TheyouthwhoattendAfterSchoolandBeyondprogramsareoftenchallengedby communityviolence.

“WhileNationalCOREprovidesfamilieswithbeautiful,safehousing,wecannotcontrolkids’exposuretocommunity andsocietalviolence,”saysSusanNeufeld,Directorof YouthDevelopmentServices.“Ourafter-schoolstaffarecar-ingadultswhohelpyouthcope.Inourprograms,kidsgetthesupporttheyneedtohandleschoolandneighbor-hoodpressures.”TheprojectisfundedthroughtheEdwardByrneMemorialStateandLocalLaw EnforcementAssistanceGrantprogramoftheOfficeof JusticePrograms.ThegrantsupportsapartnershipwithPeacePartners,Inc.,aLongBeach-basednonprofitthathasdevelopedthePeaceBuilders® violencepreventioncurriculum.

Thiswell-recognizedcurriculumisfocusedonpositiveproblemsolving,andhasbeenshowntoreduceyouthbehaviorsassociatedwithviolence.

ItisalsoapprovedbytheCaliforniaDepartmentof Educationandimplementedbyschooldistrictsandafterschoolprogramsnationwide.“PeacePartners,Inc.isproudtopartnerwithHopeThroughHousingintheirmissiontocreateandmaintainmorepeacefulhomeenvironmentsforyoungpeopleandtheirfamilies.Oursharedcommitmenttoensurethatchildrenandteenshavethetools,skillsandopportuni-tiestheyneedtogainresiliency andbecomehealthy,happy adultsmakesthispartnershipapowerfulforceforpositivechange.”

Thecurriculumisappro-priateforallagegroupsandcreatesawarmafter-schoolclimate–anessentialingre-dientinahighqualityafterschoolprogram.

Eachday,childrenrecitethePeaceBuildersPledge(seesidebarabove)andparticipateinPeaceBuildersactivities.Staffandchildrenalso“PraisePeople”by noticingpositivebehaviorandwriting“PraiseNotes.”

INSIDETHISEDITIONShowofSupport2CitySpan4IncredibleKidDay4NeedsAssessment5TheCottages6AlwaysinOurHeart7 WellsFargoVisit7LetterfromDirector8

Volume 1, Number 3, Summer 2008

PeaceBuilders seeks to stopviolence before it starts.

Kidswithpositiveattitudesflourishinclassandathome.

Instillingrespectandteachingproblemsolvingcanstopviolenceanddisruptivebehaviorbeforeitstarts.Thisyear,Hope’sYouthDevelopmentTeamlaunchedamulti-yearviolencepreventioncurriculumat10AfterSchoolandBeyondprogramsinSouthernCalifornia.

“I am a PeaceBuilder. I Pledge ...To praise peopleTo give up put-downsTo seek wise peopleTo notice and speak upabout hurts I have caused To right wrongsTo help others I will build peaceat home, at school,and in my communityeach day.”

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Rocio AguilarJames AlibertiMark AllowayMarisol BecerraLorraine Marie BegayJavier Beltran Jr.Gustavo BenavidesJames BiglerClinton BoltonRoss BonillaMarsha BowldsKathy BrackinsKatherine BrakeDanielle BriggsRichard BrooksJacqueline BrownCraig BruceDoretta BryanAnthony BryersBrian BushClaudiaCamarillo-DievendorfAlejandro CardenasRobert CarpenterLuis A. CastilloJesse ChampionKerri ChatmanJeremy ClarkRebecca ClarkGloria ColmenarLorna ContrerasMorgana CorelliYesenia CortesRachel CunninghamResawn CunninghamJudy DarnellElaine DavisElizabeth DelgadoJacob DijakMary Anne DijakMondi DorroughLinda DucketENERGX Controls, Inc.Bernardo EsparzaTanisha FergusonJuan FerrerRena FountainElizabeth FreemanShannon FreemanDenise GarciaHipolito E. GarciaJose M. GarciaPriscilla GarciaJesus GastelumGeocon IncorporateMaricella GerezEvelyn GibsonMaria GomezRene GomezAngela GonzalezEllen GonzalezEdward GonzalesHerlinda GonzalezJoelle GreeneVictor GuerraRafaelRobertoGuzmanFriasHD SupplyTonette HallLesley Hampton-EdwardsCandice HarrisLuisa HarrodCynthia HeimanCarolina HernandezManuel HernandezRobert HersteinAngela HeywardGerald Hirneise Jr.Gabriela HoffmanHudson Housing CapitalCynthia HuizarDavid HuizarTeri HunterJeffrey Burum EnterprisesGary D. JohnsonJulie JohnsonNzinga JohnsonAnthony JonesOlen JonesKJ Carpet WholesaleStella Kao-ChuChristopher M. KillianThomas Kulinski Jr.Debra LakeesSalvador LemusPablo Lopez PayoKrystal L. LopezMartha LopezJuan LopezMisael Loyola-RiveraMary M. LucasKelly L. MaddenAlberto MancillaChristina MartinezFernando MartinezJennifer MartinezSara MathesonSperry MaxwellJudy K. McDonaldDale McGallianRonald Mendoza CalixtoSevero MendozaLarry P. MeredithJackie MirandaJuan MirandaBrunella MooneyJanet MooreSherran MooreOfelia MoralesWilfredo MottaNicole MurphyMichelle NathansonLuis NavarroSusan NeufeldJulie NormandAbel OrtegaArlene OrtizPG & E CorporationDarryl PerezAnthony PerezFernando PerezCynthia PetryFrances PinkneyMarie PowellSusan PowersProductive Learning &LeisureCapria PryorRosa RavinPaul ReidDagoberto ReynosoPerlita RicardezRocsana RiosAnnie RodriguezMonica RodriguezRubio’sFreshMexicanGrillKareem SalamaJoanne SalasYvette SalazarJoaquin A. SanchezKathryn SandovalLaura ScearceLaurie SchoelkopfJuliana SchweigerRobert ScottGeorge SearcyAnne SellersJohn Seymour IIIShaw IndustriesRamon SimmonsMary SmithWelton SmithMichelle SosaJuana SotoJvonne StepterRandall StreetGeorge SuarezJohn TaylorLeslie TullosUnihealth FoundationGary VelardeCynthia VelascoJorge VelascoLisa VelasquezKathern M. WagonerSteven Paul WellerDonna WhittallRichard WhittinghamTeresa WilliamsTony B. WilsonPatricia Yracheta

Show of Support

Donations received February 1, 2008 - June 30, 2008.

Wit

hout our many donors, we could not do the work we do. Thanks to all our employees, communit

y member

s and loc

al corporation

s who believe in supporting t

he chil

dren and familie

s living in National CORE proper

tie

Combined, these activitiesreinforce the importance of respect, communication, andaccountability.Already, program staff noticean impact on behavior. Says oneAfter School and Beyond staff member from Mountainsidein Rancho Cucamonga, “It isbecoming part of the cultureand we are seeing changes inthe behavior of the kids.”

Kids like the program,too.

When asked how it feelsto give a Praise Note, aShadow Hill (Santee, CA) student replied, “It feels great.You’re making someone elsefeel happy. That is the bestpart.” Another student chimedin, “I used to have a lot of problems, fights non-stop.The more I learn Peace -Builders, the better it gets.”About six weeks into imple-mentation sites saw somehopeful trends: 90% of siteshad the Pledge posted and aPraiseBoard® in the programspace; 60% used curriculummaterials and 50% were sayingthe Pledge on a daily basis. Afull report is due for publica-tion later this fall.In 2008-09, the programwill be expanded to threeadditional sites. The YouthDevelopment Team will alsoprovide enhanced trainings on violence prevention, activity planning, and other program-matic best practices for reduc-ing youth violence. The teamhopes to obtain funding toexpand the program to allAfter School and Beyond sitesin 2009-10.

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Every quarter, Gary Velarde, Purchasing ContractsAnalyst, arrives at the Hope offices beaming, check inhand. Not only does Gary give through the payroll deduction plan, but his contagious energy and enthusiasmhas led to several donations to Hope from vendors who dobusiness with National CORE.As a father himself, Gary recognizes how hard it is to findgood educational programs and positive influences for children today. He believes in helping others who may nothave as many opportunities. Gary has been with NationalCORE for four years, and he is excited about the growthand challenges presented here.

Gary Velarde, Purchasing Contract Analyst, gives to Hope through payroll deduction.

Why Gary Gives to Hope

Hope Through Housing Foundation

in partnership with

National Community Renaissance

Presents

“Faces of Hope”

The 10th Annual GalaThursday, November 13, 2008, 6:30 p.m. Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles

Experience the images of those who impact our communities through a photo essay exhibit.

“I give to Hopebecauseit is agood thing.I am out there onthe propertiesevery day, and Isee that themoney really goesto the kids whoneed it.”

Save the Date

For more information please call: Michelle Nathanson,909-483-2444 ext. 136 mnathanson@hthf.org