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November 2021 NEWSLETTER


Hello Ascencia,


Season’s Greetings! Giving back during the holidays is about caring, sharing, and creating joy for family, friends, and community members, including those who are less fortunate. When you volunteer and donate, you help illuminate everyone's holiday season because every person is and feels seen and remembered. Collectively the world becomes a happier, better place.


Relying on our supporters to create meaningful change and provide tangible help like a hot meal, a warm bed, and a new start to a person or family in need provides opportunities in our community. Supporting projects and endeavors that lack widespread support of the general public or the government fills a void where our fellow humans fall through the cracks. Through your generosity and willingness to be of service to others, you become a collective “Tis the Season” force for building local capacities and trust. You are literally filling those voids that are not sufficiently addressed by the public or private sectors and are turning frowns into smiles. By helping us build our community we shift power and voice so that our clients have greater control over their own destiny as they move forward in their lives. I can’t think of a more meaningful, thoughtful gift.


Giving thanks for all our supporters for strengthening and championing Ascencia. We sincerely wish all of you a joyous and bright Holiday Season and coming year.  


With sincere gratitude,


Dr. Laura Duncan

Connecting with Clients

From Ascencia to Home: Rafael

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While many of our clients find the services they need through Ascencia right away, not everyone’s journey is so linear.

  

This summer, one of our former clients, Rafael, re-enrolled in Ascencia’s services. His case manager, Christina, had connected with him over a year ago before losing touch. Rafael had spent over five years in homelessness, living on friends’ couches and on the street. He also struggled with addiction, and spent a few months in jail, an experience that was extremely traumatizing for him.

Rafael knew he needed to make a change in his life, and was determined to find stability. Christina provided Rafael with the resources and support he needed to make that change. Rafael joined a rehabilitation program and maintained his sobriety all while creating a plan to find stable housing and gainful employment. 


Rafael is endlessly grateful to Christina and Ascencia for providing him with the resources and support that he needed during this difficult, traumatic period in his life. He says, “In the short time that I have known Miss Christina she's been like an angel and lifesaver. Without a doubt one of the most significant persons I met in last year and a half of my life.” 


As this year comes to an end, Ascencia 

recognizes the extreme hardships that clients like Rafael experience, and the work that case managers like Christina do to create meaningful change. Help us turn more lives around and give the gift of peace, stability, and support this holiday season by clicking the link below.

Support our clients this holiday season!

Adopt-A-Family 2021

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While most of us look forward to this time of year, for our Ascencia Families it can be a time of more stress than merriment, more disappointment than joy - this year, harder than any other.


We have multiple families struggling to provide for themselves this holiday season, in addition to many single adults (predominantly senior citizens) spending the day alone. Please be their Holiday Hero and make the holidays brighter for a family in need.

Adopt-A-Family today!

Connecting with Supporters

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Providence St. Joseph Medical Center

Ascencia is extremely grateful for Providence’s $300,000 award affording us the means to provide Health Services to people experiencing homelessness or who have experienced homelessness, are receiving ongoing supportive housing retention services, and reside in the Service Area of the Providence Medical Centers.

Connecting with Staff

Director of Development, Camille Guerrero

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We welcome our new Development Director, Camille Guerrero. She comes to us with well over 20 years of multi-faceted Development Department experience with several prominent non-profit agencies in the Los Angeles area including The Salvation Army and Goodwill Southern California.


Over the years, Camille has been able to translate her passion into initiating, implementing, and managing numerous fundraising projects and events ranging from an annual golf tournament that achieved yearly growth doubling in net proceeds over a 10 year period, a vehicle donation program that tripled in net proceeds over a 5 year period, a retail register giving program that increased from $200K to over $600K in 3 years, and even a historical museum exhibit for Goodwill Southern California which was on display at the Museum of Social Justice in Olvera Street, and has now obtained a permanent venue with Goodwill.


Camille wholeheartedly embraces Ascencia’s mission and is excited to apply her skills, experiences, and insights toward successful fundraising outcomes.


Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Camille!

Connecting with the Board of Directors

Ascencia Board FY 21-22'

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Ascencia's Board of Directors boasts a diverse array of community members who are dedicated to our cause. This month, we'd like to spotlight our Vice Chair, Paulette Ramsay Wood, who recently won a prestigious award.


On October 21st, Paulette Wood was awarded The Liberty Bell Award, by the Glendale Bar Association. The Liberty Bell award is the highest award that recognizes outstanding volunteer and philanthropic achievement. Born and raised in South Philadelphia, PA, Paulette began her career at 17 years old in the public sector working for The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, and worked on projects to remove urban blight and revitalize neighborhoods. Those efforts have resulted not only in a dramatic change to the Philly skyline but also provided much support to the neighborhood and business gentrification. 

 

Paulette received her BA in Economics from LaSalle College, at a time when women students were only allowed to attend evening sessions. She later received her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. Both degrees were achieved while working full-time. 

 

Paulette moved to Southern California and undertook revitalization projects in the cities of Torrance, Glendale, Garden Grove, Brea and Ontario and later with the County of Los Angeles where she served as a staff advisor on economic development issues.


She has been a resident of Glendale since the early 1980’s and has remained engaged in the Glendale Community ever since.

 

Together with her husband Paul, they formed the Paul N. & Paulette R. Wood Charitable Trust for charitable giving to local nonprofit organizations like Ascencia, Glendale Latino Association, Glendale Kiwanis Foundation, Glendale Police Foundation, USC Verdugo Hills Foundation, Holy Family Annual Fundraiser, Glendale Sunrise Rotary, Glendale Arts and Pasadena Humane Society just to name a few. 

 

We offer our heart-felt congratulations to Paulette on receiving The Liberty Bell Award and for her ongoing commitment to Ascencia, and so many worthy causes!

Departing Board Member

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Ascencia would like to honor our departing board member, Samuel Qiu. Samuel is the Auditing Director, CPA and CGMA at Qiu Accountancy Corporation. He has served on Ascencia's board since July 2021. Sam is committed to staying engaged with Ascencia. We thank you for your knowledge and expertise, Sam!


News and Updates

Ascencia's 2021 Holiday Giving

This week, we're launching our annual Holiday Giving campaign to give our families the gift of a worry-free holiday.


Click here to give

Volunteer Opportunities

Click below to sign up


New Holiday Volunteer Opportunities - Click here to sign up


Guest Chef Openings - Click here to sign up


Volunteer On-Site - Click here to sign up


Volunteer from Home Openings - Click here to sign up

Social Spotlights

Click below to view each post


CARS Donation Program


Share the Love Save the Date


Street to Home recap

Upcoming Events

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