June 2015  | sunflowerhill.org
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June 12, 2015 
Join us for "Moonlight in the Vines"!
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, September 26, 2015
6:00 - 10:00 pm
Moonlight in the Vines
A Celebration to Benefit Sunflower Hill

Join us for an evening of fun and surprises under the stars at McGrail Vineyards and Winery in Livermore. Live music and dancing, fabulous food, award winning wines, bocce ball, silent auction, raffles, and so much more! All to benefit Sunflower Hill and help further our mission of creating an intentional community for developmentally disabled adults. Check our website for details!

Donor Spotlight

We are so grateful for all of our generous donors, and would periodically like to spotlight a few of them. The three donors below are unique, in that one is our first and only recurring donor, one made a large donation by throwing a "Party for a Cause", and one makes an annual large donation in a family member's honor.

Barbara Glaspy from Pleasanton is our first recurring donor! Barbara and her husband Dave said the most compelling reason why they are supporting Sunflower Hill is that they know first hand how much our area needs the residential community that Sunflower Hill has planned.  They feel there are so many young adults that just need a little extra help to feel independent, and somewhat in charge of their lives. They agree that our project will give those adults with development delays that independence, along with, hopefully, enrichment, and lifelong friendships. "It is one of the most worthy causes I know of, and we are proud to be a part of helping it happen," Barbara said recently.

Troy and Robin Treto from Pleasanton host a Cinco de Mayo party each year for their family and friends. In 2004, a good friend of theirs was battling Lupus, so they decided to collect donations for the Lupus Foundation in conjunction with the party. They raised $1,500 and a new tradition of "Party for a Cause" began! Each year they choose a charity or non-profit beneficiary for whom they not only raise money but also awareness for. Their criteria has been to find a cause that has personal significance to them, and that their donation will impact the organization. They have raised over $55,000 over the years for organizations such as Hope Hospice, Tri-Valley Animal Rescue and the M.I.N.D Institute. They were happy to support Sunflower Hill this year, because of the many families they know it will impact and the positive community it will create.

Alan Green has been a huge donor for Sunflower Hill since we started in 2012. His nephew, Jon Elfin, is one of our founding board members. He has donated $1,000 a year for the past three years in honor of his sister, Dorothy Elfin (Jon's mother) who passed away in 2013. Alan was an architect, business man and real estate investor, and is currently retired and living in Seattle.

You can see a list of all our 2015 donors here. Thank you to all of our generous supporters!

Pleasanton Weekly article

Special thanks to reporter Cathy Jetter and the Pleasanton Weekly for their cover story on Sunflower Hill! As mentioned in the article, we've started the entitlement process for our project and hope to have full approval by the Pleasanton Planning Commission and the City Council by the end of the year. Click here for the full article.



Sweet and Bittersweet

The latest installment in our ongoing column of "stories" comes from board member, Janeen Rubino Brumm. She posted in her personal blog about what she was feeling as her son Andrew was finishing up his junior year of high school. With graduations abound, we feel it is a powerful story and we want to share it with you. Access it here. Thanks Janeen, your story resonates! 

Where will everyone live? And who gets to decide what's appropriate?

That's the theme of an important story in this month's Atlantic. Sunflower Hill is a member of the Coalition for Community Choice, a nationwide advocacy alliance working to ensure that all individuals with special needs have the freedom of choice as to where they want to live. Please share this important article with your family and friends and help us advocate for housing choices that are appropriate to the individual desires of our children with special needs.   

 

California's Budget Proposal Misses the Mark

The proposed state budget just released by Governor Jerry Brown is devastating the California's burgeoning population of adults with autism and special needs. Brown failed to support the Lanterman Coalition's proposal for a 10% Regional Center budget increase so community-based services can at least keep their heads above water. Community based services are critical to adults with special needs. In the East Bay alone, many programs have waiting lists that span years. Other vendors are not able to hire new staff or expand their programs due to low reimbursement rates. 

The autism rate is rising. There will only be MORE adults with special needs who require day and support services post high school and transition.

If you live in the East Bay, please contact Assemblywoman Catharine Baker and newly sworn in Senator Steve Glazer and let them know that action must be taken now!

For more details on the proposed budget revisions, click here.

Sunflower Hill is on Facebook and Twitter!

Did you know that Sunflower Hill has a Facebook account and is on Twitter? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! And if you have an item that we can share on our page, please let us know. Send an email to Janeen Rubino Brumm, SFH board member at [email protected]We're always looking for great stories about members of the SFH community!  

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 P.O. Box 11436, Pleasanton, CA 94588