Committed to Responsible Stewardship

About a year ago a group was established to cultivate the next generation of volunteer and board leadership for Hillsides. H100 is committed to further building awareness for Hillsides for the next 100 years. Members of H100 provide vision and a voice to advocate for children’s rights and develop resources in support of the needs of these vulnerable children and their families in Pasadena and beyond.

Their inaugural event was held this past Sunday at the Flintridge Riding Club. About seventy guests attended the Farm to Table dinner event, which honored the philosophy and vision of creating a food culture centered on fresh, locally grown, seasonal vegetables, fruit and meat. With a special appearance by Celebrity Chef Joachim Splichal, Patina Restaurant Group catered the event. The savory meal featured local, organic and heirloom vegetables and grass-fed meat and poultry from a nearby farm. Rounding out the meal were foods from local artisans and organic wines paired with each course. A bluegrass band enhanced our experience.

It was very appropriate that the theme for this inaugural H100 event was responsible stewardship of the produce of the earth because it pointed to an important value that is at the root of all we do here at Hillsides. For what we do for the children, youth and families we serve is also an indication of our commitment to responsibly “steward” all we serve in such a way that their lives and our community improves.

We believe that it is our responsibility to take what we have and make it available to assist the children, youth and families we serve. For the children in our residential programs we provide a safe place for them to sort through the trauma they have experience and develop a pathway that will free them for a fuller life. For the thousands of children and families served through our community outreach programs in downtown Los Angeles and throughout the San Gabriel Valley we provide the services that allow them to grow confident of their capacity to successfully manage the challenges they confront because of poverty and neglect. For the foster youth we serve with an array of programs, including transitional housing, we provide the essential support they require to become independent.

All these efforts are made possible because of support from so many community groups like H100, who through their advocacy keep the interests of those we serve ever at the forefront of the discussion in our society, determining public priorities.

The great challenge we face is not overcoming the hardship our children and families have experienced, but rather the indifference that they suffer in our society. In spite of all we say about how precious our children are often the State budget is balanced on their backs by sacrificing education and social service funding.

As responsible stewards of the most precious asset we have, our children, we cannot let them be victims of indifference and ask you to join with H100 and so many others of our supporters to keep alive the hope for a full life for all the children, youth and families we serve.

Thanks

Please note the blog will be on hiatus for the next couple of weeks. Look for a new posting the first week of August.