THE LOOP A COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM AROUND CALIFORNIA
NOVEMBER 2023
ISSUE 126
VOLUME 11
Dear WestCare Family,
As the crisp autumn air settles in and the aroma of roasted turkey feasts fills our homes, our hearts naturally show gratitude during this Thanksgiving season. We reflect on the blessings surrounding us, the warmth of family and friends, and countless reasons why we must be thankful. Gathering around tables adorned with harvest delights lets us express appreciation for the fruitful abundance in our lives and extends heartfelt gratitude to those who have selflessly served our nation. I would like to thank the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedom. November is a crucial month for celebrating Thanksgiving with loved ones and Veteran’s Day. This month allows us to take the time to acknowledge the sacrifices made by those who courageously served our country. Their service is a testament to the values we hold dear to our hearts -freedom, honor, and unity. This month, we are thankful for the privilege of being together with our loved ones and their invaluable service that has safeguarded the harvest of our liberties. At WestCare, we take pride in the opportunity to express gratitude through the Veteran services offered by our San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) program and our dedicated staff members in our offices in Fresno, Merced, Tulare, and Stockton. This Thanksgiving, let us take this time to be thankful to be with the ones we love and be grateful for those who have served this country and have embodied a pillar of strength that binds us all together as a united community. Thank you to our heroes and the WestCare family for continuing to care for one another and dedicating yourselves to Uplifting the Human Spirit!
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Program Spotlight: San Joaquin Valley Veterans
Kudos to our Fresno Staff!
By Yadira Renteria, SSVF Program Coordinator, San Joaquin Valley Veterans I would like to highlight the entire Fresno Team's hard work these past few months. It truly takes a village to produce the amazing work that you all do for San Joaquin Valley Veterans! Thank you to our outreach team, who connected our Veteran clients to our office. They help our Veterans with eligibility for housing and other needed services.
San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) is a unique project of WestCare California, Inc. that serves Veterans in Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare Counties and collaborates with the State of California and local Veterans Administration (VA) branches to close the gaps in services WestCare currently offers to transitioning Veterans. SJVV operates out of four offices located in Fresno, Hanford, Merced, and Stockton. Each office is a welcoming location where Veterans can meet with Veteran service representatives from various agencies. SJVV’s services include but are not limited to case management, Veteran advocacy, clinical support for Veterans with PTSD and other conditions, housing assistance for them and their families, employment assistance, linkage to their VA benefits, suicide prevention services, and transitional living. The offices of SJVV also provide an easily accessible space for Veterans to meet with service representatives, search for jobs, and attend support groups. SJVV serves all Veterans, including members of the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, those who received honorable discharges, and anyone who served a day or more in the armed forces. SJVV is a place where Veterans are honored and respected and are empowered to change their lives one simple step at a time.
To our Admin Support, who help our Veterans connect to a Veteran Advocate, thank you for everything you have done to support them throughout the process. You make it easier for our Veterans to navigate our services. Lastly, I want to give a huge shoutout to Yvette Morales and her team of Veteran Advocates, Data and Resource Specialists, and our Navigators and Locators! You have gone above and beyond for our Veterans. Within the last 45 days, we were able to house 16 Veterans, especially the ones who have been chronically homeless. With your teamwork, partnership, and dedication to our mission, I am proud to say that we have all achieved such a great outcome with this. Great job, Fresno Staff!
San Joaquin Valley Veterans
Fresno Staff Members Attending the 2023 Star Spangled Ball
104th Annual Central Valley Veterans Day Parade Our San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) team attended the 104th Annual Central Valley Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Fresno. Members from our Stockton and Tulare offices supported the men and women who courageously served our nation here in the Valley. In honor of the 248th Birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, SJVV Staff and WestCare Leadership proudly wore Marine Corpsthemed t-shirts and decorated the parade float representing the U.S. military branch.
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@SJVV_CA @sanjoaquinvalleyveterans
Uplifting the Human Spirit WestCare California’s Graduation is Back After Prolonged Hiatus!
This month, WestCare California’s Graduation finally returned after four years. All of our graduates who completed their respective recovery programs in Fresno and Bakersfield got to walk across the stage once again at Fresno City College‘s OAB Auditorium! Local meteorologist and co-host of Great Day on KMPH Fox 26, Kopi Sotiropulos, was the Master of Ceremonies for the night and even filmed a video for KMPH’s exclusive weather forecast with our Clinical Director, Ed Crossman. WestCare’s Graduation has always been about beginning a new life and committing to a lifelong recovery journey. The experience was not only emotional for our graduates but inspiring for their loved ones and friends who came out to attend. Congratulations to all of our newest alumni!
Thanksgiving Luncheon for Our SJVV Veterans Our Veterans and San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) staff were thankful to be treated at the Veterans Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Pacific Southwest Building in Downtown Fresno. The Luncheon was hosted by the Fresno Community Based Adult Services (CBAS) program, a community partner here in Fresno that offers daily activities to encourage social skill building for our Veterans who live at our HomeFront and Parc Grove Residential Housing. Thank you to community member Sevak Khatchadourian and the rest of the CBAS team for hosting our Veterans and giving back to the community this Thanksgiving!
@westcare
Uplifting the Human Spirit WestCare Wears Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October was also Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Our staff members from Fresno, Hanford, Stockton, and Tulare chose to wear pink to show their support for those going through treatment, commemorating the ones we lost to this disease, and celebrating the survivors. Thank you to everyone who participated in this campaign. Increasing awareness of breast cancer can lead to supporting life-saving research and life-changing support. To learn more about how to be proactive for yourself and your loved ones, visit cancer.gov.
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California Staff Celebrates Halloween
Last month, our family of programs here at WestCare California celebrated Halloween! The day was filled with various fun activities for our fellow staff and the men, women, children, and families that we serve up and down the state of California. Our staff from MLK Residential, Belmont Health and Wellness, San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) in Fresno, STOP Area 1 in Stockton, and Adolescent Services in Hanford all dressed up for the Halloween spirit. In addition to the communities that we serve, MLK Residential staff distributed candy to male and female clients and even to their children who are joining them in their recovery journey. Clients could also participate in the longtime WestCare tradition of door decorating that showed off their artistic abilities!