masthead updated
Issue: #20December 2011
In This Issue
Featured Article
Spirit of Giving
Foster Youth
Foster Youth liaisons 
Featured Article
Renee Vorrises and Dorothy Burge serve as Foster Youth Educational Liaisons at SMCOE.
 

As the holiday season approaches, joy is in the air and the spirit of giving surrounds us. It's the time of year for us to appreciate our loved ones, celebrate together, and to give thanks to our dedicated professionals
--teachers, professionals and staff--who give ofAnne Campbell themselves daily to provide an excellent education for all our students in San Mateo County.

 

While we count our blessings, we also reach out to those less fortunate, especially in the midst of immensely difficult economic times. In this newsletter, we spotlight several organizations in San Mateo County that serve families in need. We hope you'll find a way, large or small, to lend a hand and help brighten their holidays.

 

On behalf of all of us here at the San Mateo County Office of Education, I wish you and yours a most joyous holiday season.

 

 

Anne E. Campbell

San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools

 

Sharing the Spirit of Giving This Holiday Season 

 

 

As the holiday season approaches, the number of families in need in our community along with the wish lists of local community nonprofit organizations continue to grow. Why not spread some holiday cheer this December by giving what you can. You can help in a multitude of ways--donate your time; make a financial contribution; give food, toys or gifts; or honor special people on your holiday list with a donation to a worthy nonprofit.

 

There are many agencies seeking help this holiday season and all year long. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

 

Samaritan House in San Mateo has a host of holiday giving programs to help the more than 5,000 clients they serve. There's the very personal family sharing program where you can "adopt" a needy family for the holiday season, buy gifts and food on their wish list, and then deliver the items to the family. New this year is their "Adopt a senior" program, where you can purchase food and gifts for a lonely senior or senior couple. 

 

Second Harvest Food Bank of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties  with offices in San Carlos and San Jose, has opportunities for volunteers and donors. The Food Bank is especially in need of meals in a can, such as soups and stews, as well as canned fruit, canned meats and low-sodium vegetables. Also needed are low-sugar cereals and peanut butter in plastic jars. Volunteers are needed to sort and distribute food. Cash donations are especially appreciated, as with every dollar, the organization can purchase two meals, and the cash helps them meet the food needs of their clients throughout the year.

 

Shelter Network helps homeless families find shelter, health care and job counseling through a variety of programs in San Mateo County. In addition to simply donating money, gifts and food, Shelter Network has many holiday programs you can help out with, including providing holiday gifts for a specific family, creating a holiday dinner basket, or preparing and serving a holiday meal.

 

 

Peninsula Family Service Agency  offers comprehensive programs teaching children, families, and older adults lifelong skills to build a self-sufficient future, regardless of ability to pay. Donations are welcome and if you have one hour or 100 to volunteer your time, they will put you to work. Contact Lynn Engel at (650) 403-4300, ext. 4410, or via email at [email protected] to learn more.

 

DonorsChoose is a national organization that links donors to classrooms in need. On their website, you can see specific projects that teachers have requested funds for, locally and across the country. Requests range from a simple machines Lego set for a robotics class in Harlem, to recorders for a music class in a high-poverty school in Florida, to art supplies for a low-income school in Sacramento. You can designate your financial contribution in any amount to the project you choose.

 

And while you are out shopping at the mall...

 

At Hillsdale and Serramonte Shopping Centers you can donate new and gently used coats for distribution throughout the county. At Hillsdale you can also contribute a gift to the Samaritan House Giving Tree, a toy for the San Mateo City Firefighters Toys for Tots drive, or donate a book or gift card for a needy child at the Barnes and Noble bookstore.

 

Learn more about these organizations and how you can help here  

 

 

 

SMCOE Liaisons Help Foster Youth Succeed

  

 

  

Renee Vorrises and Dorothy Burge, Foster Youth Educational Liaisons at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), see their primary role as supporting communication and collaboration to help foster youth succeed in school. Available to assist any of the 520 students from preschool through college age who touch Child Welfare Services each year,

Foster Youth liaisons

Renee Vorrises and Dorothy Burge serve as Foster Youth Educational Liasons

 

they are in constant communication with the students and their foster parents, teachers, social workers, counselors, and in some cases, probation officers.

 

Their office is at the San Mateo Children's Receiving Home on Tower Road in San Mateo, adjacent to Gateway Community School and the Youth Services Center. Built three years ago, the Receiving Home still has a new gleam with its warm yellow paint, inviting common areas, kitchen and private rooms. The facility, built with the help of San Mateo County Human Services funds, the Youth Services Bond, and the County Manager's Fund, serves as an intake center and temporary shelter for foster youth awaiting placement in foster homes.

 

 

"Lots of kids experience a sense of loss when they are removed from their homes," says Vorrises. "They have a hard time focusing on school because of the stress and may act out. Some have never been assessed for special needs and about 37% require special education services. " Through communicating with the principal, teachers and counselors, Vorrises and Burge raise awareness about the student's needs and get them the help they need, whether it be tutoring, mentoring, or serving as an advocate at IEP meetings or suspension hearings. Throughout the school year, they see to it that students have backpacks, school supplies and clothing.

 

Last year, SMCOE staff adopted the Foster Youth Program for their holiday giving campaign and contributed $2,000. Foster youth in the county program created their holiday wish lists and with these dollars raised, Vorrises and Burge were able to buy gifts and grant many holiday wishes. Once again this year, SMCOE staff, along with other community organizations in the county, will be contributing to the holiday drive, helping make wishes come true.

 

 

Learn more about the Foster Youth Liaisons here

 

 

 

 

About the San Mateo County Office of Education
 
The San Mateo County Office of Education provides a variety of instructional, business and consulting services to the County's twenty-three public school districts, charter schools, the Community College District, and County Office of Education staff.

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