Message from the President and CEO
Welcome to the October issue of ECF IMPACT!
We’ve got a fun-filled fall season ahead of us, with lots of opportunities to join us and make a difference for the children and adults we serve at ECF!
I hope to see many of you this Saturday at our first Homecoming Celebration Sneaker Ball!
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We’ve got a great DJ, amazing food, a hosted bar, raffle prizes, a photo booth and a silent auction with one-of-a-kind items--all lined up for a nostalgic night of fun for adults raising critical funds to support our students at Kayne Eras School. It’s just days away, but you can still get your tickets if you hurry to www.ECF.net/homecoming.
Right now, kids and adults across our programs and our staff are very excited planning lots of fun Halloween parties and the famous Kayne Eras School Halloween trick-or-treat costume parade. Be sure to check in next month to see photos of the spook-tacular fun!
And don’t miss the chance to check out our final fall ECF Art Center studio sales at our Whittier studio on Saturday, November 2nd and Westside studio Saturday, November 9th and Sunday November 10th. These are amazing opportunities to view and purchase artwork for your home or for your friends and family for the holidays while supporting our talented artists with disabilities and the ECF Art Centers.
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue of ECF IMPACT, and stay tuned here, on our website www.ECF.net, and @ConnectwithECF on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date and see the impact of your support in the lives of the children, students and adults we serve.
Warmly,
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Veronica Arteaga, LCSW
President & CEO
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We can’t wait to see you on the dance floor at the ECF Kayne Eras School Gym, this Saturday, October 19th, for our first Homecoming Celebration and Sneaker Ball!
- Wear your grooviest attire and your favorite sneakers for a nostalgic night of fun for adults featuring:
- Dancing to the hits of today and yesterday with DJ Quantum
- Fabulous food and a hosted bar
- Live auction featuring a rare Squire Strat Fender guitar autographed by Green Day, a custom letterman jacket, a luxury Vietnam trip and other unique items
- Photo booth, hot fudge sundaes and more!
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Don’t miss out! Visit ecf.net/homecoming to register now! | |
Veronica Arteaga Named Nominee for the Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women Leadership Awards
We are excited to share that ECF President & CEO Veronica Arteaga is a nominee for The Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards! The awards recognize inspirational women in leadership who are positively impacting the California business world.
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Finalists and honorees will be announced at the live event taking place at the InterContinental in Los Angeles on November 14th. We hope to see you there! For event information and the link to register for this event, visit https://www.latimes.com/b2b/events/story/2024-09-26/2024-inspriational-women-awards | |
Exceptional Children’s Foundation Named “2024 TOP-RATED NONPROFIT” by GreatNonprofits
Award based on Community Recommendations
Exceptional Children’s Foundation has been named a “2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading website for community recommendations of charities and nonprofits.
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“Exceptional Children’s Foundation is a great example of a nonprofit making a real difference in their community,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “Their award is well-deserved recognition not only of their work, but the tremendous support they receive, as shown by the many outstanding reviews they have received from people who have direct experience working with the organization.”
GreatNonprofits is the largest donation website for nonprofits and where people share stories about their personal experiences on more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the charities – as donors, volunteers and recipients of aid.
The complete list of 2024 Top Rated Nonprofits can be found at: https://greatnonprofits.org/awards/browse/Campaign:Year2024/Issue:All/Page:1
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ECF Celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month | |
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Increasingly, socially responsible businesses are demonstrating their commitment to diversity and inclusion and improving their business results by investing in inclusive workforces. Together, we forge partnerships that result in more connected communities, and a promising future!
ECF believes that every adult who wants to work deserves the opportunity to earn a paycheck. ECF Exceptional Works is a continuum of employment services to help participants find, secure and maintain employment in the community.
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One of these is ECF Exceptional Works’ Exceptional Employment Solutions.
This program helps participants prepare for obtaining and retaining community-based employment earning a fair market wage – and, with many jobs, benefits as well. First, clients’ interests and skills are assessed to help determine what types of jobs would be a good match for them. Next, they receive job search and interview support. Once hired, they can receive ongoing job coaching and case management services from ECF to ensure a smooth transition into their new role, and to foster solid communication between the client and their employer.
ECF proudly partners with over 70 local businesses to provide a wide variety of employment opportunities for program participants in industries including retail, computer software testing, clerical, warehouse operations, culinary services and janitorial. This range of opportunities increases participants’ self-determination, financial security and independence.
Learn more about hiring pre-screened, well-prepared job candidates from ECF.
For more information about Exceptional Employment Solutions, contact Cynthia Barron, SEP Manager, at cbarron@ecf.net or 310-242-4460.
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Client Spotlight
One of our ECF’s dedicated Exceptional Works clients, Jonah Cohn, recently achieved an exciting milestone with the support of his ECF job coach. Through hard work and perseverance, he impressed managers and earned a well-deserved promotion to the role of Combo Clerk at Vons. In this new position, he serves as a cashier and provides excellent direct customer service, enhancing the shopping experience for all Vons customers.
ECF is proud to celebrate Jonah’s success and continued growth! Congratulations, Jonah!
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ECF Early Start distributed diapers and backpacks to the families of toddlers in the program, donated by our partners at Baby2Baby.
The coordination of donations and distributions is just one of a range of service components Early Start provides to further assist and support families as they work to help their children reach critical early childhood developmental milestones. These include parent support groups, parent education and training, crisis counseling, marriage and family counseling, an on-site emergency food pantry, and a family resource center. To learn more, visit https://www.ecf.net/young-children/.
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YOU'RE INVITED!
ECF Art Centers Final Fall Studio Sales
Mark your calendars now for the last two ECF Art Centers fall studio open house sales in November—at ECF Art Center Whittier on November 2nd and Westside, November 9th & 10th. Details at https://ecf.net/artsales/.
All art sales proceeds are split between the artists and ECF Art Centers, creating artistic opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities since 1968. Learn more about ECF Art Centers at www.artecf.org.
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EXCEPTIONAL PARTNERS
ECF thanks The Charitable Foundation for their support for our ECF Kayne Eras School.
ECF’s WASC-accredited nonpublic Kayne Eras School provides special education for TK-12 students who have learning, emotional and developmental challenges. All of our educators are committed to the idea that every child can learn—and with individualized support and care, we help each child develop their confidence and unique potential so they can succeed both in and out of the classroom.
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Ways to Give
Support ECF while you do your Halloween candy shopping at Ralphs!
It’s easy to enroll in the program and have your purchases benefit ECF.
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Visit www.Ralphs.com
- Create an account or log in if you have an existing account.
- Be sure your Rewards number has been added to your account (under Profile).
- Select Community Contributions
- Search for ECF.
- Click Enroll.
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Join our Exceptional Team!
Exceptional Children’s Foundation is hiring now! Come be a part of our team and help to make a positive impact on the lives of our clients!
To learn about current employment opportunities, visit our ECF Careers Page and discover more about what we do by visiting our LinkedIn careers page at www.linkedin.com\company\ConnectwithECF.
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Show your support and help spread our mission by connecting with us on social media. Follow our page, like, love and share @ConnectwithECF | | | | |
