Pacific Clinics’ Valley Palms Family Resource Center (FRC), based inside the Valley Palms Apartments in East San Jose, California, offers services to children ages 0-5 and their families that promote their children’s development, ensure their school readiness, build strong family bonds, create a more connected community and fulfill any unmet basic needs.
The Valley Palms FRC opened its doors in February 2022 and provides a wide range of services and supports to the more than one thousand residents of the Valley Palms Apartments and the surrounding community, including:
- Art enrichment activities to support children’s development along with promoting peer socialization skills;
- Homework Club, which provides weekly homework help, tutoring and snacks to children in kindergarten through 12th grade;
- Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3 & ASQ-SE2) assessments, which provide a quick look at how children are doing in important areas of development and identify strengths or areas where they may need additional support; · A monthly story time, courtesy of the San Jose Public Library;
- A monthly diaper kit distribution, providing free diapers and wipes to children and families available in sizes 1-6;
- Case management support, which connects clients with food and housing resources;
- Referrals through the Santa Clara County Call Center to other therapeutic and behavioral services within Pacific Clinics;
- Job search assistance; and
- Parenting workshops on subjects ranging from encouraging positive behaviors and dealing with challenging behaviors to becoming confident as a parent.
Additionally, we regularly partner with outside agencies, such as Safeway Pharmacy to provide free COVID-19 and influenza vaccines and Healthier Kids Foundation to support children with vision and dental screenings. We also host a wide range of community events – most recently, a spring event with a professional face painter, balloon artist, arts and crafts, music and raffles – in addition to annual toy and backpack drives, and a Thanksgiving event where meal kits are distributed.
“Our diaper distribution events provide free kits filled with diapers and wipes to as many as 55 families each month and is a great financial support for many within the Valley Palms and surrounding communities,” says Valley Palms FRC Program Supervisor Angelica Perez-Garcia.
“The diaper program has supported me a lot; I have the opportunity to save money every month,” said Valley Palms Resident Rafaela Perez Pena. “The wipes are also an additional help, as what we spent before for diapers and wipes can now be used to pay a bill.”
The calendar of events at our Valley Palms FRC is organized and planned alongside a dedicated group of resident leaders and volunteers from within the Valley Palms community, as they understand the needs and wants of their community best. This group of 30 active residents also attends monthly meetings to provide feedback and recommendations on the community’s wants and needs and has opportunities to participate in additional professional development and other practical skills classes, such as CPR/First Aid to support their personal and professional growth.
For more information about this program, please contact Program Supervisor Angelica Perez at 408-335-8684 or Family Specialist Rosa Alvarado at 669-302-9558.
