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BY THE NUMBERS
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Case Management Hours December 835 January 781
February 866 Total 2,482 In-Kind Donations December $59,877 January $38,748 February $50,331
Total $148,956 Monetary Grants and Donations December $24,143 January $5,250 February $6,395 Total $35,788 Educational Service Hours December 2,515 January 2,317 February 2,527 Total 7,359 Volunteer Hours December 1,797 January 1,525 February 1,716 Total 5,038
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Greetings!
The success of LifeSTEPS' programs is based on the
concept that in order to build strong communities we seek partnerships with
community agencies, other professionals, and potential funders to provide the
best possible service to our clients.
We extend this practice to our Board of Directors by engaging experts in social
services, finance, and law who are committed to the LifeSTEPS mission. It is also evidenced by the nearly 250 local
agencies that provide a myriad of benefits to our residents.
We
work closely with local fire and police departments to bring safety education and
Neighborhood Watch meetings to our clients. In addition, our Directors of
Social Services reach out to local school districts and faith-based
organizations. As an example, it is not uncommon for a school administrator to
refer a student to LifeSTEPS' After School Program for tutoring and homework
help. In every region, LifeSTEPS' Directors of Social Services are familiar
with neighborhood agencies that can provide emergency food, clothing, and
rental assistance to residents in need.
Read more>After School Program in Lindsay, CA
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GRANTS AND DONATIONS
LifeSTEPS staff members were delighted to be part of a holiday gift
distribution to families in need living in eight communities in the Sacramento
area. This festive event took place in December 2009 and was made
possible by the generous contributions from USA United, USA Properties Fund, Inc. employees, Vintage
Woods Golden Girls and Activity Committee, and Vintage Woods residents.
Additional families were adopted by the local LifeSTEPS staff who raised money
from family and friends, as well as FPI
Management, Inc. Deliveries included gifts for parents and children,
festive decorations, gift cards, and groceries. The LifeSTEPS team is
honored to partner with such warm-hearted people whose generous donations ensure
that others experience the joy of the season. It is rewarding to see our
partners, staff, family, friends, residents and neighbors come together to
create something special and share it with the community. Thank you to
everyone who helped make holiday wishes a reality.
 Beth Southorn, LifeSTEPS Executive Director, helps deliver
gift donations in Sacramento.
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LifeSTEPS is happy to announce that we are rolling out a monthly food
bank at each of the 12 senior sites in Sacramento and Yolo Counties. By
partnering with the Brown Bag Program from California Emergency Foodlink, we are able to
provide monthly distributions of about $50 worth of groceries to our senior residents living in affordable housing. This donation supplies residents with three full days' worth of
food. Currently, 170 households are receiving this donation and that number
is expected to increase. Seniors are excited to receive pantry staples,
baked goods, and fresh produce each month. It is truly a community effort,
resident volunteers are helping to deliver groceries to the homes of those who
cannot make it to the community room for pick up.Click here to see who else is supporting LifeSTEPS. |
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Amanda Bernasconi with FPI  Management
organized the "Love Thy Neighbor" community fair with the
support of LifeSTEPS' Regional Director of Social Services, Maydy Bran-Orona and
Brenda Sanchez, the on-site Director of Social Services. Las Brisas
community members, surrounding neighbors, local businesses, churches and other community organizations attended the lively street fair at Las Brisas
Apartments on February 13, 2010. The entire street was closed in honor of the
event and festively decorated in red and white in tribute to Valentine's Day.
The participants enjoyed a day of music, crafts, dancing, contests and
refreshments. LifeSTEPS hosted a resource table to boost awareness
of LifeSTEPS programs with staff members available to make
referrals. Along with the fun attractions of face painting and balloon artistry
were vendors promoting vitamins and healthy living. The Los Angeles Police
Department also demonstrated their support for the community by having police
officers present to talk with community members and hosting a
presentation on Youth Cadets. Fellowship
and activities were enjoyed by all who attended.
LifeSTEPS staff members
volunteered their time and skills during the fair, making this event a huge
success. Don Brenon, Amcal Asset Manager, was also instrumental in the overall
success of the day. Residents' spirits were uplifted. They
expressed deep appreciation and spoke of renewed hope in their
community. One resident told Maydy Bran-Orona that many in
the neighborhood had lost hope and felt that no one cared about them. She said
that this event helped to prove her wrong; it demonstrated that they are indeed
valued and not forgotten. An estimated 40 Las Brisas residents attended the
"Love Thy Neighbor" festivities, alongside an additional 40
neighbors from the surrounding community. As a result of this event,
LifeSTEPS is experiencing higher attendance for the Las Brisas After School
Program and residents are already asking about future events.
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WORKING TOGETHER LEADS TO SUCCESS
 LifeSTEPS
offers real life solutions for every day challenges faced by our
residents. When El Paseo resident, Ms. Green, contacted her Director of
Social Services in January, she asked for help creating a resumé. The LifeSTEPS
DSS guided Ms. Green through the entire process by helping her
appropriately edit the document. Since Ms. Green had not worked in the last nine years, there was
a large gap in her employment history. The DSS learned that Ms. Green was
a babysitter off and on for the last three years, as well as a volunteer helping
as the shampoo girl for a local hair salon for six years. LifeSTEPS suggested
that Ms. Green include these activities in her resumé and list them as
references since she was still on good terms with each "employer." While Ms.
Green already had one interview scheduled, the DSS encouraged her to apply
for additional positions. The DSS offered to teach Ms. Green how to search for
jobs and post her resumé on the internet. Together they submitted six more
applications. Ms. Green's persistence paid off and she secured two
additional interviews. To prepare for the interviews, Ms. Green and the DSS held a
mock interview, which focused on interview skills, presentation, and even how
to dress for success. Ms. Green was offered employment after her second
interview. She happily informed her DSS of her new position as a customer service
representative. Ms. Green was thrilled to have LifeSTEPS as a
guiding resource and was even happier to return to work.*Names
have been changed to respect resident's privacy.
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NEW PROPERTIES
In January 2010, LifeSTEPS began providing
services for nine new sites, bringing our total properties served to 143.
Our new sites include Cypress Gardens, Julian Gardens, Lenzen Gardens, and Lucretia
Gardens in San Jose; Miramar Way in Santa Clara; Sunset Gardens in Gilroy; Horizons at
Indio in Indio; Palo Verde Terrace in Palmdale; and Rio Colorado in Blythe.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Emily Ruelas has been a resident volunteer  for Manitou Vistas Apartments in Los Angeles since August
2009. She contributes eight hours of her time each week at the LifeSTEPS After School Program and Teen Club. She enjoys spending time with the children and
watching their skills develop as she helps them complete homework and school
projects. Emily
is most excited to see how the Manitou Vistas community has transformed before
her eyes with LifeSTEPS as its anchor. Through LifeSTEPS programs and events,
the residents are experiencing camaraderie and unity. Emily became interested
in volunteering because she witnessed these positive changes, particularly in the
children in the After School Program, and wanted to be part of it. Emily is
currently attending Los Angeles City College and as the new LifeSTEPS Program
Coordinator for Cortez City Lights and Yale Terrace in Los Angeles, she will
continue to inspire and encourage the children attending the after school and
youth programs.
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INTRODUCTIONS
LifeSTEPS is delighted to have Greg
Popovich join the Board of Directors as our newest member. Greg has over 25 years of professional
expertise as the Founder and President of Castle Rock Winery, a winery known
for producing award-winning wines. Much
like LifeSTEPS, Greg is committed to keeping overhead low so that monies can be
spent where they can do the most good.
Since 1994, Castle Rock Winery
has kept its prices down by implementing a first of its kind business
plan. Greg does not own a vineyard or
real estate. Instead, he buys high quality grapes and leases
production time at wineries with state-of-the-art equipment in
Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Oregon's Willamette Valley, and Washington's
Columbia Valley. This allows for
excellent wines at reasonable prices.
Greg explains that he has been fortunate
to live a rather privileged life and has a desire to pay that good fortune
forward by donating his time and expertise to worthwhile causes. In addition to supporting LifeSTEPS and
donating wines for fundraising events, he is involved with Heal the Bay,
an organization dedicated to restoring Santa Monica Bay's coastal
environment. As a cyclist and long distance runner, he is passionate about
exercise. When he is not pursuing those interests you
might find him reading his favorite author, John Steinbeck, or out on the bay
sailing with his son.
As a parent of a six year old, Greg recognizes the
value of the LifeSTEPS After School Program and the role that quality education
plays in youth development. Greg noted that it must be a relief for working
parents to have on-site programs available where their children can receive
homework assistance, mentoring and supervision until they return home from
work. Greg has been a generous contributor to LifeSTEPS and he looks forward to
future fundraising endeavors. The
combination of Greg's business skills, personal connection to youth, and
commitment to philanthropy make him a valuable asset for the Board and
instrumental in moving the LifeSTEPS mission forward. |
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LifeSTEPS Corporate Office
Phone: (916) 965-0110 Fax: (916) 965-0102
Kirsten Hebron, Administrative Assistant
Brigid Perakis, Director of Administration
Wende Watson, Fund Development Director
Jody McKay, Director of Accounting
Virginia Terry, Fund Development Assistant
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