COMMUNITY VOICE
VOLUME 21
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COMMUNITY VOICES
FROM MARY ALICE ESCARSEGA-FECHNER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
This is the time of year we focus on giving thanks. I am thankful for the support of our staff and community partners who join us on our mission to serve Tulare County residents living in poverty. Here at CSET, we strive to connect hard-to-reach populations with much-needed services and resources that will improve their lives. Our programs provide individuals and families with opportunities and the tools they need to get ahead. We support them on their path to self-sufficiency as they reach for the American Dream. Events like Make A Difference Day and the recent grand opening celebration of the Pixley Community Campus remind us of the positive impact partnerships can have when we work together and leverage our resources. Thank you to all CSET staff members, partners and Tulare County residents for your support and commitment to our organization and the communities in which we all live, work and play. I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished together and look forward to what the future holds for each of us.
Inside this issue John Muir Graduates
I wish you all a peaceful and safe holiday season filled with joy and a little relaxation! 1
— Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner
Inside This Issue Tulare County Job Fair
INVESTING IN TULARE COUNTY YOUTH
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Corpsmembers Honored Pixley Grand Opening Make A Difference Day VITA Starts Recruiting
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CSET is proud to partner with the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, which has awarded our organization with a $10,000 grant to benefit youth programming in Cutler-Orosi.
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On Monday, October 24th, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager Lynn Knudson and her Dinuba branch staff presented CSET with a ceremonial $10,000 check. CSET Deputy Director Carla Calhoun, Supported Workforce Director Debbie Castro and Youth Development Department Assistant Director Maria Espinoza were on hand to accept the check and gave a short presentation covering youth services. To learn more about the Youth Development Department, please visit www.cset.org/youthdevelopment.
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WHERE BUSINESS AND TALENT CONNECT The 25th Annual Tulare County Job Fair, the largest job fair in our region, was held on September 28th at the Visalia Convention Center. The job fair has become known as the premier event for job seekers and businesses to interact and promote their skills and employment opportunities. The job fair experienced a 20% attendance increase over last year’s fair with over 90 businesses and 1,200 job seekers present at the event. “The job fair was a success and we are extremely pleased to have connected hundreds of individuals with businesses searching for qualified talent,” said Craig Plath, co-chairman of the Tulare County Job Fair planning committee. “Thank you to our business partners for attending and providing local job seekers with exciting new employment opportunities.” In addition to interacting with businesses and organizations, the event offered attendees the opportunity to participate in speed interviews and resume review sessions courtesy of the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM). Job seekers also had the opportunity to network with job placement organizations, educational institutions and military representatives. The job fair was free to all participants and businesses were encouraged to perform interviews on site. Several job seekers reported being hired on the spot. To learn more about CSET’s Workforce Development Department, please visit us online at www.cset.org/workforce-development.
CORPSMEMBERS HONORED On September 8th, Sequoia Community Corps (SCC) staff showed their appreciation for our corpsmembers by hosting the 4th Annual Corpsmember Awards Ceremony and Banquet. After enjoying breakfast, SCC staff honored 11 deserving corpsmembers and announced the Corpsmember of the Year award winner. The award winner will also be nominated for the national Corpsmember of the Year Award presented by The Corps Network. Corpsmember of the Year Winner: Awards: Guillermo Blanco - Department of Recycling Best New Corpsmember - Janie Ramirez Most Respected Corpsmember - Travis Wallace Community Service Award - Leslie Rojas & Christian Lozoya Best Dressed Corpsmember - Alex Alcala Corpsmember of the Year Nominees: Dillon Gunderson - Urban Forestry Simon Paez - Household Tanks Jose Silva-Aguilar - Energy Marco Quair - Home Garden Roxana Huerta - Weatherization
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PIXLEY COMMUNITY CAMPUS MAKES ITS DEBUT A crowd of nearly 80 people including CSET staff members, partner agencies and residents all came together on Thursday, November 17th to celebrate the grand opening of the Pixley Community Campus. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the occasion and attendees toured the renovated facilities. The campus will be home to a new library branch and community office providing support and healthcare services to the residents of Pixley. The campus was made possible by partnerships between the County of Tulare, U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Pixley Foundation, Family HealthCare Network, CSET, and the Tulare County Library. The event featured presentations from Tulare County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel and representatives from the offices of Senator Andy Vidak, Congressman David Valadao, and Assemblyman Devon Mathis. The new CSET Pixley office, which shares office space with Family HealthCare Network, is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. For more information, please call (559) 575-0098.
ONE DAY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE On October 22nd, volunteers from communities across Tulare County joined CSET staff on the nation's largest annual day of service, Make A Difference Day. For nearly two decades, CSET has been Tulare County’s proud project coordinator. Make A Difference Day connects people with opportunities to serve, increases the strength of communities and promotes civic engagement. On this national day of service, CSET joined hundreds of other organizations around the nation by engaging their community in service. A round of applause goes out to the following difference-makers: • TECH Connect students who potted plants in Cutler-Orosi and cleaned up the Step Up Youth Center • Residents in Allensworth, Ivanhoe and Pixley who cleaned up their neighborhoods and collected e-waste • Drought Resource Center staff and volunteers in East Porterville who cleaned the grounds of the Emmanuel Church and painted the fence • The Tipton Community Council who hosted a "Trunk or Treat" event to provide a safe and centralized trick-or-treat location for local children • Local Porterville residents, including CSET staff members, who gave the Porterville Senior Center a fresh coat of interior paint • The Housing Department which cleaned and prepped an apartment for a future housing client • Earlimart residents who collected e-waste Thanks to those of you who gave of your time and resources on Make A Difference Day. Your good deeds are an awesome example of CSET's mission and vision.
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VITA PROGRAM SEEKING VOLUNTEERS Visalia CSET 312 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA 93291 Tel. 559.732.4194
Are you looking for an awesome volunteer opportunity? If so, look no further! CSET's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is now recruiting volunteers. In tax year 2016, VITA volunteers filed more than 2,000 tax returns, which brought more than $3.2 million back to Tulare County. Approximately 200 volunteers are needed for the 2017 VITA program year, which runs from February 4 through April 26, 2017. VITA provides free tax preparation and electronic filing services to Tulare County households with less than $54,000 annual income. Tax preparation services will be provided in Cutler, Porterville, Pixley, Tulare and Visalia. Bilingual volunteers are greatly needed. This is a high impact volunteer opportunity for civicminded individuals to assist lower-income families in our communities. It is also great work experience for high school youth and adults exploring careers in financial and customer services. Retired financial professionals are also excellent candidates for the VITA program Volunteers will complete a training course to become an IRS certified volunteer tax preparer. The four-week training begins Saturday, January 7, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be held every Saturday in January at CSET’s main office in Visalia and the Porterville Employment Connection.
Visalia Employment Connection 4025 W. Noble Ave. # B Visalia, CA 93277-1631 Tel. 559.713.5000 Tulare Family Resource Center 304 E. Tulare Ave. Tulare, CA 93274 Tel. 559.684.1987 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
More information and an application form can be found online at www.cset.org/vita. We look forward to working with you!
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, 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.
November 2016
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