Wayfinder Family Services New Heights Newsletter Spring 2020

Spring 2020

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

Thomas Needs Us Now, More Than Ever

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ur hearts go out to you and all members of the Wayfinder family in these challenging times. We hope you are faring well. The COVID-19 pandemic is difficult for everyone, but especially for our most vulnerable clients. Ten-yearold Thomas has nowhere else to go. Born with intellectual disabilities, he lives in a Wayfinder group home with five other children. As COVID-19 sweeps the country, Wayfinder’s residential programs remain open and safe for those like Thomas who need our 24-hour care.

Thomas’ mom, a single mother who worked as a seamstress, was financially and physically unable to care for a child with disabilities. Thomas came to live with us when he was 6 years old. He enrolled in our Special Education School, where he is thriving.

With one-to-one attention from our teachers and aides, he is speaking more and has learned some sign language. Thomas is outgoing, happy and engaging. He loves his teachers, aides and the group home staff. His family no longer visits. We are the only family he knows.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Wayfinder’s 24-hour residential programs for foster children and children with disabilities are fully staffed and running without interruption. We’re providing educational programs, like our Special Education School, with distancelearning technology. We are using telehealth and phone calls to continue crucial mental health therapy, home visits to foster children, and early intervention for young children with vision loss or multiple disabilities. As always, Wayfinder’s services are free of charge to children and families, most of whom are low-income. (continued on back cover)

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

Wayfinder staff on the frontline, online and behind the scenes during COVID-19 crisis (page 4)

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

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

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iki Jordan joined Wayfinder Family Services in 2006. Below, she answers questions about the organization’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

How has Wayfinder responded to the COVID-19 crisis?

The health and safety of our clients and staff is our top priority always. We began monitoring the situation in January and took proactive steps before Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency. Wayfinder provides essential services, so our internal response team worked rapidly to maintain our programs. Our residential programs house children in the child welfare system and children and adults with disabilities—they have nowhere else to go.

Our responsibility is to keep them safe. We increased our protective supplies and the frequency of cleaning. Our dedicated staff who provide direct care around the clock in residential programs are receiving hazard pay. We created a plan to isolate residents who display symptoms of COVID-19 or who have been exposed. Plus, we retrained all staff on universal precautions for infection control. All our services that can be delivered remotely have been converted to telehealth or distance learning. Only staff performing essential functions are on campus. It’s amazing how quickly staff managed these transitions.

For 67 years, Wayfinder and friends like you have been stepping up and standing in the gap for families in need. Your gift can provide: Diapers and formula for two weeks for an infant ($50) 20 meals for children in our programs ($100) One day of 1-to-1 individual care for a child with a disability ($250)

In what ways can this pandemic positively impact Wayfinder?

This crisis is an opportunity for Wayfinder to think creatively about new ways to serve our clients. Using online options, I think we will be able to serve a larger number of people more economically in the future. Also, Wayfinder will have a more nimble workforce that is adept at using technology to advance our mission.

What has been your proudest moment during the crisis?

Every member of Wayfinder’s staff has stepped up to keep our clients safe. Our employees are working long hours to make sure children, adults and families receive what they need from Wayfinder.

I’m especially touched by the acts of compassion and empathy that staff extend to clients and to each other. I’m so proud of them!

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Please consider supporting children and families during the COVID-19 crisis

30 hours of extra cleaning of our facilities ($500) 30 hours of additional nursing staff time ($1,000) Increased inventory of protective equipment and supplies for our staff ($2,500) A fully equiped isolation facility for Wayfinder clients in the event of infection ($5,000) Visit www.wayfinderfamily.org/cares to make a gift or use the enclosed envelope. Thank you!

A FAMILY LEGACY Generosity Through Generations

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ob Holmes’ late mother, Lorraine Holmes, made generous gifts to Wayfinder because she was keenly interested in helping people with vision loss. Bob has continued his mother’s legacy by supporting Wayfinder’s work for more than 30 years. Now, Bob and his wife, BJ, are leaving their own legacy by including a bequest to Wayfinder in their estate plan.

“I’m blessed,” says Bob. “I’ve worked hard and want to pass some of that along.” Their decision to make a planned gift grew out of practical considerations. “We thought, let’s get serious,” says Bob. “We’re not spring chickens anymore. Let’s act like adults and do an estate plan.” Bob and BJ wanted the assurance of knowing their wishes would be honored, rather than making their family guess the couple’s desires.

In addition to honoring the legacy of Bob’s mother, Bob and BJ have confidence in Wayfinder. “We felt it was a good, reputable, established organization,” Bob says.

Bob and BJ aren’t restricting their gift to a project. Bob’s giving philosophy is, “If you feel comfortable with a charity, give money with no strings attached.” He points out that unglamorous—but crucial— overhead expenses make unrestricted gifts so important, such as electricity, finance staff and human resources.

“Our unrestricted gift is to be used as Wayfinder’s management sees fit,” Bob says. “It’s an affirmation of my confidence in them.” But most of all, “We’re grateful to be able to help people who need assistance,” says Bob.

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Five easy ways to leave your own Wayfinder legacy: 1. In your will, name Wayfinder Family Services/Junior Blind the beneficiary of an amount or percentage of your estate.

2. Designate Wayfinder/Junior Blind as a partial or full beneficiary of your retirement plan.

3. Make Wayfinder/Junior Blind a full or partial beneficiary of a life insurance policy, appreciated securities or real estate.

4. Name Wayfinder/Junior Blind as a full or partial beneficiary of your donor advised fund.

Your annual contributions can also be made from you donor advised fund.

5. Make Wayfinder/Junior Blind the “pay on death” beneficiary of a certificate of deposit, bank account or brokerage account.

Questions? Contact Randy Sprabary at (323) 295-4555, ext. 220 or rsprabary@ wayfinderfamily.org

NEW HEIGHTS • 3

WAYFINDER MOMENTS from the COVID-19 crisis Junior Blind has a new name!

WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES From the Frontline

Thanks to our dedicated staff, our residential programs continue uninterrupted THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT

A few weeks into the crisis, one-year-old Siena* arrived at The Cottage, Wayfinder’s temporary shelter care program. Siena had been removed from an unsafe home and potentially exposed to COVID-19. One of our counselors, Linda, quickly put on protective equipment and cared for baby Siena in an isolation room Wayfinder had prepared. Siena slept peacefully and social workers were able to find a safe, healthy placement for her the next morning.

SAFE AT HOME

Lenora is a residential counselor in one of our group homes for children.

Reflecting on the COVID crisis, she says, “What would I be doing at home? My residents need me more than ever.” She is helping to keep our children engaged with plenty of indoor fun: dancing, teaching and supporting our residents with their independent living programs. This includes daily life skills lessons such as how to fold clothes, set the table and clean up. Thanks to Lenora, their routine has not been disrupted. They are safe at home!

HEALTHCARE HEROES

Since this crisis began, our nursing team has been providing additional training and updates for staff and seeking out hard-to-find protective gear like masks and gloves, while still seeing our residents around the clock. These healthcare heroes help keep our foster youth and medically fragile children and adults healthy by giving them regular check-ups, dispensing medication and providing any other necessary medical care. Thanks to their gentle and compassionate demeanor, they have been able to ease residents’ anxieties about the crisis and have educated and trained our staff on the latest public health guidelines. This team of 15 nurses keeps Wayfinder healthy!

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LEAN ON ME

Joseph*, one of the teens in foster care in our Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program, had to be quarantined due to potential exposure to COVID-19. The teen had already been through so much trauma in his young life and this latest challenge was terrifying for him. Our residential counselors, Rodney and Jervaughn, immediately stepped up to make sure he didn’t feel alone. They cared for him, lifted his spirits with words of encouragement and were there to celebrate with him when his quarantine period ended. Both Rodney and Jervaughn leaned into this enormous responsibility with ease and grace!

DID YOU KNOW? Wayfinder is an essential business that has remained open during the COVID-19 crisis. If you are able, please give a gift today to support the most vulnerable: www.wayfinderfamily.org/heroes 4 • Spring 2020

*Some names and details have been changed, and stock photography used to protect minor’s privacy.

From Online

Staff are connecting with and supporting clients using technology ISAIAS GOES “ZOOM!”

MUSICAL MOMENTS

Tom and his fellow therapists from our Mental Health Services program have developed innovative ways to engage their clients via telehealth. It can be challenging to build rapport over online and phone sessions but the team has gotten creative.

Tom recently discovered that a father and daughter he was working with share Tom’s love of a famous American rock band. This was a transformative moment and a key to the healing process for the family, who had recently reunited after the daughter was returned to her father’s custody.

Tom began incorporating music into their therapy sessions. Tom plays his guitar, alongside father and daughter, while they sing their favorite songs during the therapy session—all on Zoom!

You may remember Isaias, a student from our Special Education School who we featured in this newsletter less than a year ago. He was thriving in school and his family was so grateful for his Wayfinder teachers and therapists. Thanks to Zoom sessions, Isaias continues to learn and laugh at home!

Kencie, Rachel and Claudia, his occupational therapist, teacher and teacher’s aide, recently connected with Isaias and his family, checking on his motor skills, helping his mother read him a book and discussing his overall progress. Thanks to our dedicated staff, the families from our Special Education School are still receiving the individual support they need to thrive!

From Behind the Scenes

Our staff ensures that everyone has access to our services SPECIAL DELIVERY

The adults in the Davidson Program for Independence are learning important skills thanks to staff like Kellie. Wayfinder’s lead braille instructor, along with her guide dog, travel to our main office so that she can create her lesson materials. She mails her students braille-embossed homework packets, curriculum units, and braille writing paper so that they can continue learning at home. Instructors are also giving lessons and encouragement to students with vision impairment over the phone. The COVID-19 crisis has had a unique impact on people with disabilities and we are proud to continue our services remotely across the state for youth and adults who are blind or visually impaired.

NEW HEIGHTS • 5

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

One Pound at Birth Meet an inspiring Wayfinder Family

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ila and Mark’s* baby was so tiny, only 1 pound and 4 ounces at birth. Mark had just visited their son, Samuel, in the neonatal intensive care unit. Worried, Mark discussed his fears with an acquaintance from church. Samuel had an eye condition common in premature babies, called ROP, Mark told her. Would Samuel be able to see? Mark had no idea that he was talking to exactly the right person—a Wayfinder specialist who could help baby Samuel tremendously.

Vilay knew that Samuel needed early intervention— as soon as possible. Even though Samuel wasn’t a Wayfinder client yet, she sprang into action.

The acquaintance was Vilay Ortega, one of Wayfinder’s most experienced early intervention specialists. Every day, Wayfinder’s specialists help hundreds of babies improve their vision and motor skills like grasping. They teach moms and dads how to support their children who have developmental challenges.

After discharge, Lila requested vision therapy for Samuel. “I didn’t realize that every baby develops their vision over time,” says Lila. “I learned that from Vilay.”

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“When he was still in the hospital, I walked Lila through things she could do,” Vilay recalls, “like bringing in high-contrast images and sounds that she could make in the hospital to get him to look at her.” Lila took Vilay’s advice and worked with her son in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Vilay was assigned to be Samuel’s vision specialist. In her weekly visits, she encouraged him to reach for pom poms and beads. Using an iPad, she got the little boy *Parents names changed for privacy

VILAY ORTEGA is a Wayfinder

Meet a regional manager from our early intervention program Wayfinder’s early intervention program provides home visits to children with vision loss or multiple disabilities. During the current COVID-19 crisis, specialists are providing virtual visits statewide via the web or through phone calls.

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

You don’t work only with the child in early intervention. It is challenging for parents to have a child with a disability. I see the parents’ hurt and pain. I am there to bridge the gap and see if they are okay. They need to know someone cares. When I go to a home, I comfort the family and support them.

What does being a Wayfinder mean to you?

I help families put the pieces of a puzzle together. I help them learn how to support their child’s development.

Can you share one of your favorite Wayfinder moments?

I love seeing the children who I worked with come to Wayfinder’s annual holiday event. They still look for me.

They ask, “Is that Vilay?” It’s so encouraging to see they are doing okay.

How have you been providing early intervention services remotely during the pandemic?

I’ve been really busy finding resources for families. On video calls, it’s best if I break a two hour session into separate half hour sessions. Developing social interaction skills is working well on video calls. A girl who was born four months early turned 2 years old during the stay-at-home order. On her birthday, we did activities like “head, shoulders, knees and toes” on a video call so she can learn body awareness—how her brain and body parts are connected. I talk with parents about family health and their fears. One mom said to me, “I really appreciate you are checking in on us. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t connect with you.”

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to track objects with his eyes side to side and up and down.

After six months in our early intervention program, Samuel’s vision has improved dramatically. He is making progress in other developmental areas too!

He’s trying to crawl, and he says “mama” and “dada.”

Before the pandemic, Vilay visited Samuel’s family weekly, working on his vision and other developmental areas.

Mom and dad are very happy. “Since day one, Vilay has been supportive and has given me resources to help Samuel,” Lila says. “Wayfinder is giving my son opportunities to grow developmentally. I’m grateful that I was able to have Wayfinder when he got discharged.”

Update: Read Vilay’s profile above to see how families are receiving remote services during the pandemic.

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NEW HEIGHTS • 7

A New Tax Deduction for You Save on taxes and support Wayfinder!

The CARES Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, contains a new tax deduction. If you do not itemize your deductions, you can reduce your taxable income by making up to $300 in charitable cash contributions in 2020—and up to $600 for a married couple. This adjustment is made “above the line” and directly reduces the amount of your income that is taxable.

If you are able, this new deduction is a great incentive to give this year, when so many of our neighbors need assistance.

Wayfinder is going to extraordinary lengths to keep children and families safe while maintaining our crucial programs.

Please consider making a gift to Wayfinder in 2020 to use this deduction. Your donation will help Wayfinder provide a safe haven for those who have nowhere else to turn. Now more than ever, we need you. Thank you.

Contact Vanessa Botshekan at (323) 295-4555 Ext 205 or vbotshekan@wayfinderfamily.org for more information.

Make a gift with the enclosed envelope or online at www.wayfinderfamily.org/cares

Thomas... (continued from page 1)

DID YOU KNOW? Children with disabilities will be at higher risk for abuse and neglect during the pandemic.

Because of his disability, Thomas has the cognitive abilities of a 3-year-old. He doesn’t understand social distancing or the impact of good handwashing. But his Wayfinder caregivers do. They are gently guiding him to wash his hands and keep a safe distance. Our staff are giving all they have to protect him and other children from the virus. Along with parents all across the country, our group home staff has also taken on “home schooling” Thomas. They connect everyday with staff from our Special Education School, ensuring that Thomas has the routine and support he needs to continue thriving. (Read more about our staff across all programs on pages 4-5.)

The economic downturn associated with COVID 19 will potentially increase the need for our services. Families will have fewer resources and more stress, which historically results in higher rates of abuse and neglect. Children with disabilities, like Thomas, are at highest risk.

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Some details and Thomas’ name have been changed, and stock photography was used to protect his privacy.

Give with trust.

Main Campus 5300 Angeles Vista Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-4555 www.wayfinderfamily.org