October and Looking Forward to the Holidays!

A Note From the Community Impact Team:

 

October came and went for California Human Development. This past month we were able to spend time celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). To honor the month, we decided to speak to some of the fantastic individuals we serve in our disABILITY services program and hear them express what it meant to be employed in their communities. In this update, you’ll be able to read the importance of their ability to work in their own words.

Continuing, even though Camp Núñez was derailed this year because of COVID-19, we’re still doing our best to support our campers this year and next! We’ve been given a grant to support campers’ distance learning and provide printers to needy families to ensure they are better prepared for their academics. Our work for the campers hasn’t gone unnoticed. Our Camp Director, Alberto Botello was honored in the North Bay Business Journal and is a 2020 North Bay Non-Profit Leadership Award recipient. We asked him a few questions about what Camp Núñez means to him, and you’ll be able to read his responses below in this update.

We’ve also partnered with other organizations to promote some COVID-19 testing sites in the area, and we’ve posted the information in this update as well. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere and with flu season arriving we have to make sure we stay diligent about our health as a community!

Lastly, we just want to say Thank you to all our donors, partners, and community members for supporting the work we do! We hope you enjoy this November Blog Update.

 

2020 North Bay Non-Profit Leadership Award Winner, Alberto Botello:

 

We are happy to celebrate Alberto Botello, the Director of Camp Núñez, for being honored by the North Bay Business Journal as a recipient of one of their North Bay Non-Profit

Leadership Awards for 2020. We asked Alberto to share some thoughts on what this award means to him and his history with Camp Núñez.

What does it mean to be recognized with this award for your work for Camp Núñez?

“We have always worked to make Camp Núñez better and better every year because we love being able to provide that opportunity for students that have never been able to experience a summer camp before. The recognition is really for everybody that helps and volunteers their time to make camp happen every year. This just adds even more motivation to continue finding ways to improve and fund camp so that future generations of campers can continue having that opportunity.”

How did you originally become involved with Camp Núñez?

In 2006 Martha Núñez reached out to me to see if I would be willing to come down to help with the summer camp she was putting on. The camp was named Camp Geneva Núñez in honor of her sister that had for decades helped take students to summer camp. I drove out here with my college roommate and was immediately hooked. I saw myself in the faces of the campers as I had attended similar summer camps as a student. Since 2006 every last Tuesday- Thursday in June is reserved for Camp Núñez

What’s a moment that you’re most proud of or brought you the most joy working for Camp Núñez?

I would say that anytime I have a former camper reach out to me to volunteer with camp makes me proud and means the world to me! It reminds me that the work we do makes a huge positive impact on our campers’ lives.

 

COVID-19 Testing Sites:

 

With case numbers going up and the temperature going down, now is the time to be even MORE diligent with protecting ourselves and others. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and with Flu season kicking off, ensuring you are safe and tested when possibly exposed to COVID-19 is crucial to the safety of the community. Here are some resources shared by the County of Sonoma for free testing sites.

 

 

A Generous Donation:

 

A huge thanks to Susan Hertel at DAAC for sharing a wealth of donations from Bed Bath and Beyond. We greatly appreciate her generosity and kindness. Our collaborative work together demonstrates what is really important especially during difficult times… friendship.

 

 

 

 

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM):

 

Here are some of the interviews with did some individuals we support at CHD and they shared their thoughts on what their employment means to them during NDEAM.

Teralyn has been doing clerical work in a supported employment situation for the past 18 years here at CHD. She attends SRJC and is working toward her certificate as an Administrative Assistant. Tera has been an asset to the accountants because she is detailed oriented and can find misfiled paperwork like a detective.

Tell us a little bit about your job, what you do, your day to day…

“For 18 years I have been working in the Fiscal Department at CHD helping with AP and AR, copying, and filing”

What is your favorite thing about your job?

“Being able to do copying and I enjoy the atmosphere the best”

Can you tell us about any wins, or successes, or a recent “win” that you are proud of?

“I would say when I was helping HR at one point and it worked really well. I felt like I was doing good work, and they seemed to like what I was doing”

Why is it important for you to have a job in the community?

“So that I can have money to live on of course. But mostly, to be able to show success in a job independently”

What do you like about working with your job coach?

“They help me improve my work pace and confidence”

What would you do if you won $1,000,000?

“I would go somewhere I have never been, like Paris”

Any final comments?

“I am ready to go back to work again! But meanwhile, I’m taking classes online at SRJC. I really like SRJC because when I am done I will have a certificate in Administrative Assistance”

 

Matt

CHD/disABILITY Services has supported Matt in working at the Santa Rosa Junior College Bookstore for the past 15 years. Matt is known for his attention to detail and a great memory. He is counted on to help train new employees and bring them up to speed. He is also is an expert on the different books and professors. His job coach Julie calls him a “Task Master” and he is very appreciated for the great work he does!

Tell us a little bit about your job, what you do, your day to day…

“I work at the SRJC bookstore, where I do a number of tasks, including putting up shelf tags for books each semester, processing online orders (especially now since the school is on distance learning), and shelving books. Now we are also returning unused books from this semester.”

What is your favorite thing about your job?

“I would say that my favorite thing about my job is the shelf tags”

Can you tell us about any wins, or successes, or a recent “win” that you are proud of?

“I have gotten several “e-cards” from my coworkers over the past few years as a recognition of good performance, sometimes under less than ideal circumstances. Last month, I got one from my boss for helping the temporary workers during the start of the fall semester get acquainted with the store and show them how various tasks needed to be performed.”

Why is it important for you to have a job in the community?

“I believe it is important for me to have a job in the community because even though I am autistic, I want to show that I can be a productive member of society and show a future employer that I have experience in a work environment despite my condition.”

What do you like about working with your job coach?

“My job coach helps me sort out problems at work and gives me potential solutions to them, helps me with new tasks given to me by my supervisor that I may not understand how to do at first and also is a resource that I can talk to if I have personal problems unrelated to work, especially if my parents are on vacation and cannot help me in person.”

What would you do if you won $1,000,000?

“If I won $1 million, I would probably give some of the money to charity, spend some of it on items and repairs that I need at home, and take a vacation to places that I have never been before. Of course, I don’t know if I will ever win $1 million, and even if I did in the near future, any vacation will probably have to wait until there’s a COVID vaccine.”

 

 

 

Giving Tuesday @ California Human Development

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world.

• GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past eight years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
• GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity, and equity around the globe.
• GivingTuesday’s global network collaborates year-round to inspire generosity around the world, with a common mission to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life.
• GivingTuesday is focused on ways to give back and bring communities together safely. We encourage individuals and organizations to adhere to public health guidelines and physical distancing to help reduce the spread of the virus and flatten the curve.
• GivingTuesday is held annually the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and this year on December 1, 2020. It’s held on the same day in most participating countries in the world.

For more information on Giving Tuesday click HERE

 

CHD will be participating in Giving Tuesday! We are extremely excited to be a part of this great fundraising campaign and a chance to spread good!  We are making sure we are getting the word about CHD and our programs and ways to get involved ahead of Giving Tuesday! This month you’ll see stories about some of the amazing individuals CHD has had the privilege of serving and updates on ways to get involved with us!