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!

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.

Hermit Crabs and the Season of Giving

As I walked out of the Children's Resource Center the other day, I ran into one of our residents, who was meeting with his therapist, when he asked to see me. Not wanting to disrupt his conversation with his therapist, I suggested I would see him later. He asked when and suggested that I stop by the cottage later that afternoon--how could I say no! So at the appointed time I went over to the cottage and found him enjoying ice cream, his afternoon snack. There really wasn't anything urgent he wanted to discuss, he just appreciated that I would check in on him.

As we visited for a bit, he mentioned that he had a pet hermit crab. He could see my amazement and curiosity about this peculiar pet and offered to show it to me. Sure enough in a well-cared glass container was not just one but two hermit crabs burrowing into the packed soil flooring looking for "treats." This young boy knew more about hermit crabs than I could ever imagine anyone would ever want to know and he was thrilled to be able to share his love for his pets with me.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to let a child know how important they are. It is our time, attention, and ultimately our consistency that helps a child who is leery of adults, once again, begin to trust. Helping a child trust again is a priceless gift and perhaps the greatest one we can offer here at Hillsides.

As much as this time of year is taken up with holiday related activities, it is also a time when we prepare gifts for those dear to us--gifts that convey our affection and commitment. As we celebrate with family, friends, and colleagues, we also remember those who for whatever reason are not as fortunate and extend our gift giving to include them. Each year Hillsides reaches out to the community to solicit your assistance to help make the holidays memorable for all the children, youth, and families we serve. Please consider helping us.

Recently, a board member encouraged all our board members to identify a child, youth or family to adopt during the holidays. She shared with fellow board members her experience with a family she adopted one year and how the simplest gifts offered to this family were not only gratefully acknowledged, but had a profound impact on her, making the holiday even more memorable.

 
Whether it's a toy, clothing item, gift certificate or cash donation, everything helps to make this season truly memorable. All your efforts for those we serve go a long way to restoring hope and building trust. Never underestimate what your gift can accomplish.

 

Something Magical

The holidays at Hillsides prove that if you have courage and dare to ask for something, it just may happen. And indeed it did happen--our hope for a wonder-filled holiday for all we serve was satisfied. An empty auditorium, converted during this past month into “Santa’s Workshop,” was filled with gifts of all shapes and sizes. The task of handling the requests of not only our 66 residents, but the many children, youth and families served by our community-based programs was enormous, but without fail every one of them was satisfied. Extra effort needed to coordinate and make sure gifts were wrapped, bundled and delivered was made so that by Christmas day everything was in place for a memorable holiday. There is no way to describe this experience, but to say that it was magical.

Of course it was much more than magical, it was awe inspiring to see so many embrace the cause and, in spite of a poor economic environment, make the sacrifice to see the dreams of those we served fulfilled during this holiday season. Once again, the generous, selfless support of our donor community left us all grateful and edified. Please know that your efforts achieved your intended result of lifting the spirits of vulnerable children and their families precisely at a time when they needed it the most.

To our generous donors, great volunteers and selfless staff, thank you one and all for making this holiday season so special at Hillsides.

The truth is that this “magical” moment is representative of what we attempt to do every day in the many programs provided by Hillsides--restore hope and provide resources for all we serve to lead fuller lives.

On behalf of Hillsides Board of Directors, the beneficiaries of your kindness and staff, we say “Thank you.”

Happy New Year!

  

View a few photos of the "magic." 

Ho, Ho, Ho....

By the time you read this Santa will have already come to Hillsides, gifts will have been distributed, too much ginger bread consumed and a few too many Christmas carols sung, but most importantly, some wonderful memories will have been created. This is, of course, such a busy time of year and in the midst of all the activity, it is easy to overlook what this season is all about. But then you look into the face of a child surprised by getting exactly what had been requested of Santa and you are reminded what it is all about … making a difference in the lives of the children, youth and families we serve.

To all of you who are so dedicated to our mission and so generous with your time, talent and treasure…thank you.  Be sure that your efforts make dreams come true during this holiday season for all those we serve.

May you enjoy a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year filled with good health and happiness.

From all of us at Hillsides………………Peace!

Give a Latte Smiles and Toys during the Holidays to Children and Families at Hillsides

The amount of support we receive from the community at this time of year is very gratifying and is a big help in creating a memorable holiday season for all those we serve. All this is accomplished because of the tireless efforts of so many individuals, families, employees, volunteers, businesses, organizations, and churches.


Before we all get caught up in the whirlwind of activity, let me just say thank you to all of you who give generously to the children and families we serve and who work so hard to make this season so special at Hillsides.


To start off the holiday season, Starbucks stores in Pasadena, La Canada, Sierra Madre, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, Glendale and Sunland have found a way to reach customers and appeal to their hearts. Starbucks stores are hosting in-store promotional bins and posters for Hillsides, encouraging customers to donate holiday gifts beginning Friday, December 2.

Likewise, one local autogroup is spreading holiday cheer and bringing joy while simultaneously helping us fulfill holiday wishes for vulnerable children and families.  With the generous support from RUSNAK Auto Group, children served by our charity will be treated to special toys donated by caring patrons and the local auto group dealerships in Pasadena and Arcadia.


The Parkway Grill, Arroyo Chophouse, and Café 140 South in Pasadena displays Hillsides holiday trees with special wish tags for their customers to pick up. Businesses like these in our community make the holidays so much more meaningful for those we serve. 


Besides toy drives, businesses, individuals, schools and organizations adopt families for the holidays. We have a hundred families that participate in our adopt-a-family program during the holiday. These are families that have the greatest need. Coming together to help us give the extras like gifts, holiday decorations and meals enable us to recreate and continue traditions that are meaningful in childhood and to families. 


By fulfilling special wishes, we are able to give our children and families a few extras to help restore hope in a brighter new year. For this, we could not do it alone. I want to thank you for your generous heart and compassionate spirit. 

This Time of Year

On my commute to work every morning I pass a makeshift sign attached to an overpass that states, “22% of children in the U.S. live in poverty.” As if traffic was not bad enough, the drive also confronts me with some of the stark realities of life in 2011. The fact is that depending on how you look at the childhood poverty issue, the number is anywhere from 17% - 35% of children in the U.S. are impacted by poverty.

The recent economic down turn has only exacerbated the situation. I suggest that poverty is perhaps the greatest contributing factor to the fracture of families, jeopardizing the well-being of children in many ways. Poverty is a sad and tragic reality that is hard to comprehend and often is understated. We see the result of poverty every day in the children and families we serve at Hillsides.

As we get ready for the holiday season, this is the time for us to reach out to our donors and supporters to ask for your help to provide food and gifts for all the children, youth and families we serve. Especially during this time of financial challenges, your assistance can make the difference to provide a happy holiday season for everyone we serve. Your donation helps to ease the anxiety of many families who, with very limited resources, none-the-less attempt to provide a happy and memorable holiday for their children. Please find more information on how and what you might be able to do to make the holidays a wonderful celebration for these very vulnerable children and families.  

I urge you to consider what you might be able to do now. This is a busy season with many distractions and we can easily put this off until much later in the season.

As you know, we can never do enough for those we serve--even more reason then for us to do our best. It makes such a difference, especially at a time of historic economic challenges, for the children and families we serve to be supported by each of us.

Thanks for all you do.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

This is the time of year when I am reminded of how great our donor community is to our children and families. The season of giving started with more than $10,000 worth of gifts from Campbell Hall. In-kind gifts have continued to come with deliveries planned for as late as Christmas Eve to provide something special for the children who will be on campus through the holiday. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

Because of the nature of the challenges that the children and families we serve confront, there is never enough that we can do for them because their needs are so great. However, be sure that what we are able to do is greatly appreciated and has a wonderful impact on them especially at this time of year.

At the end of the day, more than anything else, we are trying to create memories for all we serve. Memories of caring people, memories of happiness in the midst of challenges and hardships, memories that restore hope and help dreams to be realized.

There are few of us who can remember all the gifts that we received on any given Christmas, but most of us can recall the folks that surrounded us at the holiday time, those who lifted our spirits and made us happy.  Our staff are those people creating memories for the children and families we serve. There task is made easier because of your generosity.

 

Once again, thanks for all that you do for those we serve. Be sure of our gratitude and that we recall you fondly during this time of year and wish for you a wonderful new year filled with many blessings.

Ho, ho, ho…

The Spirit of the Holiday Season still among the Hustle and Bustle

Black Friday seems to be the start of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Millions of shoppers get in line on Thanksgiving night for retail stores to open the following day and get the deal of the year. People attend numerous festivities, go shopping for those on their list, or plan the entertainment and menu for the family’s get together. Regardless of which it is or all, some people never forget the vulnerable children and families, who in their time of need, get the love and support from total strangers.

At Hillsides we serve on average 86 children and transition age youth as well as 6,900 children and families living in Los Angeles County. Children living at Hillsides make their holiday wish list and staff plan winter outings to fill their holiday break from school. Transition age youth recreate traditions of their own while living at Youth Moving On. Of the families we serve, we select a hundred who are in most need during the holiday season to be adopted by other families, businesses, organizations and individuals.

Holidays are a reminder for many of our children that they are not living with their families, and thus, behavioral and emotional challenges are heightened. Transition age youth, for the first time, might be spending the holidays alone. Families in crisis are stressed even more with the pressure of the holiday.

The challenges are many and the resources are limited. As we have done in the past, we reach out to our donor community to rally support for the children and youth we serve during the holiday season. At this time when our faith traditions invite us to recall the light that dispels the darkness of our world, we call upon you to help us be a “light” for those we serve.

Wish lists, winter outings, traditions, and adopt-a-family program--none of these would be possible without the support of our donors. While you may be participating in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you still take time to think of the spirit of the holiday season. You give willingly to those in need, bringing light and hope to a brighter New Year.

For those wishing to make a difference this holiday season, you can do so by visiting our wish list, donating towards a particular item needed, adopting a family or sponsoring a winter outing. Call Laura Kelso, director of community resources, at (323) 254-2274 ext. 251 and see where the need is most. Thank you for restoring hope in the lives of so many children, youth and families.