What's in a Budget?

As many of you know, Hillsides has a fiscal year that starts on October 1. As a result, the summer months are busy with budget preparations in order to have a proposed budget presented to Hillsides Board of Directors in early September. In spite of the financial woes in California, we anticipate the same level of public funding we received this past year. Given some of those funds are inadequate to meet our needs and staff costs and other expenses continue to rise, preparing a budget during these months can make for a long, hot summer in more ways than one.

In the midst of the preliminary budget drafts, setting priorities, examining efficiencies and making difficult decisions, I usually take a break from the budget exercise to walk the campus to remind myself why we make this effort. Inevitably, I come back energized and committed to somehow stretching the dollars to allow us to continue to serve some of the most vulnerable children and families in Los Angeles County.

One evening after a Finance Committee meeting as I was leaving the meeting room, one of our clinicians was waiting with a resident and her family to use the room for a counseling session. I know the challenges of this young girl, who one day recently was so despondent that she could barely contain herself in any one place and wandered restlessly around the campus with staff in tow walking off her anxiety. As they entered the room, I asked her how she was doing and had the opportunity to meet her parents and speak with them about her treatment. As always, they spoke of how appreciative they are for all we do for them and how in spite of some setbacks, were pleased with her progress and hopeful about her return home at some point.

It is not easy to provide such intensive treatment; it is expensive to have a child accompanied all day with a staff member. Reaching out to parents and providing them with counsel and support is essential. These efforts may be expensive and certainly are labor intensive, but the end result is all worthwhile. Though this young girl will continue in our care for the immediate future, she and her family are able to see a path that will lead her home with hope for a good life together.

Is it worth the effort? Absolutely. Is it worth the sacrifice? No question about it. And so in spite of the short fall in public funding, our efforts to successfully raise $2.5 million each year to augment our public funding sources is essential if we hope to continue to help these vulnerable children, youth and their families find their way to a fuller life.

As we have in the past, we build into our budget the continued capacity to raise  private dollars to maintain our mission. Please consider supporting this effort by contributing to our annual fund. Know that your generous support makes a big difference in the lives of all we serve. Thank you!

Arroyo Enchantment

Pasadena is an extraordinary community in many ways. Nestled in the foothills, Pasadena has provided a refuge from the hassle of Los Angeles from its very beginning. You get a sense of its allure from the top of the arroyo looking down to the city in the distance. Lining the arroyo canyon are wonderful wooded hills dotted with beautiful estates. It was at such an estate that the annual H100 Farm to Table event celebrated its third anniversary.

From the citrus and Zen gardens to the infinity pool overlooking the arroyo, two long family-style tables were adorned with simple, lemon bouquets waiting to welcome guests. Set at the home of Mark and Phaedra Ledbetter, the grounds of this magnificent estate illustrated the volunteer group’s philosophy of providing the dinner guests with an evening that supported a food culture made up of fresh, locally grown, seasonal items. 

Alexandra Poer Sheridan of Alexandra's Table created a feast incorporating many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs available to her from the estate’s garden, as well as sourcing local ranches for fresh, grass fed meats.  During the cocktail hour, hands passed hors d’oeuvres were paired with refreshing libations.

Aside from being an extraordinary event in a magnificent setting, it was an opportunity for us to, once again, share with our supporters Hillsides’ compelling mission. Jay Bechtol, director of Hillsides Education Center, addressed the challenges of providing much needed, but woefully funded, individualized educational services to children and youth who have been significantly traumatized. In spite of the challenges, our successful interventions have made such a difference in the lives of the students served at the education center, allowing them to achieve academically, improve their behaviors and return confidently to their local schools. These interventions have allowed these students to, once again, take their place within their homes after years of feeling alienated and marginalized.

Phaedra Ledbetter summed it up best when she encouraged those in attendance to share from their bounty to support Hillsides’ efforts to provide a bountiful future for all we serve.

We thank the Ledbetters for their great hospitality and we are grateful indeed for all those who joined us for this enchanted event and made it possible. This is yet another example of many who join with us as we walk along with those we serve on a path to a fuller life. Get more information about our service initiatives and how you can help us together on the path.

Photo credit: Dana Pepper Bouton

Teacher of the Year

One of the hallmarks of Hillsides is the longevity of its staff. This past week we celebrated the 30^th anniversary of one of our teachers, Debi Szilagi-Johnson. As one of the very first teachers at Hillsides Education Center, Debi, like no one else, can tell the story of the school’s evolution, attempting to be responsive to the constantly changing needs of its students.

Recently, flooding in the school building impacted Debi’s classroom. As I walked through the school assessing the damage, it was clear to me that Debi was very upset. I attempted to reassure her that we would replace what had been damaged, but soon I realized what upset her more than anything else. It was not the supplies that could easily be replaced, but rather it was the “priceless” mementos of the past thirty years that were irreplaceable. Aside from being a great teacher, she is de facto our archivist, cataloguing the many pieces of treasure from the last thirty years. These treasures in her classroom told the story not only of her career and the evolution of instruction at the school, but more importantly served as the repository for the memorabilia of countless students.

Inevitably when alums return to visit, they make their way to Debi’s classroom to recall those formative experiences and, once again, take pride in the achievements they were able to make while at HEC. She is one of those memorable teachers that leave an imprint on the lives of those she instructs, an indelible mark that lasts a life time…a truly great teacher!

Debi’s style is a great example of the approach that we take at Hillsides with all those we serve–to be an essential resource for them, driven by a desire to see them achieve success. This year’s annual fund appeal, Together on the Path, reflects our hope that those we serve will move beyond the trauma they have experienced to being restored to an unencumbered and full life.

This great mission requires resources that go beyond the public funding we receive. Hillsides Education Center alone requires about $250,000 a year to maintain the quality instruction it provides because of the growing funding gap resulting from significant cuts to public education.

Support Debi and so many other dedicated staff members like her by contributing to our annual appeal. Your support makes a big difference in our efforts to together walk the path that leads to achievement and success for all we serve. Thank you!