YEARS OF SERVICE
Empowering persons with disabilities to live independently
Resources for Independence Central Valley
Our Event Sponsors
In loving memory of Harry
Allen
Our Consumer Sponsorship, Silent Auction & Event Donors
A-One Handy Man Fresh and Easy Orloff Jewelers
Arthur M. Lopez GB3 Paula McElwee
Buttonwillow Nursery Good Company Players Queen’s Inn
Camille Gatson Hooters Raul Moreno
Chang & Adams Consulting Idle Hour Winery Susan Thompson
Chaffee Zoo Janice Brown Table Mountain
Cheesecake Factory Jerald O’Banion Tacos Marquitos
Chiropractic & Massage Marla Reisman Poulsen Target
Center Motschiedler, Michaelides, TGI Friday
Daisy Delights Bakery Wishon, Brewer & Ryan, University Square Hotel
Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor LLP Visalia RV Sales
Empowerment Strategies Nori Nadzri Romero Yosemite Sugar Pine Rail-
Fig Garden Storage Ofelia Gamez road
2 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Message from the President
Do you have a dream vacation - somewhere you
have always wanted to be, or a place you have been
that has gotten into your blood and changed who
you are? Or perhaps a place that helped you trace
your history and reconnect with your roots? How did
you plan for that trip, figuring out your best route,
who would go with you, what you would do?
Think of that place -- the excitement, the colors
and smells and sounds, the fun of being exactly where you want to
be, doing exactly what you want to do.
When I look back on this past year at RICV, and when I imag-
ine the future, I am filled with wonder because things are turning
out just the way we planned, and it is a dream come true.
RICV plans consciously. The board, the staff, the other stake-
holders participate in strategic planning. We look at our environ-
ment - economic, political, and physical. We revisit our mission
and what we believe is important. And then we map a course to
accomplish our dreams.
This past year, it has been obvious that the careful planning is
paying off. In an environment where many other non-profits are
shrinking, we are growing. While some organizations pull away
from competitors, we embrace partnerships. And because we plan
well, our funders and other partners see our success and invite us
to partner even more.
Let's celebrate this amazing journey, as we continue to plan
for the next part of that trip.
Paula McElwee
3 Resources for Independence Central Valley
From the Executive Directors Desk...
This has probably been the
most expansive year in RICV’s his-
tory. Our budget increased by al-
most 50 per cent, our staff in-
creased by about nine percent,
and we added several new pro-
grams and innovative services.
This tremendous increase has
been due to the dedication and imagination of our staff
and Board of Directors. They refused to see just what was
put in front of them, but imagined what could be, and
worked hard to achieve it.
This has taken us to straight forward expansion of our
independent living services to creation of new homeless-
ness services, our Community Leadership Academy, and
our innovative job development systems.
It has been said that “running a business is like rid-
ing a bike; you have to move forward or you will fall
down.” I have no doubt that RICV will continue to move
forward. We are already thinking of new ways to improve
and expand our services.
Keep an eye on us in the coming year. You will surely
see more innovation and creation of high quality services.
Robert J. Hand
4 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Onward March — Expanding Our Area of Service
That is not all. Our area of service is
When our organization was first continuing to increase indirectly as well.
conceived, our aim was to provide inde- Recently, the ILC Salinas approached
pendent living services to persons with Bob for providing valuable guidance on
disabilities in the County of Fresno. That troubleshooting issues with job develop-
was in 1976. Since then, we have moved ment. He was there on June 10.
forward in leaps and bounds. Over the This year, the state recognized Bob
years, we expanded our area of service to when he was elected the chairman of the
include Tulare, Kings, Madera, Merced, & State Rehabilitation Council. His term
Kern counties as well. consists of 15 months from January 2011
Under the leadership of Robert J. and can be extended by one
Hand (Bob), the area of year. Bob has been very in-
service continues to ex- volved with SRC, serving at
pand even more. RICV has its vice chairman since
been providing consulting 2007. Bob and RICV Board
support to the Independent President Paula McElwee
Living Center of Kern were among the four
County in Bakersfield since “Content Experts” at the Ad-
2010. vancing Leadership work-
In addition to his full shop for ILC directors. The
time position as Executive workshops were sponsored
Director at RICV, Bob by the State Independent
served as the ILCKC inter- Living Council and Depart-
im Executive Director. ment of Rehabilitation. Pau-
Meanwhile, former RICV la covered “Change Management” & Bob
program director, Jimmie Soto was ap- “Innovation/Strategic Planning”.
pointed as the ILCKC assistant Executive Bob was also on the advisory panel
Director. of the ad hoc workgroup on the imple-
Jimmie functioned under Mr Hand’s mentation of DORs Rehabili-
mentoring. In April of this tation Resource Data-
year, the ILCKC Board of RICV is HONORED to base.
Directors formally ap- SHARE THAT Bob was Bob is also part of
proved appointment of elected the Chair of the a four member team,
Jimmie as its Executive State Rehabilitation selected from 500 appli-
Director. Jimmie had Council this year... cants to participate in
served and grown with the Federal Emergency
RICV since 2000. Management Agency Confer-
Currently, RICV continues to sup- ence, Getting Real II. This national con-
port ILCKC in its Job Development pro- ference aims at building partnerships and
gram. This means that we now have two sharing practices among community lead-
new job developers from RICV stationed ers.
at Delano and Bakersfield.
5 Resources for Independence Central Valley
RICV As A Role Model..
Both are updated regularly and sent
When the State Independent to the agencies we work with, including
Living Council (SILC) recommended the Department of Rehabilitation and the
RICV’s leadership strategies to an Inde- California Foundation for Independent Liv-
pendent Living Center in Oregon as a role ing Centers.
model, we at RICV knew that we had Our Strategic Plan is a vibrant and
reached yet another milestone in our active document that is updated on a reg-
agency’s path. ular basis. Every three years, the Board of
This was further reinforced when the Directors meet to review and see if chang-
Independent Living Center Salinas re- es need to be made in the plan. This year,
quested Bob to assist with troubleshooting nationally renowned consultant Dr. Jackie
its job development issues. Ryle facilitated the RICV board retreat,
RICV was also among 16 of 30 where im-
agencies
chosen for It was a great hon- portant
changes
the web ac- or for RICV when Execu- were made to
cessibility tive Director Yomi Wrong the Strategic
demonstra- of the Independent Liv- Plan. Staff
tion project ing Center at Berkeley reviews it pe-
by the De- made a two day visit to riodically to
partment of RICV Fresno on August update the
Rehabilita- 3rd. She was accompa- progress on
tion. This nied by Deputy Director goals met or
included Mark Burns. exceeded.
online Berkeley ILC, Our
From left: Mark, Bob and
webinars, started by the father of Strategic
Yomi
discussion the Independent Living Plan is also
forums, and Ed Roberts, was the first much appre-
technical such center in the world. Yomi and Mark met with ciated by the
support RICV Executive Director Robert J Hand and other staff. Department
aimed at They visited the different departments and discussed the Of Rehabili-
enhancing methods of rendering service to consumers as well as tation (DOR),
the acces- showed keen interest in the Community Leadership State Reha-
sibility of Academy, started by RICV. bilitation
websites. Council
RICV Assistive Technology Advo- (SRC), Council For Independent Living
cate Reyes Sandoval, and RICV Web- Centers (CFILC) and fellow agencies in
master Scott Kupferman represented the field. Under Bob’s guidance, staff of
RICV for this project. Another RICV initi- RICV has consistently established and
ative that sets us apart is the strategic met or exceeded goals in their Strategic
plan and board reports. Plan.
6 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Towards Active Decision Making
of DOR, Tony Sauer is one of the speak-
The Community Leadership Acade- ers at the Merced CLA .
my, an RICV pioneering project, was Currently,
launched in April six graduates of
2010. the CLA are on
Since boards of directors
then , there has of nonprofit ser-
been no looking vice organizations.
back. They are on
It’s main purpose
14 county com-
is to prepare par-
ticipants for com- missions and
munity leader- councils and 2 city
ship roles on advisory councils.
Class of 2011 Visalia CLA
boards, commit- Eight graduates
tees and coun- are on college stu-
cils, and to serve on local government and dent associations, and one each on a re-
nonprofit organizations.
gional board and a tribal board.
Fourteen persons with disabilities
graduated last year from the two month Many of the individuals report that
course held at Fresno. they are officers on one or more of the or-
Some of them are already on boards ganizations they
and committees. represent.
This year, we had This means
the CLA at Visalia
some of them are
in March, As
many as twelve on more than one
persons attended board or council.
the five week RICV itself
training. has Sky Ntxwj and
Another Class of 2011 Fresno CLA Anthony Gracian,
CLA was held at who were gradu-
Fresno starting ates from the first
July 19th. Among cohort as mem-
those who signed up for the Academy are bers of the RICV Board of Directors.
the Executive Directors of Deaf and Hard It is interesting to note that our web-
of Hearing Service Center and Valley Cen- site analysis for the month of June
ter for the Blind. Two more are planned showed 9 per cent of the visits to our
for Merced and Bakersfield. Several ILCs RICV website were searches made for our
are looking at having a cohort in their are- board member Sky Ntxwj.
as. It was an honor for RICV that Director
7 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Strengthening Community Bonds
The coalition is for any group that is
At RICV, we believe that work is not providing any types of services to the pub-
confined to the four walls of our building. lic, not just those related to disabilities. A
We believe in reaching out and strength- web site was designed exclusively for the
ening community bonds to better serve CVCHS by our webmaster Scott Kupfer-
our consumers. man - www.centralvalleychs.org.
RICV staff are involved in many Over the two years, we have had
boards and committees. That is not all. presentations by foundations, service pro-
We participate in community events, and viders and Medicare providers.
coordinate with other agencies to promote We have provided management
their events as well. training for staff and are researching
When the City of Fresno was select- grants for infrastructure building.
ed as one of the six cities in the country Our latest projects include research-
for finding ways to maximize the receipt of ing savings on administration costs
federal funding, RICV was one of the non through purchasing agreements for office
profit agencies to join the Community Task supplies, CPR/first aid trainings, insur-
Force. ance, safety supplies and other products.
The task force works with federal Future plans include exploring shar-
employees, the city and other non profits ing costs for grant writers, and potentially
under the Strong Cities, Strong Communi- other support staff or ser-
ties program. vices.
They work to- Some of our partners
gether to explore are City of Fresno, Central
better ways of getting Valley Regional Center, ARC
federal funding for Fresno, First 5 Fresno Coun-
economic revival. This would help the key ty, Fresno State Rehabilitation program,
players in Fresno to cut through red tape Exceptional Parents Unlimited, Deaf and
and avail themselves of federal funds that Hard of Hearing Service Center, Fresno
are already available. County Public Library, Hands On Central
The other five cities are Detroit, California, National Multiple Sclerosis So-
Cleveland, Memphis, New Orleans and ciety, EOC Sanctuary and youth services,
Chester. Fresno City College, Heartland Opportuni-
That was the reason behind Bob ty Center, UCP of Central California.
forming the Central Valley Among our pro-
Coalition of Human Ser- Www.centralvalleychs.org posed trainings is one on
vices (CVCHS) in 2009- “Mental health emergen-
to assist service providers to work togeth- cy response”.
er for efficiency. Its membership has This 12 hour, four-session training is
grown to 50 since then, covering commu- is being provided by Mental Health Ameri-
nity benefit organizations, educational in- ca.
stitutions and government departments.
8 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Embracing Diversity
ferent cultural backgrounds, Director Re-
In keeping with the American spirit, source Development Darcy Pickens orga-
RICV actively embraces diversity. Our nized a cultural training workshop for the
own organization has a healthy mix of rac- RICV staff.
es, while we ensure that The one day workshop
we reach a larger group of on April 22nd, at Stone
consumers through our Soup, was facilitated by Mai-
brochures. Ka Yang, Executive Director
Our brochures pub- of Stone Soup.
lished in English, Spanish Staff were introduced
and Hmong, are now be- to the history, culture and
ing translated to Persian, customs of the Hmong peo-
Arabic and Punjabi lan- Dr. Jackie Ryle at the diversity training. ple. Starting with the geo-
guages. graphical location of the
In a bid to reach out people, to the nuances of their culture,
to the large Islamic Community, Executive RICV staff learned the importance of com-
Director Robert J Hand made a presenta- municating with a people who are not fa-
tion on our organization at the Islamic Cul- miliar with English.
tural Center of Fresno on July 1. They
In return, Negin Tahvildary, from the were fur-
Islamic Cul- ther made
tural Center , aware of
who is also how to
Research As- gain the
sistant in In- trust of im-
ternational migrants
RICV staff at Stone Soup
Law made who come
a presenta- Islamic Cultural Center representative
from dif-
tion to the RICV staff on July 18. ferent
Staff were further made aware of countries.
cultural differences when Nationally re- The RICV initiative on promot-
nowned consultant Dr. Jackie Ryle was ing cultural diversity continues with a soon
with us on April 11, to facilitate a workshop to be held presentation to RICV staff on
for RICV staff on “Embracing Diversity”. the Native Americans by Tanner Silva,
In the fun filled workshop, RICV staff Project Director, Native American Inde-
learned that diversities are limitless. They pendent Living Services of the Disability
learned the importance of embracing di- Services and Legal Center, in Ukiah.
versity to promote a conducive atmos- A presentation at the Sikh Temple at
phere in the workplace and while working Fresno by Bob, and coordinated by RICV
with consumers. board member Dr Sudarshan Kapoor, is
To give a direct experience with dif- on the anvil.
9 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Reaching Out In Many Ways..
tated by our Independ-
“I had a panic phone call this morn- ent living Specialist
ing. My customer Barney Morris meets
was worried that twice a month.
her benefits would The group not
stop”, “The woman only get to share their
was crying..she experiences and lend
had nowhere to support to one anoth-
go”...Worry, anxie- er, but also learn about
ty, unhappiness, any changes in laws CWIC Anne Marie Rennells
desolation..this is that affect them.
ILS Vidal Medina with Mary often what RICV
Murtagh of EAH housing. The meetings
staff act as a forum for our IL special-
face when they meet with cus- ists to keep the group informed
tomers every day. And that is on the latest trends in the area
the whole challenge- to help of disability that may affect their
ease as much of the pain and lives.
troubles that our customers un- In addition to this, is the
dergo in their lives. efforts to involve them in advo-
Working on this every day cating for themselves. The Cap-
are our Independent Living itol Action Day is one such
Specialists, Assistive Technolo- event that is used to the best
gy Advocates, Homelessness advantage by our staff to give
Prevention Specialists and Consumers at the Sequoia
consumers an opportunity to
Youth Counselors. Forest
meet with our legislators and
When a consumer ap- voice their opinion.
proaches RICV, assistance is often not Meanwhile, focus on the holistic ap-
limited to one area. Staff assess the indi- proach is not lost either. Staff organizes
vidual case, and work out a plan of action events and outings for consumers.
to provide help in as many areas as possi- One was a trip to the Sequoia Na-
ble. tional Park that helped them understand
We look at all factors; eligibility for that outings like this are accessible and
state benefits, housing needs, special affordable, opening new vistas.
technology to ease their day to day life, On an individual level, staff like
employment, and assistance to transition Community Work Incentive Coordinator
from nursing homes to the community. Anne Marie Rennells are quick to respond
Apart from individual assistance, to external situations. She worked with
staff are constantly working on providing consumers when the gas price went up,
group support, coming up with events to by holding meetings on the telephone,
educate and entertain, as well. which helped minimize their transportation
The peer support group that is facili- costs.
10 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Under The Umbrella of Special Projects
tential danger to the customer.
Some have been One of the highlights
living in their cars for this year was when RICV staff
over six months, some banded together to assist con-
are about to be thrown sumer Kenneth Jensen to reu-
out of their homes, still nite with his family back east.
others want to be able to Always active in the
move from nursing community, RICV is one of the
homes to the community. lead partners in the Project P4,a national
Often, some families are campaign to provide homes to 100,000
Kenneth Jensen just a paycheck away
vulnerable homeless persons.
from homelessness. Ad- Under the project, partner agencies
dressing all these needs is the Special worked for three mornings in one week,
Projects department of RICV. and conducted a survey of 285 individu-
Headed by Director Special Projects als. The goal is to house 320 of the most
Tamala Fields, our Homelessness Preven- medically fragile homeless population, by
tion and Rapid Rehousing Program and 2013.
the California Community Transitions Pro- The department also works on
gram address these specific issues. Emergency preparation. This involves
The area covered by this depart- everything from planning with the city offi-
ment is vast. Staff is constantly on call, cials on natural emergencies, and how
answering requests for appointments, best to assist persons with disabilities to
screening consumers, jumping to meet taking care of flu prevention.
emergency needs, et al. Housing Resource Advocate Caris-
Helping customers with housing is sa Miller has started monthly workshops
not simply about helping them with locat- on Credit Repair and Money Management
ing housing and paying the first and last to help consumers address the dual is-
month’s rent. It is also about helping with sues of housing and finances.
emergency food supplies and furniture
needs.
This is especially so, in the case
of consumers who move from nursing
homes to the community. In such cas-
es, the assistance is comprehensive.
Not only does the staff help with
finding appropriate and accessible
housing, but they also work with PG&E,
the telephone companies, medical per-
sonnel and with the Assistive Technol-
ogy Department to ensure that the Consumers attend Credit Repair & Money Management
transfer is smooth and free of any po- Workshop at RICV.
11 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Teach A Man To Fish...
RICV has been working
vigorously towards changing the
environment of Job development
in the employment sector in
terms of hiring persons with disa-
bilities.
Though there is much to change in
terms of pre conceived notions of hiring
persons with disabilities, personal interac-
tion during job development does much to
change it, says RICV Job Development
Coordinator Chandra Woods. Job Developer Diann Perez with consumer
Creative Careers staff work closely Carson Enns
with the Department of Rehabilitation.
There are as many as six referrals from brooke Development and Cobalt Creative
DOR for External Service Assessment Recording Services.
(ESA) every month. Apart from this, to enhance rural job
This is one RICV department that development, RICV is preparing a pilot
has increased its staff by three positions in program to address the problems in rural
the last six months, expanding its area of areas.
service to Delano and Bakersfield. Once in place, RICV plans to bring
On a much larger level, RICV out a handbook on collaborative rural job
launched its Access to Hire job consorti- development systems, a vocational reha-
um. The purpose- to provide a single point bilitation manual. In addition, RICV plans
of contact between job development con- to prepare a manual for the job develop-
sortium and business drawn from different ment consortium and ECHO.
industries in the Central Valley. We are looking at facilitating replica-
In addition, it also launched its tion of the rural job development models
Employer Centered Hiring Organization in other parts of the state.
(ECHO) group. This provides an integrat- Meanwhile, the Creative Careers
ed resource for employment services for staff are working at changing lives through
job developers and employers. employment. Fresno has placed 38 per-
ECHO helps bring demand and sons with disabilities in employment since
need areas of employers and job seekers June 2010, 15 in Visalia, 12 in Merced
to each other. Employers will have access one in Madera.
to previously vetted job seekers that meet Our newly-appointed job developers
minimum qualifications they are looking to in Bakersfield and Delano are on the job,
hire. MOUs have already been signed raking up the numbers as they help indi-
with Denham Resources, Jessi B’s Salon viduals with employment.
and Boutique, Simon Marketing, Ash-
12 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Job Placement Seminars
job placement occurs on a day to day ba-
We had six successful job place- sis at the Creative Careers department.
ment improvement workshops in the state. Our job developers constantly go in-
This was a follow up on our Return on In- to the community, seeking employers who
vestment study that showed that RICV are open to hiring persons with disabili-
has given more than 100 per cent return ties. They work with consumers in prepar-
on investment through its services. ing resumes, doing
These workshops, facilitated by job search and
CARF Managing Director Paul Andrew coaching them on in-
and CSACO consultant John Byrnes, terview skills. One
drew over 40 participants in each location. such consumer is
We had staff from the state and Mathew Peterson.
county departments as well as non– profit Mathew, who is in his
organizations signing up for the seminars. Mathew Peterson early 20s, worked ac-
Among the participants were staff tively with RICV Job
from Department of Rehabilitation includ- Development Coordinator Chandra
ing Chief of Independent Living Services Woods to land a job.
Ana Acton, and staff from the California He put in over 15 applications a day,
School for the Deaf, San Bernardino Val- got eight interviews a week and got a job
ley College, Ability First, Goodwill Indus- within 90 days of approaching RICV. All
tries, Employment Development Depart- this despite the challenge of learning disa-
ment, Community Catalysts of California, bilities.
the ARC of San Diego to name a few. Mathew is already putting in 22
The seminars were held between hours of work a week and trying to get as
December 2010 and April 2011 at Rancho many extra hours as he can. His manager
Cucamonga, Sacramento, Los Angeles, at the food chain he works at says, ”I wish
San Diego, Bakersfield, and Fresno. I could get more staff like him”.
Those were the seminar, but actual
Job Development Improvement workshop in Sacramento
13 Resources for Independence Central Valley
BRIDGES To The Community
dustries and
A other places to
fishing learn about
camp, a working there.
formal They also
dance, learned how to
bowling, fill out forms
employ- like park per-
ment and During the summer camp at a grocery mission slips
transpor- store
and VA appli-
Learning skills together at the summer camp tation cations. Next to be helped were the
work- young adults . The BRIDGES team orga-
shops, hands on training on riding the nized two workshops-one on transporta-
FAX buses, et al– This was yet again, one tion and the other on employment prepa-
more fun filled and active year for the dy- ration.
namic BRIDGES team of RICV. The young adults at the employment
A four week activity filled summer preparation workshop, not only learned
camp was organized for school children about preparing resumes, how to dress
with disabilities in the counties of Fresno and present themselves, but also had the
and surrounding areas. opportunity to put
The 16 youth who signed up, their newly ac-
learned quired knowledge
many to test at the
skills— Mayor’s Youth
travel, Job Fair.
social For enter-
and vo- tainment, there
cational, was an opportuni-
that in- ty for young adults
cluded to go fishing at
riding on Millerton Lake.
public Teaching
Meeting Congressman Henry T Perea buses,
at the Fresno Convention Center them early to ad-
shop- vocate for them-
ping at BRIDGES counselor Suzanna
Gamez at Employment selves was Ileana
grocery stores, volunteering at the Veter- Preparation workshop Perez, who
ans hospital and learning to use the public worked with our
gymnasium etc. Systems Change Advocates to take the
This year 19 young adults who at- young adults to the state capitol on Capi-
tended the summer camp were taken to tol Action Day and also on a tour to the
John’s Incredible Pizza, the Goodwill In- Fresno City Hall.
14 Resources for Independence Central Valley
What Consumers Say
Some call, still others walk in. Let- for me to the Equestrian therapy pro-
ters come regularly from the inmates of gram. It is called Mind Over Matter. It
prisons. Some are referrals from agencies has really been great for me physically
like the Department of Rehabilitation. and all around.
Consumers reaching out to RICV You know its expensive-$25 for
services come from all walks of life, all
kinds of life situations, and troubles. They half an hour. So I wrote a letter to the
have one thing in common– A Clovis Rodeo Association, asking if they
de- sire to rise would sponsor me. Last week they called
above the situ- me to say yes, they would for the next
ation. two months. Isn’t that great! Now I
There
want to r encourage them to
ou g- vest in an all round
are men,
women and in- y
ch reco -
sometimes mu e scholarship fund
w n is nom ce
transgender- who ho tio e n to provide for
cannot get govern- o w ca ph ere l-
kn edi u do diff Co more than
ment services, since they are
C V d yo e .
bl M just me.
still mid way into their sex RI and of di arin
change process, and at nt, All cre K The
o u e . n in .”-
y tm ty director of the
of mmi uni e a ople
hence qualify for nei-
ther the men’s or al l o m ad e program Km Jones
the women’s e k , c c om e m y p
p r
ho e v an works so much with her
shelter. “ I d wo th ha o m lege
r by and f s Col 20+ clients that she hasn't
ha ed
Some-
rk o ty time to raise funds for that. So I
s
niz wo live o Ci
times we are
l
na the esn thought, I’d give it a try since I had
able to give them
r
in , F
help instantly, some success with my first letter.
sometimes we have
lins to
Thank you so much. This therapy is my
work with the consum- ers
over months and years, helping little bit of joy that I’d been missing.
them reach their goals. Sincerely
While there is always the satisfac- Nancy Patterson
tion of a job well done, more gratifying is Our assistance does not stop
the notes, cards and e mails sent by with one individual as this letter exempli-
grateful consumers. fies.
So reads this letter to our Assistive It covers families and communities
Technology Advocate Reyes Sandoval: as well as those who are helped, in turn
Dear Reyes, reach out to help yet others!
Thank you for doing the referral
15 Resources for Independence Central Valley
The Dollar Factor: Income & Expenditure
16 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Numbers Say It All..
Website Analysis
Last year, we were
happy to present a report Going further, we were curious to
that RICV showed 124% re- see how our webpage fared in the world
turn on investment.
of world wide web…The figures are mind
This year, we are hap-
py to continue to report a boggling! Since July last year, our web-
positive trend in our finances. site has had nearly 27000 views, of which
A financial review by many were from countries around the
the Non-Profit Finance Fund showed that world. We have had people searching our
RICV has consistently shown an operating website all the way from Russia, Canada,
surplus of eight per cent, every year, in
Australia to Spain, Egypt, India and Cam-
the last three years. No mean feat this —
at a time of downward swing in the global bodia! In the state of California alone, we
economy. had over 7000 views from 202 cities!
According to the report, RICV re- Consumers served
serve and cash flow has seen a steady in- When a consumer approaches us,
crease in the recent years. RICV’s operat- we at RICV do the initial intake and once
ing has grown an average of 21 per cent approved for services, prepare a plan of
each year in the last five years. Its net as- action with the consumer. This means, we
sets have grown by 17 per cent each year. look at all the different levels that we can
In fact, the report goes on to say help consumers achieve their goal-be it
that RICV should be commended for the getting benefits, employment, or becom-
operating surpluses of 6 to 8 per cent, be- ing more independent.
cause it has allowed the organization to In the last fiscal year alone, we have
cover its full cost of business from 2007 to served over 500 consumers, and provided
2010. This includes meeting depreciation them with 1500 services. This means that
expenses and purchases of fixed assets in many cases, one consumer has re-
and strengthening the organizations bal- ceived a wide spectrum of service from
ance sheet. our organization. Since October last year,
Consistent unrestricted operating we have served 441 consumers.
surpluses have steadily increased the or- Apart from helping consumers who
ganization’s liquidity. At the end of approach the organization, RICV staff ac-
FY2010, RICV was able to cover 2.5 tively go out in the community to provide
months of operating expenses with availa- better services. Staff has spent over 5000
ble cash and four months with liquid as- hours in the community in the last fiscal
sists. Keeping with the steady growth in year, be it in advocacy, networking, or out-
the company, we are moving towards a reach. Our WIPA program has 186 con-
more centralized database, that links all sumers of which 45 are currently em-
our satellite centers. ployed.
17 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Keynote Speaker — Michael Hingson
chael was district sales manager for
Blind from Quantum Data Protection Division of Ir-
birth, Michael vine, Calif., overseeing a sales force and
Hingson, a field operations.
salesman had He has a Master’s degree in Physics
two close calls. from the University of California at Ir-
The second one vine. He is a former member of the Cali-
changed his life fornia State Guide Dog Board, and is a
– it was the 9/11 member of the National Federation of the
attack. Blind.
Hingson
A word on Roselle
today is a national speaker on the topic of
We, at RICV wish to acknowledge
trust and teamwork. Rightly so, since it
the passing of Roselle, on June 26 this
was the trust he vested in his dog Roselle
year. All of us had been looking forward to
that brought him safely down 78 flights of
seeing this world fa-
stairs in the rapidly crumbling tower of the
mous canine at the
World Trade Center.
annual event.
Despite the panic, the screams and
Roselle, was
the odor of smoke, Hingson kept his cool
born on March 12,
and escaped from becoming one of the
1998 at Guide Dogs
many tragic victims in the shocking attack.
for the Blind in San
Nearly two decades earlier, Hingson es-
Rafael, California,
caped death when the flight he was origi-
Michael met her on November 22, 1999.
nally scheduled to take crashed on take-
She was his fifth guide dog. Michael plans
off. Everybody aboard that flight was
to start Roselle’s Dream Foundation in her
killed.
memory. Read more about Roselle on
Since 9/11, Hingson has been in the
www.michaelhingson.com
international spotlight, as an example of
the positive bond be-
tween a guide dog and As a blind person living in today’s world I
its user. want people to see that while there are many
He has appeared different kinds of people, each with their own
on talk shows like Larry different gifts, we all can live and work to-
King Live and is much
sought after nationally gether if we choose to open our minds and
and internationally to hearts and become a more inclusive world.
share his story. There are positive lessons to be learned from
Prior to becoming every tragedy, and 9-11 is certainly no ex-
the National Public Affairs ception.”
Representative for Guide
Dogs for the Blind, Mi- Michael Hingson
18 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Our Award Winners This Year Are...
Olegario D. Cantos VII Award: Teresa Favuzzi , Executive
Director, California Foundation of Independent Living Centers
With over ten years of experience in the Disability Rights Move-
ment, Teresa Favuzzi , has successfully headed the California Foun-
dation of Independent Living Centers for the last four years as Execu-
tive Director.
Teresa, who has lived with autoimmune disorder since the ten-
der age of five, holds an MSW with a concentration in Community Or-
ganizing from San Francisco State University.
She has been very active in the field, advancing diversity and cultural compe-
tence of disability organizations, organizing and mobilizing the California Disability
Communities around issues that impact our lives , and encouraging emerging leaders
with disabilities through her leadership on the steering committee of the Youth Leader-
ship Forum for Students with Disabilities.
Teresa has served and is serving on many boards and committees including the
California 1115 Waiver Stakeholders Committee, California Consortium on Emergency
Preparedness and Developmental Disabilities, Advisory member to Department of So-
cial Services Functional Assessment Service Teams and many others.
Paula McElwee, Consultant, Alfred R. Thompson Award
Currently, the President of the Board of Directors of Resources
for Independence Central Valley, Paula McElwee and her dog Ollie
are a welcome pair when they reach out to the community.
Ollie is certified by Therapy Dogs International and is a Tail
Waggin' Tutor, the official name for the program at the library and
school where children read out loud to him. Paula and Ollie also vol-
unteer as a team at the Gillis Library Branch weekly, on occasion at
Kaiser Medical Center and San Joaquin Gardens. Paula, also volunteers teaching
children at her church.
She is an independent consultant, working with non-profit organizations to assist
with strategic planning, board training, and interim leadership.
Paula grew up in Illinois and went to college in Western Nebraska and attended
graduate school in Hays, Kansas where she lived for 25 years. During that time she
was the first director of one of the first ten Centers for Independent Living funded un-
der the Rehabilitation Act, Operation LINK (now known as LINK, Inc. She received a
Master in Rehabilitation Administration from the University of San Francisco in 1983.
She moved to Fresno, California with her family in 2000.
19 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Our Award Winning Consumers This Year Are...
Community Advocate Exceptional Consumer
Albert George Curtis: [Fresno & Madera]
Actively involved in the Disability Ad- Ray Ramos:
vocacy Committee at Visalia, Albert is Ray knew exactly what direction he want-
very passionate about the ADA regulation ed to take when he was referred to RICV
and enjoys sharing his knowledge and ex- Ticket to Work Program.
pertise in the area. Under the guidance of Community
He has been actively involved in the Work Incentive Coordinator Anne Marie
Visalia Peer Support Group and takes the Rennells Ray was qualified for a PASS
time to pick up and drop other consumers plan that would help him obtain a degree
who want to attend the meeting, but do in human resources.
not have transportation. Ramos’s pass plan not only pays for
Albert is very active in the communi- his education, but also includes a comput-
ty and advocates for himself and other er and a car so that he can complete his
people with disabilities. degree and gain employment.
It is Ramos’ confidence in knowing
Inspirational Youth what he wanted to do, and be able to ad-
Laura Lehr: vocate to the agencies to assist him help
A talented artist, Laura became a achieve his dreams that is commendable.
consumer of the BRIDGES program in
January this year. Exceptional Consumer
Since that time, she has demon-
strated a unique drive to accomplish goals
[Fresno & Madera]
Vernon Lawson:
she has set for herself. With her drive, she
A veteran, Vernon Lawson has
accomplished her goals in a short time.
shown great determination and tenacity to
She volunteered for RICV, devel-
becoming independent.
oped a resume, went to a job fair and vis-
Despite many challenging circumstances
ited every booth in search of a job. She
connected to this case, Lawson, regularly
did not stop there.
visited RICV on foot. Many times he would
After that, she continued to submit
visit RICV several times a week and never
her applications, until she was finally hired
missed an appointment.
by VONs grocery store in early June this
Through his diligence, Lawson ob-
year. In a short span of six months, Laura
tained an apartment from the Shelter Plus
had achieved all the goals she had set for
Care Program with RICV acting as his re-
herself. She is a true inspiration and great
ferring agency. In turn, he graduated from
role model to the youth.
the VA’s transitional housing program.
Not only that, Laura advocated to
Despite many responsibilities, he
her own family and informed them of ser-
continues to attend the VA’s homeless and
vices that they could avail as well.
drug rehabilitation programs every week
day and still actively participates in RICV
20 Resources for Independence Central Valley
services and informational workshops. up and applied for jobs almost every day.
Exceptional Consumer He also diligently followed up with the
RICV staff every week. He was hired on
[Visalia] July this year and works as shuttle bus
Mark Shook: driver for Tulare county.
Mark is a dedicated hard working individu-
al who wants to give back to the society. Successful Employment
When Mark realized he was slowly losing [Fresno]
his vision, he did not despair. He immedi- Eulalio Alcala
ately enrolled in the School for the Blind at It is his dedication, commitment that
Los Angeles. He learned how to read in qualifies Eulalio for this award.
braille and also acquainted He approached RICV
himself with assistive technol- Creative Careers department
ogy to be able to function in- in November last year. He
dependently. sought help looking for job
He is currently taking social since he wanted to pay his
work classes at the College of bills. He wanted a job where he
the Sequoias. Yet, driven by a could be productive. Always on
desire to help, he volunteers time, dependable, team player.
his time with RICV. He not on- He also did volunteer work in
ly is an active member of our Sanger. He is bilingual.
Peer Support Group, but also He was always on time for job
assisted Visalia staff when leads.
they organized a day out to Any time there is a call
the Sequoia National Park for the differ- from RICV staff, Eulalio responds immedi-
ently abled. ately, and never misses an appointment.
With a personal knowledge about the He now works as a security guard, a
problems associated with visual impair- job that not only pays him but covers all
ment, Mark is an active advocate and his benefits as well.
helps others with disabilities. Best Business Award
Successful Employment San Joaquin Valley College
[Visalia] San Joaquin Valley College has
Mark Craig shown great initiative in hiring one of our
Mark has been a consumer with consumers on merit alone.
Creative Careers since November last They hired our consumer and within
year. six months, he was moved to a full time
He is an extremely motivated and position.
works very hard. He has displayed great Since 1977 San Joaquin Valley Col-
tenacity in hunting for jobs. lege has helped more than 30,000 people
Though he faced many challenges get the skills that lead to satisfying and re-
while searching for jobs, Mark never gave warding careers.
21 Resources for Independence Central Valley
RICV Board Of Directors
Paula McElwee Janice Brown Carol Rankin Anthony Gracian
Bonnie Rusko Gayle Black Russell Ryan Sky Ntxwj
Selina Escobar Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor Susan Thompson Alicia Coates
Board of Directors
President :Paula McElwee [Consultant]; VP: Janice Brown [Director, CSUF]
Secty: Carol Rankin [Professor, CSUF]; Treasurer: Anthony Gracian [Student,
Fresno Pacific University]
Members: Bonnie Rusko [Retired, Army]; Gayle Black [Vice President, CA Trust
& Bank]; Russell Ryan [Attorney]; Sky Ntxwj [Graduate, CSUF]; Selina Escobar
[HealthNet]; Dr Sudarshan Kapoor [Professor Emeritus, CSUF] ;Susan Thomp-
son [Graduate, CSUF]; Alicia Coates, [Reporter-KGPE Television]
22 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Strong Amidst Changes
opers to
This has been perhaps a year most help us
Farewell to Jimmie Soto
wrought with staff turnover. with our
January saw us bidding farewell to additional
two long term employees-Program Direc- responsi-
tor Jimmie Soto and Office Manager Tony bilities at
Ko. Both had served RICV for over 10 Kern
years. County.
Soon followed Director Systems Two
Change Kellie Longo-Albarran and some more po-
others. sitions Farewell to Program Director Jimmie Soto
That did not disrupt the functioning were cre-
of RICV. There was a seamless take over ated in Merced and Visalia for CWIC and
of the work, be it events or consumer as- rural job developers.
sistance. The reason behind this is our New positions of Community Organ-
emphasis on sustainability. Staff at RICV izer with Joanna Zamora, administrative
is constantly training their coworkers on all clerk, and Transitions evaluator were cre-
their vital duties. ated at Fresno to meet our increasing
No single person holds the key to growth. A Domestic Violence Outreach
any service we offer. This means that our Advocate has been created and is waiting
service continues without disruption, no to be filled at Madera.
matter what the staffing changes are. In all we have grown to a 43 mem-
Bidding farewell to some staff, ber strong staff at RICV.
means only welcoming more diverse tal- Of interest is that some of our em-
ent into the RICV workforce. We now ployees were once our consumers. Elev-
have Linda Hightower, formerly of Good- en of our employees, were placed through
will Industries, replacing Kellie. our Creative Careers and the Work Incen-
While replacements are one thing, tive Planning Assistance Program. Com-
RICV has actually been expanding its munity Work Incentive Coordinator Anne
staff, to include new positions. Marie Rennells herself has placed six con-
Joseph Cody, our new computer sumers on the RICV staff. Of these, many
whiz joined have completed over a year, while one
us as Pro- has been with us in full time employment
gram Spe- for over five years.
cialist.
We
have had We bid farewell to two Board
as many members Carlos Duarte [City of
as two ad- Fresno] and Mary Long [Non
Fun times at the RICV annual office party
ditional profit sector], this year.
job devel-
23 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Staff: Fresno
Back row from left: Raymond Perry, Carissa Miller, Vanessa Pulido, Patrick Atkins, Anna Maria Ha-
vens, Suzanne Ames, Robert J Hand, Linda Hightower, Joseph Cody, Jennifer Coke, Nori Nadzri
Romero, Darcy Pickens, Desta Barnes.
Front row from left: Elissa Anaya, Anne Marie Rennells, Traci Wood, Anuradha Gajaraj, Joanna Za-
mora, Hideki Yatabe.
Not in the pictures: Illeana Perez, Maria Olivarez, Reyes Sandoval, Robin Shaw, Tamala Fields.
Executive Director: Robert J. Hand Job development coordinator: Chandra Woods
Fresno Center: 30 Job developer: Diann Perez
Administrative assistant: Anuradha Gajaraj Program specialist: Joseph Cody
Administrative clerk: Theresa Verduzco Receptionist/Program assistant : Nori Nadzri-
Assistant bookkeeper: Jennifer Coke Romero
Assistant job developer/Clerical: Traci Wood Staff/Community interpreter: Robin Shaw
Assistive technology advocates: Reyes Sando- Systems change advocate: Anna Maria Havens
val, Maria Olivarez Merced Center:5
Billing clerk/program assistant: Desta Barnes CAP advocate/IL Specialist: Loronda Norah
BRIDGES counselor/SOAR liaison:Ileana Perez Independent living specialist: Lynornces
BRIDGES counselor: Suzanna Gamez Downum-Hanzal
CAP advocate: Suzanne Ames Job developer: Marina Fisher
Community organizer: Joanna Zamora Job developer assistant: Michelle Beard –
Community work incentive coordinator: Anne Quimby
Marie Rennells Community work incentive Coordinator: David
Director resource development: Darcy Pickens Tablett
Director special projects: Tamala Fields Visalia Center: 5
Director Core Services: Linda Hightower Center coordinator: Nachi Kinsel
Finance manager: Patrick Atkins Community work incentive coordinator: Erik
Homelessness prevention specialist: Ellissa Merriman
Anaya Independent Living Specialist: Nalor See
Homelessness prevention outreach specialist: Rural job developer: Erika Trujillo
Hideki Yatabe Job developer South Valley- Brittney Nicole
Housing resource advocate: Carissa Miller Deming
Independent living specialists: Barney Morris, Kern County: 2
Jennifer Kungu, Michael Mendez, Vidal Medina, Job developers– Jess Camacho, Lizania M Her-
Raymond Perry nandez
24 Resources for Independence Central Valley
Staff: Visalia, Merced, Fresno and Kern County
Chandra Woods and
Diann Perez
Visalia Staff from Left: Erika Trujillo, Erik
Merriman, Nachi Kinsel, Brittney Nicole
Not in the pictures-
Delano: Jess
Camacho From left:Suzanna Gamez, Vidal Medina, Barney
Morris, Jennifer Kungu & Michael Mendez
Merced Staff from Left : Michelle Beard-Quimby,
Bakersfield: Lizania Marina Fisher, David Tablett, Lorondah Norah and
Hernandez seated Lynornces Downum-Hanzal.
25 Resources for Independence Central Valley
MISSION
RICV partners with individuals and the community to encourage peo-
ple with disabilities to be in control of their lives and to live more in-
dependently through a diverse range of choices and opportunities
VISION
Persons with disability in the Central Valley and in our larger commu-
nities and society will have high self- esteem and live enriched, self-
directed lives.
GOALS
Advocate legal rights
Enable independence of people with disabilities
Fight for consumer control and consumer choice
Provide services
Promote education and awareness
Work towards integration and acceptance within the community
Services offered by RICV
Assistive Technology
Bridges-High School Transition
Client Assistance Program
Creative Careers-Job Development
Communication Access
Housing Resources
Independent Living Skills
Information & Referral
Peer Support
Systems Change Advocacy
Transition Program
Work Incentive Planning Assistance
RICV is an IRS recognized 501[c][3] community benefit organization
26 Resources for Independence Central Valley
www.ricv.org
RICV Fresno
3008 N Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703
Ph: 559. 221.2330, Video Ph:559.408.5185, Fax: 559.221.2340
RICV Merced
710 W. 18th, Suite 5, Merced, CA 95340
Ph: 209.383.1683, Fax: 209.725.9153
RICV Visalia
220 N. Santa Fe St., Suite 120, Visalia, CA 93292
Ph: 559.622.9276, Fax: 559.622.9368
Meet us on Facebook & our other websites...
www.accesstohire.org
www.centralvalleychs.org
www.nationalcla.org
27 Resources for Independence Central Valley
SERVING SINCE 1976
28 Resources for Independence Central Valley