Three Qualities of a Sweet Valentine

By now, many of you have received the great Valentine card that, once again, was hand painted by our longtime Board member and artist, Lyn Spector. The card depicts the familiar heart-shaped candies with the words: faith, hope and charity. When you stop to think about it, isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about--these three qualities that are at the root of all we do at Hillsides.

Faith has to do with that which is unseen and yet somehow perceived.  For the child that has yet to experience the security of a stable home, scholastic achievement or emotional well-being, believing it is possible or attainable is indeed a leap of faith. But convinced of the capacity of each child to improve and indeed thrive, we reach out and coax them to have faith in themselves.

Hope is that great motivator, giving us reason to persevere with the reasonable expectation that the best is yet to come. For the youth that has experienced multiple foster home placements, struggling to graduate from high school and no prospect of employment, hope is very elusive.  Marshalling our resources to provide affordable housing, incentives to stay in school and coaching around job skills makes all the difference for the young adult who, for the first time because of permanent housing, money in the bank and a steady job, has indeed reason to be hopeful!

Charity can be translated as love, that selfless act of care for another. For the child who for good reason questions whether love is indeed unconditional, relationships are approached cautiously and with some skepticism. But the consistent, non-judgmental care that we strive to provide to child and parent alike often is an eye opener to a new perspective on a world and life that actually can be characterized by honest affection and caring. True love conquers all!

At the end of the day, we hope that they are able to believe in themselves and be hopeful about their future so they may be free enough to love in return.

Faith, hope and charity: these Valentine qualities reflect our greatest wish for all we serve.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thanks and Giving

National Charity League Pasadena Chapter

One of the things that I learned a long time ago is that you just can not say thank you enough. So let me take this year's Thanksgiving celebration to say, once again, thank you! Let there be no doubt that without the extraordinary support that Hillsides receives from our donor community, our ability to impact the lives of all we serve would be significantly compromised.

Without your generous support we would not be able to bring the library to life with storytelling and live music on a regular basis. Without your support we would not have been able to sponsor our students on a three-day magical camping trip to Catalina. Without your support holiday celebrations would not be marked by games, gifts and fun for one and all. The list of how your support makes a difference is endless. Like the many parents who I met on campus recently and told me how grateful they are for the care we offer their children, I say thank you.

In assisting us to provide so much for those we serve, you offer an extraordinary gift whose impact is made more significant because of how vulnerable they are. It is the gift of hope. For the mother at her wits’ end with an adolescent who is depressed and withdrawn, hope is knowing that her child feels comfortable in school for the first time in years. For the eight year old angry about being removed from her home, hope is when she finally gets her favorite toy and is able to laugh and run with abandon. For the lonely adolescent who has aimlessly moved from one foster home to another, hope is when he lands that first job and opens a savings account. Your support helps us to rebuild confidence, revive joy and restore hope. Thank you!

Be sure to know that on this Thanksgiving your generous support of our mission is at the top of our list of reasons to be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!