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Upcoming Events  

          Via Services Receives Safeway Grant 

Funds to Support First Step Early Intervention       

The Safeway Foundation awards grants to organizations that benefit the communities where Safeway operates. Through their Employee Giving Program, participants voluntarily contribute to the Safeway Foundation in order to collectively support charitable organizations. Since being founded in 1926, Safeway has been dedicated to providing value for their customers and to giving back to the communities that they serve.     

On August 10, the Safeway Foundation presented a grant to Via Services that will directly benefit the First Step Early Intervention Program. This program provides therapy, screening and monitoring services for children who are diagnosed with developmental delays and those who are at risk for developing delays from birth through 8 years of age.

Speech Therapy at Via Services  

          Via Services Welcomes New Staff       

Courtney Rood and Emily Braun Join First Step Team

           Courtney Rood M.S., CFY-SLP

Speech-language pathologist Courtney Rood graduated from the University of Oregon with a Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Redlands.   

Courtney completed internships with Kaiser Permanente in their Outpatient Clinic in Portland, Oregon and at Santa Clara Unified School District. Her pediatric experience includes working with children with developmental speech and language disorders, autism Spectrum Disorder, feeding and swallowing disorders, augmentative and alternative communication devices and stuttering.     

     Emily Braun M.A., CCC-SLP 

Emily Braun, also a speech-language pathologist, earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from Purdue University and a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Houston.   

Emily has a passion for working in the pediatric field with a wide variety of experience with various developmental speech and language delays/disorders, autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders.  She finds it extremely rewarding to help facilitate early communication skills and language development.  Emily is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

          Via West Campus Closes Summer Season  

Average Experience Rated 4.84 out of 5 on Survey   

Via West Campus ended its 11 week long summer season on August 19. Via West, a program of Via Services, Inc., offers year-round day and residential programs for adults and children with disabilities, ages 5 and older. The campus is located in the Cupertino foothills.

Participants had the option of attending day only programs or attending 3 day, 5 day and 7 day overnight programs. "This is the biggest summer since 2009 and we could not be happier," says Via West Director Leslie Davis. "So many participants were able to have fun, learn various skills and most importantly, meet new friends and reconnect with old buddies."    

Participant Learning with iPad 

A family satisfaction survey distributed at the end of each session showed the average participant experience was rated a 4.84 out of 5. Families enjoyed the introduction of new content to the curriculum, including independent living skills, social skills, iPads and technology and an emphasis on living healthy.   

 Participants Making Healthy Fruit Smoothies

Also popular were the field trips off campus that gave participants an educational experience in community integration. Some of the featured trips included visits to the Intel Museum, the Seymour Center in Santa Cruz and the West Valley Sheriff's Department.

Participant Learning about Technology at Intel Museum 

Detailed recaps of each summer session are available on the Via West Blog and pictures from each week can be viewed on the Via West Facebook page. To learn more about Via West Campus and to register your participant for an upcoming fall and spring program, please visit the Via Services Website.      

          Palo Alto Echelon Challenge & Gran Fondo      

Via Services Raises Fundraising Goal to $6,500 

Via Services has raised its fundraising goal from $3,500 to $6,500 in the Palo Alto Echelon Challenge & Gran Fondo, a walk/run/ride fundraising event in Palo Alto on September 16. Please support the Via Services team in reaching this new goal by either registering to ride, walk or run or by making a donation on our team page.

Via Services will receive a percentage of the funds raised, which will be used to provide services that help individuals with disabilities and special needs to achieve greater self-sufficiency and to lead richer and healthier lives!