COMMUNITY STUFF

A group of students from Pacific Ridge School, including 92024 resident Jake Sager, recently visited 75 fourth graders at Poinsettia Elementary School to present about nutrition and making healthy choices. The service learning group, called Health Nut, is dedicated to addressing nutrition shortfalls and food waste in the San Diego region. “Our presentation focuses on differentiating between natural and processed foods and maintaining balance,” explained Kimberly Cheung, a senior in the group. “An exposure to these simple concepts creates a consciousness towards food that can positively influence all aspects of a student’s life. The food we eat directly affects our health and happiness, and we are so excited to have the opportunity to share this message with our community!”

Other service learning groups at Pacific Ridge School include Alternative Energy Sources, Kids for Peace, and Sea Safe Surf.

Local Fundraiser Seeking Sponsors

Soroptimist International of North San Diego (SINSD) and Soroptimist International of Poway (SIP) are currently seeking sponsors for their annual joint fundraising event. Soroptimist Hats & Heels, scheduled for April 5 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, is a luncheon, auction, and fashion show. All proceeds benefit SINSD and SIP’s Transitional Housing Program for survivors of domestic violence, as well as other programs empowering local women and girls.

This year’s event is early ‘70s themed, with period-appropriate fashion and entertainment by six-time Grammy Award-winning Fifth Dimension. Sponsors and donations are welcome to help make this event as exciting and successful as it is every year. Contact Sponsor Chair Pam Warnock at warnockpam@yahoo.com to learn about available opportunities, or learn more about the event at www.sihatsandheels.org.

San Diego Theatre Week 2020

San Diego Theatre Week, a program presented by the San Diego Performing Arts League (SDPAL), returns for a week of special promotions to live theatrical, musical, dance, and comedy performances across the county from Feb. 13 to 23. The annual event highlights the variety and enhances awareness of San Diego’s diverse performing arts community, with tickets available at $15, $30, and $45 levels.

Participating performing arts groups include: Diversionary Theatre, OB Playhouse, Star Theatre, National Comedy Theatre, PowPAC, Oracle Performing Arts, Lamb’s Players Theatre, New Village Arts, Cygnet Theatre, The Old Globe, Lyceum Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, North Coast Repertory, Oceanside Theatre Company, Patio Playhouse, Scripps Ranch Theatre, Mandeville Auditorium, San Diego Civic Theatre, and Point Loma Playhouse, among others.

For more information and tickets go to www.sandiegotheatreweek.com.

Local Author Publishes Second Novel North County resident and young adult author Nikki Katz recently published her second novel, The King’s Questioner. The book, published and distributed by Swoon Reads, is about a boy named Kalen who has been cursed with a gift: he’s a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown. But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life – and uncovers a terrifying secret that could topple the kingdom. Nikki is also the author of The Midnight Dance, as well as four nonfiction puzzle and games books. “I’m so very thankful for my readers,” Nikki said. “I love the idea that something (beyond my children) will live beyond me. Some time, some year, some place, a child may pick up one of my books and read it.” The King’s Questioner is available anywhere books are sold, including most online bookstores.

SDUHSD Receives CTE Program Grants

Coastal Community Foundation recently awarded $25,632 in grants via the EdVentures Fund to San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) to support its Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, as well as $20,179 in grants to Carlsbad Educational Foundation.

Teachers from SDUHSD and Carlsbad applied for up to $1,500 for use in their classrooms. A total of 38 grants were awarded to CTE and Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) teachers at Oak Crest Middle School, Pacific Trails Middle School, San Dieguito Academy, Canyon Crest Academy, Torrey Pines High School, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad High School, and Sage Creek High School.

The CTE programs offered at SDUHSD high schools encompass a series of coursework that educates, inspires, and prepares students for careers in the local labor industry, ranging from manufacturing, business management, automotive technology, and biomedical engineering to theater arts, ceramics, choir, and broadcast journalism. Learn more at www.sduhsd.net.

COVER FEATURE a Caring Community

photos by Soul of Photography

Community Resource Center Lends a Helping Hand to Those in Need

Community Resource Center (CRC) was born from the community’s desire to help those facing homelessness and food insecurity. Today, 40 years since its inception, the organization continues to address these issues and has also expanded its services to support victims of domestic violence. Through its integrative programs and services, CRC is creating pathways to safety, stability, and selfsufficiency for the people who need it most. Join our conversation with CRC CEO John Van Cleef to learn more about how the organization works to lift others up.

John Van Cleef

Please give us a brief history of Community Resource Center. When was it founded and why? CRC was established in 1979 by local business, faith community, and civic leaders to respond to the social issues of

food and housing insecurity. In 1994, it expanded its services to include providing emergency and

transitional sheltering to survivors of domestic violence.

I often describe CRC as the child of this community’s compassion for its neighbors, and its capacity to do something to help.

What is the overall mission of CRC? CRC’s mission is creating paths to safety, stability, and self-sufficiency for people who are hungry, homeless, and hurting. We do this because we believe all people should have equitable access to healthy food, stable housing, and safe homes.

Can you tell us about CRC’s domestic violence programs? How does CRC help victims? one in three children, one in four women, and one in seven men experience domestic/relationship violence. CRC provides emergency sheltering for people who are fleeing domestic/relationship violence at Carol’s House, transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence, and licensed therapy for these survivors. CRC also does prevention education in local junior and senior high schools so we can help stop domestic/relationship violence before it starts.

Carol’s House is a confidentially located emergency shelter for people who are fleeing domestic violence – women, children, and occasionally men – and available to people from the region, county, state, and country. In addition to safe shelter, Carol’s House provides residents with services like case management, legal advocacy, and licensed clinical therapy.

The Therapeutic Children’s Center serves children under the age of 18 who live at Carol’s House, one of our Transitional Housing units, or whose families participate in our off-site Transitioning to Independence program. The Center is an important place for Carol’s House residents because, at a very basic level, it provides a safe place for children to be children and play, but at a deeper level, it helps parents and children recover from the trauma of abuse through intergenerational therapy and support groups.

Please tell us about CRC’s integrative services and other programs.

At-A-Glance John Van Cleef

NAME: John Van Cleef

COMMUNITY: Carlsbad

EDUCATION: BA in Business, MA in Theology

FAMILY: Four children

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS: Exercise, hiking, golf

FAVORITE LOCAL SPOTS: Beach, Coastal Roots Farm, and any local restaurant

At-A-Glance Community Resource Center

NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Community Resource Center

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John Van Cleef

YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1979

WEBSITE: crcncc.org

PHONE: 760-753-1156

EMAIL: info@crcncc.org

point between a person in need and the menu of interventions or referrals people need. It involves intake, assessment, case management, therapy, and followup. It connects people to resources like: food, rent, utility assistance, and government benefits, and also delivers the Opening Doors program – a feature program funded by the City of Encinitas.

Opening Doors focuses on placing previously homeless Encinitas residents in permanent housing.

In addition to the funding

from the City’s budget, CRC accomplishes these goals with a mix of public funding and private donations. We are currently in year four of the partnership. The program has served a total of 94 households and 138 individuals to date.

Which communities does CRC serve? CRC’s primary service areas are the North Coastal communities of San Diego County, but the programs providing domestic violence intervention have county, regional, state, and national reach. What is the most rewarding aspect of your role? The most challenging? The most rewarding aspect of my role is daily seeing the compassion and capacity of our community to help their neighbors in need through the programs and services CRC provides. I get to accept and steward generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure, as well as participate in the lives of people who need compassionate help.

The most challenging aspect of my role is also being a voice for community conscience – speaking up and advocating for subjects that are uncomfortable to acknowledge and address. one in five San Diegans don’t know where their next meal is coming from. 860 residents of Encinitas served by CRC identify as homeless. one in three children, one in four women, and one in seven men experience relationship/domestic violence.

Can you tell us about CRC’s events throughout the year? CRC has two fundraising events every year: English Tea (to be held this year on April 4) that helps increase awareness of our domestic violence programs, and Jingle & Mingle that features our

What is your current role within the organization and how did you first become involved? Please elaborate on your specific responsibilities. I am CRC’s CEO, and started in this role in September 2018. Supported by CRC’s board of directors, staff members, and volunteers, I am responsible for providing leadership for CRC and making sure we continue to meet the needs of vulnerable people living in our community.

Holiday Baskets program; both events raise funds for our year-round programs. We also host quarterly VIP events that provide updates on what’s happening at CRC, as well as bi-monthly Open Houses.

This year the English Tea will feature a silent auction, raffle, and a short program. Each guest will enjoy homemade tea sandwiches, scones and sweets, champagne, and tea. The program will feature keynote speaker Dr. Ami Roeschlein, a published clinician, consultant for the National Council for Behavioral Health, and CRC’s Clinical Supervisor, on the topic “What is resilience, and how does it build community?” She’ll share how the resilience of a community supports the resilience of an individual, how the community’s help creates pathways to new lives for survivors of domestic violence, and, most importantly, how we can continue providing survivors with the best possible support and treatment to help them thrive. This event sells out every year, so please don’t wait to purchase your ticket!

Holiday Baskets is a 37 yearold CRC program that provides

food, clothing, and toys for families and individuals experiencing financial hardship during the holiday season. It’s designed to alleviate the additional financial stressors people experience during the holidays (for example, to pay for rent, utilities, and gifts) and help them keep up with their fixed expenses. People who benefit from

Holiday Baskets are current CRC participants, or live or work in the North Coastal communities. The community can get involved by donating, sponsoring a food or toy drive, and volunteering time. More information is available at: crcncc.org/integrative-services/ holiday-baskets.

Please tell us about CRC’s resale stores. Where are they located? CRC has three resale stores in Encinitas, Carlsbad, and San Marcos. They are an important part of our business portfolio because they provide: social enterprise revenue that supports CRC programs, entry level and beyond employment opportunities for people, and necessary things like clothing and household items for CRC program participants. passion to give and CRC’s mission are aligned. Give your time. Give your talent. Give your treasure.

CRC recently celebrated its 40 th anniversary. What is your biggest dream for CRC in the next 40 years?

That’s a big question…and if I’m fortunate I’ll be alive to see that. In one sentence, that CRC will continue to be this community’s expression of compassion and capacity to help its neighbors in need. In a long, run-on sentence: I hope the decisions we make today secure that future – adapting the delivery of our services to relevantly meet the needs of our vulnerable neighbors, affording people the opportunity to express their communityfocused, philanthropic legacy through the establishment of capital trust and program endowments, the renovation/ reconstruction of our current property on Second Street, as well as the expansion of our service locations. 

What are CRC’s short-term and long-term goals? Short-term, CRC is focused on: adapting programs to increase accessibility and impact; creating a staff and organizational development plan so we can be an employer of choice; and bring the best resources to bear on our community needs, sustainability of resources, and capacity building by addressing our business infrastructure (like accounting software and technology).

Long-term, we are looking at how to address our aging and dated buildings and property needs so we can provide the best possible service to people in our community. For example, most people don’t know we have clinical therapists on staff, and we need offices that are specifically designed for the service they provide to every socio-economic strata that exist in our community.

How can the community support CRC? Learn about us through our website, our events, an Open House, or through an appointment. Figure out how your

25 th Annual English Tea

April 4 • 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Encinitas Community Center

Includes a silent auction, raffle, short program, and tea

www.crcncc.org/englishtea

The Recording Arts Center at Studio West is pleased to announce that the year-long Diploma in Recording Arts program has been approved by the Department of Veterans Aff airs for VA funds. This means that The Recording Arts Center can continue to proudly serve veterans with the added benefi t of funding support for the program. While the lack of fund support has not stopped veterans from joining the Diploma program in the past, now the Studio is able to better support a wider range of vets in starting a career in the fi eld of audio engineering.

“The approval by the VA’s offi ce is a wonderful benefi t that we are extremely pleased to off er our veteran students,” Peter Dyson, owner of Studio West, said in a recent interview. “The Diploma in Recording Arts imparts so much useful knowledge and skill building that it has been a great way for our graduates to start a new career. That we are now able to off er it to more veterans with the support of their VA funds is amazing.”

With the majority of eligible graduates and alumni using their knowledge to pursue a career, the year-long Diploma program off ers a solid foundation for audio engineers. Classes are held in a worldclass studio and off er participants the chance to get hands-on experience in a professional environment.

To learn more about joining the

program, with or without VA funds, please contact Todd Hunsaker, Director of Admission, at todd@StudioWest.com or 858-592-9497. More information can also be found at www.StudioWest.com. 

(858) 592-9497 • WWW.STUDIOWEST.COM

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