Project Access
E-mail Newsletter
April 2008
Our Mission
Project Access assists families and seniors living in affordable housing achieve greater self-sufficiency and independence through access to education, health and social services.
The Impact of Project Access
--
as told by Kevin Ruan, Service Coordinator at the Project Access Family Resource Center at City Towers in Oakland
An Feng is a nine year old boy who was not performing well in school. Due to his family not being able to speak English, An’s parents aren’t able to help him with homework. His reading skill is equivalent to that of a first grader rather than a third grade reader. His father came to me one day and asked me to help An. He told me, “An doesn’t like to do homework. He watches TV all day and doesn’t listen to me.” In the past, the family had hired a tutor, but the tutor gave up on An.
I happily agreed to tutor him and told An’s father that in order to be successful, he needed to be on board as well. So for about a month now, we’ve been working with him on reading and math. His report card just came back a week ago showing that in the previous quarter, he was reading 18 words per minute and now he’s reading 26 words per minute. On top of that, he has been placed back into the third grade class. He is enjoying reading more and more and now actually likes to read instead of being forced to read. We’ll keep working with An and his family.
--
as
told by Project Access Regional Director, Sophie Trascher
As a follow-up to this testimonial, I was at City Towers recently and An's father came in with him and his sister. I had met him on several occasions in the past, but this day was different. An’s father walked up to me, shook my hand with tears in his eyes and said in broken English, "Thank you for Kevin, he is good for my son and my family. Everyday he helps me look for a job. It's not easy for me because of my English. My wife works and I watch the children but I want to work, I'm the man of my house and it is so hard to see her working." Needless to say, my heart broke and I sat down at the computer and came up with three job openings for him and Kevin to pursue.
This is why we do what we do.......WE CARE!
Adopt-a-Resource Center
Project Access is excited to announce our newest sponsorship
opportunity—Adopt-a-Resource Center.
Engage your family and/or company to help change the lives of families and seniors, getting them the access to needed education, health and social services. Partner with Project Access to make a difference in so many people's lives through your commitment of resources, and as much time you and your family and/or colleagues want to commit.
You will be recognized on signage as the sponsor of your Resource Center for one year. You will also receive invitations to special events at your center, including health fairs, birthday parties, holiday celebrations and more. In addition, you will be included in the resource center monthly newsletter, as well as the Project Access quarterly e-newsletter, which reaches more than 2,000 members of our community.
The clients at your Resource Center will send monthly letters, photos, drawings or emails to keep you updated on their activities. You will also receive invitations to participate as a volunteer at various activities throughout the year. These activities could include annual holiday events, Health Fairs, Resource Fairs or even regular activities such as food bag distribution and “teen time.”
As a result of your donation, our clients will have the opportunity to continue to gain access to the health, social and education services that assist them in gaining self-sufficiency. For more information, please call Project Access at (949) 253-6200, extension 305.
Adopt-a-Family 2007 – Great Success!
The 2007 Project Access
Adopt-a-Family holiday program was a success again! 2007 marked the first year seniors were added to the Adopt-a-Family Program and by popular demand, Project Access will continue with this new tradition.
We are proud to report that 140 families and seniors were adopted!
We would like to give special thanks to KDF Communities and the Newport Beach pre-school for adopting so many families. The children from the pre-school learned wonderful lessons in giving and sharing through this program.
Over the holidays, toys were abundant! Toys-for-Tots donated more than 2,000 toys, and the following individuals and businesses hosted toy drives in support of our program:
Shari Battle and Lisa Sims - Bank of America
Lisa Boyer - Boyer Chiropractic
Barbara Piscitelli - Chapman University
Brandie Bedell - Kane Development
Judith and Mary Ann Connell
Mailyd Nunez - Nordstrom Rack Metro Point
Heather Jenkins - Nordstrom South Coast Plaza
And the children were so grateful...
“First of all thank you for these gifts, they mean a lot to us. I was so happy, especially for my sisters. These gifts mean so much to us because we are a big family of eight members so it is really hard to buy just what we want the most especially since only one member of the family works…Thanks for everything and have a wonderful holiday.”
-Leandra, 15 years old
Thank you everyone for your support!
Upcoming
Events
Project Access Mixer for a Mission
Monday, April 21, 2008 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Diamond Club Angel Stadium
Come enjoy the excitement of a Project Access Mixer for a Mission:
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complimentary hors d’oeuvres
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a great silent auction
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mingling with guests
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special guest Clyde Wright, veteran Angel’s southpaw
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and tours of Angel Stadium at 6 pm and 7:20 pm. This "behind-the-scenes" tour is both an enjoyable and educational experience. You will be invited to view areas that are normally restricted to the public!
Job
Openings
Check out our Job Openings at
http://www.project-access.org/employment.php!
Save the Date!
Third Annual Keys to Success Awards Dinner honoring Ranney and Priscilla Draper
The Annual Keys to Success Awards Dinner gives Project Access the opportunity to honor members of our community for their commitment to helping people in need, both personally and professionally, and for their dedication of instilling “giving back” in others. Our First Annual Keys to Success Dinner honored Legendary Sports Agent Leigh Steinberg, and the Second Annual Keys to Success Dinner honored Bob Campbell, President of CT Realty; last year, we net more than $190,000 toward programs and services that help forward the lives of disadvantaged children and adults. This year, Project Access is proud to honor Ranney and Priscilla Draper on Saturday, October 11, 2008 in Orange County starting with a reception at 6 pm followed by dinner at 7 pm.
To purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, call (949) 235-6200 extension 300 or email
info@project-access.org.
Big
Gifts
Building Block Foundation Fund Awards $50,000 grant to Project Access 2/7/08
The Building Block Foundation Fund's mission is to facilitate public and private partnerships that support programs aimed at encouraging underprivileged but deserving youth in Orange County to achieve more positive lifestyles.
Thank you to the Building Block Foundation Fund for granting $50,000 to Project Access and recognizing Project Access as having a direct impact on the youth in Orange County. We are thrilled to have been named one of their beneficiaries!
Thank you, Building Block Foundation Fund, for supporting our cause. We are grateful for your involvement and look forward to a continued partnership!
Northern California
News
A
testimonial from a resident at City Towers in Oakland
To Whom It May Concern:
I’m a resident at City Towers in Oakland. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the staff at Project Access. I feel that they are doing an outstanding job working with our community. I’ve witnessed the patience that they use when dealing with the kids and adults.
I also have a personal relationship with them as far as assisting me; a single mom that has returned back to school after 25 years. They’ve assisted me with my finals, which I received an A and my daily assignments. They’ve also helped me keep faith and continued believing in me and that I would succeed.
They don’t get much support from the community like they should. But it doesn’t stop them from making a big difference and putting a smile on a lot of lovable faces.
Southern California News
New Program Launch - The Mentor Program
Under the recently launched Mentor Program, each staff member will personally mentor three to five children with academic support, emotional well-being, and leadership skills. This is a great opportunity for Project Access to directly impact the children and teens at each site.
Site
Spotlight
On October 27, 2007 Hermosa Village, located in Anaheim, held its first Health Fair in which they hosted over 20 providers who distributed health-related information to their clients. Attendees included Loretta Sanchez, Congresswoman from the 47th District of California and Disney’s VoluntEARS, who volunteered their time at the event. The fair included food, music, a raffle and blood sugar, cholesterol and cardiac screenings for adult residents without health insurance.
Hermosa Village also held their First Annual Project Access Community Holiday Potluck Dinner on Sunday, December 16, 2007. The event was sponsored by Chabad of Newport Beach, who provided activity stations and crafts for participants, toys to give out to all of the children, and entertainment including a magician, a clown, Santa Claus, and a Jack Sparrow pirate. Dinner and desserts were provided to the more than 300 clients that attended. The event was a success and has set a positive precedence for future holiday events at Hermosa Village.
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