HOPE Direct 2.0

Employee Communication Engine

Results of the Annual HOPE Services Clothing Drive!!!

The drive turned out to be quite a success, and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of you. In fact, we should be proud that this was the most successful company drive on record! All together, over 250 employees and clients brought in clothing – and we generated over $4,700.00 in revenue for HOPE. Special thanks go out to Monica Sheirich and the client workshop at Whittier; they were the biggest supporters with the amount of 363 bags! WAY TO GO!!

Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for… And the WINNERS of the gift card drawing are:

Larry Golden- Seaside

Bertha Lomes- Whittier

Robert Lopez- 3080 Alfred

Ray Navarra- 3080 Alfred

Kathy Hutchison- Santa Cruz

Margaret Berlanga- Portola

Mary Martinez- Whittier

Phil Tofu-Aptos

Michelle Castell- Gilroy

Bill Wagner-3100 Alfred

Angie Blackwell-Las Colinas

Tina Serimo- Santa Cruz

Manuel Camacho- Brunken

Maria Medeiros-Hollister

Lindsay Scherschel- Hollister

Alex Britton-Mt.View

Hawa Turray- Clove

Stan Young- Carr St.

Maya Baraket- Whittier

Bill Martin- Las Colinas

We will send each winner a gift card for 1 of the following local stores or restaurants: Round Table, Target, Starbucks, Baskin Robins, Safeway, Subway or Cold Stone Creamery. Congratulations to all of the winners! And thanks again everyone for making this drive a great success! ~ Elizabeth Dorr

This Could Only Happen To Me - By Ron Wexler

I think you will get a kick out of this. I went to Safeway on Saturday with my other scooter, not the wheelchair I have at work. As soon as I got in the store, the scooter died. I called my roommate, Araceli, and told her what happened. I was stuck in the store with no way to get out! I could not put the scooter in the van because the scooter was too big. Araceli said to me: "Why don't we call AAA?" I said to her, "They're going to laugh your face when you ask them to send a tow truck " well, let me tell you, I was dead wrong! Not only did they send a tow truck, it was a flatbed used to carry big trucks. The picture speaks a million words. I will never ever second guess Araceli's advice again! ~ Ron Wexler is HOPE's  Management Assistant at Las Colinas Lane

HOPE Services - Branding Campaign Update

HOPE Services has recently unveiled a new branding campaign with the help of a local advertising agency! We’ve updated our logo and added the tagline “Your help builds hope.” Our new logo reflects the new tagline and replaces the old HOPE Services logo. The tagline was created as a result of the input you all provided weeks ago. It is a revised version of an earlier HOPE slogan. For your future HOPE Services logo/print needs, please only use the new logo: www.hopedirect.org/PRpage.html.

Since we are creating a new look and message for HOPE Services and need to be consistent in our messages to the public, please send me copies of any publicity collateral (fliers, t-shirts, mugs, coupons, etc.) that you would like to use to enhance your program needs. Sue and I will review and revise accordingly and will send you a final version. Please allow at least a one-week turn around from us.

HOPE has also placed ads in various publications over the last couple of months to promote general awareness of who we are, what we do, and how to reach us: via our website. We are tracking web hits, and they are up dramatically as a result of the campaign! For the rest of this fiscal year, we will be running an ad in the Silicon Valley Business Journal that focuses on employment for our clients, and we are airing a general awareness radio commercial on KGO News Talk 810 radio.

We will keep you posted on any new developments with the campaign, including when our new hopeservices.org website will be up and running.

~ Sue Landgraf and Rory Campbell

HOPE receives a Freedom Team Salute from the Army!

Thanks to the effort of HOPE clients and employees like Marg Cimafrance from Clove, HOPE was honored with a certificate of appreciation from the Army for our support of the troops! Click here to see the Freedom Team Salute!

San Jose Mercury News Holiday Wish Book

HOPE Services Management Assistant Ron Wexler was included in this years San Jose Mercury News Holiday Wish Book where readers can lend a helping hand. Since 1983, readers have been learning about their neighbors' needs through this annual fund drive. Over the years, nearly $6 million has been donated to provide warm jackets, hot meals, enriching books, computer equipment, job training and other tangible items.  Click here to visit Ron's Wish Book page!

HOPE Celebrates 25 Years with North Coast Medical

Twenty-five years ago, HOPE Services and North Coast Medical entered into a remarkable partnership that provided paid jobs for HOPE Services’ clients with developmental disabilities. What began 25 years ago was ground breaking: hiring individuals with disabilities to help package North Coast Medical’s rehabilitation products rather than hiring individuals without disabilities. This enduring partnership was celebrated at North Coast Medical’s facility in Morgan Hill, California. One hundred honored guests at the 25th Anniversary Celebration included HOPE Services’ employees and staff that are currently employed with North Coast Medical, HOPE Services’ CEO Joe Campbell, HOPE Services South Valley Director, Kristi Alarid, President and CEO of North Coast Medical, Mark Biehl, and Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate.

Continuing to support our troops!

by Marg Cimafranca, Employment Specialist Clove Dr

Both Clove Dr. and clients in Sunnyvale have volunteered for the "Operation Care - Support Our Troops" organization. Clients make up candy packs and insert a note in each that has Hope's mission statement so they know where it's coming from. Then each client personalizes it, by signing their (first) names on the back of the note. That way each person that receives a candy pack knows who worked on their packet. We've been getting so many wonderful responses from the troops, letters and e-mails. Click here to read a letter of appreciation from Captain Christine M. Takats. I was shocked when I opened the letter and enclosed was a check for $100 for Hope Services. Hope's clients & staff are contributing in some small way to let the troops know that we do support them and how much it means a lot to the troops.

Congratulations HOPE Seniors!

Six Seniors participated in the Leadership training this year, with Vickie Worthington as their facilitator. The group sold Nachos on two occasions at the Whittier facility to raise funds. The seniors purchased toys and delivered them to the local fire department at Christmas for "Toys for Tots." for their community project. They also practiced self advocacy skills and learned the rights of people with developmental disabilities. Carolyn Filiatrault, program manager, recognizes the strength of the training and the power it bestows so our clients are better self-advocates and participants in the community.  The leadership graduates celebrated with a luncheon at the Olive Garden Restaurant in San Jose on May 23, 2008. Each member received a plaque presented by Joe Campbell, CEO, HOPE Services. Congratulations HOPE Seniors!

HOPE Services: One of the Best Places to Work!

HOPE was listed by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of the top places to work! Click here to read more.

Or Click here for a printable PDF version of the article.

 

Adobe Grant Helps Clients with Computer Skills!

Thanks to a $10,000 grant award from the Adobe Foundation Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 20 clients in HOPE’s innovative GAIN program are learning computer skills that enable them to learn more about their community and the world at large. With this generous award, HOPE purchased new computers, adaptive computer tools and specialized software specifically to assist those individuals with developmental challenges and severe physical disabilities in their desire to become computer literate.

How Times Have Changed!

imgPatricia Hobbs* as "Executive Secretary" uses some interesting language to describe our services. It's a reminder of the great progress we've made over the years to give our clients the respect they deserve. It also reminds us of the great debt HOPE has to Mrs. Hobbs who passed away in 2007! Click here to see the article! (*shown as Lucien Hobbs, in the 50's women were often listed by their spouses name!)