HRA Mission Statement
Governor’s Budget Proposal Impacts HRA Programs & Consumers
On January 10th, Governor Schwarzenegger released the state’s proposed spending plan for FY 2005/06. While the state’s fiscal problems call for difficult choices and spending cuts to bring expenditures in line with revenue received, the administration’s proposal seeks to solve the budget gap with disproportionate cuts to social services. Included in the budget are significant reductions for health and human services and major program reforms for CalWORKs and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). CalWORKs The governor has recommended $650 million in cuts to CalWORKs grants and services. The budget calls for a 6.5% reduction in cash assistance grants for families and seeks to permanently eliminate the annual cost-of-living adjustment for CalWORKs recipients, amounting to a loss of $47 for a family of three. The budget also includes a $62.1 million reduction to CalWORKs related employment services, including job training and childcare. CalWORKs eligibility requirements would also be tightened by reducing the amount of earnings families may exclude from their income in determining eligibility for CalWORKs cash assistance. Currently, families are allowed to deduct $225 plus 50% of their remaining earned income. The governor’s proposal would reduce these levels to $200 and 40%. This would mean that a family of three would become ineligible for CalWORKs cash assistance if the family’s income exceeds $1310 per month. CalWORKs Child Care The budget proposal also seeks to change how eligibility for subsidized child care is determined. Currently, families are eligible if their incomes are at or below 75% of the state median income. Under current rules, a family of three with an income of $35,100 would be eligible. The proposed changes could reduce the number of families eligible for the state’s subsidized child care programs over the long term. The budget would also reduce the amount of time families can receive child care services. In-Home Supportive Services The Administration proposes a number of changes to the IHSS program to reduce spending including eliminating the state’s participation in IHSS wages above the state’s minimum wage of $6.75/hour. Currently, the state pays a share of cost for IHSS provider wages up to $10.10/hour. In Santa Cruz County, IHSS provider wages are $9.50/hour, plus $.60/hour for health benefits. The proposed budget would result in reduced wages for providers or require the county to greatly increased its contribution to maintain existing wage levels. These program reforms and budget reductions would have a significant impact on people most in need in Santa Cruz County. The reduction in IHSS wages would impact 1400 IHSS providers serving 1600 frail elderly and disabled individuals of all ages. CalWORKs program reforms would affect up to 2000 families struggling to survive at far below the federal poverty level in our county. These reforms would take away supportive services and resources that help families move off aid and into the local workforce. While these proposals may help balance the budget in the short term, they are not without long term consequences. They would cut deeper into programs that serve our County’s most vulnerable citizens—the frail elderly, the disabled, and the poor—further eroding the safety net for those most in need, and promoting the cycle of poverty in our community.
We Strive to strengthen families by assuring safety, promoting self-sufficiency, eliminating poverty, and improving the quality of life in our community. We Serve children, youth,
families and individuals who may be job seekers, veterans, disabled, medically uninsured, abused or neglected, frail or vulnerable, or in need of
We Value . . . Compassion
We are motivated by the recognition that each person we assist is an individual with worth and
Partnership
We join with public and private partners to provide leadership for and support to the wider human services movement, and facilitate workforce preparation and economic vitality.
Excellence
We value quality service, professionalism, integrity and mutual respect. We are committed to continuous learning, and promote teamwork and creativity.
With the release of the Governor’s FY 2005/06 spending plan in January, we are facing the fourth consecutive year of significant budget reductions to health and human service programs. As you know from previous years, the Governor’s budget proposal is a starting point for negotiations which will continue over the next several months. Between now and when a final budget is passed, many things can change. While I hope the Governor and legislature will do the right thing and restore funding to the social service programs targeted for budget reductions, it appears that we will face yet another year of challenges with less funding to support HRA programs and services. Despite difficult times, HRA will continue to be proactive and will look for creative strategies to maintain services and provide support for our consumers, and we will work with our community partners to preserve the safety net for those most in need. With budget cuts eroding safety net services, now more than ever it is important that we look for ways to join forces with our community partners to ensure that the needs of our county’s most vulnerable and at-risk individuals are met. No Cecilia Espinola, Director single agency can solve the many complex problems faced by individuals and Human Resources Agency families burdened by poverty. By partnering with other agencies we can maximize our resources, better serve our clients, and respond more effectively to local community needs. This issue of the H Files highlights some of HRA’s partnerships with the community. You will read how we are working with community partners to reduce hunger, improve outcomes for children, and create better paying job opportunities. You will also read how our community partners help us respond to the needs of our consumers in times of crisis and when new needs emerge. But even as we partner with other agencies, it is important to remember that services are delivered by people. Effective community partnerships are built upon the dedicated efforts of committed individuals who are passionate about the work they do. Every day, in every division of our agency, staff continue to build on relationships with our community partners by working collaboratively to protect, support and serve our county’s most vulnerable citizens. I want you all to know that, just as I value our partners in the community, I value your individual efforts to meet the needs of our consumers. As we continue to weather these tough fiscal times, we are fortunate to have partners in the community who share our commitment and support our agency’s efforts to preserve the safety net for children, the elderly and disabled, and individuals and families living in poverty.
Community Partnerships ....................................................................Page Inside HRA: Administration ..............................................................................Page CareerWorks .................................................................................Page Family & Children’s Services .......................................................... Page Adult & Long Term Care ................................................................Page Benefit Services ............................................................................Page Staff News .............................................................................. Pages 7 & Kudos Corner ...................................................................................Page
Inside This Issue …
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Credits For This Issue:
Contributing Authors: Linda Kerner, Community Partnerships; Gary McNeil, Administration; Don Allegri, Family & Children’s Services; Jeanette Renee, Adult and Long Term Care; Ken Burke, Benefit Services. Photo Credits: Gary McNeil, Human Services Commission; Shmuel Thaler, Santa Cruz County Sentinel, Adult and Long Term Care; Jody Frommherz, Christmas Project. Linda Kerner, Editor; LeAnne Raphael, Publishing. Editor’s Notes: A big thank you to all the contributing authors, Rick Allemandi, and LeAnne Raphael for their ongoing assistance in bringing these issues of the H-Files to you!
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Community Partners Work To Stamp Out Hunger
In 2003, the Community Assessment Project (CAP) of Santa Cruz County reported some disturbing statistics about poverty and hunger in the county. According to the CAP, nearly one in five individuals surveyed reported going without basic necessities—a 92% increase since 1999, and 46% of people lacking basic needs said they went without food. The CAP also reported that Latinos were more than twice as likely as Caucasians to say they had to do without basic needs, including food. In an effort to respond to the problem of hunger in our county, several community agencies joined forces to collaborate on the USDA Food Stamp Outreach Grant Project. The project’s goal was to reduce hunger by increasing food stamp participation for all eligible low-income families, with strategic outreach efforts targeting Latino and immigrant families. Community partners developed strategies to address identified barriers to food stamp participation which included a lack of knowledge among Latinos about the application process and immigrant families’ fears that participation would affect their immigration status. Project activities included direct outreach to potential food stamp recipients, eligibility screening using software developed by Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, food stamp application assistance, and public education. Second Harvest Food Bank spearheaded the project providing key staff, including the Project Manager and Lead Outreach Worker. HRA was involved in the project planning stages and provided outreach worker training, food stamp application tracking, project coordination and outcome data. La Manzana Community Resources, Salud Para La Gente and Familia Center each dedicated a staff member to work half-time as an outreach worker and to provide case management services for applicants they assisted. Applied Survey Research helped with data analysis, preparation of reports and project evaluation. The greatest success of the project was in educating the legal immigrant population about food stamps and increasing food stamp participation among the Latino population. Fifty-six percent of the project’s applications were for Latino applicants and 72% were from clients whose primary language was Spanish. The most effective outreach strategy was the direct contact made by outreach workers with potential food stamp recipients, totalling 31,663 during the two-year duration of the project! A Public Service Announcement (PSA) produced by the project was successful in promoting food stamp awareness amongst the project’s target population. Food Stamp Hotline calls increased from a monthly average of 140 calls to 235 calls during TV PSA runs. The California Nutrition Network plans to distribute the PSA to agencies throughout California to promote food stamp utilization state-wide. A short video answering commonly asked questions about Food Stamps, narrated by Assemblyman Simon Salinas, was also produced and will soon be available for nationwide distribution.
USDA Food Stamp Outreach Project Community Partners
Second Harvest Food Bank
Familia Center
Salud Para La Gente
Community Bridges La Manzana Community Resources
Applied Survey Research
HRA Receives Hunger Heroes Award Nomination for a long standing commitment to
The Food Stamp Outreach Project’s final report concluded that the partnership increase food stamp program of agencies working together to solve a community problem greatly contributed participation for eligible individuals to the project’s success. The greatest success, however, is measured by the The Hunger Heroes Award is a fact that 457 individuals and families whose lives were touched by the project national award of the USDA, are no longer burdened by hunger and going without food!
Food and Nutrition Services.
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Administration
The Human Services Commission: HRA’s Citizen Advisory Partner
The Human Services Commission is a citizen advisory committee established by the Board of Supervisors in 1991, to help “ensure the highest quality and maximum effectiveness of human services provided for the benefit of the citizens of Santa Cruz County.” The Commission’s role is to provide advice and counsel to HRA on best practices in the operation of the agency’s services. There are currently nine members on the ten-seat commission, two appointed by each County Supervisor. We are very fortunate to have dedicated and talented Commissioners who represent the diversity of our community. The following is a list of these committed volunteers with a brief summary of their community experience:
♦ Phyllis Wasserstrom is a retired social worker, and a 2003 United Way Community Hero for her extensive volunteer work. Phyllis has served as Chair of the Commission for a number of years. Marilyn Moore is a founding member of the Commission
♦
and Director for Community Bridges’ three pre-school centers. Marilyn currently serves as Commission Chair.
♦ ♦
Laura Grossman manages a dental practice and volunteers
for numerous community services.
Maria Stolz is a 34-year resident and artist, and also serves on the Area Agency on Aging for San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties. Mary Carlon has been involved in the South County
♦
community for many years, addressing youth, education, disabled, senior, housing, and numerous women’s issues, and ensuring access to resources and services.
Left to right: Joe Griffin, Marilyn Moore, Maria Stolz, Nancy Pringle, Laura Grossman, Mary Carlon and Stephanie Camacho. Not pictured: Phyllis Wasserstrom and Judi Sherman.
Human Services Commissioners
♦
Judi Sherman is a former Associate Director of the Mountain Community Resources and currently works
with a statewide agency that builds capacity in family resource centers and family support agencies. Judi also serves as Vice Chair of the Commission. of Directors of Mountain Community Resources.
♦ ♦ ♦
Joe Griffin recently retired from a career with the California Conservation Corps and serves on the Board Nancy Pringle is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has worked with children and youth through probation and child welfare services. Stephanie Camacho grew up in Santa Cruz County and serves as an aid to Supervisor Ellen Pirie.
Clearly this group of volunteer citizens has the experience and skills to be an effective partner in helping HRA guide long range human service planning. Their collective experience is a great asset given the wide range of issues the Commissioners address in their six meetings a year. The group regularly reviews legislation that may impact local human services, receives reports on Community Programs, and comments on new initiatives and programs under Development by HRA Divisions, such as CalWIN and the Child Welfare Services Self-Assessment. The Commission is currently in the process of reviewing funding priorities for the Child Care Developer Fee Loan Program to determine if new priorities should be established to meet the needs of our community.
HRA is indeed fortunate to be able to partner with the dedicated volunteers on the Human Services Commission to plan for better ways to serve and respond to emerging needs for low income individuals and families, disabled, seniors, and children in our the community!
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CareerWorks
Partnering With Community Agencies
Workforce Investment Board CareerWorks Cabrillo College Fast Track To Work Health Services Agency Local Employers
Allied Health X-Ray Technician Training Project
The Workforce Investment Board (WIB) was recently awarded $270,000 by the Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative to create a program to train and place incumbent Medical Assistants in X-Ray Technician positions. The Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative is a groundbreaking funding partnership that includes the State of California Employment Development Department and the philanthropic community led by the San Francisco Foundation. Planning for the project began in March when the Santa Cruz WIB submitted a concept paper responding to the Collaborative’s inaugural funding announcement seeking proposals to address shortages in Allied Health along with strategies for helping low wage health care workers advance to family sustaining jobs. The WIB met with representatives of the Health Career Partnership and reviewed local labor market data to determine areas of greatest need in the job market. The WIB will partner with Cabrillo College, CareerWorks and local employers including the Health Services Agency to develop and pilot a short-term limited permit X-Ray Technician Assistant curriculum. The project will increase the skills and wages of 22 incumbent low-income Medical Assistants and advance them to the level of X-Ray Technician.
Responding to Local Community Needs
Family & Children’s Services
FCS Receives $100,000 Grant For Dependency Drug Court
The Family & Children’s Services (FCS) Division, in conjunction with Health Services
Agency's Alcohol & Drug Treatment Services, applied for grant funds to develop a Dependency Drug Court to provide intensive services to parents of children ages 0-3 in out of home placement. Since substance abuse is involved in almost 80% of FCS cases, having a drug court provides an effective strategy to help these families.
Working Together Improving Outcomes For Children
The State recently notified our county that we will receive a grant for 2005 for over $99,000 to develop a Dependency Drug Court. The plan is to provide services to at least 30 parents with a goal of either expediting reunification or termination of parental rights so that a permanent plan can occur for a child. The Dependency Drug Court will use an “integrated” model, with a single judge hearing dependency issues and monitoring treatment progress. This process is similar to the Adult Drug Court already in place. Besides FCS and Alcohol & Drug’s participation, other key partners include the Juvenile Court Judge, County Counsel, and attorneys for minor and parents. Additionally, close collaboration will occur with various other programs like CalWORKS, Homeless Persons Health Project, Mental Health, and Probation. This new component will significantly improve the service capacity for substance abuse treatment. Having only one designated position, and related funding restrictions, has limited our ability to help these families (even with Briana’s dedicated services!). With this model we are expecting improvements in key areas, such as reduced length of stay in foster care and compliance to stay alcohol / drug free over designated periods of time. The actual implementation for the Dependency Drug Court is March 1, 2005 so major planning is occurring around program components and reporting/evaluation systems. We are only one of 9 counties to receive this grant, so it’s an exciting opportunity to improve our substance abuse services for parents / children!
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Key Partners ∗ ∗ ∗ Juvenile Court Judge County Counsel Attorneys (for child & parent)
Other Collaborative Partners ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ CalWORKs Homeless Persons Health Project Mental Health Probation
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Adult & Long Term Care
Watsonville Fire Displaces Adult Services Clients
The devastating fire that destroyed the Wall Street Inn on January 4th had a far-reaching impact on many Adult Services clients. One-quarter of the residents of the burned out building were recipients of Adult Services programs. Forced to vacate under emergency conditions, many left the building wearing nightclothes and leaving all personal belongings behind.
Lee Yamada, Red Cross (left) & Nancy Ramirez, HRA (right) visit former hotel residents at National 9 Motel.
Adult Services social workers were quick to respond. Candace Leverenz, South County IHSS Supervisor, made the initial contacts with the Red Cross and quickly identified all of the IHSS clients who were residents at the Wall Street Inn. Leticia Garcia, Nancy Ramirez and Monica Gomez (IHSS) made sure that displaced clients’ needs were met and that they all found new housing. Ophelia Alba helped coordinate information for IHSS providers. Cindy James helped find new housing for the displaced clients making many trips to Watsonville to help clients with forms and applications, transport them to new quarters and help them obtain basic necessities. Gail Alderman (MSSP) assisted with client relocation and organized community members to donate clothes and bedding to replace belongings lost in the fire. Joan Grewohl and Nancy Dybdahl, PHNs, responded immediately to the medical needs of the displaced clients. They worked with the Red Cross RN to make sure all medications and medical supplies that were lost in the fire were replaced as soon as possible. They also helped clients with visits to their physicians. Marta Hirsch and Linda Howe, Adult Protective Services (APS) social workers, gave emotional support to displaced clients, including two developmentally challenged young men with no family to turn to and a mentally impaired woman who they were able to place temporarily in a nursing home. Francie Newfield was in daily contact with all emergency response agencies and organizations. Her persistence and support was a key factor in maintaining needed temporary shelter until the clients were able to find more permanent housing. Adding to the challenge of responding to the needs of displaced clients, Adult Services staff housed at 12 West Beach Street were forced to vacate their offices and relocate to 1400 Emeline - so displaced clients were being served by displaced social workers! Despite difficult circumstances, Adult Services staff went above and beyond the call of duty during this crisis to ensure that the needs of their clients left homeless by the fire were met.
Benefit Services
Veterans Services See Influx of Returning Iraqi War Veterans
Veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan began returning home in May and June of 2004. The County Veterans Services Office (CVSO) has seen the numbers of returning veterans more than double recently, with many Reservists and National Guard members ending their military careers with multiple disabilities from their service. In addition to the physical disabilities sustained in combat and support operations, up to a third of these returning veterans face difficulty in readjusting to civilian life due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Surprisingly, many of these young men and women returning are as unaware of the benefits they are entitled to as were previous generations of veterans. The Santa Cruz CVSO, established by the County Board of Supervisors, exists to insure that these soldier-citizens who have given so much receive that which was promised them by the nation they served. The Office provides advocacy and assistance with securing the full range of federal, state and local benefits, including compensation, pension, health care, education, insurance, and VA and Cal-Vet home loans. The office also works in tandem with the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center in Capitola, which provides readjustment, grief and PTSD counseling. Together, our offices ensure that returning veterans who have endured trauma receive both treatment and claims assistance.
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If you know someone returning from the military, have them contact CVSO for a benefits review.
CVSO Office Locations: Santa Cruz 458-7110 Watsonville 763-4419
Coming Soon Veterans Newsletter
With items of interest to veterans and their dependents. Accessible on-line at www.santacruzvets.com (Available in late February)
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2004 HRA Employee Recognition Awards
Ann Woody, Supervising Clerk III
Ann supervises the Services and Supplies Unit that includes the mail room, copier repairs, office supplies, records retention, month-end mailings, business cards, duplicating orders, calendar orders, maintenance of all copy and fax machines and their supplies of toner, operating all mailroom equipment and keeping them in working order, and provides back-up for staff who are on leave or on vacation. She has a strong work ethic and pays attention to detail. She carries out her duties utilizing strong organizational and time management skills. Ann also carries out “other duties as necessary” with out fail, including clearing paper jams on a copy machines, personally delivering rush supply orders to any one of HRA’s many locations, magically appearing with a toner cartridge in the nick of time, allowing HRA staff to meet critical deadlines. She consistently demonstrates dedication to her duties, extraordinary endurance, and an unfailing willingness to assist anyone who asks for her help.
Paul Bellerjeau, Program Manager
Paul has been employed by the County of Santa Cruz for over 30 years, serving as an Eligibility Worker, Supervisor, and Program Manager. In his latest role as the CalWORKS Welfare Information Network (CalWIN) Program Manager, he is responsible for overseeing every area of planning and implementation of CalWIN. He ensures that staff are aware of tasks that need to be completed and guides them through the necessary steps to successful completion. His calm manner and extraordinary knowledge of CalWIN and HRA’s public assistance programs have been instrumental in moving staff towards successful implementation of this new automated system. His work will ensure that HRA is ready to shift to the new system in May, while maintaining high quality service to clients.
Emily Balli, Program Manager
Emily manages the multi-partner program, South County Workforce One-Stop Career Center with exceptional talent. She leads by example, is resourceful and knowledgeable. She has demonstrated decisive leadership by promoting supportive relationships, cooperative goals and trust among multiple service partners in the Sueños Collaborative, which attained the highest quality of education and employment services for youth residing in Watsonville. She has created a climate in which others can do their best by recognizing people’s contributions through active appreciation for their individual excellence, and by building a collective spirit of the community in the workplace to celebrate shared values and victories. She recognized the need for a training computer lab in Watsonville and immediately went to work to make arrangements for this new facility. Her extraordinary work ethic provided the drive to have the facility up and running in less than a week.
Award Nominees
Rosario Infante Bertha Zamora-Paredez Maribel Gomez Rocio Garcia
Lisa Harman Kevin Fitzgerald Rosie Cordova-Camacho Donna Ratliff Maria Ornelas Scott Cuttingham Martha Ramirez
Sandra Martinez Nancy Virostko Cathy Groh Kathy Stowell Fran Morris Lacie Gray Gail Goudreau
Gail Groves Emma Reyes Nancy Wilcox Sandy Skezas Candace Leverenz Francisco Juarez-Cahue Evelyn Hengeveld-Bidmon
Congratulations to the 2004 award winners and to all HRA Nominees. Thank you for your outstanding contributions to our agency and the community.
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HRA Bids Farewell to…………….
Melva Simmons graduated from San Diego State with a degree in Social Work in 1968, an event which marked the beginning of a 36-year career in social services! She worked in Child Welfare Services for Kern County for 25 years and then moved to Adult Services where she served as Public Guardian and supervisor for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. She also taught foster parent education classes at Bakersfield College and independent living skills to teens in foster care. Later she moved to Monterey where she worked for the county’s Mobile Outreach Services Team providing services to the homeless. In 1997, she joined HRA’s Adult Services staff as a supervisor for IHSS and in 2002 she promoted to Public Guardian and Adult Protective Services Manager. In her retirement, Melva looks forward to spending time with her daughters and 6 grandchildren. She also plans to pursue her musical interests again including playing piano and taking guitar classes. Melva will be missed by her coworkers, but we wish her well in her retirement.
Left to right:
Melva & HRA Friends Gail Goudreau, Melva,
Lannis Bright & Francie Newfield.
Jeanne Colbus retired from the county in December after more than 15 years of service. Jeanne was hired as a Typist Clerk I and was later promoted to Typist Clerk II. Through the years Jeanne worked on many data entry projects. One of the things she liked most about her job was being able to be creative and “fix” database problems. One of her biggest challenges was CMIPS, the IHSS database and reporting system. In her retirement, Jeanne will leave databases behind to spend time gardening, quilting, and maybe doing some painting. In the early 1990’s Jeanne dabbled in art. Working from photographs she took, Jeanne did watercolors which were shown at a Carmel art gallery. She loved to photograph airplanes and never missed a Watsonville Air Show! With no HRA databases to ‘fix”, she just might pick up her paint brushes again! Jeanne Colbus Linda Aron’s last day of work with HRA was December 31st. Hired in 1987, Linda worked for HRA for more than 18 years, serving in many capacities and working in a variety of programs. She was a Sr. Case Data Clerk for QA, spent time in AFDC as a Typist Clerk II and later moved to CPS to serve for 3 years in Emergency Response. As a Licensing Clerk for Day Care and Foster Care, Linda was among the first employees to move into the 1400 building. She left HRA to work in the Elections Department for four years as a Clerk III Voter Outreach Coordinator and in May 2001 she returned to HRA Fiscal to serve as a Sr. Account Clerk, the position she held until her retirement. Linda is looking forward to spending time with her children and four grandchildren. She also plans to do some traveling, including a trip to London with her husband in January to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
Linda Aron
Dora Jean Bemis retired from HRA in December after more than 13 years of service. Her last position was in HRA Fiscal working as a Sr. Account Clerk processing child care claims and filing child care program reports. Before coming to HRA, Jean worked as an Accounting Clerk for County Mental Health from 1988 to 1991 and as part-time staff for the Elections Department from 1985 to 1988. One of her biggest challenges was when Stage One child care came along bringing a huge influx of new people. But Jean said she loved her job because she loved accounting and working with numbers. She paid attention to details always checking for mid-month rate changes or other changes in cases to make sure claims were accurate when submitted for payment. When she retires Jean is looking forward to having more time to spend with her children and grandchildren.
Dora Jean Bemis
Eugenie Luna retired from HRA in October 2004, after 30 years of service to the agency. When she started working for HRA she was a Typist Clerk in the south county Eligibility Unit. During her years with HRA, she worked for Adult Services in the In-Home Support Services Program and for Family & Children’s Services Licensing and Foster Care. In September 2001 she accepted a position working in the fiscal department processing IHSS claims. Although she enjoyed working for the agency, in her retirement she is looking forward to having more time to spend with her granddaughter. Rumor has it, Eugenie has also been quite busy spending time with friends, going shopping and out to the movies. Eugenie Luna She may miss her coworkers at HRA, but Eugenie has had no difficulty adjusting to retirement living!
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In The Spirit of Giving……
Christmas Angel Project
In December, HRA employees opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to bring joy to children and families living in local migrant labor camps. This year the Christmas Angel Project provided gifts to children from 273 families at 5 migrant labor camps and 2 low-income housing projects
Second Harvest Food Drive
HRA Top County Department Contributor! HRA employees donated 1,356 pounds of food and $2,223 in cash to the 2004 Second Harvest Food Drive. With $1 equaling 3 pounds of food, HRA’s contributions totaled 8,025 pounds of food!
Cheryl Bentley, Mary Ellen Ambriz & Gladys Anderson load up gifts from HRA staff
A big thank you to everyone who donated gifts for this annual holiday project. Your generosity brightened the holidays for many children and families. National Foster Care Month - May 2004
Special Thanks to HRA’s Foster Parents for opening their hearts and homes to children in need in Santa Cruz County.
Eligibility Professional Recognition Week
January 24—28, 2005
A big thank you to HRA’s Eligibility Workers for their dedicated efforts to support the basic needs of children, families and individuals in our community.
HRA Service Pins
HRA Staff Respond Quickly to South County Fire
Kudos to all HRA employees who were impacted by the relocation of programs from 18 West Beach Street offices, including workers forced to move to temporary office locations, as well as staff who made accommodations to squeeze displaced workers into already crowded offices and work stations. Working under less than ideal conditions, you have all shown remarkable resilience, and gone the extra mile to make sure your displaced co-workers felt welcomed. And most importantly, you have demonstrated your commitment to our clients by providing services without skipping a beat! Kudos to Kevin Fitzgerald and George Wiltshire for their efforts to relocate HRA staff housed in the 18 West Beach Street building. In less than 4 hours, close to 90 workers were moved to temporary work locations in other HRA facilities and nearby community offices. Special thanks also go to HRA’s MIS and IT staff for setting up phones and getting computers up and running so displaced staff could get to work at their “new” work stations.
November Sylvia Soto Gloria Galvan December Rosie L. Cordova-Camacho Carol Grams Brian Jones Salvador Luquin January Candace Leverenz
December Connie Corbett
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