Angie entered the foster care system at age 13. Her parents divorced by the time she was two – she had no relationship with her absentee mother and moved out of her dad’s home to live with relatives when she was 12 due to rising tensions. But that didn’t work out either, Angie did not feel safe and asked to be placed in a group home at age 13.
Angie struggled in the system and went through three placements in less than a year. Then she was placed with Sabrina, one of Casa Pacifica’s Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC)parents. ISFC parents are trained to offer a home to children with intense needs, they often have a history of unsuccessful foster placements and have endured complex traumas in their childhood.
“Children thrive in loving families” – Kimberly Bennett, Casa Pacifica Director of Community Based Services.
After placement, the honeymoon phase quickly wore off and Angie became defiant in the face of all of Sabrina’s rules about chores and restricted screen-time late at night. Casa Pacifica’s Case Manager for Foster Families, Carmen Reyes and Angie’s social worker were close by whenever help was needed. Many late-night phone calls, mediations, and mentoring helped the pair develop a strong and trusting relationship. Angie says the program has been a real turning point for her. She’s done so well she no longer qualifies for intensive services.
Angie is now on her way to graduating high school and is enrolled in Ventura College. She is also working on getting a job. Thanks to the stability and unconditional love she found in Sabrina and her home, Angie’s road to independence is looking bright. She has gained meaningful life skills and most importantly found her chosen family.
A gift today provides critical funding for programs like the Foster Family Agency and the Intensive Services Foster Care Program. A gift today is a gift to children like Angie.
Vince Pillard, owner of SLATE Bistro + Craft Bar in Camarillo was one of many local business owners who found themselves scrambling to adjust in the face of COVID-19. “We’ve been pretty quick to adapt and be proactive,” said Vince of the recent shift. “We want to make sure that we’re able to help others who are suffering if we’re doing okay.” So Vince and his bartender Justyn Varvais, owner of Sweetwater Outpost decided to get together to do something for the community. Vince and Justyn provided more than 900 individual meals for families in Casa Pacifica’s Nonpublic School, Therapeutic Behavioral Services, Wraparound, and Foster Family Programs.“I ended up delivering a few meals myself. I was at a home in Fillmore and rang the doorbell. The woman who answered was so grateful and as she turned to go back inside a little girl ran out the door, hugged my legs, and said ‘thank you’ – that was probably the best moment of all of this. If I can put a smile on someone’s face, that’s all that matters.” – Vince Pillard
Thank you, Vince for continuing to give back to the community, even during these challenging times.
Ameci and Camarillo Cupcake help kids get creative in the kitchen
We are so blessed to work with such amazing businesses and people! Huge shout out to Ameci Pizza Kitchen in Camarillo for donating all the supplies for our kids to have a “make your own pizza” party! Ameci dropped off 50 dough balls, sauce, cheese, cornmeal, pepperoni and anything else you can think to put on a pizza! The kids had so much fun making (and of course) eating their creations!
For dessert recently the kids had a blast using the Cupcake Decorating Kits donated by the amazing Camarillo Cupcake! The kids were able to chose between vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, a rainbow of icing colors and adorable candy decorations. The fun the kids had decorating was only matched by how much they enjoyed eating their personalized sweet treat!
Thank you for supporting Casa Pacifica on #GivingTuesdayNOW
Thanks to your support, we can continue providing critical mental health services to promote healing and foster hope to our vulnerable children and families.Your donations, totaling over $7,000, will help improve the lives of our at-risk youth. If you missed Tuesday’s fundraiser, you can always donate through our website HERE, any time.
A special Thank You to our #GivingTuesdayNow donors:
Festival silent auction still planned
Missing the Casa Pacifica Wine,Food and Brew Festival this year? So are we. Good news, you can still support the children and families we serve AND score some amazing items right from your home! Consider donating an item to our on line silent auction, bid on amazing items in our online auction, spread the word about our silent auction and share the link with friends and family! And don’t forget to support our amazing Festival vendors and small businesses!
Casa Pacifica is heartbroken to announce the loss of another dear friend. Alex Neumann – photographer extraordinaire who captured the fun, spirit, and beauty of the Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival and other fundraising events each year – lost a battle with cancer on April 30th. Alex was a truly kind man, always with a smile on his face, a happy light in his eyes, and a fixture at the Festival. Those creative eyes were masterful at composing still shots of event details. He was a master at his craft with his own unique style and look. But what we will most remember of Alex is his loving, generous, fun-loving, embracing spirit, and his adoration for and dedication to his beautiful family. Casa Pacifica sends our deepest condolences and love to Alex’s wife and children, and to all those who were blessed to know and love him. We are among them. Alex was special soul in our Casa Pacifica family, of our Festival family, and he will be greatly missed.
Staff Spotlight
Susan Santangelo, MSN, BS, RN Assistant Director of Health ServicesHow long have you been with Casa Pacifica? I have been here for three years. What is your favorite part of the job? Working with our kids directly- teaching them about their health, problem solving when they have health issues, trying to prepare them for taking care of their health needs on their own. I don’t get to do this too much, so it’s always special time for me. What is one of the most difficult challenges you have faced due to COVID-19? Applying principles of infection control, quarantine and isolation in our group home setting. We are a large group home, so we can’t operate like a regular household would if someone gets sick. But we aren’t a nursing facility either (even though we have nursing on campus). We are somewhere in between- so we had to take recommendations from Public Health, WHO, and CDC and adjust them to fit our environment. There are just so many variables and factors to consider- it took a lot of thought and collaborating to get it right. What is something positive that has come out of this experience? It forced all of the different departments/programs to come together and problem solve. This crisis had to be handled across all programs and we had to work together to support each other and inform our decisions. And we all learned how to ZOOM!
1. Shop! Shopping online at Target? Who can resist Amazon these days? Put those shopping sprees to good use and shop for our kids! Check out our Target registry or Amazon wish list and have items shipped straight to us. And don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smile and designate Casa Pacifica as your charity of choice so we receive a percentage of your purchases!
2. Give monthly and change lives year round! You can give the gift of hope all year long with the ease of monthly giving. Automatic monthly donations provide consistent support that enables Casa Pacifica to serve our most vulnerable children and their families. Even small gifts add up to make a big difference. Please give a monthly gift and support year-round to offer our youth a brighter future. Signing up is easy! Contact Madeline Sattler, Donor Relations Officer at [email protected] or (805)366-4422.
3. Become an Angel or Amigo! These two groups are some of our biggest supporters. The Casa Pacifica Angels help out with our fundraising events and children’s parties throughout the year. The Casa Pacifica Amigos organize fun activities for the kids on the weekends – some favorites are carnival day and movie nights. Annual membership is $50 – join or gift a membership today!
Our Mission
Casa Pacifica restores hope, enhances resilience, and strengthens community connections for children, young adults and families at the most challenging times of their lives.
