COMMUNITY VOICE
VOLUME 26
Volume 1
Mary’s Message Since 1976, Community Services Employment Training (CSET) has served as the Community Action Agency of Tulare County to fight America’s War on Poverty. Community Action surfaced from the heart of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 proclamation of America’s “War on Poverty” where battles must be won in the field, in every private home, in every public office, from the courthouse to the White House. During national Community Action Month in May, CSET celebrated 43 years of service as an organization committed to inspiring lives and improving the conditions of people living in poverty. We pledge to implement innovative and cost-effective programs to strengthen the socio-economic status of families in Tulare County. The impact of our programs and services affects generations of families and their communities, thanks to the invaluable work CSET staff members perform each day across Tulare County. I thank each of you for your contributions! — Mary Alice
Escarsega-Fechner
Executive Director
Employees of the Year
Inside this issue John Muir Graduates
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Inside This Issue VITA Recap
On Wednesday, May 8th, CSET staff came together for the annual Community Action staff event at the Visalia Wyndham Hotel. The event kicked off with a fun team building activity followed by a presentation from guest speaker Adam White. The event concluded with an awards ceremony and video to honor CSET’s Employees of the Year. Ten employees were selected to receive the Employee of the Year Award in recognition of their hard 2 work and dedication to Community Action.
Energy Upgrade CA 50th Annual Senior Day 4th Annual Youth Summit Housing Success Story
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CSET understands the significance of providing employees with opportunities to enhance their abilities and develop new workplace skills. Staff development trainings and events positively affect employee engagement, job performance, 3 and contribute to career advancement within the agency. Staff trainings and 4 events are fun and give staff a chance to mingle and get to know their fellow team members.
Back row from left to right: Marcos Molina, Adriana Anguiano, Diana Commins, Christina Delph, Natalia Carroll, Amanda Olguin. Front row from left to right: Guadalupe Moreno, Roxana Huerta, Alma Nunez, Helena Kubik.
May 2019
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VITA Program Exceeds Goal by Over 1,000 Tax Returns Each year from February to mid-April, CSET works with its partners in Kings County to bring free income tax return preparation services to low- and moderate-income taxpayers in Tulare and Kings Counties. Last year the program was enhanced by the addition of Next Step (Welfare to Work) program participants referred by the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency. They helped complete an unprecedented number of returns – 3,081 – to be filed. The goal was exceeded by more than 1,000 returns. This season, VITA filed 4,265 returns (38% increase) that generated refunds of $5,424,704 for lower-income residents (41% increase). Funded by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and local partners Bank of the West, Citizens Business Bank, and Suncrest Bank, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program relies heavily on volunteers who become IRS-certified tax preparers, screeners and greeters. For 11 Saturdays, 225 volunteers devoted much of the day to assist fellow residents. Volunteers were recognized with a celebration on May 15th at the Visalia Employment Connection. IRS representative Jesus Benavides told them, “Your commitment to overcome challenges we face and accomplish the mission of helping taxpayers in your communities is always outstanding and worthy of recognition.”
Community Initiatives Director Raquel Gomez and IRS Representative Jesus Benavides celebrate VITA’s 50th Anniversary.
CSET Assistant Director Albert Cendejas thanks VITA volunteers for their assistance and dedication during VITA season.
VITA Volunteer and Next Step participant Christopher Mathews receives HHSA Certificate of Recognition.
Time Matters: Manage Energy Use from 4-9 PM with Clean Energy In recent years, Californians have done a great job managing energy and becoming more energy efficient. To meet the state’s goal to become a zero-carbon electricity state by 2045, we need to do more. How can we take the next step? Simply being mindful of the time of day and adjusting your energy use accordingly makes a difference. Time-of-use plans throughout the state vary, but all Californians can do their part by adopting energy management practices—particularly during the peak energy use hours of 4-9 PM. Here are a few tips to get started: Do household chores and activities before 4 PM when energy is cheap. Adjust your thermostat outside of peak demand hours. Turn off non-essential lighting indoor and outdoor. Use timers to run electricity-consuming appliances. Charge devices overnight to save energy.
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Stay Golden! The 50th Annual Senior Day in the Park On May 3, 2019, in collaboration with the Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging (KT/AAA), CSET hosted the 50th Annual Senior Day in the Park. More than 1,500 people came to Mooney Grove Park to celebrate seniors. The golden anniversary theme provided an exciting backdrop for people to enjoy the classic car show, participate in the cakewalk, enjoy lunch, and see a live performance from Elvis. The day ended with an exciting rendition of Happy Birthday to celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary. In addition to the games and entertainment, more than 50 exhibitor booths from across Tulare County provided information to local seniors. Each year partner agencies showcase their programs and services that are available to the community. Thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, donors, and everyone who helped make this another awesome event! We can’t wait to see you again next year!
From left to right: Tulare County Supervisor Eddie Valero, HHSA Aging Services Manager Jamie Sharma, and CSET Assistant Director Albert Cendejas.
Seniors dancing away to fun music!
Back by popular demand is fan-favorite, Jeremy “Elvis” Pearce.
4th Annual Regional Education Youth Summit CSET’s Youth Department upped their game for this year’s 4th Regional Education Youth Summit, held May 21, 2019 at the Energy Education Center in Tulare. In partnership with Southern California Edison, 68 youth participated in a full-day professional conference, featuring a keynote by the McFarland USA Cross Country Team. Members of the original 1987 McFarland team and McFarland USA film, Coach Jim White and brothers David and Danny Diaz, spoke about the team's incredible journey to become state champions and the first in their family to attend college. For the first time, the conference featured breakout sessions to better highlight Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) careers. Session leaders enhanced the conference with their wealth of knowledge and lived experience in their respective fields: Bud Darwin, Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s Education and Volunteer Director, led the Science session; Steve Ross, retired Dreamworks Animation’s data center manager, covered Technology careers; a team of SCE Engineers led the Engineering session; and John Redden, COS Mathematics and Computer Science professor, educated students on the myriad professions in the field of Mathematics. The educational event also featured Professional Artist Erik Gonzalez who provided the lunch keynote, a resource fair, giveaways, breakfast and luncheon. Participants represented CSET’s youth programs including Look for Tech Youth@Work, Youth Transitions, R2Y, the Sequoia Community Corps, Connect, and #LEAD. our bus ads in Visalia, Tulare,
Leading up to the conference, #LEAD students participated the Edison & in Dinuba! Challenge to help meet California's ambitious clean energy goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality, especially in vulnerable communities. SCE representatives evaluated each team’s project and announced the winners during the conference.
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Housing Success Story Visalia CSET 312 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA 93291 Tel. 559.732.4194 Visalia Employment Connection 4025 W. Noble Ave. # B Visalia, CA 93277-1631 Tel. 559.713.5000 Statistics say Johnny should be back in prison, having been involved in the criminal justice system at 9 years old and receiving a life prison sentence at 16. Escaping the cycle of recidivism is a challenge for every justice-involved individual; add in housing instability, strained relationships, substance abuse, and health issues and the challenge may seem impossible to overcome. Thanks to CSET’s Permanent Supportive Housing program, Johnny beat the odds.
Tulare Family Resource Center 304 E. Tulare Ave. Tulare, CA 93274 Tel. 559.684.1987
Johnny’s childhood was one of instability and abuse. The one stable caring adult in his life passed away when Johnny was 15. As a teenage father with a toddler and another child on the way, survival became his sole priority, a need he thought could be met through the sense of belonging he hoped to find through gang affiliation. However, tragedy and revenge led to a life sentence for Johnny, who obtained early release in 2011 after serving 28 years in prison. Thus began Johnny’s struggle with homelessness and substance abuse. In 2015, a near-death experience motivated Johnny to seek drug recovery services, and he was referred to CSET for Permanent Supportive Housing in 2017.
Porterville Employment Connection 1063 W. Henderson Porterville, CA 93257 Tel. 559.788.1400 Earlimart CSET 114 N. Front St. Earlimart, CA 93219 Tel. 661.849.2960
Johnny received a housing placement in 2017 with his constant companion, his dog Mamas. While the program met Johnny’s essential need for a stable living environment, he still struggled with chronic health barriers making it difficult for him to succeed in maintaining his housing placement. CSET’s Permanent Supportive Housing staff worked consistently with Johnny to develop healthy trust, something he had never experienced in a relationship, as well as to diminish barriers to his success. With CSET’s assistance he received access to medical care and mental health treatment, which included obtaining Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) in May 2019. SSDI allowed Johnny to purchase a vehicle which has helped him get to his appointments, obtain groceries, and reconnect with his children in Tulare. Johnny overcame numerous barriers with the help of CSET and its partners for supportive services. The Permanent Supportive Housing Program provided Johnny the means to beat the odds against him. He now has a steady income, a place to live, and reliable transportation.
Orosi CSET 12691 Ave. 408 Orosi, CA 93615 Tel. 559.528.6108 Pixley CSET 927 Center St. Pixley, CA 93256 Tel. 559.575.0098 CSET Senior Services
1.800.321.2462 Cutler-Orosi, Earlimart, Exeter, Farmersville, 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 csetmarketing@cset.org.
May 2019
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