Annual Fund Campaign: Can You Imagine?

“Can You Imagine?”  is the theme for the inaugural annual fund that we launched this past week and will continue for the next couple of months. Can you imagine a better life for the children, youth and families we serve? Can imagine how your support will help them stay safe, overcome trauma, improve in school, find a job and gain confidence and hope?

We can not imagine accomplishing all we do if it were not for the support that we receive from you! It is because of your generous support that we achieve what others have failed to do. I am fond of saying that there is not enough that we can do to support those we serve. Their needs are so great, their hurts so grave, their despair so profound. It takes all our talent, commitment and resources to stabilize them and begin to see improvement. The public funding we receive, in some instances, is woefully inadequate and, even when sufficient, still only provides for a minimal level of care--certainly not sufficient to fully address the needs of the children we serve.

Each year we need to raise in excess of $2 million to appropriately care for those we serve.   As grateful as we are for the public funds we receive, it is still not enough to do what is needed. Without your support and sacrifice we would not be able to sustain the level of care that our children and families truly require.

This campaign is a direct and simple way for you to help us fulfill the historic mission of Hillsides to provide a safe and nurturing environment for those we serve, whether at our campus in Pasadena or the schools we serve in Los Angeles or the outreach we offer in neighborhoods throughout the San Gabriel valley.

Please consider contributing to this campaign and sharing this appeal with family, friends and neighbors who along with you want to make a difference in the lives of the children and youth we serve.

Know that what you do makes a big difference. To learn more about the campaign, its impact and ways you can help.

As always thank you for your generous support.

Springtime and Sacrifice

It is no coincidence that spring is a time when both Jews and Christians celebrate significant moments in their respective religious traditions. The celebrations of both at this time of year point to freedom that has been brought about because of great sacrifice, which leads to new life.

Our faith traditions remind us that sacrifice is often the path that leads to freedom. We know this is true as we embrace sacrifices on so many levels in our lives to ensure our own well-being and that of our families. This is also true for us as a nation as we contemplate sacrifices that will hopefully allow for a better future for generations beyond ours. No matter what side of the debate you favor, there is no disputing the need for sacrifice that in the long run will bring great benefit. (See excerpt below)

Throughout our history, it is the strong among us that are asked to sacrifice for the weak and so parents sacrifice for their children, the fortunate for those less fortunate, those who can for those who can not. However, in the debate over the federal budget I fear that the call to reduce the deficit at times masks a distorted sense of sacrifice that advances the premise that those who have need to give less in order to somehow provide for the less fortunate.  Let me suggest that for the children and families we serve the impact of the sacrifices they may be asked to bear will only further jeopardize them.

Sacrifice is in order, not just for some, but for all.

As we celebrate Passover, Easter, Earth Day and springtime, let us take heart that the value of shared sacrifice will lead us all to a better life and indeed a hopeful future!

What follows is an excerpt from the briefing that we have received from the Child Welfare League of America concerning the federal budget debate

The President's approach contrasts with the House's approach in several ways. First, Obama would end the Bush-era income tax cuts and close a number of tax loopholes. The House, on the other hand, would cut taxes by more than $4 trillion over the next decade and reduce the corporate and income tax top brackets to 25%. This is a critical difference because the less revenue the federal government brings in, the more programs will have to be cut in order to reduce the deficit. Secondly, President Obama does not dramatically restructure entitlement programs in his plan, while the House would convert Medicare into a voucher system and Medicaid into state block grants. Thirdly, the President is willing to cut both non-security and security discretionary spending, while the House has resisted cuts to security spending. Again, this is an important difference because to the extent that security spending can be reduced, there will be less need to cut non-security discretionary spending, including human services programs. Finally, the President hopes to build on passage of last year's health care reform law with further reforms to reduce the growth in health care costs, while the House plan would repeal the health care reform law which would eliminate the Medicaid expansion that will benefit up to 20 million people and the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that would provide coverage for 6 million additional children.

Celebrities Step Out to Raise Awareness of Foster Care through Hillsides Foster Soles

One of our signature events is Hillsides Foster Soles, an online auction of celebrity autographed shoes and head shots. Kicking off the shoe auction is Elton John, Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Simpson, among other celebrities. With the generous support from Bar Celona in Pasadena, we host a kickoff party to launch the auction. On Wednesday, April 27, guests will have an opportunity to mingle with celebrities, including Dr. Drew Pinsky, who is the event’s honorary chair.

The Hillsides Foster Soles Committee, spearheaded by Karen Tanji, our board member and owner of Bar Celona, has worked diligently in tapping into their contacts in the entertainment industry.  We are excited to have additional celebrities participating in the shoe auction like the Cast of Grey’s Anatomy, John Stamos, Denzel Washington, Seth Green, Mario Lopez, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Lopez, Gabriel Iglesias, Jane Kaczmarek, Billy Bob Thornton, Tim Allen, Jimmy Kimmel, Joan Rivers, Larry King, Dr. Drew Pinksy, Susan Pinsky, Dave Koz, Charles Barkley, Robert Horry, Billy Zane, Mike Epps, Marlee Matlin, Cast from Burn Notice, Chelsea Handler, Markie Post, Stan Smith, Mark Harmon, Pam Dawber, Kate Linder, Edie Falco, Rona Barrett, Kim Coates, Kaitlin Olson, Devon Werkheiser, Lauralee Bell, Jerry Penacoli, Natalie Morales, Peter Facinelli, Cesar Millan, Emily Valentine, Angela Bassett, Chuy Bravo, Jon M. Chu, Jack Wagner, Pauley Perrette, Melissa Rivers, Samantha Harris, Cast from The Bold & The Beautiful and many more.

Without the support from the committee, our donors and their contacts in the entertainment industry, we could not have an event of this caliber. We are so appreciative of the help we are receiving in getting shoes and celebrities to attend. I attended the event for the first time last year and, simply said, this event is fun. Bar Celona definitely provides an enjoyable ambience as the setting for Hillsides Foster Soles.

Guests who bid on April 27 will get a chance to vie for celebrity shoes with online visitors until the auction’s closing date, May 16. This year we are partnering with www.BiddingForGood.com to host the auction. The auction will be available for viewing on April 27 at 6:00 p.m. at http://www.biddingforgood.com/fostersoles.

Held during Foster Care Awareness Month, celebrities, guests at Bar Celona, and bidders of Hillsides Foster Soles can be assured that putting their best foot forward ensures a better pathway for foster care children. In Los Angeles alone, there are 32,000 children receiving child welfare services. Nationwide, 500,000 children and youth are in foster care. Together, we can raise awareness of foster care issues that these vulnerable children and youth face each day. Help make a difference to all those we serve in Los Angeles. Become a bidder, attend the event, or donate to this worthwhile cause.

Hillsides Foster Soles 2009 was awarded national winner of the PR News Non-Profit PR Awards in “Event PR,” a finalist in “PR on a Shoestring,” and Best of Pasadena, from Pasadena Magazine. Learn more about Hillsides Foster Soles and how you can attend by purchasing tickets to this event.

It's a Small World

As many of you know who frequent this blog, last week I was in Washington, DC to participate in the Child Welfare League of America’s annual conference. During the conference, I attended a reception held to honor the legislative contributions that both Senators Mary Landrieu and Charles Grassley have made to child welfare. At the reception I ran into the CWLA Director of Congressional Affairs, Sean Hughes. While we were talking, he noticed my name tag and he said, “You’re from Hillsides!” As proud as I am of Hillsides, I was surprised that someone in Washington recognized the organization.

It turns out that Sean is from California and is dating a young woman who volunteered at Hillsides when she was in high school. He went on to tell me how not only his girl friend, but indeed her family fondly recall their volunteer experience here and how they passionately talked about the needs of the children we serve. It is truly a small world!

I was reminded by this encounter how significant the efforts of our volunteer community can be to advocate for the children and families we serve. Aside for the contribution that volunteers make to provide special opportunities for our kids, they also have an impact as they share their experience with their family and friends. We are so fortunate to have a large and extraordinarily committed group of volunteers who make our efforts so much easier.

At the top of the list of volunteers for me is our Board of Directors. Board members take on the responsibility of assuring the organization is well managed and funded to fulfill our mission. They offer their time, talent and resources to advance our efforts on behalf of who we serve. They use their influence to open doors and advocate within their sphere of family and friends and allow us to share the compelling story of the children we serve. Their support is indispensable. 

One example of these efforts is our Board Member Sam Garrison who facilitated a meeting for me with the staff of two local Representatives, Drier and Roybal-Allard, while I was in Washington last week. These contacts are essential in both Sacramento and Washington so that as our legislators take on the serious challenges of governing that they never lose sight of the impact that their actions have on some of the most vulnerable of their constituents. Whether it is introductions to elected officials or volunteering to face paint at the St. Patty’s Day party as Lyn Spector, another Board member did recently, it is all so very important. Each in its own way makes a difference!

In this small world, never underestimate what you can do!