❄️ 2020 December News Just For You ❄️

Creating opportunities for adults with disabilities since 1974

DECEMBER 2020 E-NEWSLETTER

A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was meaningful despite that it may have been different from other Thanksgivings.

A lot happened at Vocational Visions in November! Our restroom renovations were completed! They look great and are now fully accessible!

We completed the process of refunding the bonds that finance the mortgage on our two facilities which provided us with a lower interest rate and with the funds needed to complete all the remaining renovations!

The remaining renovations are already in process with an expected completion date of February 28, 2021. This work will not only improve how our facilities look but will enhance safety and security, make more efficient use of space, provide full accessibility and help us save on utility costs!

December, the final month of the year, usually flies by. I, for one, am so ready to say goodbye to 2020 and ring in 2021. I hope the holidays you celebrate are filled with great joy, new memories to cherish and good health.

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Kwanzaa Blessings!

Email Joan

A SNEAK PEEK AT OUR RENOVATIONS

We are so excited to see the progress of our much needed renovations and can't wait till we reopen officially and our participants and employees can appreciate the changes.

We're delighted to share some photos of our renovations. Below, is a mock-up of the new exterior paint colors for our two buildings. If you drive by our building on Pala, you'll see painting is already in progress.

Below is a picture of our new interior color scheme.

Below is a collage of some of our bathroom renovations.

RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

VAI PARKER

After 32 years of dedicated, loyal and enthusiastic service, Vai Parker, our DTAC Pala Program Manager, has decided to retire from Vocational Visions on December 31, 2020.

Vai’s contributions to VV over the years are so numerous! For example, Vai created a way use to use our Case Magic database tool for client payroll so that we could realize some much needed cost savings. She also secured contracts for our DTAC Pala clients to have work and played an instrumental role when we converted the workshop to DTAC Pala.

We hope you will join us in wishing her the best as she starts a new journey in life: making cherished memories with new adventures, great health and happiness! We will miss her very much.

CLICK HERE to share your good wishes for Vai

PARTICIPANT SPOTLIGHT

ANDREW REGUEIRO

Andrew Regueiro has been attending our ADP program since 2015. This month, he would like to share his thoughts about the difficulties of dealing with isolation during COVID-19.

My name is Andrew Regueiro.

I want to tell everyone about how it feels to be an autistic adult during COVID-19. I am lucky to be a client of Vocational Visions because they help me to try and understand why things have shut down and why I cannot do the things I like to do. I am also lucky to get to go to work at Buy Buy Baby with my great job coach Matthew.

It is still hard for me and my friends because we need to socialize and we need to be able to go out in the community. We want to be able to have fun and practice our social skills. I get upset when Governor Newsom shuts down everything because I feel like he does not understand how hard it is for someone like me to be at home all the time and to not be able to see my friends and do things with them.

Wearing a mask is also hard because I cannot see people’s faces, so I do not get to practice learning about people’s expressions. I feel really disappointed to not be able to go to the places I like such as Disneyland, the movie theatre and bowling because they are all closed. I want things to open and go back to normal. I hope things will go back to normal so we can all socialize, make new friends and visit all the places we like.

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Thank you Andrew for sharing your thoughts during this time. You are not alone in your feelings.

Andrew decided to take action and write a letter. He was originally going to send the letter to Governor Newsom but he decided that he should send it directly to the Supreme Court of the United States. And so he did. We are proud of Andrew for taking the initiative to let his voice be heard and we're all very much looking forward to things getting better and life returning to normal.

CLICK HERE to read Andrew's letter

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

KRISSY GILLESPIE

Our organization is blessed to have a wonderful staff of Direct Support Professionals who provide guidance to our participants. This month, we would like to highlight Krissy Gillespie who joined our ADP program in 2018. Let's find out more about her experiences working with participants during COVID-19.

Question: Can you highlight some of your work responsibilities while we are closed to in-person programming at our buildings?

Answer: I host a few Zoom activities every week. One of the more popular Zooms is Bingo. It's been great to be able to connect with each other safely and still engage in games and activities through Zoom. I also spend time Facetiming with each of my clients (Johnny, Ayesha, Regan and Chandra) every day. We talk about what tools we are using to stay safe during this time and what activities they are doing outside of Zoom to stay busy at home. We try and stay as connected as possible.

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Question: What is something challenging, rewarding or surprising that has come out of working at VV during these unprecedented times over the last few months?

Answer: Positivity has become a main topic for my clients and myself. It's very hard to get lost and let your mind go to the 'worry zone'. Spending time every day talking about what we are grateful for and how we are each staying positive has been a great tool and one that has surprisingly gotten my clients and I out of some negative feelings about these circumstances.

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Question: What do you miss most due to in-person programming restrictions?

Answer: I miss the social interaction. Making my clients days brighter and bringing a smile to their faces is something I look forward to every day. I'm very glad we have the technology available so I can still see their faces.

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Question: What's something interesting about you that you would like to share with us?

Answer: I am a singer and song writer and use my life experiences to inspire people through my music all over the world.

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Question: What is your motto for life or a quote that really resonates with you?

Answer: "Grow through what you go through."

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Thank you Krissy for your dedication. You are loved by many.

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

HOWARD NEUFELD

Our organization is blessed to be served by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors (BOD). This month, we're highlighting Howard Neufeld, a long term board member for over 38 years and counting. Let's get to know more about Howard who serves as one of our attorneys on the board.

Question: Time is a valuable commodity. What inspired you to dedicate some of your valuable time to Vocational Visions (VV)?

Answer: I was the Executive Director of the Orange County Association for Retarded Citizens (now known as The ARC). When I left that position to practice law in South Orange County, I was asked to join the board at VV and did so. The story goes: I left my position with OCARC in September of 1981. Having worked with the Executives from all of the other organizations doing the same or similar work, the then Executive Director at Saddleback Community Enterprises, Arthur Ihnen, asked if I would join the Board as they could use someone with my background experience as both an executive and an attorney. Since I was working in South Orange County, I agreed to be on the board. The rest is history, as they say. Saddleback Community Enterprises became Vocational Visions in 1996.

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Question: What type of attorney work do you do?

Answer: I am a general practitioner handling everything other than tax law, criminal law and bankruptcy. Based on my knowledge of employment law, I have been on the Personnel Committee for a long time, and when other legal questions arise, or a document needs to be reviewed, I have been able to assist as have other attorneys on the board. Based on my knowledge of trusts, I have been able to present and participate in workshops on Special Needs Trusts. I even presented a workshop for VV families just before the pandemic. I have also prepared special needs trusts for a few families.

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Question: What is your motto or, a quote about life, that really resonates with you?

Answer: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Also, "Don't be petty."

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Thank you Howard for your many years of dedication to VV on our BOD and for your attorney expertise. You say that what has been most special for you is working with the dedicated VV directors and staff over the many years and we return the compliment right back to you.

WAY TO GO

JOSHUA ORRO

Joshua Orro has a following on YouTube for his 'Mustang Prince Orro Reports' movie reviews. So, far he has reviewed over 500 movies.

Recently, he got the opportunity to have a short video chat with Jodi Benson who is most known for voicing the 'Ariel' character in Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'.

One of the most interesting things he learned about her was that, aside from voicing Ariel, she loves voicing Barbie from the 'Toy Story' sequels and she performed the voice of Lady in' Lady and the Tramp II'.

He also learned that she’s been an inspiration to people who have disabilities with their legs or speech.

He was surprised that, when he told her he lived in Mission Viejo, she was familiar with the city.

Jodi is the first voice actress Joshua has met (albeit via video). He has also been lucky enough to meet Broadway actress Susan Egan and 'Swan Princess' director Richard Rich.