THE COMMUNITY VOICE A Quarterly Newsletter by Community Services Employment Training
March 2022
Dear Community Partners, As we continue to pivot with new approaches to our work, CSET remains committed to serving families and individuals in Tulare County. Our dedicated team has done an incredible job expanding our outreach efforts while strengthening our programs and services. In this edition of the Community Voice, we highlight CSET's new office location in Porterville and our newest collaborative project with the City of Visalia and Caltrans. An overview of VITA tax preparation services and vaccination response efforts are also featured. Stay tuned to our upcoming events! I want to share my deep gratitude and appreciation to our staff, board of directors, partners, and supporters for their continuous commitment to our mission. Through it all, together we have established strong and collaborative partnerships to meet the urgent needs of our community. Thank you for your longstanding generosity and support. Please enjoy the stories and highlights featured in our newsletter. Sincerely, Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner, CSET Executive Director
FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES Tax season is here and our VITA team is off to a great start. More than 1,638 households have filed their income tax return with the help of our VITA team. Households in Tulare County with an income of $57,000 and under in 2021 qualify to file their taxes for free. Families who earned $30,000 and have a child less than six years old, may qualify for both the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit. To learn more or view the drop-in service schedule, visit www.cset.org/vita. Thank you to all of our wonderful VITA volunteers for your continuous commitment to our community.
Photo: VITA Volunteer Alyssa Hernandez preparing a tax return during the 2022 tax season at CSET. Page 1
ABOUT OUR NEW OFFICE IN PORTERVILLE
Photo: Luis Medina, LIHEAP Program Specialist, prepping for the day at the new CSET office in Porterville.
We are very proud to extend our services in South Tulare County. Our new CSET office is located at 108 E Morton Ave in Porterville. Local residents are welcome to stop by to gain more information about the range of services provided, including our Energy Assistance. Households with low incomes may qualify to receive financial assistance to offset their home energy bill or to have their home weatherized. To learn more, you may call the Energy Services Hotline at 1-844-224-1316 or visit www.cset.org/energy-assistance.
CSET TULARE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER PUTS FAMILIES FIRST CSET is committed to raising awareness about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. We are grateful for our partnership with Health Net and Anthem Blue Cross to promote this public health resource in Tulare County. Please join us in encouraging local residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by signing up for their appointment at myturn.ca.gov. Several community resource events are taking place throughout the county. These events encourage local families to become fully vaccinated and inform them about the various resources available during the pandemic. The Tulare Family Resource Center team recently attended the Porterville Community Resource Fair and the My Family First vaccination event to distribute informational materials to more than 200 local families. They were provided with free face masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes. To learn more about how the Tulare County Resource Center Network is supporting local families, visit www.tcfrcn.org.
Photo: Elisa Cortez and Marisol connecting local families to resources during the My Family First Vaccination Event in Poplar, CA.
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CLEAN CALIFORNIA: THE NEW LITTER REMOVAL PROGRAM IN VISALIA
Photo: Participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony included representatives of City of Visalia, Caltrans, CSET, Sequoia Community Corps, and Tulare County Board of Supervisors.
On February 9th, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place for the official launch of the Clean California Litter Removal Program in Visalia. Through this new initiative, community improvement projects will take place throughout the city. Crews will beautify and help clean up Highway 198, the gateway to the Sequoias. CSET and the Sequoia Community Corps are honored to be part of this partnership with the City of Visalia and Caltrans.
WALMART CONTRIBUTES $3,000 IN GRANTS TO VITA PROGRAM Thank you, Walmart for your $3,000 contribution to CSET’s VITA program! The grant was presented to CSET from Tulare (Store #2536), Dinuba (Store #5394), and Porterville (Store #1877 and Distribution Center #6021) locations. Through this partnership, low-income households in Tulare County will receive an array of financial stability resources to help them build financial wellness, file taxes at no cost, gain federal/state tax credits, access bank accounts, and receive additional support services. We are grateful to receive this gift from our local Walmart locations. Thank you! Learn more, give, and share at www.cset.org/donate.
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CHARLES’ CAREER EXPLORATION JOURNEY WITH THE SUPPORT OF STEPS
Visalia CSET 312 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA 93291 Tel. 559.732.4194
With no prior work experience but lots of enthusiasm to explore a new career, Charles enrolled in the Summer Training and Employment Program for Students (STEPS) program. As a college student majoring in food service, Charles was excited about applying his classroom skills in a valuable career experience in the food industry. After completing his job readiness workshops, Charles interviewed and immediately received a job placement with a local pizzeria restaurant. Eager and very proud to obtain employment, Charles received very favorable ratings from his supervisors: he was always on time, got along with his coworkers, was a hit with customers, and had a wonderful work ethic and overall attitude. It came as no surprise when Charles was hired on directly after his program completion.
Visalia Employment Connection 4025 W. Noble Ave. # B Visalia, CA 93277-1631 Tel. 559.713.5000 Tulare Family Resource Center & Employment Connection Affiliate 304 E. Tulare Ave. Tulare, CA 93274 Tel. 559.684.1987 Porterville Employment Connection 1063 W. Henderson Ave. Porterville, CA 93257 Tel. 559.788.1400 Earlimart CSET 176 N. Front St. Earlimart, CA 93219 Tel. 661.849.2960 North County Youth Site 40802 Road 128, Cutler, CA 93615 Tel. 559.315.3223 Pixley CSET 927 Center St. Pixley, CA 93256 Tel. 559.575.0098
Charles not only received invaluable experience for his future career, but it is clear his experience during the STEPS program will serve his self-confidence for years to come. CSET Senior Services STEPS is a career readiness program for young people with 1.800.321.2462 disabilities. We are grateful to our partners and employers Cutler-Orosi, Earlimart, Exeter, Farmersville, Goshen, for making this program a major success for our Lindsay, Porterville, & Woodlake participants - Thank you!
View more stories at www.cset.org/client-success-stories. CSET inspires youth, families, and communities to achieve self-reliance through innovative pathways and collaboration. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Community Voice newsletter, send an email to: csetmarketing@cset.org Discover more information about CSET’s programs and services at: www.cset.org Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
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JOIN OUR TEAM!
COMMMUNITY SERVICES EMPLOYMENT TRAINING
JOB FAIR MARCH 24, 2022 9AM -12PM
CSET INSPIRES YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES TO ACHIEVE SELFRELIANCE THROUGH INNOVATIVE Visalia Employment Connection PATHWAYS AND COLLABORATION.
4025 W. Noble Ave #B, Visalia, CA 93277
ABOUT CSET CSET INSPIRES YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES TO ACHIEVE SELF-RELIANCE THROUGH INNOVATIVE PATHWAYS AND COLLABORATION.
REGISTER HERE!
www.cset.org/jobfair Project funded by the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.