CSET inspires youth, families, and communities to achieve self-reliance through innovative pathways and collaboration.
We share a vision for communities and residents to gain the knowledge, skills and resources needed to achieve the American Dream. To achieve this vision, we commit ourselves to these core values:
¤ We strive to assist residents regionally in improving their lives.
¤ We create opportunities for children, youth, parents, and families to be competitive in an increasingly challenging economy.
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embracing diversity, and maintaining integrity in every venture.
with other
Board of Directors
Executive Message
Kevin Mizner PUBLIC SECTOR
Gordon McClaskey, President
Nancy Loliva
Jill Maze
Dear Community Partners,
PRIVATE SECTOR
Steve Graybehl, Vice President
Maria Quinones, Secretary
Alma Torres-Nguyen
Cesar Lopez
LOW-INCOME SECTOR
Marcia Becerra, Treasurer
Malorie Barragan
Sofia Cook
As we reflect on this past year, we continued to provide important services to the community while starting many new exciting projects and looking for new ways to support our community. We want to thank our partners, staff, funders and volunteers for your unwavering support and commitment.
We were honored to be able to provide impactful COVID-19 relief services to help our community remain strong. We continued our vaccine outreach, held Senior Wellness fairs and extended our tax services to help our families safely access vital services during this critical time.
We reopened many of our senior centers throughout Tulare County, providing healthy meals, stimulating activities, and the opportunity to socialize with other seniors, young people, and caring staff. It was great to see the smiling faces and excited chatter amidst the crowd at the return of Senior Day in the Park. We also opened a new office in Orosi, increasing accessibility by bringing several departments under one roof.
We were humbled and honored by the support of our partners, funders and the entire community at the groundbreaking of our Low Barrier Navigation Center. When complete, the Visalia Navigation Center will provide temporary accommodation for up to 100 unhoused individuals and a wide range of essential services.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to working collaboratively with you to reduce poverty in Tulare County.
- Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner, Executive Director
Who We Serve
8,359
People were connected to CSET programs and services countywide
6,491
Households served that had an income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level
158
Housing Status
People were unhoused or faced housing instability while seeking services at CSET
with children living in
Partnerships with government, education and non-profit organizations to expand community resources and opportunites
4,505
Individuals were unemployed upon seeking services at CSET
Ethnicity
Demographics
Grades0-8 Grades9-12/Non-Graduate
Energy Services
The Energy Services department is dedicated to helping local residents increase energy efficiency and reduce monthly bills. Weatherization measures help enhance a home’s energy efficiency, thereby reducing monthly water and energy bills, while also promoting the health and safety of local families.
For renters or homeowners, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) can provide one-time financial assistance with water and energy bills. We strive to promote energy conservation by increasing energy efficiencies and educating families on simple ways to save. Through our Sequoia Community Corps, homes are evaluated and outfitted with energyefficient windows, carbon monoxide alarms, and other weatherization measures.
6,751 Households received energy assistance
662 Energy Services appointments held
152 Homes weatherized
450 Households received water bill assistance
308 Smoke alarms installed
17,327 People visited a Family Resource Center
138,803
Meals served and delivered to seniors facing food insecurity
211
Households received housing support services
3,898 Tax returns prepared at no cost through VITA
4.7 million
Total amount of dollars in tax refunds to Tulare and Kings County residents
Community Initiatives
The Community Initiatives department provides a range of services focused on family development, aiming to alleviate poverty for our communities and families. These programs serve the residential, business, and familial segments of our community.
Our approach includes bringing residents together, enhancing neighborhoods, and encouraging young people to become community leaders. Our services include tax preparation at no cost, Senior Services, Meals on Wheels, Family Resource Centers, Parenting Education, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Housing Support Services.
Sequoia Community Corps
The Sequoia Community Corps (SCC) offers comprehensive programs for young adults aged 18 to 26 and other vulnerable populations in Tulare, Kings, and Kern Counties. The Corps provides job training, education, leadership development, and the opportunity to earn a diploma while gaining vocational training. Our vocational training programs include trades such as weatherization, urban forestry, and public works. The Corps promotes conservation education and recycles CRV beverage containers, electronic waste, used oil, and tires. Corpsmembers work on projects that enhance communities through park development, urban renewal, and resource conservation. We collaborate with local city and county governments, the State of California, businesses, and the Butte County Office of Education to offer these crucial conservation services.
97 Corpsmembers
130 Community service hours by Corpsmembers
6 Trees planted by Corpsmembers
212,000 Pounds of recycled E-Waste
220,968 Pounds of recycled CRV materials
48,405
People visited an Employment Connection Center
79
Parents participated in Next Step (Welfare-to-Work)
211
Adults participated in jobs or skills training
149
Youth engaged in leadership and job readiness
34
Youth entered into an Education or Training Activity
Workforce Development
The Workforce Development department extends innovative employment and training services to youth and adults in Tulare County. Our services comprise paid training, career guidance, work readiness workshops, and youth leadership programs, among other offerings. Moreover, we offer recruitment and hiring services to local employers and connect trainees with employment opportunities, saving costs for participating business owners. Our operations are funded by a consortium of entities, including the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB), Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency, Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging, and local businesses.
Visalia Navigation Center
The Visalia Navigation Center (VNC) is a low-barrier facility that will be managed by CSET and was spearheaded by TC Hope, a local nonprofit committed to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. The VNC is dedicated to providing comprehensive services for individuals experiencing homelessness, including employment training, access to public benefits, healthcare, substance abuse prevention, mental health services, and connections to permanent housing opportunities.
The VNC will offer temporary housing for single individuals and private spaces for families experiencing homelessness. The facility will be staffed 24/7 and will include office space for several agency partners, such as the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance, Tulare County Behavioral Health, and CSET Employment Services.
On-site resources at the VNC will include beds, showers, laundry facilities, meals, phone and mail services, dog kennels, and storage space for guests.
Total number of volunteers
3,799
Total number of volunteer hours
A warm and gracious thank you to all our volunteers this year! We truly appreciate all your hard work and determination in working towards bettering our communities. We couldn’t do this without all of your help!
Arevalo - Lysander Barboza - Marcia Becerra - Ruben Becerra - Oziel Bernal - Jeff Blackmon - Bobbie Wartson - Alma BravoBrenda Bretoneche - Elena Caballero - Yesenia Cervantes - Jobani Cidangel Colin - Carmin Colin - Tiana Contreras - Sofia Cook - Yahir Delgado - Jocelyn Dominguez - Gabriel Esqueda - Patricia Estrada - Alejandra Flores - Corinna Franco - Giseel Garibi - Aaron Gomes - Litzy Gomez - Jessica Gonzales - Jonathan Gonzales - Juan Granados - Steve Graybehl - Esteban GutierrezJazzell Gutierrez - Jaqueline Hernandez - Ashley Hernandez - Fabiola Javier - Max Jimenez - Samirrah King - Jessica Kulow - Diana
Lincicum - Nancy Loliva - Cesar Lopez - Aaron Lopez - Arjay Macagba - Shawna Madrid - Nick Mancani - Lance Marcia - Laura
Marcia - Maria Guevara-Loza - Elvis Marroquin - Irene Martinez - Daiyla Martinez - Jill Maze - Gordon McClaskey - Sebastian Mejia - Celeste Mendez - Elizabeth Mendoza - Jayden Mendoza - Norma Miramontes - Gina Miranda - Kevin Mizner - Liliana Nelson - Johanna Orijel - Samuel Pace - Alma Pacheco - Jose Penaloza - Maria Quinones - Christopher Ramirez - Mauricio Ramirez - Maurilio Ramos - Carolina Reyes - Julian Reyes - Cristina Reynosa - Janeth Reynosa - Brandon Reynoso - Andrew Rodriguez - Benny Rodriguez - Manuel Saltos - Juan Sanchez - Beatriz Sanemy - Kimberly Smith - Zulema Solis - Brandon Solorio - Judith Suarez - Naveena Taj - Juan Toledo - Alma Torres - Martha Zuniga
VITA
Early this year, 78 VITA tax preparers dedicated 1,591 hours to complete 3,898 tax returns, returning more than $4.7 million to Tulare and Kings County communities. As tax preparers, they assisted low and moderate-income Tulare County residents file their federal and state tax returns at no cost. Volunteers also informed taxpayers of eligible cash-back tax credits, such as the state and federal earned income tax credits.
Senior Day in the Park
This year we celebrated local seniors through the return of Senior Day in the Park. More than 700 seniors from throughout Tulare County took part in the many activities at Mooney Grove Park. Seniors enjoyed the cake walk, bingo and the main attraction, Jeremy “Elvis” Pearce. There were also 50 community organizations who shared valuable information with seniors and partners.
Make a Difference Day
To support Make a Difference Day, 165 CSET volunteers came together in communities across Tulare County and dedicated their Saturday morning to community service. These committed volunteers spent their morning enhancing our local parks, improving our local senior and youth centers, providing wellness kits to families, and assisting seniors in accessing essential utility support.
Success Story
Juan Ortega, a 74-year-old man, has been devotedly caring for his wife since she suffered a stroke and lost feeling in her left side. In Juan’s quest to find effective treatment the mounting medical bills put a significant strain on Juan’s finances, causing him to fall behind on his utility bills with no clear solution in sight.
One day at his bank, Juan overheard other customers discussing the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) offered by CSET. Intrigued and hopeful, Juan contacted CSET’s Energy Services Department to inquire about potential assistance with his utility bills.
CSET promptly scheduled an appointment for Juan, during which he completed applications for both LIHEAP and LIHWAP. After a thorough review, Juan’s applications were approved, alleviating the heavy burden of his overdue electric and water bills. This financial relief allowed Juan to redirect his limited funds towards essential needs like food, medications, and other basic necessities, which he had been struggling to afford.
Juan’s gratitude for the assistance he received is heartfelt. In his own words, “The CSET staff were really kind and helpful. They were very attentive and understanding of my situation. Thank you, CSET, for all that you do.”
Juan Ortega’s story highlights the profound impact of CSET’s Energy Services Department and the LIHEAP and LIHWAP programs. Through their support, Juan was able to regain financial stability and continue caring for his wife without the looming stress of unpaid utility bills.
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