I don’t want to see my grandchildren on the news,” Monica wrote to the director of social services. She knew her young grandsons were in danger because their mother, Eva*, had a mental illness, which was later diagnosed as schizophrenia. Monica needed to get them help. Eva’s trouble began three years earlier, after she gave…
Meet the assistant director of our Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program. Greg was recently promoted from a shift supervisor in our Cottage. How do you bring Wayfinder Family Services’ mission to life? I bring the mission to life by: number one, having integrity and humility and, number two, coming to work with the understanding that no…
David* suffered severe abuse, but with Wayfinder’s help and his personal strength, he is beating the odds. David’s father, Joe, hit his son with brass knuckles, pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him. When David was 13 years old, a teacher gained his trust. She reported the abuse, and David was placed with…
Porch Drops When California instituted a stay-at-home order in response to the pandemic, Wayfinder staff knew that many of our families would struggle to secure the necessities. Our early intervention specialists and foster care workers contacted families to learn their needs. Staff prepared customized packages using items donated by our in-kind partners. We called the…
Legally blind and in foster care, Yanci has found support Even in a world that has become virtual, Yanci, age 19, found the personal connection she needed in Wayfinder’s Transition Services. Yanci is legally blind and unable to read printed material. Also, she is in the process of leaving foster care without being adopted or…
James*, age 6, was worried. He was going to lose his first tooth while staying at The Cottage, Wayfinder’s temporary shelter for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. James had come to The Cottage because his mother, who was struggling with drug addiction, neglected him. Concerned neighbors saw…
Wayfinder’s early intervention program provides home visits to children with vision loss or multiple disabilities. During the current COVID-19 crisis, specialists are providing virtual visits statewide via the web or through phone calls. How do you bring Wayfinder Family Services’ mission to life? You don’t work only with the child in early intervention. It is…
Bob Holmes’ late mother, Lorraine Holmes, made generous gifts to Wayfinder because she was keenly interested in helping people with vision loss. Bob has continued his mother’s legacy by supporting Wayfinder’s work for more than 30 years. Now, Bob and his wife, BJ, are leaving their own legacy by including a bequest to Wayfinder in…
Thanks to our dedicated staff, our residential programs continue uninterrupted. THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT A few weeks into the crisis, one-year-old Siena* arrived at The Cottage, Wayfinder’s temporary shelter care program. Siena had been removed from an unsafe home and potentially exposed to COVID-19. One of our counselors, Linda, quickly put on protective equipment and cared for baby Siena…
Miki Jordan joined Wayfinder Family Services in 2006. Below, she answers questions about the organization’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. How has Wayfinder responded to the COVID-19 crisis? The health and safety of our clients and staff is our top priority always. We began monitoring the situation in January and took proactive steps before Los Angeles…
