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Board of Directors Jarrod Hammes Executive Chair David Kuhlman Vice Chair Roberta Raasveld Treasurer Alan Willardson Secretary Melissah Walker Director

From the CEO Corporate Central Valley Northern Coast Southern California Wellness Policy of the Month

June 2020

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Message from the CEO By Wendy Forkas

It’s been another eventful month for us here at Community Catalysts of California! We wrapped up our Operation COVID Client Care Package with over 300 care packages delivered to clients throughout the state, another 300+ COVID Client Care cards sent out or hand delivered and all culminating in this amazing video! If you have not seen the video yet you are missing out on seeing the beautiful faces of the people we support, their smiles of happiness and feeling their heart felt appreciation. It was such a rewarding experience for me to be able to work with all the staff who were part of task force. I truly APPRECIATE all their time and commitment to seeing this staff idea come to fruition. We also went from the Governor’s May Budget revise proposing drastic rate cuts to our IDD services to having the Governor signing the budget with no rate cuts to our IDD system. This after weeks of advocating to our legislators and Governor that WE ARE ESSENTIAL and the proposed rate cuts would be devasting to the IDD system and the people we serve. Thank you to those of you who took the time to advocate via social media and email - YOU made a difference!

We are truly excited to be able to add this employee inspired program and I hope you take advantage of it. If you have not already enrolled, please consider completing the One FLUTTER checklist assigned to you in your Paycom account and be the change you want to see in the world, One FLUTTER at a time! We also continue to monitor and respond to State and County ordinances due to COVID-19 and have extended the COVID-19 Employee Recognitions for another month. I again want to recognize all our staff who have and continue to provide support to our clients during this difficult time. We could not do what we do without you -- YOU are truly #CatalystStrong!

Wendy Forkas, CEO

The executive team worked hard during the month to get all the behind the scene details of newest employee program One FLUTTER – Catalyst Wings of Change hammered out and systems set-up so it could be launched as planned on July 1st.

“When you find yourself cocooned in isolation and you cannot find your way out of darkness... Remember, this is similar to the place where caterpillars go to grow their wings.”

-Necole Stephens

Corporate

San Diego By Wendy Forkas

Employee Client of the 2nd Quarter Client

Angelisa Davila

Visa l ia

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June 2020

Employee Anniversaries 26 Years

Claudia Hutchinson Corporate Office 22 Years

Lisa Gallardo Merced 20 Years

Cathy TaylorFresno 16 Years

Christina Rosales Stockton 12 Years

Lydia RodriguezImperial

Valley 8 Years

Theron ManaktalaSan

Marcos

7 Years

Osargue Ojo Stockton 5 Years

Celina Lee Imperial Valley

Elexis Swift Imperial

Valley

Iefata TootooVCS

4 Years

Andres CasanovaVisalia

Irma Coronado CuevasImperial Valley

Demitria GroomsVCS

Angie StrieplingVCS

This month we welcomed Selene, our newest member

of the Corporate office. We are excited to have her as

part of the Corporate office team!

Angelisa has gone above and beyond for us. She has worked so many extra hours to cover shifts when we were short staffed and has never declined a shift. When her vehicle was in the shop, she biked to and from work, and biked round trip about 45 miles to clients’ homes! Even when she was having issues with her car, she did not call out of work and was never late. Wow! Angelisa is an awesome team player with a positive attitude who shows exceptional initiative and is always ready to help others. She is great at motivating her clients and working with different clients. She has been very flexible with schedule changes while still finding time to help with organizing and ensuring we never run out of important forms. Angelisa is a very dedicated and hardworking employee who cares deeply about the safety and welfare of our clients. She has been a source of immense support during this COVID situation. We are impressed at how dedicated she is and feel lucky to have her as part of our team!

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June 2020

Employee Anniversaries continued ….

3 Years

Mary Schaefer | Salinas

Alfred Lee Simmons | Fresno

Tula Walton | Fresno

2 Years

Liliana Fuentes

| Santa Clara

Dante Goodwin

| Fresno

Britanixica L Hendrix

| Fresno

Rosa M Hernandez | Imperial Valley

Dominic Pereira | Visalia

Andres Vitiosus | VCS

1 Year

Valery Andrade

| Imperial Valley

Lizandra Cabral

| Fresno

Ramon Carrillo

| Fresno

Monalisa Chavez

| Imperial Valley

Luis Martin Hernandez

| Imperial Valley

Client of the 2nd Quarter Tyson R. Stock ton

Northern Coast

Salinas By Farley Odad

Maria G. struggled with diabetes for over 10 yrs. Well this year, Maria waved goodbye to her diabetes and said hello to her new healthy lifestyle. With her sister’s help, Maria counts calories and measures appropriate portions in every meal. Thanks to her great efforts and dedication, Maria is no longer diabetic. Her doctor, her family, and CCC are so proud of Maria’s achievement. She has never once complained about her food intake! I hope her motivation will set a good example to the rest of us, and especially to clients like Maria.

Client Manuel A. colored a picture-perfect flower for his

CM Andrea.

Our DSA Mary S. will be departing. Her 2 years in the company have been full of nothing but dedication and motivation for our clients. When CCC needed a volunteer, Mary raised her hand with no doubt knowing everything we do is for the best of our clients. We wish you a new journey of success and happiness in the new chapter of your life. Thank you for your 2 years of love!

Tyson enjoys attending events in San Francisco. He loves to engage with providers, family, and members of the community. He likes music, nautical art, woodwork, and vintage road signs. He is exceptionally smart and is his own best advocate. He is not afraid to speak his mind and is capable of clearly expressing his wants, needs, and concerns.

Tyson is new to our Independent Living Program. He recently moved from the Bay Area due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tyson requested assistance from ILS in finding an affordable place to move into, to continue to live independently in the community. Although Tyson is nonverbal and uses a communication device, he very motivated, tech savvy, and participated in the process of finding affordable housing. Tyson received the keys to his new apartment last week!

Central Valley

Fresno By Iskra Delic

Merced By Lisa Gallardo We had an awesome time delivering the Covid-19 Care Packages! Our clients were thrilled to receive their Care Packages and the smiles on their faces made our day! We would like to give a GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT to all our Merced staff who continue to work so hard every day and to our AWESOME CLIENTS who have been so cooperative and staying safe by wearing their masks when necessary. We also want to give a HUGE thank you to Jose Gutierrez for the virtual lunches that we have all enjoyed these past several weeks. We were able to forget the daily stresses for a bit and have lots of fun. We appreciated getting to know everyone in all our CCC offices. It is so nice to put a face to each voice. Jose you have been so thoughtful, and your energetic team spirit has made our Fridays so special! Thank you again!

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June 2020

Employee Anniversaries continued ….

1 Year (continued)

Angela Leuthner

| Corporate Office

Marisol Montes De Oca

| Fresno

Jhonathon Parra

| Imperial Valley

Blanca Jimenez

| VCS

Cynthia Quintero

| Imperial Valley

Fresno would like to congratulate our May Employee of the Month, Angelica Casimiro. Angelica handles challenging situations with grace. She is flexible and communicates well. Angelica is #catalyststrong!

Fresno would also like to once again thank our amazing staff for continuing the inspiring work they do. They truly show us what it means to advocate, empower, and support!

Pictured: Fresno management prepared a small gift as a token of our gratitude for all staff that continued to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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June 2020

Central Valley(cont’d)

Visal ia By Gladys Monje

Visalia was given the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a Food Donation Program with Starbucks! They reached out to us and asked if we would like to receive donations from a Starbucks franchise to provide food for people in need. We gladly accepted and started the process of receiving the donations. The Visalia Office Manager picks up donations three times a week! She then sorts everything out and distributes them to the clients we serve! We are so thankful and happy that we get to be a part of the Food Donation Program!

Client Anniversaries 27 Years

Marilyn H. Merced

24 Years

Steven H.San Marcos Collin J.San Marcos 22 Years

Donald D.Merced

Debra H.Fresno

19 Years

Hilda C.Merced 18 Years

Cesar R.Imperial Valley Lee R.Salinas 17 Years

Leslie M.Fresno

15 Years

Vang Y.Fresno

Maria R.Salinas

13 Years

Manuel R.San Marcos

12 Years

Kristopher C.Imperial

Valley

Olivia R.Imperial Valley

11 Years

Daniel C.San Marcos

Jessica M.Imperial Valley

Michelle M. Stockton

Here we have Ruby excited to be receiving her donation of pastries as well!

Charles is happy as can be! Charles LOVES food and even got a little emotional when he received his!

June 2020

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Southern California San Marcos By Alice Olsen

Client Anniversaries continued …. 10 Years Luis F. Salinas

8 Years

Maria M.Imperial Valley Alan K.Stockton

7 Years

Michael T.San Marcos Janelle E.Imperial Valley 6 Years

Diego H.Salinas

5 Years

George X.Fresno Raili W.Santa Clara 2 Years

Amel A.Stockton Justin W.Stockton

1 Year

Sanasadat S.Merced

THIS……Turned into THAT! →

San Marcos received 1000 masks and 96 bottles of hand sanitizer! Teri (RM) challenged her office team to come up with a special way to get these out to our amazing staff. Jeannie, Stacy, Durry, Vanessa, Alice and Teri quickly jumped into action and created baskets full of fun and yummy stuff for all the staff. We had water bottles, cookies, candies, popcorn, lanyard, stylus (for our new SetWorks program) along with the much-needed masks and hand sanitizer. The staff were NOT told about it and instead told that they needed to come into the office between specific hours to meet with their individual Case Manager. They were super surprised to be greeted by the office team cheering them on and showing much appreciation! The look of surprise and the smiles on their faces told us that our staff really enjoyed their gifts. You cannot see it, but behind every mask is a huge smile!

June 2020

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Southern California (cont’d) San Marcos By Alice Olsen

Thank you, Marti D & Archie G., for your

dedication to our clients & celebrating 5 years

with Community Catalysts!

With taking temperatures at the door, Teri decided a plain white trashcan just would not cut it. She turned it into our Germ bucket!

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June 2020

Stella Arias Case Coordinator VCS has consistently shown up to the office throughout COVID-19; including to onboard and train several new hires. Stella has always remained positive and willing to do whatever it takes to support her staff and clients, as well as other to reverse shadow and shadow and train our awesome new Case Coordinators. Stella’s positive “do what it takes” attitude and thorough Case Coordinator training for our new employees has been crucial during this very busy time at VCS. Marivel Cano Supported Living Case Manager started with CCC as a SL Case Manager shortly prior to COVID-19. Marivel jumped into action with COVID-19. She made homemade masks for staff, picked up shifts in homes when SL staff were out, helped with schedules and volunteered to help out Ceci in any way possible. We could not be happier that Marivel (re) joined the CCC Imperial Valley team!! She is a true #TEAMPlayer. Ron Clayton Direct Service Supervisor San Diego/San Marcos has been incredibly flexible in getting needed PPE supplies. Ron pick-upped supplies we were able to receive from SDRC/DDS with one of the pick-ups being a huge order of 1000 masks and 90 (8 oz) bottles of hand sanitizer! Esmeralda Lopez Case Manager Visalia has been a pillar of strength in managing multiple difficult COVID dilemmas in her region. She consistently maintains her composure under pressure and is a skilled problem solver. She makes daily efforts to ensure her clients and teams have the support, guidance and resources they need to complete their work as safely as possible. Laurie Mastromarino Regional Manager VCS has consistently come to the office throughout COVID-19. Laurie volunteered to meet with our Veterans at various motels in San Diego to ensure that the highest quality of in person services and communication was delivered, despite COVID-19. Laurie has gone above and beyond in meeting the needs of so many of our especially vulnerable veterans, including those over 60+ and with health conditions that out them at risk for the virus if they had to continue to live on the street. Laurie has made many trips to stores to assist the amazing Case Coordinators with purchasing essential items for their newly housed Veterans. Like so many, Laurie has put in a lot of extra hours reviewing and staying up to date on COVID-19 guidance for employees as well as participating in webinars and trainings on new guidance and finds available to our Veterans. And with all of this she manages to come in the office each morning with a smile and greeting each day! Alice Olsen Office Manager San Marcos for always keeping her eyes open for needed safety and cleaning supplies even on her days off. She has found so many different items such as sanitizing wipes, alcohol wipes, and a variety of sanitizing solutions. Alice also always ensures we have the updated SDS required as required for the solutions we bring into the office and Supported Living homes. Durry Tahmas Supported Living Case Manager San Marcos for ensuring the Supported Living homes have all the needed PPE and disinfectant and cleaning supplies and that cleaning protocols put in place are being followed. we have put into place. Ceci Vargas Program Manager Imperial Valley was relatively new to her Program Manager role in Imperial Valley when COVID-19 started. Her work ethic and will to persevere is excellent! She is someone who learns from every experience and makes special efforts to listen carefully to our clients, staff and her supervisors. Her rapid personal growth during COVID-19 is admirable! These individuals, here by nominated by their peers,

Whereas, going ABOVE & BEYOND the royal call of duty during COVID-19, Are here by officially recognized as members of the royal

Catalyst COVID CROWN AWARD Court.

Wellness Update By Jose Gutierrez

Two psychologists from the University of Miami, have done research on the topic of gratitude and its' impacts on health and wellness. In one such experiment, they had 1 group writing about the things they were grateful for over the course of a week. The 2nd group wrote about daily irritations or things that displeased them, and the 3rd group wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were most optimistic and felt better about their lives - surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to the doctor than those who focused on sources of aggravation. Of course, studies such as these cannot prove cause and effect. But most studies published on this topic support an association between gratitude and an individual's well-being. (You can read the highlights of the University of Miami research study here) For June’s Wellness Challenge staff completed at least 1 item from each of the weeks listed on the Gratitude Checklist which you can find here. Even though June is over we can continue to practice gratitude all year long. Below are just some easy examples you can incorporate into your life and hopefully create a habit out of it:

• Make it a point to smile throughout the day

• Breathing as a means of achieving awareness of the moment

• Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy

• Make a list of the things you are grateful for – use this to remind yourself of your focus and intention

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June 2020

June 2020

Safety Topic of the Month: Workplace Violence By Jose Gutierrez

Each year, millions of American workers report having been victims of workplace violence. In 2018, assaults resulted in 20,790 injuries and 453 fatalities, according to Injury Facts®.

Workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence against workers. It can occur at or outside the workplace and can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide, one of the leading causes of job-related deaths. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence falls into four categories: Criminal intent, customer/client, worker-on-worker and personal relationship, which overwhelmingly targets women. Some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. Workplace violence can happen anywhere however some workers are at an increased risk. Among them are workers who exchange money with the public; deliver passengers, goods, or services; or work alone or in small groups, during late night or early morning hours as well as in high-crime areas.

Policy of the Month: Workplace Violence By Jose Gutierrez

Community Catalysts of California (CCC) provides a safe environment in which to work. CCC does not tolerate violence, threats of violence or other behaviors committed on or by an employee, client, or other individual at its’ workplace. All weapons, as defined by CA penal code, are banned from CCC worksites. Employees who violate our violence prevention policy will be subject to immediate expulsion from CCC property and disciplinary action up to and including termination. Employees who intentionally bring false charges will also be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. CCC reserves the right to take civil action against employees engaging in fraudulent or illegal activities, management will report all instances of fraudulent or illegal activities to the proper legal, criminal, or administrative authorities. Everyone plays a part in contributing towards a violence-free environment. CCC’s policy extends to outside parties who enter CCC facilities, or who communicate with employees or clients directly by phone, email, mail, or other methods. What should you do in the event of workplace violence?

• Notify your supervisor at once • Do not engage in either physical or verbal confrontation with a potentially violent individual • If you encounter an individual who is threatening immediate harm to anyone contact 911

immediately

Business Conduct

Any threat of violence made by an employee of CCC will be taken seriously and will result in immediate action, up to and including termination as well as be reported to law enforcement.

The use of CCC premise, telephones, email, or mail to commit violent acts or communicate

any threats to anyone is specifically prohibited and may constitute grounds for dismissal. 10