Spring Appeal and News Updates
The past two years have been some of the most difficult times many of us have lived through. The pandemic changed all our lives and left us all with a feeling of uncertainty about the future.
The impact of COVID-19 has been especially difficult for the individuals, families, and older adults Peninsula Family Service (PFS) supports through our programs. However, the PFS community has been and continues to be resilient and faces challenges head-on while keeping our participants and staff safe and healthy. For 72 years, PFS has been a pillar of our community where those who are struggling can get the assistance they desperately need. PFS has been paving the way to opportunity, financial stability, and wellness for the neighbors in our community who are the most vulnerable. This has been made possible due to you and your generosity. Your continued commitment to PFS has bolstered our mission to strengthen our community by providing children, families, and older adults the support and tools to realize their full potential and lead healthy, stable lives.
PFS is dedicated to building our community where everyone can thrive by receiving the resources they need to succeed. To accomplish this, we need your support now more than ever! Throughout this spring newsletter, you will find information about the work PFS is doing to further our mission, stories about the participants we empower along the way, and what you can do to help.
I hope you will continue to invest in our community. Please make a donation today to PFS! Consider making a lasting impact by selecting: “Make my gift monthly” so that we can continue to help our community now and in years to come. Keep in mind that many companies in the Bay Area offer to match your philanthropic gifts. To see if your company matches your gifts and to get started on a match, visit our website at www.peninsulafamilyservice.org/matching-gifts.
Thank you for your continued support of PFS, our programs, and our participants! Together we are strong… Together we will help our neighbors thrive!
Warm regards,
Ron Lynch
Chair, PFS Governing Board
Program Updates
Child Development Associate Program
PFS has launched our Early Learning Child Development Associate (CDA) Training Program in early 2022, and have gone through the first cohort. We are exiting the pilot phase and now planning our second cohort for the fall.
The purpose of the CDA program is to support individuals with a pathway to a rewarding career working with children and at the same time to increase our teacher pipeline. Graduates will earn not only their CDA Certification but will also be eligible for an Associate Teacher permit.
One-to-One Financial Coaching
Living in the Bay Area is expensive, and money is a constant stress. Even for people with financial goals, unexpected costs can alter the best-laid plans. Car repairs, medical emergencies, and other contingencies all contribute to an ongoing sense of instability and stress. Participants try to save money for long-term aspirations, but savings are often unexpectedly drained by unforeseen circumstances, setting back personal goals.
We have pivoted to providing more in depth one-to-one financial coaching to empower people to move beyond basic budgeting and learn how to apply skills to their individual challenges.
Peer Counseling
We are retiring the term “Senior Peer Counseling” and moving forward with an aging positive “Peer Counseling” Program.
For the first time since before COVID-19, PFS has trained five new Spanish speaking Peer Counselors called “La Esperanza Vive” that will be matched with five people in need of peer support.
Veronika Park, PFS Peer Counseling Coordinator-Latinx, led the training alongside a professional Clinical Supervisor, to make a comfortable and confidential environment so that questions and concerns could be openly discussed.
