Dear Friends, I will be retiring at the end of June 2023 after 17 rewarding years leading Wayfinder Family Services and a total of 31 years as a nonprofit CEO. This was a decision that I made several years ago, and I worked with our board of directors to ensure a smooth, seamless transition. While…
Fifteen-year-old Daron is a happy teenager who loves music. Also, he has cerebral palsy and partial sight. He is nonverbal and says only a few words, so he uses a communication device to let his devoted family know what he needs—and to joke around. Daron requires assistance with all the basic functions of life, like…
Secretary, Board of Directors and Wayfinder Community Council member “All children deserve to be in a safe, loving home” says Erica Fernandez. This belief drives her ongoing commitment to Wayfinder. Erica has a demanding job as a senior vice president and region manager for California Bank & Trust in Northern California, plus two sons of…
A visitor to Mila’s high school during lunchtime would have seen a sad, anxious girl sitting alone, hunched over her food. Mila’s childhood had been heartbreakingly difficult. “I had no hope for the future,” Mila remembers. She didn’t know help would come from Wayfinder. As a child, Mila witnessed domestic violence between her biological parents….
Why is Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) a priority at Wayfinder and a pillar in the current strategic plan? Wayfinder added “accessibility” to what most organizations refer to as DEI to maintain our longtime focus on offering opportunity to people with disabilities. When Wayfinder’s work expanded to incorporate mental health, adoption and child welfare,…
How has Wayfinder grown and changed with recent changes in the world? We have changed for the better. We chose our name— Wayfinder—because it’s about moving forward. We’ve always been an organization that keeps progressing. One example is in Child Development Services. Initially because of the pandemic, we began offering child development services for children…
We Increase Access To Educational Success Our statewide CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES provides services for children with vision loss and multiple disabilities, from birth to age 6. Young children maximize any vision they have and reduce developmental delays. The program empowers parents with knowledge and advocacy skills. The program offers in-person and telehealth sessions. – Number:…
John Nicolaus came to Wayfinder for the landscaping and stayed for the children. Six years ago, Wayfinder received a grant to upgrade the exterior of its Citrus Heights office to improve access for people with disabilities. “Every ADA upgrade requires a landscape architect to fix it up at the end after the sidewalks have been…
Professionally, Jean Minton is Sutter Health’s neuroscience service line executive. Personally she is passionate about helping children in foster care find their forever families. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Jean witnessed the plight of orphaned children whose parents had died of AIDS. After returning to the…
“Audrey is very brave. I believe it took incredible courage for Audrey to attend Camp Bloomfield,” says Mark Lucas, Wayfinder camp director. Audrey, age 15, had lost much of her vision only nine months before she arrived at camp. Doctors had removed a brain tumor that was pressing on her optic nerve. Post-surgery, she has…
