It was the night before Christmas…

A long time ago I learned that the best thing for me to do at this time of year was to step aside from the fray and let the “professionals” do their thing, leaving me with the task of being the chief glad hander and merry maker while everyone else tends to the details. It leaves me the freedom to wander the campus, visit with our residents and staff, and wish them the season’s best.

As I make my rounds during the holiday, I am reminded that the true miracle of the season is that a large empty room at Hillsides becomes filled to the rafters with toys and gifts that help fulfill the hopes and dreams of all the children and families we serve. The call went out early in the season and it has been a steady convoy of cars and individuals bearing gifts. The chief elf this year was a rather unlikely character, large for an elf standing at better than six feet, wearing a bell around his neck in order to be detected in the stacked maze of toys and gift items. An elf’s day is long and requires great stamina but in spite of the holiday weariness each and every visitor to Santa’s workshop was greeted with a smile, a jingle of the bell, and a heartfelt thank you.

Since Hillsides is so special, Santa comes a few days early to visit our residents and so a walk around campus on Christmas Eve provides encounters with happy and grateful kids who continue to be awed by an all knowing Santa who clearly had rewarded them for how nice they have been this past year. Skateboards abound on our signature hills, basketballs are being broken in on the basketball court, and the familiar sounds of electronic games echo everywhere. New outfits are donned for a family visit or some of the many holiday festivities planned.

All in all it is a magical time of year when disappointments and hurts are put aside to spend time with people who love and care about one another. They are precious days that help to reset relationships and hope for a better new year.

To all our many volunteers and donors who so generously help us to create memories for all we serve, thank you. Without your support we would be unable to fulfill the hopes and dreams that are so important to the children and families in our care. May you and your family have a wonderful holiday and enjoy the comfort of knowing that your kindness this holiday season has made a wonderful difference for all those we serve at Hillsides.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Travesty

Unlike many of our peer organizations, Hillsides does not provide foster family services. We do not have any foster homes associated with Hillsides. When asked why that was the case, my predecessor, John Hitchcock, indicated he was reluctant to provide a foster home service where the quality of care that would be provided in these foster homes could not be guaranteed. He had reason for his reluctance and certainly the recent exposé in the Los Angeles Times points to why we all should be reluctant to entrust vulnerable children to a system that seems woefully inadequate.

The article points to abuses by some providers and certainly does not reflect the excellent and essential service that many of our peers organizations provide through the foster homes that they sponsor. However, it would seem from the article that there are some significant concerns with how many of the foster home agencies operate and are monitored.

More so than ever the children that are being referred to a foster home require a relatively comprehensive array of services. The foster parent must display extraordinary skill and ability to be successful. In addition to providing a safe living environment, foster parents are asked to facilitate therapeutic care that is specifically oriented to the individual needs of the child. It is very demanding, requires a significant level of training and exclusive commitment. Given the extraordinary need for such homes and the increasing neediness of the children being served, it is essential that the selection of foster parents benefit from a rigorous screening process. In addition, foster parents should be afforded all the resources and support needed to adequately and effectively address the needs of the children in their care.

From the details revealed in the Los Angeles Times article this was not the case with the foster parents that were the subject of the exposé. In addition, the organizations themselves did not have the adequate structure or orientation to effectively deliver quality care to these children.

The following measures would better provide for the needs of the children served in foster homes.  First, foster homes should be aligned with a reputable organization that is accredited by a body that has clearly identified standards of operation and practice for foster homes. Second, the same licensing and regulatory requirements that govern institutions providing therapeutic services should apply to all foster homes and be rigorously applied and monitored by Department of Children and Family Services. Third, infractions or violations need to have meaningful consequences and be addressed in a timely fashion. Minimally, these measures should be instituted if not already in place.

Although there will always be a need for good quality foster homes, the ultimate solution is helping families to provide for their own children. Much success has been achieved by identifying within an extended family a relative who can fulfill the parenting responsibilities, if for whatever reason the actual parents are unable to do so. Coupled with a strong community-based support system, most children can be served well, family caregivers can be effective, and the trauma of inadequate care can be avoided. Together with a  couple of other peer organizations, Hillsides has piloted this approach and it has been very effective. Children have been kept safe, improvement is evident, and long-term stability is established.

The challenges are great, but that cannot keep us from doing everything in our power to avoid any recurrence of the travesty that some children in the foster care system have suffered. 

Labels

During this season I often ask some of the children in residence at Hillsides what they would like as a gift for the holidays. They often respond by mentioning a brand name instead of the actual item. Luckily, I know that Nike refers to sneakers but I often need a translator! In an increasingly commercialized world, things are often identified within particular categories, each with a perceived value and even prestige.

The compartmentalizing of our world is not limited to commercial aspects. Within the children’s services field we identify  people according to categories often associated with their diagnosis, behavior or symptom. Of course the problem with these categories is that they do an injustice to those we serve. The children, youth, and families we serve are more than the sum of the symptoms or challenges that any one of them experience.

Recently, I was stopped by one of our more enterprising residents who “works” in the kitchen as a dish washer. He called me over to negotiate a better reimbursement for his indispensable service. In spite of the many challenges he confronts or the diagnosis given him, he is an engaging, ambitious kid prepared to make sure that his wage is fair. He wants to be happy, have fun, not worry about his safety or well-being and be successful.

For him and all the children, youth, and families we serve at Hillsides what they need from us is to serve as a resource for them so that their dreams may be realized. It is not just about providing the right diagnosis, but rather looking beyond the presenting symptoms to embrace the dream of a full and happy life for them.

This kind of work is not done in isolation. It can only be done effectively by a community of professionals, volunteers, and neighbors who together play different roles in delivering the many resources that make a difference in the lives of all in our care. Be assured that it does make a difference, especially at this time of year. We could not fulfill all the needs we attempt to address during the holiday season without the generous support that we receive from our donor community.

This week we anticipate a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times that will expose the failures of the foster care system and the tragedies that result because of its ineffectiveness. As important as such a series may be in serving as a catalyst for change, it also does a disservice to many good people who in spite of the challenges never-the-less provide indispensable care to children and families struggling with many issues. Rather than being disheartened I hope you will redouble your efforts at supporting and advocating to create a system of care that truly and effectively makes a lasting change.

Childhood and holiday wishes fulfilled

I am releasing my weekly blog on Tuesday rather than on Wednesday to coincide with #GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This is a national movement that celebrates being charitable to others and encourages people to give back to others as we embark on the holiday season. On this day of giving, I am hoping you will consider Hillsides as you look for ways to improve the lives of others. During this time of year, Hillsides receives so many holiday wishes to fulfill, not just for the children who reside here, but for the families and youth in need throughout the community. 

Below is the story of Sarah, whose childhood and holiday wishes Hillsides was able to fulfill.   As you read her story, please keep in mind that without your generosity, children like Sarah would often not receive anything for the holidays. While presents can’t fix a lifetime of hardship, they bring joy and comfort, and give children the sense that they are cared for and important.  Most importantly for children like Sarah, these gifts will last well beyond the holidays and create lifetime memories.

Growing up, Sarah never had a real childhood. The oldest of four, she was thrust into the “mom” role at age 10 when her father abandoned the family and her mother went back to work full-time on the evening shift at a local warehouse.  As a result, Sarah was the one making dinner, giving her siblings baths, and changing diapers.
Eventually Sarah’s mom was unable to keep the family together. At age 13, Sarah entered the foster care system. Two years later, when Sarah arrived  to live at a group home at Hillsides, her therapists realized that in some ways, she was mature for her age, but in others, she was at the developmental stage of a young child.  She was desperate for love and for someone to take care of her.     The staff nurtured Sarah by listening to her, validating her feelings, and looking for opportunities to show they cared about her. When she asked for a doll and a miniature tea set for Christmas, they understood her need to connect with a childhood she’d never had. They made sure she received her desired presents.  They also arranged for her to get her first-ever brand- new coat and a stocking – something else she’d never had before.  Amazed by her gifts, Sarah cried because she never thought she would receive so much and feel so loved.

This holiday season  please fulfill the wishes of children and teens, like Sarah, who without your generosity would not receive anything for Christmas.  

Thanks and giving

Thanksgiving is a time to express our gratitude for what we have received yearlong in the presence of family and friends. This time offers us an opportunity to reflect on the charitable favor we have been given—a generous donor and a volunteer community who has dedicated years to our mission of creating lasting change.

This particular holiday, on this centennial year, gives pause to think about our 100 years of serving children, youth, and families in need. We’ve seen children abandoned by parents, others who have faced violent tragedies, and those who suffer from emotional turmoil. We’ve worked with youth who have left the foster care system and faced homelessness, battled mental disorders or struggled with maintaining employment. We’ve served families who have been distraught by traumatic situations, impacted by mental illness, and challenged by children enduring behavioral issues. At the end of the day, we have remained hopeful for each one. Each child, youth or family has been effectively touched by our staff’s expert care, compassion, and dedication to meet their individual needs.

How is it that we are able to do this for 100 years? Thanks and giving. Our founder Deaconess Evelyn Wile laid the foundation for the charitable work we do in our community. She demonstrated thanks to every person, church, company, organization, and foundation that supported Hillsides mission. Our donors and volunteers’ commitment to continually give to our mission has enabled us to continue to the do the individualized treatment for each child, youth, and family. We continue to give thanks. The giving pledges of support that we receive from you help us ensure our clients’ well-being, safety, and permanency. Giving keeps the hope alive for thousands each year.

There is a movement spearheaded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet called the Giving Pledge that was featured on “60 minutes” recently. Two requirements must be met to be part of this movement: individuals must have an excess of one billion dollars in wealth and be willing to give half of it away to charity. Buffet says that the wealth has no real utility to billionaires, but that “wealth has incredible utility to other people. It can educate children, it can vaccinate children. It can do all kinds of things.” Billionaires like the Gates and Buffet realize that government alone cannot solve the world’s problems. Philanthropists who have wealth can influence and collaborate with foundations and charities to problem-solve today’s issues.

Those who pledge to Hillsides understand that their philanthropic giving means providing hope and changing the lives of other people—children who have never had childhoods can regain them, youth who have lived under bridges or on the streets can find a safe apartment, and families who have been torn apart by domestic violence can break the cycle for generations who follow. This is the utility to other people, to organizations like Hillsides.

As you read this blog post, let’s imagine a virtual table where we can give thanks together for what we share in common: People. People who demonstrate unconditional support for the work we do, who improve our lives, and who dedicate time to serve. Let us also be mindful that the giving pledges we receive for our programs and services to children, youth, and families in need enhances and strengthens the quality care we provide. May we continue to share a bountiful table of thanks and giving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stress free Thanksgiving

One of our initiatives this year is to develop an organization with the capacity to better serve those in our care who have experienced trauma. Nearly 90 percent of all children served by the child welfare system have experienced some form of trauma that elevates their "toxic stress." Toxic stress is stress that increases the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, drug and alcohol dependency, suicide, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and depression. Although it is just an indicator of risk and not a cause of illness, it is worth noting the relationship that stress and trauma has as a deterrent to well-being.

With this prevalence of stress among those in our care, it is imperative that our treatment interventions and the environment in which we operate are sensitive to this issue to support our clients’ well-being and avoid anything that would further traumatize those who are already so vulnerable. These efforts are very comprehensive and are intended to influence all aspects of our operations, the treatment environment, our interactions with clients, and the manner in which we conduct business.

These efforts reminded me of an interview recently of a mother and son who are served at Hillsides. This adolescent arrived anxious and impulsive, demonstrating significant disruptive behavior that negatively impacted him and his family. His mother was challenged to provide him the support they needed to avoid an escalation of behaviors that were harmful. She was referred to us through their local school system. As we initiated care, we were able to identify the trauma he had experienced and help him and his mother reduce the stress that was so detrimental to their well-being. Months later she says that the services they have received at Hillsides helped her, “to get her life back….to get her son back.”

The process of restoring hope and a sense of well-being can be challenging, but the end result makes the effort very worthwhile. As this family prepares for Thanksgiving they do so freed from some of the burdens that had previously impeded their ability to sit at the same table and enjoy a holiday together. This year there will be something very special for which they will be very thankful--their family restored.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, let us be ever sensitive to the hurts and traumas that others have experienced and in a very intentional way create an environment where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and supported. In doing so, we lay the foundation to address the stressors that impact us and initiate the process of moving beyond the trauma to hope. 

Strategy for independence

The New York Times recently had a great exposé on former foster youth and their challenges to get a college degree. The article featured numerous youth in Los Angeles and the Guardian Scholars program that supports former foster youth with tuition assistance, housing, and supportive services while pursuing their education.

The challenges are enormous, considering that only, “six percent of former foster youth…earn a two or four year degree by the age of 24” while “34 percent have been arrested by age 19.” The odds are in favor of incarceration over education. Failure at such an early stage in their efforts to achieve independence can negatively influence their ability to be successful. The amount of perseverance required is extraordinary. Is it any wonder that only six percent of the youth graduate from college?

The challenge is only made greater because often these young people have had a very inconsistent education. The movement from placement to placement let alone dealing with any specific learning challenges they may have is very daunting.

And what about the other 94 percent of former foster youth, what happens to them? If the education system is not the pathway to independence, then what will help them to succeed?

Our experience at Youth Moving On has taught us a number of lessons with regard to what are good strategies for achieving independence. In addition to encouraging and supporting youth to achieve a good education, we have also found that equally important is to prepare youth for employment. With the proper orientation and coaching many youth are able to experience the gratification that comes from employment. A good job validates skills that often have been underestimated and provides the financial rewards that are essential for true independence.

On any given year YMO graduates several youth who although they may not have attained a college degree have secured a good job that rewards them with a career path, medical benefits, and financial resources. In the process, these young people experience the kind of success that bolsters their self-esteem and strengthens them to address other challenges. Among our recent graduates we have youth now employed in teaching, counseling, and the medical field. In order to assure their permanent place in these fields, further education will be required. Knowing they have successfully been employed, they pursue that education with some confidence and may be better equipped to get a degree.

Like anything else, there is no one sure strategy to achieve independence. More often than not, what breeds success is success itself. If achievement on the job front opens the door to future education, then we just might have a chance at increasing the odds in favor of independence over incarceration.

Nurturing

Hillsides was recently selected by a local artist, Greg Marquez, as the recipient of a dramatic sculpture entitled "Nurturing." The piece is a bronze relief of driftwood that has been carved in such a way as to feature the intimate intertwines of the sinews of a single piece of wood. The artist exposes the natural movement of the wood to form a strong and durable union that reflects the nurturing nature of intertwines.

Given the services we offer, Marquez chose Hillsides for this permanent installation as a way of providing an artistic metaphor about who we are as an organization. Based on a freestanding pedestal, it allows the viewer to see it from various angles, each depicting the interdependence of the driftwood elements to form one strong piece. It stands just outside of the entrance to the administration building on campus as a welcome to visitors and as a statement of our mission to heal and nurture all we serve.

All of us are dependent on relationships that sustain and nurture. We experience these relationships within our families and communities and they are essential to our well-being. For the children, youth, and families in need who we serve, the support and care they receive from Hillsides is critical and makes all the difference to their success. Our reliance on one another reinforces the interdependent nature of the human experience. We need one another!

This statement of interdependence contrasts to the current debate generated by the failure of the initiation of the Affordable Care Act. All that is being said seems to be void of any reference to why this situation is truly alarming. For those who looked to this initiative to assure affordable healthcare, it represents a long awaited access to services that are essential for long-term well-being. We may argue the specific strategies employed to access affordable healthcare, but for the most vulnerable like the children and families we serve the political posturing and bureaucratic incompetence is of no comfort. The reliance on some reasonable system of healthcare is a reminder of how interdependent we are and how essential it us for us to strengthen nurturing bonds that ultimately sustain us in spite of organizational ineptness.

Tomorrow is Halloween, Thanksgiving is less than a month away and soon the great winter holidays will be upon us. This is a season of giving in which the nurturing ties that sustain are celebrated. For us at Hillsides, this is a time when we are reminded of how dependent we are on our donor community to help us reach out to all those we serve, both in our Residential Treatment Services program and through our various community-based services. Through your support and generosity we are able to tangibly demonstrate that we can count on one another to nurture and care for all those we serve.

We are grateful to the artist Greg Marquez whose "Nurturing" reminds us of how essential we are to one another. Learn more about the artist’s interpretation of the sculpture.

We are also grateful to all who faithfully support us and ask that as you put away your Halloween paraphernalia and prepare for the holiday season that you consider supporting our efforts at this time of year to nurture and care for all those we serve. For more information on how you can help go to www.hillsides.org.

Still shooting

On December 14, the nation will mark the year anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut. Twenty children and six adults were killed that day in a senseless act of violence. Almost a year later the violence continues with news of a middle school teacher gunned down in Sparks, Nevada shielding his students from a gun wielding classmate. This is not the only time in the last year when there have been reports of gun-related violence in schools.

Regardless of your position on gun control, everyone is asking why this increase in violence and how can we stop this from occurring. Together as communities we should address how to assure that children are kept safe especially in schools and that teachers and school personnel not worry about their security.

The answer is not to arm our teachers or turn schools into fortresses, but rather to create communities that are attentive and responsive to the needs of our children and families. One of the things that we have begun to do at Hillsides is to sensitize all our staff to the role trauma has to play in the lives of the children and families we serve. For many of them they have experienced a great deal of violence not only because of physical threats but also emotional abuse. A word, a gesture or a tone of violence can trigger memories that revisit a traumatic event and prompt an otherwise irrational response.  

We have learnt that without this kind of heightened sensitivity we run the risk of retraumatizing children who are already in vulnerable emotional states. These episodes of post traumatic stress have the ability to destabilize a child and further jeopardize the child’s well-being. It is in this kind of situation that violent outbursts can occur, contributing to a cycle of behavior that is challenging to stop.

An approach to care that is sensitive to the trauma that has been experienced can effectively reduce episodes of post traumatic stress. More importantly, the approach by staff exposes the child and family to an environment that is attentive, supportive and responsive. With in this kind of environment difficult issues can be addressed, solutions can be identified, healthy strategies pursued, and hopefully violence averted.

This is not the only thing that can be done to address a pervasive violent culture, but it certainly is something that can be introduced into all our schools. A trauma-sensitive approach can have a lasting impact not only on our students and their families but also affect our ability to support communities responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable. With any luck it could also be a strategy that contributes to stopping the senseless violence that has become all too pervasive. 

Lifetime achievement

Each year we celebrate those individuals who have helped us make a significant impact on the lives of all we serve. This year among the many individuals that we will honor at the annual Circle of Excellence Awards there is one whose accomplishments are especially noteworthy. Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award this year is Susanne Crummey, the long time Associate Executive Director, who after 43 years of service is retiring at the end of November.

For many of our staff the thought of working at one place for such a long time is almost inconceivable. Today we are all accustomed to a certain amount of mobility and job diversity. It seems foreign to consider remaining loyal to any one place, institution or even profession. All the more reason for us to be grateful that in such an environment there are great people like Susanne, who in spite of her own ambition, professional career and personal responsibilities, has none the less made an extraordinary commitment to Hillsides. For Susanne, Hillsides is not a job but it is a community where she has had the privilege of being surrounded by like minded and dedicated people who are all focused on one thing--creating a lasting change for all those we serve.

It is within this context that Susanne has provided incredible direction and exemplary leadership that has helped Hillsides grow its capacity to provide indispensable services to increasingly more vulnerable children, youth, and their families. Rooted in a strong therapeutic approach and unquestionably committed to improving the lives of those in her care, she has been a coach, a mentor, a model, and a friend to all who would join with her in the creation of this therapeutic community that is Hillsides.

More than anything else Susanne has brought a very thorough approach to decision-making that engages all parties to seriously consider all the ramifications and always stay focused on the best interests of the child. This very intuitive and holistic way of fulfilling her day-to-day responsibilities has provided the organization with a steady and sure leader who will be sorely missed.

So what is Susanne’s legacy? There are too many achievements, too many individuals, too many initiatives to list. I suggest that her greatest legacy is the lives transformed by her in these 43 years. If this indeed is her legacy, then our testimonial must be lives of dedicated services modeled after such an extraordinary example.                                        

Susanne’s last day will be at the end of November. Between now and then we ask all who have been touched by her selfless and generous care to share with us the contribution that she has made to your life. You can make a comment on the blog or send an email to info@hillsides.org and some will be posted on Facebook. Others can share a remembrance via a Facebook post on Susanne.

 

Foster care failure

The most recent article in the Los Angeles Times series entitled, “The Child Mill,” exposed yet another failed organization that seemingly took advantage of the funding in the foster care system to benefit itself with little regard for the children entrusted to its care. The article revealed another frightening example of a system unable to safeguard children who are very vulnerable. To be fair, I’m sure there is another side to the story of the rise and fall of the Wings of Refuge foster care agency, but there are enough alarming details to certainly question its capacity to effectively provide foster care. If nothing else, the reference by its executive director to what she called, “professional foster children” is an indicator of an attitude toward these children that is not acceptable. 

That being said, the problem with these articles is that it paints a picture in very broad strokes, portraying many involved in providing foster care as either a group of ineffective, naïve, do-gooders at best or as a group of scheming, self absorbed, opportunists at worst. For the vast majority of providers of foster care services neither is true. Foster care is a highly regulated field of service that is essential to the child welfare system and, in most instances, is an indispensable resource to very vulnerable children and their families. It is also a relatively sophisticated system of care with clearly established standards of care and operations monitored strictly by both the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Community Care Licensing. So how can such blatant abuse occur?

As a provider of foster care services, I can attest to the multiple and redundant systems utilized to monitor the safety and well-being of those we serve. In addition, the county employs a legion of auditors who on a regular basis review all aspects of our operations and governance. As an institutional provider of foster care services, Hillsides is held accountable by such a rigorous system of checks and balances. How is it that organizations like Wings of Refuge were able to operate so poorly for so long without some intervention? Could it be that in an attempt to expedite and facilitate the recruitment and development of these desperately needed homes, the county relaxed its requirements? If so, then DCFS  needs to re-examine its policies since clearly the best interests of children have not been served by such facilitation.

What is the solution? Most recently, the Child Welfare Institute in Los Angeles has set out on an ambitious study of how best to recruit foster families. The institute has helped identify not only who are the ideal foster families, but how to be supportive of these extraordinary individuals and families who welcome into their homes children who otherwise would be deprived of a home like setting while separated from their families. The fact is that overall Los Angeles has been able to assemble a system of care that provides a fair amount of early intervention for families at risk of being separated and as a result, many families have the resources they need to stay together. However, for those families whose circumstances call for a period of separation, it is absolutely imperative that we are able to provide them with safe, reliable, and effective foster homes.

The solution lies not just with early intervention and an effective system of foster homes, but also an ability to tap into the tremendous resource available through organizations like Hillsides who are equipped to provide a very integrated array of services to the children and families, who after any number of interventions, still require a more intensive treatment program. The solution has to do with developing a full array of services that can best be tailored to address the considerable challenges these children and families confront. I would suggest that for some of these families using a more comprehensive initial assessment would lead to the development of more effective plans of treatment and hopefully reduce significantly the number of failed interventions that can have a very negative impact on both the child and family.

Although there are no simple solutions, the task is not as complicated as it may seem. There are many models both locally and nationally that would help identify effective strategies to address the needs of children served by the child welfare system. With any luck, the recently established Blue Ribbon Commission will be able to help sort these issues out and develop a plan of action that will help DCFS eliminate the child mill atrocities exposed by the Los Angeles Times.

A surprise welcome back

On Sunday, September 15^th, we celebrated Founder’s Day. The event was one of the last celebrations that have been planned this year to commemorate the establishment of Hillsides one hundred years ago. It was a family-oriented occasion, drawing many people who over the years have been associated with the agency. There were former staff members, community members, longtime volunteers, and of course, some alumni.

Hearing the recollections of those who actually lived at Hillsides is always interesting. For the older alumni their stay at Hillsides was a result of premature death or chronic illness that impacted their families, requiring them to take refuge in a nurturing place as they dealt with tragedy and loss. For the middle-aged alumni, their stories were of a place that gave them a second chance, having been disruptive in their homes and communities for various reasons. The most recent alumni returned to tell the stories of their reintegration with their families and communities and the challenges that they addressed to become independent and successful.

Meeting many alumni is wonderful, yet the one that stands out for me was a young man who only left our care about two years ago. I was actually surprised to see him, but was really moved by how happy he was to be a part of this important celebration. He had come to the celebration on public transportation from where he lives now in the San Fernando Valley. He greeted his former teachers and staff members with a robust embrace, a smile on his face and a warm greeting. As we talked, I was impressed by how important it was for him to make the considerable effort to be part of the celebration. It was his way of saying thank you and an indication of how proud he was to have been part of the Hillsides community. For a young man like himself, whose life is taken up with many challenges and his success is the result of great sacrifice and effort, this celebration was important. An important part of his identity is the care and support that he received at Hillsides.

Part of the celebration was a brief reenactment of the reception of the first child by the founder of Hillsides, Deaconess Evelyn Wile. The script was taken from her own writings that chronicled her tenure. She was a woman driven by a mission to make a difference in the lives of the children she served. I hope that she would be pleased that a century later her vision still inspires and we are faithful at fulfilling the mission she established.

The greatest tribute we can offer to Deaconess Wile is provided by all those who have been served by Hillsides over the years. Their success, their gratitude, their ability to give back as a result of all they received that is the lasting tribute!

To all those who participated in any way in this and  the many centennial celebrations, thank you for all you do to help us fulfill our great mission to create lasting change.