THE COMMUNITY VOICE A Quarterly Newsletter by Community Services Employment Training
May 2022
Dear Community Partners, The work of Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other. This year CSET celebrates 46 years of Community Action work in Tulare County. In this edition of the Community Voice, we highlight Community Action activities, Mental Health Awareness Month, our collaborative projects with partners, and much more. Here and through our social media and website, we are honored to feature our customers' success stories, our impact on the community, and our employees and partners of the year. Thank you to our board of directors, volunteers, partners, funders, and staff for your collaboration and support of our mission every day. Please enjoy the stories and highlights featured in our newsletter.
Sincerely, Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner, CSET Executive Director
CSET CELEBRATES 46 YEARS OF COMMUNITY ACTION In celebration of Community Action Month, CSET showcased its impact on the community by highlighting participant success stories, impactful accomplishments, and honoring its employees and partners of the year. As the Community Action Agency in Tulare County, CSET addresses the developing needs of individuals, youth, and families living in poverty. Annually, CSET serves more than 11,000 local residents through a variety of services including job training, financial strengthening, housing, food insecurity, utility assistance, family services, and much more. We welcome the community to learn more about our services and programs and how Community Action Agencies like CSET help local families achieve economic stability. Learn more at www.cset.org/communityaction2022.
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RECOGNIZING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, CSET and local partners collaborated to host informative and engaging events to foster and improve mental wellness in Tulare County. On May 18th, more than 60 individuals attended the Ice Cream Social at CSET's Earlimart Family Resource Center. Families and children engaged in several fun activities, raffle prizes, and received information about mental health resources. “We had a great outcome with outstanding participation from our community in Earlimart,” shared Sr. Program Specialist Luz Castillo. “I would like to thank everyone who participated in making this event possible. We look forward to more events in the future,” she added. CSET’s SAFE program works in partnership with local wellness centers to raise awareness of the symptoms, professional treatment, and resources available to address mental illness. On May 20th, an open house was held at the Porterville Wellness Center to welcome and inform the community about the wide range of services available for individuals impacted by mental illness.
Photo: Sr. Program Specialist Luz Castillo leading families in an art activity during the Earlimart event.
Photo: (left to right) SAFE Volunteers Cristina Montanez and Gabriel Pedroza welcoming guests to the Porterville Wellness Center.
CSET is grateful to partner with the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency, Kings View South Tulare County Mobile Services, Tulare Youth Service Bureau, Tulare County Office of Education, Porterville Wellness Center, and others in reducing the stigma of mental health in our community.
CSET RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR EXEMPLARY TRANSPORTATION AT TCAG AWARDS
Photo: CSET staff Carla Calhoun, Ron Stout, Randy McNutt, and Terry Schmal receiving TCAG awards.
CSET is honored to receive regional recognition for exemplary transportation from the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG). During TCAG’s 10th annual Localmotion Awards on May 5th, the City of Dinuba and CSET's Sequoia Community Corps received the Bike/Pedestrian Project and Innovative and Sustainable Transportation Awards. Both awards honored phases of the Safe Routes to School project that installed over a mile and a half of sidewalks and over 30 curb ramps in east-central Dinuba. Page 2
EAGLE MOUNTAIN CASINO PARTNERS WITH PORTERVILLE EC FOR JOB FAIR
Photo: Eagle Mountain Casino staff interviewing candidates during the job fair at Porterville EC.
On May 19th, Porterville Employment Connection and Eagle Mountain Casino partnered to host an in-person job fair in Porterville. More than 100 people attended the event where they met Eagle Mountain Casino hiring staff and learned about the various positions available. Candidates had the opportunity to apply and interview during the job fair, and a total of 56 individuals were offered employment. Kudos to the entire Porterville EC team for coordinating this outstanding event!
KAWEAH HEALTH GIVES BACK TO LOCAL SENIORS CSET extends its sincere gratitude to the team of nurses at Kaweah Health for their kind donation of seven microwaves to support the senior citizens in our Meals on Wheels program. Their generosity will ensure our senior friends in need have the ability to enjoy their nutritious meals. Thank you Kaweah Health! Photo: (left to right) Raquel Gomez, Angel Avitia, Janet Furtado (RN at Kaweah Health) and Janelle Hickey.
NEW FEDERAL LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR TULARE COUNTY RESIDENTS The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) provides financial help to eligible Californians for their residential water utility bills. The program gives a one-time benefit of up to $2,000 for an eligible, low-income customer’s water or wastewater bill. LIHWAP drinking water and wastewater benefits are scheduled to be available in June 2022. To apply, eligible customers in Tulare County may contact CSET's Energy Services for an application at 1-844-224-1316. Page 3
MORE WAYS TO GIVE CSET is part of two exciting giving circles Target Circle and AmazonSmile! By selecting CSET as your charitable nonprofit, CSET receives a generous donation on behalf of Target and Amazon. For Target Circle, you have until June 30th to cast your vote at www.target.com/circle. All year long, you can select CSET as your nonprofit charity at smile.amazon.com. Thank you in advance for generating donations to CSET.
HOW IT WORKS
Learn more, give, and share at www.cset.org/donate.
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MEET MARGARITA: A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL WHO ASPIRES TO ENTER THE MEDICAL FIELD AS A REGISTERED NURSE Visalia CSET 312 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA 93291 Tel. 559.732.4194
Margarita is a graduating senior who heard about the Youth@Work program through the Health Science Academy at Mt. Whitney High School. While participating in the Youth@Work program, she engaged in several job readiness workshops and trained at the Visalia Health Care Center as an Office Clerk. Despite it being Margarita's first job experience, she learned how to step out of her comfort zone while communicating and managing her time effectively. She took initiative and completed tasks in a timely manner. Not only did she build confidence as a young professional but received great recognition from Visalia Health Care Center for her amazing work ethic.
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
"Being a part of Youth@Work helped open doors to the career I would like to be a part of,” shared Margarita. Margarita aspires to become a Registered Nurse and obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Health Science. She is grateful for the opportunity to develop her career experience in the medical field at Visalia Health Care Center. She thanks CSET Youth Department staff member Thania Lerma and the staff at Visalia Health Care Center for being valuable mentors and partners in her success. Congratulations, Margarita! We wish you all the best in your career trajectory.
Pixley CSET 927 Center St. Pixley, CA 93256 Tel. 559.575.0098 Senior Services 1.800.321.2462 Energy Services: 1-844-224-1316 Porterville CSET 108 E. Morton Ave, Porterville, CA 93257 Tel. (559) 216-0525
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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