2008 february newsletterEmployee Anniversaries11 YEARSDwight Mahabir8 YEARSEvelyn Parchman5 YEARSPatsy AllenDebra Prince4 YEARSJeannie Leauma3 YEARSJohn HowardJohanna Powell2 YEARSMelissa DownsAnna JenkinsCecilia Saucedo1 YEARMichelle Acosta Eunice GalaponAlejandra GonzalezElisha KeeRodrigo RuizVanessa SalazarGeorgette SolorzanoJosue ValenciaSimone VosburgCongratulations!! board cornerVeteran’s Housing Initiative Benefits from Hilton Anaheim RemodelFor the past several months, Community Catalysts and the Community Catalysts Housing Alliance has been deeply involved in creating the Veteran’s Housing Initiative, which provides transitional housing, job counseling, training and other support services to combat-wounded veterans in San Diego. In January, the initiative was the lucky beneficiary of a major hotel renovation at the Hilton Anaheim. The Hilton generously donated 20 rooms of gently-used furniture to help furnish apartments for the program participants. “Hilton Hotels Corporation and the Hilton Anaheim are proud to play a part in providing safe comfortable housing for these deserving war veterans as they transition back into the workforce,”said Joseph Kruvi, area Vice President of Operations, Hilton Hotels Corporation. Recently, the initiative signed a lease for 7 apartment units at Smart Corner in downtown San Diego. The building is ideally located near public transportation, grocery stores, employment opportunities, and the Navy Medical Center, where most of the service members receive medical care and treatment. The first participant moved in on January 23rd and additional veterans are expected to join the program in the coming weeks. The Veteran’s Housing Initiative is proud to have community partners like Hilton Anaheim. Their generosity will go a long way towards providing affordable and accessible housing to our service members and veterans in need. Consumer Anniversaries16 YEARSPatricia B., FSO14 YEARSMary S., SDRon A., SD13 YEARSNick A., FSOTim C., FSOMelissa B., SD11 YEARSPheuy P., FSORosalee P., FSOTeresa T., SD9 YEARSMai Y., FSOBrandy A., SC6 YEARSRichard C., COAL5 YEARSJamie M., SCRosalina O., SAL4 YEARSNancy B., STKLori G., STKAaron M., STKHailman W., STK3 YEARSAaron S., SCFlorendo S., SALCrystal V., SC2 YEARSTim C., SDEdwin R., UKFrancisco V., SALMelissa W., SALIsaac R., SCLucia R., FSOEugene H., SALDora A., MCD1 YEARAdrian C., SDJessica D., SCJennifer H., SCSteven H., SCCindy H., FSOAlexander T., PHCynthia A., FSOBrian S., FSOMata A., SAL enjoying a day in the snow in yosemite national parkstaying activeFresnoJanuary was a crazy month for Fresno! A Special Welcome for new Program Leader Elizabeth Sandoval to the Community Catalysts of California family. Social Recreation has enjoyed a busy month full of activities. One great trip was to Disneyland on January 30th. Truly the “Happiest Place on Earth”! Now on to a fun filled February! MercedMerced consumers enjoyed a day in the snow. They had the opportunity to travel to Yosemite National Park on the Yarts. There they spent the day walking to see the waterfalls, making snow men, sledding, and bombing the aides with snow balls. Everyone had a great time and can’t wait to do it again! Congratulations to Annabell Saldana for winning the Safety Meeting Incentive Drawing. Merced staff and consumers would like to wish Direct Service Supervisor Michelle Acosta and her husband Spencer a Happy Anniversary and Congratulations on their 16 years of marriage! healthy heart tipsDaily Physical Activity Benefits: * Reduces the risk of heart disease by improving blood circulation throughout the body * Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends * Keeps weight under control * Improves blood cholesterol levels * Prevents and manages high blood pressure * Counters anxiety and depression and increases enthusiasm and optimism * Increases muscle strength, increasing the ability to do other physical activities © This information was derived from the American Heart Association Katie Peterson, Diana Ragan and Elisha Kee posing with their awards. Congratulations! New Modesto Office Location! “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction” --Winston Churchill welcoming changeUkiahThe Plum House brought in the New Year with a feast! The main dish was Hoppin Johns. They listened to music, popped poppers, wore party hats, and danced around with streamers. A large group of consumers and staff attempted to attend a spaghetti feed. The feed was sold out so everyone met up at and took over the Windmills café. College has started again. Staff and consumers are very happy to be back in school. A new music class is being offered this semester and so far everyone is enjoying it. We are sad to see John H. and Brendan O. leave Community Catalysts this month. We wish them well. We were all really excited that we had so many nominees for the Direct Service Star of the Year and the James Jenkins Award of Excellence 2007. Congratulations to JoAnn Holliday, Diana Ragan, Katie Peterson and Elisha Kee. Happy Birthday to Elisha Kee! ModestoThe Modesto office has moved! The new address is 3600 Sisk Road, Suite 2D, Modesto, CA 95356. Phone numbers have stayed the same. Looking forward to new memories in the new location! Rosa and Janice- Congratulations on 5 years!Happy Birthday Chris! doesn’t look like “business” talk to me! news from the northStocktonRosa Vizcaino received a Certificate of Recognition for 5 years of service with Community Catalysts of California. She is pictured below (far left) with Janice Tucker, who had been her supervisor for most of that time. Rosa is currently working in the ILS program with Case Manager, Chris Korelin. Congratulations, Rosa, on 5 great years! The Advisory Committee met in January to plan future events and activities. Some of the activities suggested were bowling, dancing, camping, roller skating and a Valentine’s Party. After business was discussed, games and refreshments were at hand. A fierce game of Bingo was being waged where Consumer, Chris M., played with particular enthusiasm. He and others such as Willie D., Christopher B. and DSA Shawn Benson enjoyed a festive ‘bingo cake’created by DSA, Marcia Padilla, for the occasion. Pictured below (middle) along with Chris B. and Marcia, are Phillip Menchaca and Thomas Mitchell during one of their planning sessions. Chris Korelin turned 40 in January and the Stockton staff thought it was a great reason to celebrate. Although our attempt to actually surprise her at Tio Pepe’s with a large group lunch was not entirely successful, Chris, pictured below (far right) was completely delighted with the party at hand. Happy 40th Chris. This is only the beginning! We already knew we had inspirational talent in the Stockton Office, yet still most gratified to see two individuals with whom we are familiar, receive recognition for their good works. Congratulations to Philip Henry for the James A. Jenkins’Award of Excellence, 2007 and to Simone Vosburg for Honorable Mention for Direct Service Star of the Year. Nice work, champs! quick updatesanta claraThe Santa Clara office would like to welcome Makalia Burton and Jou-Ching Chen to the Direct Service Aide staff. They started working for Community Catalysts of California in January. The office is hosting their Valentine CAC activity on February 9, 2008 from 9AM-2PM. The agenda for the day will consist of a Consumer Advisory Meeting introducing Jasmine Raemoon, the representative for the location. There will be scrapbooking and cupcake decorating for the arts and crafts event. The lunch organizing this event! A special thank you to Gissell Lopez, Laurie Cable, Marie Saavedra, Anne Marie Miller and volunteer Oscar Saavedra Jr. for creating flyers and promoting the success of this event! Santa Clara is proud to announce that the office has been getting continuous referrals for new consumers! Empowering Consumers, Enhancing Lives! How to Create a SoCial Support SyStemLife is not always easy. Stumbling blocks and obstacles are bound to come up along the way. Who do you turn to when you need help with life’s challenges? That question can be difficult to answer. Maybe you’ve moved to another city or maybe all of your close friends have moved away. If you find yourself having no one to talk to, it may be time to create a personal network of friends, colleagues, and peers known as a social support system. A social support system is important to maintaining your emotional well-being and enhancing your quality of life. If you don’t have a social support system, you may be wondering how to get one. Meeting new people can be difficult, especially if you’re quiet and shy. Here are a few ideas to help you get started: - Take classes or take up a hobby. Adult education classes and hobbies are a great way to meet people with interests similar to yours. - Join a health club. Exercise has numerous benefits, such as releasing stress and staying fit. It can be a great way to meet people in a relaxed environment, and there’s a pre-established common interest of working out. - Play team sports. Joining a basketball, softball, or volleyball league has many benefits. It can place you in a team environment where interaction and communication are necessary for success. It’s a wonderful way to get to know people and develop friendships. You can also get in some exercise while doing something fun. - Socialize with other co-workers. If you get along well with co-workers, pick one day a week or month to get together for dinner or a movie. It can be a great opportunity for co-workers to meet each others’ friends. - Volunteer or donate some time towards a community activity. Community organizations are always looking for community at the same time. It can be a win-win situation for everyone. - Remember to stay in touch using e-mail and phone calls. When family and friends are not close by, extra effort is often needed to work out when to get together and stay updated on events in each other’s lives. Adapted from materials published by LifeCare, Inc. ©2007 Magellan Health Services, Inc. For more information, call our Employee Assistance Program provided to you by Magellan Health Services. 1-800-523-5668 Adapted from materials published by LifeCare, Inc. ©2007 Magellan Health Services, Inc. What are heart attacks? The heart works 24 hours a day, pumping oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to the body. Blood is supplied to the heart through its coronary arteries. In coronary heart disease (CHD), plaques or fatty substances build up inside the walls of the arteries. The plaques also attract blood components, which stick to the artery wall lining narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow. The process develops gradually, over many years. It often begins early in life, even in childhood. When too little blood reaches the heart, the condition is called ischemia. Chest pain, or angina, may occur. The pain can vary in occurrence and be mild and intermittent, or more pronounced and steady. It can be severe enough to make normal everyday activities difficult. The same inadequate blood supply also may cause no symptoms, a condition called silent ischemia. If the build up suddenly cuts off most or all blood supply to the heart, a heart attack results. Cells in the heart muscle that do not receive enough oxygen-carrying blood begin to die. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart. Who’s at Risk? Heart attacks strike both men and women. However, some persons are more likely than others to have a heart attack because of their “risk factors.” Risk factors are behaviors or conditions that increase the chance of a disease. Some of the risk factors for heart attack are beyond your control, but most can be modified to help you lower your risk of having a first -- or repeat -- heart attack. Factors that increase the risk of a heart attack are: Factors you cannot control - - Pre-existing coronary heart diseases, including a previous heart attack, a prior angioplasty or bypass surgery, or angina - Age- In men, the risk increases after age 45; in women, the risk increases after age 55. - Family history of early heart disease- A father or brother diagnosed before age 55; or a mother or sister diagnosed before age 65. Factors you can control - - Smoking - High blood pressure - High blood cholesterol - Overweight and obesity - Physical inactivity - Diabetes Risk factors do not add their effects in a simple way. Rather, they multiply each other’s effects. So, it is very important to prevent or control risk factors that can be modified. If you have one or more of these factors, see your health care provider to find out how to reduce your risk of having a first or repeat heart attack. Resources Are Available Johanna Powell Community Catalysts of California is proud to announce that Johanna Powell has been selected to receive the Catalyst P.R.I.D.E. Award~Leading by Example for January 2008. Johanna has been with us as a Direct Service Aide for the Stockton office for almost 6 years. Johanna has always been considered a great employee. However, it was over this past holiday season that she really demonstrated her dedication to consumers and her commitment to the values, purpose and vision of Community Catalysts of California. She went above and beyond her call of duty when she volunteered to relocate to San Diego to provide onsite services to a consumer. She displayed exceptional qualities as an employee and as a person by giving up her holidays with her family. Her actions are inspiring and show that she is dependable, compassionate and truly a team player. We appreciate all of the help Johanna has given us and would like to recognize her for her hard work and for Leading by Example. Thanks for Leading Us In the Right Direction! Consumer Catalysts of the Month February 2008 Judy Bowles Judy has been with the El Centro ILS program for three months now and has made great progress in her independent living status. She lives in an apartment with her husband and 12 year old daughter. She is a great mother and is very alert to her daughters needs, especially academically. Judy remains very involved with her daughters schooling and helps her as much as possible with homework and studying. Judy truly has great character and is becoming more and more independent as she continues in the program. Her social skills are one area that has developed over these past few months and she participates actively with all of the Consumer Advisory activities. Her awareness of treating others with respect and gaining respect in return has grown immensely as she has been interacting socially. Her confidence is evident in the converstions she carries with others and in her desire to socialize in group settings. A few of her hobbies are watching TV, listening to music and just hanging around her apartment in her spare time. She is really enjoying her independence and has displayed great dependability, responsibility, and excellent parenting skills! She is definitely a team player and has made huge steps in her progress in a very short period of time. This is why Judy has been chosen as the Consumer of the Month for February 2008!