Several of our employees are driving some clean cars all in thanks to the Youth Voice Council as part of our Residential Treatment Program. The Youth Voice Council organized a car wash on our main campus with a suggested donation for their hard work. 

One teen shared, “I’m having fun washing cars, and it’s fun to put on events for us and other kids here.”

Briana Cosio, Recreational Assistant for the Center, is one of several staff who helps mentor and guide youth through their regular activities. Briana shared, “Planning and organizing events such as this car wash helps build youth leadership skills, promotes teamwork between youth towards a common goal, and gives them ownership of something of their very own. Events also provide a sense of community among the Center as different departments come together for the same cause.”

Youth Voice Council is a group of Center youth who meet weekly to represent their Residential cottage. In addition to planning events, they discuss issues that arise in their cottage, which gives youth a chance to be heard, and provide solutions and creative ideas from their own perspective.

Did you know that being outside and connecting with nature can be a great therapeutic tool?

Our team members are bringing elements of nature to elementary students we serve at North County Academy. Through a beautiful sensory garden that was created by one of our amazing therapists, students will learn about mindfulness and connect to their senses to build grounding and coping skills.

We’re appreciative of our North County Academy team who incorporate such positive and innovative practices with youth in our care. Thank you as well to Matt Allen and Terra Bella Nursery for donating plants to make this all possible. 

If you would like to “give back” through a project that benefits our youth, please contact Kristi Worley at (858) 634-8342 or kworley@centerforchildren.org.

Our Live for Life Committee once again coordinated a successful Blood Donation Drive in support of the San Diego Blood Bank. Through the generous donations made by over 20 Center employees, 63 lives will be saved in our community. We thank our employees for their life-changing efforts!

The Center’s Live for Life Wellness Program mission is to create an environment where employees are empowered to develop balance and harmony in mind, body, and spirit with the goal to improve our employees’ wellness and health by offering activities, events, and education targeting the different facets of health and wellness.

 

Right before the Labor Day weekend, we had our Annual Company Picnic bringing together our team members and their families for a relaxing, fun time! We were proud to recognize team members with our Value and Scholarship awards, and celebrate each other’s contributions over tasty tacos. Our youth joined in on the fun too by baking chocolate chip and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for people to enjoy. 

Thank you to our Employee Appreciation Committee for planning and hosting this fun time for everyone, and also our Trauma-Informed Care Committee for promoting self-care to our employees by handing out neat stickers!

Within 24 hours, we have received over 50 backpacks and 600 valuable school items to help our youth with their classroom learning!

We are thankful to the generous employees from Intercept Pharmaceuticals and Rancho Valencia who collected donations to benefit our efforts.  Supplies we have received over the past month, will directly benefit the over 100 students served at our Academy and the hundreds more receiving direct therapeutic care from our additional program sites throughout the county.

Thank you, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Rancho Valencia, and all community partners for your generosity!

If you or your company would like to create JOY for families served by the Center, please contact Kristi Worley at (858) 634-8342 or kworley@centerforchildren.org.

We had over 100 amazing volunteers from Windermere Homes & Estates on our main campus last Friday!

They helped with much needed campus revitalization projects and landscaping, and they also hosted a super fun carnival for our youth.  On top of all of that, Windermere presented us with a $10,000 check! We are so thankful to their team of employees and to all community partners who help us to sustain our campus and efforts to Protect the Joy of Childhood!

To learn more about ways you or your organization can partner with the Center, please contact Kristi Worley at (858) 634-8342 or kworley@centerforchildren.org.

Yesterday, we held our annual Graduate Student Training Orientation in which we welcomed 26 Master’s, BSW, and Doctoral graduate students.

Our VP of Clinical Operations, Dr. Cheryl Rode, shared, “We’re really excited to have our new class of trainees who will be learning and contributing in the Center’s programs.”

Trainees will work across our 8 program sites for the upcoming school year and be mentored by our expert team members. We look forward to working with our trainees who will play a significant role in our efforts. Additionally, we’re grateful for our continued partnerships with their school programs, which include San Diego State University, University of San Diego, California State University San Marcos, University of Southern California, California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) – Alliant International University, and more.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!  On the menu…chocolate chocolate chip and organic strawberry ice cream.

Our teens have been busy since last week making these delicious flavors from scratch! Today, teens came into our Clark kitchen to churn their liquid mixtures into solid, creamy ice cream which were so tasty! Ingredients they used were natural, no corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Congrats to our teens on their ice cream creations, and kudos as well to our staff, Chef Alison and Chef Tina, for providing such great guidance to our youth.

One teen shared, “I really like being in the kitchen because I learn about patience and I’m able to practice my communication skills with my friends since I’m usually a shy person. I also can’t go wrong in the kitchen because Miss Tina always makes it fun.”

If you’re a local chef and would like to participate in our year-round chef mentoring program as part of our Successful Transitions Program, please contact Tina Reyes at treyes@centerforchildren.org.

 

Many thanks to VIP volunteers, Doreen Schonbrun and Lynda Kerr, for leading an art class today for children and teens in our care!

Our youth had a great time creating and decorating their succulent planters. One teen shared, “I like how pretty it is. I’m having fun!”

Art therapy is an important component the Center incorporates within our therapeutic programs as it teaches youth coping skills, and helps them express their creativity and expand their imagination. We appreciate Doreen and Lynda for being so generous with their time, and sharing their passion for art with our youth in a fun, supportive environment!

    

Our youth had a blast during yesterday’s Summer Slam 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament – a fun and friendly competition involving exercise, teamwork and sportsmanship! 

Our incredible corporate partners, Gaslamp District Media and Batta Fulkerson Law Group, generously sponsored this event and provided shirts, equipment and prizes. Plus, they also served as referees and scorekeepers! Both groups and our friends at Newmark Knight Frank San Diego also brought volunteers to help put on this annual summer event. We can’t thank them enough for all of their help and support to the Center!

Thank you as well to Erick De La Rosa from Mutual of America who donated art supplies and his time in helping our youth create a unique painting. We appreciate everyone helping, including our Residential and Recreational team members, to create some fun summertime memories for our youth!

To see photos from our tournament, please click here.