Agency Wide News

We wanted to bring to your attention two very important laws California recently passed which promote safety and security for children and families.  The first is that most homes must have carbon monoxide monitors, and the second is that the booster seat age was increased to eight years old.

• On July 1, 2011, California passed a law requiring:

Walden has received $57,495 in grants this month for foster care programs:

The McCarthy Family Foundation ($15,000) to support training and emergency wrap-around services;

In-N-Out Burger Foundation ($6,000) to support the Independent Futures program for pre- and post-emancipated foster youth;

Day for Change ($17,000) for general programs and operations;

and the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation ($19,495) for foster youth on the autistic spectrum and their caregivers.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR HOLIDAYS BRIGHT!

Holiday donations from Pierce Education Properties, Intuit, Addie's Studio, Toys for Tots, Paychex, Carlsbad High School and more have generously provided gifts for our kids -- from tots to young adults! Thank you!

Record amount raised for abused and neglected youth

On October 27, 2011 Walden board member Lee Wills-Irvine was honored with a Special Recognition Diversity Award by the Urban League of San Diego County. This award is given to a person that has made a significant contribution to the community -- through extraordinary personal commitment and effort -- to impact individuals from all walks of life.

Walden was awarded $61,000 from the Andrus Family Fund on Sept. 25, 2011. The grant funding will be used to implement a framework to help foster youth transition from foster care to independent living. The Transitions Framework, developed by William Bridges, provides conceptual tools to manage life’s changes.

Walden announces the winners of its Walden Scholars program  

This year, thanks to a generous donation from Harley Sefton, Walden is able to help 14 scholars in their pursuit of a college education. A total of 6 scholars in San Diego, 4 scholars in Riverside and 4 scholars in Los Angeles Counties were named as recipients. The scholars are: Lacey C., Reena P., Candice K., Theresa S., Amanda G., Melinda A., Josefina L., Emma M., William M., Marissa T., Jamisha W., Daniel M., Rachel R., and Brittany W.

The 8th Annual Wine D'Vine will be held at The Grand Del Mar on October 12, 2011, 6:00 - 9:00pm. The event will feature many of Napa Valley's top wineries that will be matched to the culinary delights of some of San Diego's finest restaurants. Peter Sprague, jazz guitarist, composer, and producer, will provide lively entertainment during the event.

Read more about Wine D'Vine here:

Walden Family Services was awarded $2,500 from The Community Foundation of Riverside and San Bernadino Counties. The funding will help support Walden's Independent Futures program.