community. If you or your company would like to sponsor a dinner, please contact Karen Carranza at karen.carranza@upliftfs.org.
Learn More About Becoming a Resource/Foster Parent!
Learn how you can make a difference in the lives of youth in foster care and attend a special event Saturday March 7th!
Mayor Roland Velasco will open the event and you’ll hear stories from former foster youth and resource parents. There will be information on the process to become a resource parent and other volunteer opportunities. This is a free event, but we appreciate if you RSVP (link below). We will also have multiple raffles, light lunch, and childcare is available!
Saturday, March 7
11am-1pm
Gilroy Library
350 W 6th St., Gilroy, CA 95020
To RSVP for this FREE event, please visit: www.helponechild.org/register, or call: 669-236-7552.
