COMMUNITY VOICE
VOLUME 20
Volume 1
COMMUNITY VOICES
FROM MARY ALICE ESCARSEGA-FECHNER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Annually, CSET hosts Bring Your Child to Work Day in August. This event brings children into our offices to learn about our services and join their family members at work. Their smiles and energy are contagious and we value the opportunity to share our mission with the youngest members of our communities. The event also provides youth with an insight into the world of work and how their workplace contributions can be impactful in their communities. CSET continues to ensure services are delivered to hard-to-reach communities and is extremely excited for the debut of our new Pixley office in September. We look forward to being a positive presence in Pixley once again. This project would not have been possible without partners like Family HealthCare Network and the Pixley Foundation. The building remodel was completed by our conservation corps staff and corpsmembers. We look forward to showcasing services in the fall with our project partners. Our drought relief efforts continue in partnership with the Tulare County Office of Emergency Services, Self-Help Enterprises and United Way. We are excited for the next implementation phase of the relief plan connecting families to running water. I look forward to sharing project updates in our upcoming newsletters.
Inside this issue John Muir Graduates
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— Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner
Inside This Issue TECHConnect Graduates
FUN AT BRING YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY
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On Friday, August 5th, CSET staff celebrated the third annual Bring Your Child To Work Day. Nearly 80 little ones joined a family member at work to learn about 3 Employees of the Year the awesome ways their loved ones help the community by working for CSET. 3 Senior Prom Night Kids spent the morning participating in fun group activities designed to 3 Board Member Retires help our future staffers better understand the impact our programs have on the lives of county residents. The kids planted drought-tolerant plants, 3 CSET Honored played dress-up for a job interview, built a home for the homeless and Drought Resource 4 discovered the value of recycling- all before lunch time! Fair
New Website Launched
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After the organized activities, kids returned to their loved ones' work stations for some quality time before saying goodbye. Here's to hoping we see some of those shining faces doing good work at CSET in the futurejust like the ones they love!
August 2016
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GRADUATION CEREMONY HONORS TECHCONNECT Congratulations to the 2016 class of the TECHConnect Program! Twenty-six students from Orosi High School were honored in front of friends, family and CSET staff during a graduation ceremony held on June 9th. Tulare County District Four Supervisor Steve Worthley was also in attendance to witness the celebration of the students' achievement. The ceremony consisted of speeches from TECHConnect alumni, the presentation of the Dorothy Mitsuoka Inspiration Award and a class impact presentation. The graduates were then called up by name to receive their diplomas from CSET's Deputy Director Carla Calhoun along with a $150 stipend. TECHConnect is a nine-month technology learning and service initiative that teaches youth ages 14-18 about computer repair, refurbishment and electronic recycling. Students are also assisted with college preparation plans, exposed to various career opportunities and visit a university campus. After having developed their computer skills, TECH Connect students are given the opportunity to give back to their community by teaching computer skills classes to local residents. Participants also become Certified Tax Preparers and volunteer their time for the VITA Program throughout tax season. Currently, the TECHConnect program is being offered in the community of Orosi. For more information, please contact Senior Program Coordinator Miguel Castaneda at (559) 528-1095 or miguel.castaneda@cset.org.
NEW WEBSITE MAKES ITS DEBUT The new and improved CSET website made its big launch on Friday, July 1st and has generated positive reviews since it became public. The new site contains new program pages, features and images that work to tell our story to all those who seek our services. We hope the redesigned website becomes an asset to each member of the community. We believe this new online space will help others see who and what CSET is more clearly; all for the purpose of continuing our mission of inspiring and supporting residents to be their very best. New content includes the addition of a Services page which helps website visitors find our programs and services all in one place. Fresh department pages are concise and up to date with all the latest program information. Also new is a Partners page which allows us to feature the important relationships CSET has built and maintained. The improved website also displays our good works on a redesigned News page that features links to recent CSET news stories. Site visitors can also sign up to receive the CSET and Corps newsletters. Please take some time to explore the new www.cset.org today!
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2015 EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR
CELEBRATING “SENIOR” PROM
CSET is proud to announce the 2015 Employees of the Year! The award winners were honored during a special ceremony held in May in front of CSET staff, members of the Board of Directors as well as their own friends and family. Visit us online at www.cset.org/our-team to learn more about our honorees.
Senior citizens from across the county enjoyed dinner, dancing, games and mariachi at the annual CSET "Senior" Prom held on June 24th! There was no shortage of laughs, friends or good times at this fun event.
Alex Galvan - Public Works Benny Zurita - Public Works Daisy Guzman - Youth Development Daniel Martinez - Communication & Information Systems Iliana Casas - Energy Services James Salazar - Recycling Jennifer Azevedo - Sequoia Community Corps Marco Silva - Community Initiatives Maria Figueroa - Adult Workforce Rick Herrera - Community Initiatives Sandra Jimenez - Finance
Thank you to all CSET staff and volunteers who made the prom a success. A special thank you to Eagle Mountain Casino for their contribution to the eveningour seniors were treated to a visit to the casino after the prom! The "Senior" Prom is one of the most well-attended events hosted by CSET's Senior Services Department. The department administers Tulare County's Meals on Wheels Program for housebound seniors and operates seven senior centers in various communities throughout the county. For more information about Senior Services, please visit us online at www.cset.org/senior-services.
A DOZEN YEARS OF SERVICE
CSET HONORED BY LOCAL GOV
On June 16th, the CSET Board of Directors honored long-time Board Member, Gailerd Swisegood. Gailerd's term as a director ended on June 30th after 12 faithful years of service. His service has impacted countless lives since he joined the board in 2004.
In honor of CSET's 40th Anniversary and May as Community Action Month, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and the Porterville City Council presented CSET with proclamations recognizing our many years of service to the people of Tulare County.
The board of directors serves as the governing body of a non-profit, responsible for steering the agency towards a sustainable future that advances the non-profit’s mission. Board members are responsible for overseeing the organization’s activities, adopting sound, ethical legal governance and financial management policies, as well as making sure the non-profit has adequate resources to meet its goals. CSET thanks Gailerd for his dedication to the people of Tulare County.
During both public meetings, CSET's Executive Director Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner took the opportunity to recognize advocates of the #LEAD Program. Supervisor Phil Cox and Dr. Rosa Carlson both received framed photos of the #LEAD classes for their continued support of Tulare County youth and CSET programming.
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DROUGHT RESOURCE FAIR A SUCCESS CSET's Energy Services Department hosted the Tulare County Drought Resource Fair on Friday, June 10th at the East Porterville Drought Resource Center. The event featured informational booths highlighting assistance programs available to individuals and families suffering from the effects of the historic California drought.
Visalia CSET 312 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA 93291 Tel. 559.732.4194
The purpose of the resource fair was to promote available and continuing services specific to aiding drought impacted residents. Programs exhibited included the Household Bottled Water Distribution Program, the Household Potable Water Tank Program, Energy Bill Assistance, the Toilet Replacement Program, Drought Housing Relocation Assistance and many more.
Visalia Employment Connection 4025 W. Noble Ave. # B Visalia, CA 93277-1631 Tel. 559.713.5000
State representatives from the Department of Water Resources as well as the State Water Resources Control Board were in attendance and provided residents with details concerning the East Porterville Emergency Water Supply Project which is currently in development.
Tulare Family Resource Center 304 E. Tulare Ave. Tulare, CA 93274 Tel. 559.684.1987
The resource fair was also privileged to be given a surprise visit from Senator Andy Vidak who was in the area on the day of the event. Senator Vidak took the time to visit with partners and attendees in an effort to show his support for the people still impacted by the drought.
Porterville Employment Connection 1063 W. Henderson Porterville, CA 93257 Tel. 559.788.1400
A free raffle, provided by contributions from our generous partners, wrapped up the fair with many residents walking away with prizes. For more information about the Drought Resource Center, please call the Drought Assistance hotline number at 1-866-284-5142.
Earlimart CSET 114 N. Front St. Earlimart, CA 93219 Tel. 661.849.2960
Orosi CSET 12691 Ave. 408 Orosi, CA 93615 Tel. 559.528.6108 CSET Senior Services 1.800.321.2462 Cutler-Orosi, Earlimart, Exeter, Goshen, Lindsay, Porterville, & Woodlake
Community Voice is published quarterly by Community Services Employment Training. Unless otherwise noted, articles are written by CSET staff. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an email to jeff.forbes@cset.org.
August 2016
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