|
|
|
Half a century ago, five decades, 18,250 days, any way you add it up, 50 years is a long time to be in business and, to be in the business of taking care of traumatized foster youth is a feat to be proud of!
In 1964, Contra Costa Juvenile Hall was tragically overcrowded, housing not only delinquent youth, but kids who were abandoned or abused, or had run away from intolerable home situations.
Concerned citizens met with the head of the probation department to determine how they could help. The response? Provide residential housing for teens that were harder to place in foster homes than younger children.
Alan and Joy Young, local residents at the time, locked arms with other caring community members and for the next 18 months; raised money, begged, cajoled and navigated the Child Welfare system. By 1965 they had secured $15,000 in seed money and opened Youth Homes first six bed home in Contra Costa County.
Concurrently, an effort was underway to form a Women's Auxiliary. Eventually six chapters were formed and tasked with organizing fund-raising activities, providing a source of volunteers and educating the community on youth problems. Decades later, the Youth Homes Auxiliary continues its mission by dedicating time, resources, and simple acts of Love and Kindness to the youth in our care.
|
|
Welcome Elizabeth Goldberg
Director of Fund Development
Youth Homes is delighted to announce that Elizabeth "Beth" Goldberg has joined our staff as Director of Fund Development. Beth is a seasoned development professional with over 10 years of successful experience in community-based programs serving at-risk youth and several major universities. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work and has served as a Social Worker, Case Manager and Program Manager benefiting a myriad of inner-city individuals and families.
Beth joins Youth Homes after working for The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston. As the Associate Director of Development, she raised funds to support community-based and residential programs for foster youth. With a mission very similar to ours, The Home for Little Wanderers relies on support from individuals, foundations, and corporations for operational support. We are extremely fortunate Beth brings with her the tremendous knowledge and experience from her previous agency to her new position here at Youth Homes! As a volunteer Beth has provided community support to Stand-Up for Kids Miami, a youth homeless shelter and served as the Co-Director of fund-raising for One World Coalition - a benefit concert for Darfur. Beth's background includes development work for Yale University and the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
"I'm excited to bring my skills, energy, and passion to Youth Homes as well as learn from its dedicated staff, Board, and volunteers. By building upon Youth Homes' development operation and being strategic and thoughtful, I look forward to increasing our funding so that we may continue to provide critical services to children and families in the Bay Area," Beth commented.
We are very pleased to welcome a development professional who is both highly skilled and passionate about serving foster youth in the Bay Area community.
Please feel free to contact Beth at the Youth Homes office directly. She can be reached at (925) 933-2627 or bethg@youthhomes.org
|
COMMUNITY GIVING
As you can imagine, in a group home filled with teenagers, there are items Youth Homes is always in needs of. Such always items include, twin sized blankets, sheets, new pillows and pillow cases, comforter sets, pots and pans, and the list goes on.
We are always grateful when our community lovingly provides these items for the youth in our care. That is just what the kids in Cathy Martinsen's fifth grade class at Burton Valley Elementary did this past month. Youth Homes received several large bags of colorful fleece blankets made by the kids!
Everyone at Youth Homes would like to say "thanks" to all the kids at Burton Valley for giving back to the kids in their community!
Click here for a list of everyday needed items for our homes.
|
|
|
Check out our Facebook page for pictures, stories, updates on events & more!
Stuart and Barbara McCullough at our 2014 masquerade themed gala
Tom and Libby Edwards having a blast at the gala.
Board Pres, Kathy Bowles and CEO, Stuart McCullough with Board Member, Jenifer Kirtland, at Youth Homes annual gala.
The Gardens at East Bay Shelter in Concord.
Ann Maldonado, Clinical Supervisor /Day Program at the EBS annual garden sale
East Bay Shelter Supervisor, Felicia Martin with community volunteer Sonya Luisoni of Barney & Barney
|
|
Greetings!
This year Youth Homes celebrates 50 years of service to severely traumatized foster children in Contra Costa County. That is a long time for any business to survive, much less thrive. Because of your steadfast support, we have achieved a system of success that continues to build on itself. We have seen steady and carefully planned growth in our continuum of community-based mental health services. We have built a strong foundation. We have been fortunate to attract a loyal corps of volunteers that is truly outstanding.
We strive to apply the best new thinking from around the county to improve our services and this effort is reflective in our very positive clinical outcomes. We became nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation on their first visit and that rarely happens.
With all that, I believe there is one additional part of Youth Homes that is truly worth celebrating. It is the quality and commitment of our staff. The new buzz word in business these days is for a company to be "magnetic." Our success today and in the future will be greatly dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly trained and engaged staff. I have worked at Youth Homes for 23 of these 50 years and the competence of our staff today is what I am most proud of. They are extraordinarily talented, committed and caring. Their commitment to the welfare of foster children and young adults is second to none.
The clients at Youth Homes are treated with dignity and respect, while we push them to be more than they ever thought they could be. We are constantly amazed at the kids' resilience and their ability to transform themselves. We apply all the social science we can to improve our service, but in the end, caring for deeply wounded children is an art. It requires a strong person who has a nurturing heart, very clear personal boundaries and a commitment to continuously learn - such folks comprise our staff.
Greetings! this past 50 years has only been made possible because of your support. We could not have done it without you. I am confident that together we will achieve great things in the next 50 years.
Sincerely,
Stuart McCullough, Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
