‘Tis the season to be thankful, Bella’s adoption story and more!

NOVEMBER 2022

‘Tis The Season To Be Thankful!

It is with full hearts that we express our appreciation to our dedicated staff, donors, volunteers, and community partners. You have helped provide life-changing trauma-informed services to thousands of children, youth, and families.

Importantly, your support also enables us to address urgent community needs. Our newest program in Southeast Los Angeles provides critical support to children who have entered the United States without their parent/legal guardian or who have been separated from their parent/legal guardian for other reasons.

Thank you for believing in our work and your vital role in our Village. We are pleased to share the following stories and information with you, and we look forward to keeping you updated on the impact your support is making possible.

Q & A With Our Board Chair

Bill Cook has served on The Village’s board for twelve years and has been the Board Chair for the past four. During his professional career, he held leadership positions at Disney, Westin and Marriott Hotels, and Elements Health (formally Wellpoint and Anthem). As a busy executive, Bill always supported organizations he believed in, and his retirement has enabled him to take his support and involvement to new heights.

How’s life been since retirement? 

I love retired life! I found interests in philanthropy and working with The Village, so I haven’t looked back.

How did your involvement with The Village begin?

I learned about The Village while volunteering for another organization that also helps Transition Age Youth (TAY) in foster care. Through that experience, I saw first-hand the immense challenges these young people face, and my commitment grew. A mutual acquaintance introduced me to The Village. I was delighted when they invited me to join the board, which enabled me to use my corporate experience on a different level.

What would you like supporters to know about The Village? 

The Village is continually evolving to meet changing needs. They did a fantastic job delivering uninterrupted services during COVID. They are leading the way in addressing youth homelessness, which is a serious and growing issue. If we ignore the challenges our youth face, there will be severe consequences down the road.

On the accountability front, The Village is very well-run and well-managed. The vast majority of funding goes directly to support client services. Our board provides strong governance and oversight, and we are committed to developing new avenues for fundraising. I encourage individuals and companies who really want to make a difference to support The Village. Their work to end youth homelessness is a wise investment in the future.

What keeps you involved? 

When you get involved with an organization, there are great rewards for those who serve and those who receive services. That’s truly the case at The Village, and I feel blessed to be involved.

Eagerly Awaiting Adoption

Bella was only six when she came to The Village (name changed to protect her privacy). Her young life had been fraught with multiple foster placements, trauma, physical and emotional abuse, and neglect. In response, she only knew how to communicate her needs through explosive behaviors aimed at her caregivers and her sister.

Her Village therapist, Johnna Jackson, had also been in foster care as a child. So, in addition to her professional skills, she had lived experience. Johnna is part of The Village’s clinical team that specializes in helping young children who have suffered significant trauma and abuse. In addition to talk therapy, Johanna also engaged Bella through play and art therapy, which are especially effective with younger children.

Today, Bella’s life has changed for the better. She is with loving foster parents who have been by her side every step of the way. She’s learning to cope and express herself constructively using words and is working toward reaching benchmark levels at school. Her relationship with her sister has dramatically improved. And excitingly, her foster parents are in the process of adopting Bella and becoming her forever family. 

Congratulations, Lindsey Horvath!

We extend a warm welcome to new County Supervisor for District 3, Lindsey Horvath!

We appreciated her recent visit to our Drop-In Center and look forward partnering with her office to provide supportive resources for youth facing houselessness.

Update: Unaccompanied Children Program

Maria Hernandez, Unaccompanied Children Program Director, has been busy hiring case managers, a medical coordinator, and other staff in preparation for the program’s launch. The program will serve approximately 200 children in the coming year.

“We’re excited to open our doors and start serving children on December 1st!”

In preparation, The Village’s Huntington Park facility has been outfitted for the program, including creating dedicated spaces for children and youth whose ages span kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high-school.

To make a donation to support the children and youth participating in this program, click below

Amazon Smile

The Village is a registered charity on Amazon Smile. By selecting The Village as your recipient organization, we’ll receive a donation at no additional cost to you. To participate:

1.) Visit smile.amazon.com and sign-in with your amazon credentials. If it’s your first time, you will be prompted to select your charity. Search The Village Family Services and select it as your charity. (Note: For The Village to receive this benefit, you must checkout via smile.amazon.com every time)

2.) If you use your Amazon app, open the Amazon Shopping app, Navigate to the main menu (≡), tap on Settings and then select “AmazonSmile.” Select The Village and turn on AmazonSmile and you’re done! Every time you checkout on the app, The Village will receive a contribution.