2013 Wraparound Services Back- to-School Event
More than 100 Crittenton Services for Children and Families (CSCF) clients from Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties participated in the CSCF Wraparound Services Program’s Annual Back- to-School Event on August 3, 2013.
Historically, the children that CSCF serves have come from low-income families and oftentimes are struggling with behavior and mental health issues. In addition to these factors, CSCF also has a large number of families that are single parent households, so the income is limited as a result.
“The Crittenton Back- to-School Event not only provided our families with school supplies, but most importantly it provided a family event in which our clients were able to spend quality time together,” said Cesar Salgado, Wraparound Program Director, CSCF, and added, “Families interacted in carnival type games, took pictures together, and ate lunch together in a safe and positive environment. While this event took a lot of planning and time, it was worth seeing families enjoying themselves all while obtaining the school supplies they needed. “
By organizing this event, CSCF, was able to secure basic school supplies (binders, notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, rulers, notebook paper, and a back pack) for children in need. Families who participated in the event also received a hygiene kit (body wash, shampoo, combs, tooth brush, tooth paste and lotion) in order to provide further assistance for their children’s return to school.
“With the economy the way it is, school district budget cuts are the norm, and they are limited to what they can provide to students. Leaving the burden on the parents,” said Cesar Salgado, Wraparound Program Director, CSCF, and added, “We hope that this event also helped the children’s caregivers in not having to stress about how they would have provided school supplies to their kids.”
In addition, CSCF was also able to partner with a number of organizations dedicated to helping communities in need. These services helped CSCF families obtain additional educational information and healthcare resources. Community partners that donated their time and services at the CSCF Back- to-School Event included:
- Los Angeles County Department of Social Services Outreach Unit – Assisted CSCF families enroll in programs such as CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
- Los Angeles County Department of Social Services Toy Loan Department – CSCF children were able to borrow toys on a weekly basis, just like they would borrow a book from the library.
- El Pollo Loco Charities Program – Fed all CSCF families at the event and donated nearly $1500 in meals.
- El Camino College Cosmetology Department – Cosmetology students provided free haircuts, make-up tips, and nail services.
- Angels for Sight – Provided free vision screenings.
- Milestone Family Learning Center – Enrolled children in tutoring services.
- John Wesley Community Health Institute (JWCH) – Provided glucose readings,health screenings, and signed up CSCF families for follow- up medical services.
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation – Provided free AIDS testing to those participants that wanted to take the free test, and also provided on the spot counseling if families needed additional information.
- Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Esperanza Immigration Rights Project – Provided free immigration consultations and appointments for further follow-up services.
- Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles – Provided educational information.
Crittenton Wraparound Staff making the Back-to-School Event enjoyable for families and their children.
###
Crittenton Services for Children and Families of Southern California (CSCF) is a non-profit social services agency whose mission is to heal the wounds of abuse and neglect; strengthen families; and help troubled adolescents reach their full potential. Established and incorporated in 1966 Crittenton has a highly trained workforce operating 24 hours a day / 7 days a week providing comprehensive counseling, medical, and other support services to the clients in our care. We provide a full array of residential, in-home, community based, wraparound, mental health, foster care, and adoption services with a service planning area throughout Southern California that covers Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties.
Visit www.crittentonsocal.org to learn more about our programs and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Flickr.