Very Scary

More frightening than the Halloween haunted house at Hillsides is that we are just a week away from going to the polls. And aside from the presidential election, Californians are being asked to remedy the woefully underfunded public education system by choosing between two propositions, each flawed in many ways.

Once again California's children are held hostage by the political maneuvering of both sides and the voter is asked to play "Solomon." The reality is that the state budget in part has been balanced by sacrificing public education at all levels. The result is poor families and their children are disproportionately affected by these cuts. School systems throughout the state are burden to provide more with less, stifling efforts to provide an education for those who are most dependent on the system. Add to this the imperative to address the needs of students with learning challenges and the result is an overburdened system left to manage with little resources and very poor options.

Why is it that, once again, education and social services programs are the target of budget balancing efforts?  I suggest it is because it is easy to dismiss those, who for any number of reasons, do not vote.  There are more powerful forces at play that inevitably prevail. In spite of all the rhetoric that expresses support for our children, their education and the need to maintain a "safety net" for the poor, it is precisely the most vulnerable that are first to feel the impact of budget cuts. 

There are no easy solutions and, unfortunately, only poor choices. Additional funding is not necessarily the solution and increasing deficits are a path to ruin. More than anything else what is needed is political resolve to set priorities that take into account not only our fiscal constraints, but also the needs of the most vulnerable while offering a sustainable pathway to opportunity for all people.

Intelligent and good people will differ on which direction to take. I hope at some point victors and losers can put aside the partisanship and commit to what is best for our nation and society. But this will take extraordinary courage.

I wouldn't dare to suggest any candidate or ballot initiative over an other. My only plea is that you vote one way or another, in spite of the difficult choices. As you do keep in mind those who do not vote, whose voices are easily drowned out and are never-the-less affected by your ballot choices.

Getting into the Guts of a Spooktacular Halloween

Halloween is a spirited holiday that brings out creativity and imagination in people. For Hillsides’ children living on our campus, certain traditions have become anticipated activities that make Halloween a fun and memorable time.

Pumpkin carving is such a delight for our children, getting their hands into the cavity of the pumpkin and pulling its seeds and guts. Western Asset Management sponsors this annual activity and has eighty pumpkins delivered to our campus, ready to be transformed. Our very own pumpkin patch near the auditorium, the pumpkins are lined up for youthful hands to grasp. This craft is accompanied by the well-known In ‘N’ Out truck.

The next day, volunteer make-up artists from EI School of Professional Makeup in Hollywood apply Halloween makeup on children. Dressed in costumes and sporting ghoulish looks, children trick-or-treat around campus, knocking on staff doors to receive their goodies before entering the magnificently constructed Hillsides’ haunted house. Each year recreation staff, with the help from the teenagers living in Boys Satellite Home and Girls Satellite Home, creates a spectacular and spooky maze that scares each guest as they enter at their own risk. The older youth living at Hillsides create a Halloween carnival for the younger children, dressing up the part, attending booths, and handing out treats for each one to savor.

One special treat was a t-shirt silk screened by Kim Ha, the art director, integrating the art piece that was painted by one of our residents. I’d like to share a collage of photos of these activities.

This particular holiday amazes me because of the collaboration between staff and older youth to create such memorable traditions for the younger children that live at Hillsides. To see the smiles on their faces, each one for different reasons, brings me such joy. I hope it also brings a smile to your face to know that we are able to make these traditions happen with the support of individuals like yourselves who donate Halloween decorations, bags, face paint, candy, and costumes. Thank you for supporting the mission of creating safe places for vulnerable children and families.