Wayfinder Family Services New Heights Newsletter - Holiday 2019

Holiday 2019

NEW HEIGHTS Stories about life-changing journeys made possible by you!

Elizabeth’s Path to Independence

“B

efore Elizabeth was born, I had never met a blind person,” says Gina, Elizabeth’s mother. Back then, Gina and her husband, Greg, wondered, How should we play with Elizabeth? Should we limit her activities? What will her life be like when she grows up? Wayfinder was there with the answers.

When Elizabeth was 6 weeks old, Gina and Greg noticed that Elizabeth’s eyes were moving a lot, but she was not visually responding to them or her toys. A pediatric ophthalmologist diagnosed a retinal issue as the cause of Elizabeth’s blindness— and referred the family to Wayfinder’s Blind Babies Foundation program for early intervention.

NEW HEIGHTS Take a look inside Wayfinder’s latest newsletter:

Q&A with CEO Miki Jordan page 2

Jeri, a Wayfinder vision specialist, began making home visits to the family when Elizabeth was 8 months old. Jeri provided activities to encourage Elizabeth to move and explore her world. Gina adds, “Jeri sang a lot of songs to Elizabeth. Elizabeth loves music. She wanted Jeri to keep singing songs all day.”

As Elizabeth got older, Jeri worked with the little girl on self-care skills, like using a spoon and putting on shoes. “Jeri brought braille and textured books,” Gina recalls.

“She came to doctor appointments with us and took notes.”

Jeri helped Gina and Greg understand that although Elizabeth was blind, she was the same as every other baby. “We should play with her the same and give her the same experiences,” Gina says, “modified a little bit.”

Gina and Greg had concerns about Elizabeth’s future. “They needed support to know (continued on page 6)

From the Archives page 3 Caitlin is Paying it Forward page 7

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

Q&A with Miki Jordan Wayfinder Family Services President & CEO

M

iki Jordan joined Wayfinder Family Services in 2006. Below, she answers questions about the organization’s new name, what “Wayfinder” means to her and the organization’s unchanging commitment to children and families.

Do you still serve children who are blind?

Yes! We are as deeply committed as ever to the blindness community. In fact, we serve more children with vision loss across California than any other organization. We are one of the few organizations that has the expertise to work with children with vision impairment and multiple disabilities. We are so proud that our services reach visually impaired people of all ages, from early intervention for infants, through educational and recreation programs for children, to residential programming and workforce development for teens and adults. These programs and more will continue to meet the needs of children and adults who are blind, today and into the future.

Donors have so many choices of charities they can support. Why give to Wayfinder?

When you give to Wayfinder, donors are supporting an excellent organization that changes lives in profound ways—more than 16,500 lives a year. Donors can give to Wayfinder with confidence for three reasons: • We change lives every day. We provide critically needed services to children, youth, adults and families that very few organizations have the expertise to serve.

• We have a long history in the community. We were founded in 1953 and have become one of the nation’s most respected organizations.

• Donors can give with trust. Wayfinder Family Services is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation, and we receive the highest ratings from Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau. These achievements mean we have exemplary financial, operations and program management. Very few nonprofit organizations have received these distinctions.

We are so grateful to the individuals, foundations and corporations that donate to Wayfinder. And we appreciate our strong partnerships with public agencies that fund us.

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To read the full interview with Miki Jordan and learn more about Wayfinder Family Services, please visit www.wayfinderfamily.org/MikiQandA

2 • Holiday 2019

Wayfinder Family Services ensures that children, youth and adults facing challenges always have a place to turn.

We are proud of our Wayfinder values:

VALUES Inclusive We honor the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We strive to create a culture in which everyone is accepted and encouraged to fully participate.

Empathetic We seek to develop a deeper understanding of our children and families. We work to embed empathy into our decision-making, interactions and actions.

Collaborative We can’t do it alone and we must do it together. We work in partnership to address the holistic needs of children and families.

Whatever it takes We never give up. We will always be there for our children and their families.

Innovative We are agile and forward-thinking. We continually seek out better ways to help children and families thrive.

Driven We take every opportunity to move forward in our strategic direction and to create meaningful change.

From the Archives The Year: 1958 The People: Actress and musician, Jayne Mansfield and children from Foundation for the Junior Blind (now Wayfinder Family Services).

The Moment: Jayne Mansfield greets guests at a holiday party for children with visual impairments.

F

BRENT WILLIAMS is a Wayfinder Meet our newest board chair, Brent Williams, City National Bank’s senior vice president and regional manager.

How do you bring Wayfinder Family Services’ mission to life?

I have served on the Board of Wayfinder for several years, and this year I became the board chair. I now get to work more closely with the incredible team at Wayfinder to help guide us on our future path. I have already learned so much more than I already knew about our incredible mission: ensuring that children, youth and adults facing challenges always have a place to turn. I think back to when I first joined the board of directors and then look at our scope and broadening impact—I am so proud to have been a part of the decision-making and stewardship to get us this far. We have really transformed this agency over the past several years, and I am really excited about the future and the impact that we will have.

What’s your Wayfinder compass: the value you most connect with?

The value that I most connect with is ‘Driven’. I have watched Wayfinder develop and grow over the years—we are a larger and more impactful agency today due to the drive to serve and do more for our children, their families, and communities. I am extremely proud of our growing impact.

Can you share one of your favorite Wayfinder moments?

My favorite Wayfinder moment was when I first joined the board of directors of Wayfinder several years ago, and I was able to bring my kids to the Wayfinder Paralympic Games, where they were able to participate in activities and also volunteer for the event. It was their first experience with volunteering, and they still talk about it to this day. Wayfinder has had a deep impact on me and my family.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT WAYFINDER...

99 Provides services to more children who are blind than any other nonprofit in California 99 Houses the highest concentration of youth with complex medical or mental health needs in Los Angeles County’s foster care system Learn more: wayfinderfamily.org/join

NEW HEIGHTS • 3

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

WAYS TO GIVE

Your Generosity Makes an Impact Wayfinder’s generous donors make a tremendous impact.

They give us the resources to assist children, adults and families who have nowhere else to turn.

Please consider a gift to Wayfinder this holiday season.

Because of your gift …

Babies born prematurely, like Elena, will receive a chance to thrive through our early intervention services.

Abused and neglected children like Layla will find hope, resilience and a safe haven in The Cottage.

Children like Martin and Anna, born to a drug-addicted mom, will find a new home with a loving family through our Foster Care and Adoption program.

How can you make an impact?

Please make a gift today by using the enclosed envelope or visiting us online at www.wayfinderfamily.org/give Make a gift of stock (see sidebar) or a qualified charitable distribution from your traditional IRA (consult your tax advisor and your IRA custodian).

This holiday season, you can also give in honor or memory of a special person by visiting our website at: www.wayfinderfamily.org/tribute or by calling (323) 290-6290.

Thank you for your support!

4 • Holiday 2019

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Stock Gifts Are a Win-Win-Win

You and Wayfinder both win when you donate appreciated stock. The donor may get a tax deduction (consult your tax accountant first) for the full value of the stock, as long as the donor has owned it for more than 12 months. The donor does not have to pay long-term capital gains on the amount the stock has increased in value.

And Wayfinder receives valuable support for its important work with children, adults and families. Donate in three simple steps:

u Initiate the Stock Transfer Securities can be gifted to Wayfinder Family Services via electronic transfer (in which your broker transfers shares using the Wayfinder DTC number). It is necessary for you to contact your broker to initiate the transfer.

Us v Notify Call Randy Sprabary at

(323) 295-4555, ext. 220 or email rsprabary@wayfinderfamily.org

the Securities w Send to Wayfinder Family Services Ask your broker to donate through Charles Schwab & Co., Inc: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. DTC Number: 0164 FBO: Wayfinder Family Services Account number: 3047-7845

A Special Gift for the Holidays Join our gift card drive today! Your donation will help make a holiday wish come true. www.wayfinderfamily.org/card

Holiday Meals

Gifts What’s the impact of a gift card? q “I’ve never had a teddy bear before.”

Michelle is 5 years old and recently entered foster care after years of being neglected at home. She’s never received a gift, even on her birthday. Help give Michelle the number one item on her wish list: a teddy bear she has already named “Mimi.”

q “We want to give them their first holiday meal.”

Sheila and John are new foster parents. They are both teachers and have agreed to foster children who are the hardest to place, those with special needs. This month, little Joseph arrived at their home with nothing but a few belongings in a trash bag and his wheelchair. Joseph’s siblings, Nora and Mia, arrived soon after. Help Sheila and John purchase the ingredients for their first holiday meal as an expanded family.

q “I want to give my little sister a gift this year.”

Tenesha and Tara are not only sisters, they are best friends. They are thriving in their new foster home. When Tenesha’s foster mother offered to buy her a new backpack for school, Tenesha asked if she could save the money instead, because “I want my little sister to get a present under the tree this year.”

Give a gift card today: www.wayfinderfamily.org/card NEW HEIGHTS • 5

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

Independence... (continued from page 1) someone will travel that road with them,” says Jeri. “I introduced them to a graduate of early intervention— Caitlin—who is blind and teaches children with disabilities.”

DID YOU KNOW? 85% of all early learning is visual.

Children learn to walk, eat, play and do much more by mimicking others around them, which puts babies with visual impairments at a great disadvantage and higher risk for developmental delays.

Every $1 spent on early intervention saves $17 in future care and support.

In 2018, Wayfinder’s early intervention programs helped over 4,200 children, parents and family members.

How can you help?

Give a gift to Wayfinder today! Use the enclosed envelope or make a gift online: www.wayfinderfamily.org

Meeting Caitlin and seeing what a happy, confident woman she is made Greg and Gina very optimistic about Elizabeth’s future. Caitlin got to know the family, and she and Elizabeth adore each other. (See Caitlin’s story on page 7).

(L-R) Gina and Elizabeth have developed a close bond with Wayfinder’s vision specialist Jeri.

Now age 4 and in preschool, Elizabeth is thriving. Her love of music continues, and she has begun playing the piano.

“If I let her,” Gina says, “she would play for hours.” Elizabeth also loves going to the park and climbing on everything. Her new favorite sport is swimming.

To increase her mobility, Elizabeth has begun using a cane, which she likes because it makes her more independent. Also, Elizabeth is learning braille. Personally and professionally, Caitlin encourages this approach. “I started braille and mobility early,” Caitlin says. “It’s very, very important.” Mom Gina and Elizabeth’s older brother, Paul, are also learning braille, as well as some out-of-town cousins who send Elizabeth letters in braille.

“Wayfinder’s early intervention gave us confidence that Elizabeth can do whatever she wants to do,” says Gina.

“Jeri gave us great tips at such an early age. Wayfinder has helped us meet many people—parents and children, blind and not—and learn about the path Elizabeth is on. We are very thankful.”

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Paying it Forward to a New Generation

“I

had wonderful teachers who knew I was going to be successful,” says Caitlin Hernandez, graduate of Wayfinder’s Blind Babies Foundation early intervention program and teacher of children with disabilities. “I want to pay this forward.”

Caitlin, now age 29, was born blind. “I have light perception but no functional vision,” she explains. When Caitlin was about 8 months old, her parents realized she could not see. At first, they thought she was deaf rather than blind. “They would make a noise and I would not turn my head,” Caitlin says. “I was trying to hold still and listen because I couldn’t see. There was nothing for me to look at.”

love what I do. It’s never dull.”

Like many parents who have not been exposed to children with vision loss, Caitlin’s parents did not know what to do.

They turned to Wayfinder for early intervention. “The program was a pillar of strength and knowledge,” says Caitlin. Through Wayfinder, her parents learned that Caitlin could live a full life.

And she has!

Also, Caitlin is passionate about answering questions from parents of children who are blind. She jokes that she is happy to share her mistakes. All these years, Caitlin has stayed in contact with the vision specialists who guided her early development: Julie, Dottie and Jeri. “They know me. They see me as a person,” Caitlin says. “Even though I don’t remember working with them, they were always there as I grew up.” Elizabeth’s parents (see cover story) met Caitlin through Jeri.

“

The program was a pillar of strength and knowledge.”

Caitlin credits Wayfinder’s Blind Babies Foundation early intervention program for showing her parents that she would grow up to be a successful “blind baby.”

After attending UC Santa Cruz for her bachelor’s, Caitlin earned a special education teaching credential from San Francisco State. She teaches third-, fourth- and fifth-graders with disabilities in a public school. “It’s nice for them to have a disabled teacher,” she says. “We become very close. I really

When she’s not working, Caitlin’s main hobby is writing. Her current project is a young adult book. She also loves to sing and read and go places with her friends, most recently a county fair and waterpark.

Caitlin was invited to deliver the keynote speech at a large state convention for professionals who work with blind and visually impaired children. “I don’t like public speaking,” she admits. Caitlin learned that her former vision specialist, Julie, was going to attend. Before the speech, Julie sought out Caitlin and helped her remain calm.

“She’s known me longer than anyone other than my parents,” Caitlin says. “I knew it would make Julie proud to see a ‘blind baby’ up there giving a speech.”

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NEW HEIGHTS • 7

Wayfinder Is Home for the Holidays

Did you know? Many of the children in our residential programs call Wayfinder home during the holiday season. Thanks to your support, our young residents can enjoy these special Wayfinder moments:

A Gift from Santa

Just two days before Christmas, 5-year-old Sharon was removed from her home due to extreme neglect and placed in The Cottage, our temporary shelter care program. As she looked around The Cottage, decorated with festive holiday lights and pictures, Sharon wondered out loud if Santa would finally bring her a gift this year.

On Christmas Eve, volunteers delivered wrapped gifts to The Cottage for all the children. The next day, Sharon unwrapped her first ever gift from Santa—a backpack filled with toys and clothes.

A Special Meal Damian lives in our Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) and has been working hard to manage his diabetes and other health challenges. Last Thanksgiving, he volunteered to help prepare a Thanksgiving meal for staff and residents. Thanks to a gift card from a generous donor, he and staff went to the grocery store to pick up healthy ingredients.

Damien applied what he had learned from Wayfinder’s medical staff about healthy food choices and proudly served a delicious, well-balanced Thanksgiving meal.

A Holiday Adventure Lila is a resident in one of Wayfinder’s group homes. She has multiple disabilities and needs 24-hour care. She is blind and speaks only a few words but has a contagious laugh. Last year, staff and residents from the group homes took a “field trip” to Wayfinder’s annual Holiday Carnival. Lila spent hours in the sensory room that volunteers had created, enjoying the tactile activities and musical instruments. She smiled and sang all the way home.

Thank you for your support during this holiday season!

Give with trust.

Main Campus 5300 Angeles Vista Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-4555 • info@wayfinderfamily.org Make a gift today: www.wayfinderfamily.org/give