Start off the new year right by eating healthy and supporting Five Acres! Stop by Urban Plates Tuesday, January 31, 2017 11am – 9pm and enjoy a healthy lunch, dinner, or quick bites between 11 am – 9 pm. Be sure to mention Five Acres or show this flyer at checkout! Urban Plates – 269 S. Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. Â Free validated parking right behind the restaurant â enter the garage from E. Del Mar Blvd.
Meet the Najafi family â Five Acres donors who have also been trained and certified as foster-adoptive parents through the agency. Kaveh is a trauma surgeon at Huntington Hospital, UC Irvine, and Providence Holy Cross. Shea owns her own business, Hannah Grey, which sells lightweight, stylish breastfeeding covers for the modern woman. They have two children â a five-year old son and a two-year old daughter. This holiday season, the Najafis graciously purchased tickets for the children in our Residential Treatment program to visit the Descanso Gardens: Enchanted Forest of Light exhibit. With the help of their church, Fellowship Monrovia, they are also participating in our holiday toy drive by donating more than 80 stockings filled with toys!
FA: How did you first get introduced to Five Acres?
Kaveh: While I was in training at UC Irvine, I often worked in the Pediatric Trauma Center. I saw a lot of tragic accidents or incidents of child abuse and situations where the childâs family wasnât there to support or take care of their children. I kept telling Shea, âI want to bring these kids home.â We ultimately wanted to learn more about how to get involved and help these kids.
Shea: I conducted my own research of foster care / adoption agencies in the area, and called different agencies to get more information and ask questions. Five Acres was the most professional and informative, and the staff was able to answer all of our questions about foster care and adoption.
Kaveh: We went through the training and certification process at Five Acres and were initially interested in foster-adopt. We were paired with a 7-week-old baby girl, whose parents were still in high school. When she came to us, she had a broken femur, which at that age thereâs not much that can be done except be put in splints and braces. The baby was ultimately placed with her biological grandmother. When we were looking to foster again, we found out we were pregnant with our second child! Weâre definitely looking to foster in the future, we just need to figure out the timing, especially with having a 5-year-old and 2-year-old at home.
FA: Sheaâtell us about your work with the group Chosen. How did you get involved? What type of work does the group do in the foster care support community and how has the group worked with Five Acres?
Shea: When you have a baby, family and friends tend to circle around you with support. We noticed that in the foster care community, a lot of foster familiesâ biological relatives or friends werenât as supportive when they bring a foster child or children into their home. Foster families need that support and community. Chosen is funded by Fellowship Monrovia. The group supports foster and adoptive families and provides that community of support that we were looking for as foster parents.
We also host events that provide fun activities for foster kids, which allow parents to run errands or have date nights, all while the kids have fun. This month the event is holiday themed. Weâll have stockings for the children to fill with toys along with other fun holiday-themed activities, giving foster parents time to get their shopping done! We collected toys at a Fellowship Monrovia service and will be donating more than 80 stockings for the children living at the Five Acres residential facility.
Another way Chosen is working with Five Acres is exploring childcare support options for families going through foster and adoption certification classes. Kaveh and I found that it was difficult to arrange childcare and attend certification classes in El Monte at 5pm on a weeknight. For some families, paying for a babysitter may be a barrier to participation. Weâve been working with Ivon and Selena from the Five Acres Permanency division to try and implement childcare for families during the certification classes, with the help of background-certified Chosen volunteers.
FA: Wow! That sounds like a great partnership. Can you tell us a specific memory or experience that impacted you while working with Five Acres?
Both: Our relationship with Five Acres staff member Mary Gleeson really stands out. She was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process, navigating the child welfare system with us and answering all of our questions. She was patient and we felt like she had our best interests at heart. It was a really pure relationship, and she always had an open door.
Shea: To this day, I still text Mary with questions or thoughts! She has been wonderful.
FA: Why do you continue to support Five Acres?
Kaveh: We have a soft spot for Five Acres in our hearts with all it does for children and families. In our interaction with Five Acres, if it was better for the kids it would be done. With other agencies weâve come across that seemed much more difficult. We decided to dedicate ourselves to Five Acres because thatâs where children come first.
Shea: The concept that there are enough children living in California without a home to entirely fill Dodger Stadium is mind-blowing to me. I also feel like Five Acres is the best out there. Everyone we have dealt with has been supportive, professional, and cares about the children. You have a wonderful reputation in this town! Everyone I know who comes out of Five Acres raves about it and says nothing but positive things.
For Immediate Release
November 21, 2016 â [Altadena, Calif.] â Friend and supporter of Five Acres Matthew Lillard said during his recognition speech in a room full of charities and nonprofits, âToday, on National Philanthropy Day, I am not the hero, here, you are- all of you in this room. Thank you for the work that you all do.â
National Philanthropy Day is the day when people from around the globe come together to recognize the positive impact philanthropy has had on our communities. It is a celebration of giving, volunteering and charitable engagement. National Philanthropy Day highlights organizations and people who dedicate their lives to charitable involvement.
Since National Philanthropy Day was proclaimed official in 1986, communities have celebrated by hosting events to acknowledge philanthropic leaders, celebrities, volunteers, organizations and foundations for the important work they do, giving back.
Matthew Lillard, a veteran of both stage and screen, is well known for his performances in over 50 films and television shows over the last 20 years. With titles like Scream, The Descendants and Scooby Doo 1 & 2, Lillard is associated with a number of Hollywood Box Office hits totaling over $800 million dollars in revenue worldwide. He received critical success with independent titles SLC Punk! and Ed Burnâs The Groomsmen and debuted three films at the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival.
A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and New Yorkâs prestigious Circle in the Square, the award winning actor has been an Artistic Director of theatre companies in both Los Angeles and New York City.  Lillard did the European premieres of Neil Labute and David Lindsay-Abaire work in Bash and Fuddy Meers respectively in London.
He currently stars in the Amazon show Bosch and can be seen next season on the AMC hit show Halt And Catch Fire. He recently starred in the critically acclaimed film Match with Carla Gugino and Sir Patrick Stewart.
Matt and his wife Heather along with his in-laws have been a multi-generational family actively supporting Five Acres for many years. Most recently, Matt co-emceed the 2016 Five Acres Gala, along with fellow actor and co-emcee, Carla Gugino.
For additional information please contact Five Acres Director of Communications, Rebecca Haussling at rhaussling@5acres.org or 626-773-3809.
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About Five Acres
Five Acres is a child welfare agency ensuring every child has a safe, healthy and permanent family solution through advocacy, prevention and evidenced-based services. Established as an orphanage in 1888, today Five Acres offers an array of services including community â based mental health and deaf services, wrap around, therapeutic behavioral services, residential care, foster care, adoption and a nonpublic therapeutic school. In 2015 Five Acres served over 8,500 children and their families across five counties. Visit us at 5acres.org
The holidays should be a special time for all childrenâincluding those living in foster care. To give them an extra scoop of love this year, we encourage you to make a gift to support:
End your year on a high note: join us with a donation to support children so richly deserving of our care. Happy Holidays!
To learn more about Five Acres’ year-end gift processing requirements, click here.
Enjoy yourself and support our Five Acres on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at Blaze Pizza Pasadena between  11:00 am – 11:00 pm. Show offer on your phone of by flier before paying and 20% of proceeds of your meal will be donated.  Valid for dine-in and take out only. Not valid for online orders. Donation amount excludes proceeds from tax and gift card purchases. Alcoholic beverages excluded. Event proceeds void if flyers are distributed in or near the restaurant.
Altadena, Calif â The Five Acres 2016 Giving Tuesday campaign, scheduled for Tuesday, November 29th will be featured with digital and social media. For the 2nd time, Five Acres will team up with Wells Fargo for a $10,000 match to raise much needed funding for a new literacy curriculum. The literacy curriculum will support more than 1,000 students at the Five Acres Therapeutic School (non-public) over the next ten years.
Giving Tuesday is a global day for giving. After Black Friday, âsmall businessâ Saturday and âcyberâ Monday, comes Giving Tuesday. The day is designed to encourage people to donate to their favorite charities during the holidays.
In 1981 Five Acres opened its on-grounds, therapeutic non-public school. This program offered many children their first opportunity for academic success. The school was originally housed in what are now the Willow and Spruce Cottages on main campus.
As success of the program grew, in 1990 a larger therapeutic school was constructed on a property adjacent to the main campus. As the surrounding communityâs needs have changed, Five Acres Therapeutic School has evolved. With success of their programs and working closely with students with the special education eligibility of âEmotional Disturbanceâ the community of educators requested that Five Acres expand the student population to serve children with learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disability.
While widening the special education offerings, the students with these additional emotional disturbance eligibilities also quickly came to Five Acres Therapeutic School for support with severe overlying behavioral and emotional deficits.
Today, Five Acres nonpublic school serves 24 school districts within a 50 mile radius and classes are close to full capacity.
The new literacy curriculum will greatly benefit the students at the nonpublic school. Five Acres is thankful for the ongoing community partnership with Wells Fargo.
Area President of the San Gabriel Valley Division, Sandy Walia shares,
“Wells Fargo is proud to support this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign and the selfless work Five Acres does every day. As a good corporate citizen, it’s our job to identify local needs, bring resources to the table and help our community partners create sustainable change. Together, we hope to enrich the lives of these remarkable students. We recognize we are only are strong as the communities we serve.”
To learn more about the Five Acres 2016 Giving Tuesday Campaign, please visit www.crowdrise.com/fiveacresorg Facebook â www.facebook.com/fiveacresorg , Twitter  www.twitter.com/fiveacresorg, Instagram – www.instagram.com/fiveacresorg #GivingTuesday, #5AGivingTuesday
About Five Acres
Five Acres is a child welfare agency ensuring every child has a safe, healthy and permanent family solution through advocacy, prevention and evidenced-based services. Established as an orphanage in 1888, today Five Acres offers an array of services including community â based mental health and deaf services, wrap around, therapeutic behavioral services, residential care, foster care, adoption and a nonpublic therapeutic school. In 2015 Five Acres served over 8,500 children and their families across five counties. Visit us at 5acres.org
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Pasadena, Calif. – Wednesday October 26, 2016 kicked off the 3rd annual Permanency Campaign to celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month; as part of Five Acres mission to provide safety, well-being and permanency for children and families. This advocacy event was held in Pasadena at, NOOR.
The program included welcome remarks from distinguished guest and First Lady of Los Angeles (Mayor Eric Garcettiâs wife, plus foster, adoptive mom,) Ms. Amy Elaine Wakeland. Ms. Wakeland shared in front of guests the importance and need for more foster and foster adoptive families in LA County, including Deputy Supervisor, Kathryn Barger, representatives from Assembly member Chris Holdenâs office, Five Acres board members, corporate partners and major donors. Of the 20,000 children currently living in LA County foster care, nearly half are under the age of 5 years. Ms. Wakeland encouraged guests to help advocate and be the voice for the children in foster care who cannot speak on behalf of themselves.
Ms. Wakelandâs powerful remarks were followed by a short Q and A featuring best-selling author, wife to bassist of the rock band, Weezer Scott Shriner and recent adoptive mom Jillian Lauren. Guests listened while Ms. Lauren shared her pathway to foster, adoption through Five Acres programs and told anecdotal stories (that garnered lots of laughs from the audience) and offered advice for people thinking about fostering or foster adoption.
The 2016 Permanency Campaign which will feature adoption stories and photographs on the Five Acres website and on social media throughout the month of November, has a focus on raising awareness for the need for more foster families to adopt sibling sets, (with the campaign titled, “Siblings 5A”.) More than 50% of siblings are separated when entering the foster care system. In March of this year, Five Acres opened its Transitional Shelter Care Program at the residential campus in Altadena, designed to keep sibling sets together, specifically sisters. Since opening, Five Acres has served more than 175 girls.
In 2014, Five Acres launched its first Permanency Campaign with âBoy 5Aâ a sculpture of a four year old boy representing the 20,000 children currently living in LA County foster care. The campaign included corporate partners âfosteringâ Boy 5A in various lobbies, courtyards and offices around the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas. The campaign concluded with Boy 5A sculpture becoming âadoptedâ by Berkshire Hathaway Foundation by way of a contribution to Five Acres.
In 2015, Five Acres introduced the community to, âGirl 5Aâ a five year old girl featured in a one minute video sharing her story of going through 11 different foster homes and still needing to find a forever family. The video was featured on a large, multi-media interactive display comprised of a flat screen TV, nine foot vertical banners with information on Five Acres foster care and adoption programs, along with a portable iPad featuring a link to the agency website and contact form.
This yearâs event ended with a call to action from Ms. Jillian Lauren to help get the word out about the need to not just advocate, but donate to agencies like Five Acres and if you have a lifetime to give, to consider adoption.
The event was sponsored by Morgan Stanley Investments.
Five Acres will feature hopeful and inspiring stories of adoption for the entire month of November in honor of Adoption Awareness Month. Follow us on social media at Facebook, www.facebook.com/fiveacresorg, Instagram www.instragram.com/fiveacresorg and Twitter www.twitter.com/fiveacresorg.
For interviews please contact Director of Communications Rebecca Haussling at rhaussling@5acres.org or mobile 310.922.7384.
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About Five Acres
Five Acres is a child welfare agency ensuring every child has a safe, healthy and permanent family solution through advocacy, prevention and evidenced-based services. Established as an orphanage in 1888, today Five Acres offers an array of services including community â based mental health and deaf services, wrap around, therapeutic behavioral services, residential care, foster care, adoption and a nonpublic therapeutic school. In 2015 Five Acres served over 8,500 children and their families across five counties. Visit us at www.5acres.org
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 Five Acres School provides innovative therapeutic education to Kâ10 special needs students, many of whom are in foster care. This Giving Tuesday, help us raise $10,000 to fund a nutritional program to feed their minds, bodies and spirits.
Wells Fargo will generously match every gift dollar for dollar up to $10,000! Together we can raise the full $20,000 to help our kids thrive!
Giving has never been easier! Simply text FIVEACRES to 243725 to make a donation.
To you and to the good people at Wells Fargo: thank you for your compassion and generosity.
Together we can change our students’ futures, one at a time.
Join The Monogrammed Home November 4, 2016 between 10am – 2pm for an exclusive event to give back to the children and families of Five Acres! Shop in the store and enjoy a glass of champagne or shop online. Just mention Five Acres and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to Five Acres.
Monday October 3, 2016 [Altadena, CA] â With temperatures in the triple digits more than 100 golfers showed up ready to play in support of Five Acres for the 2016 Golf Classic. Activations on the course kept golfers cool, hydrated and fed including lemonade and sliders from Paul Martins, Monster Java energy drinks, beer, wine from San Antonio Winery, Philippeâs cheesesteak sandwiches, sweets from Nothing Bundt Cakes and Choctal Ice Cream, along with plenty of water!
Golfers joined their spouse, partners, friends and colleagues later in the day at the Old School Cool Lounge where nearly 230 guests sipped martinis and champagne and dined on a cool iceberg wedge salad, baked champagne chicken and chocolate cream tarts. Everyone was encouraged to don rat-packed inspired outfits. Ladies had everything from stripes, polka dots to gowns and white gloves and the men rocked their best, âzoot suitsâ skinny ties or bow ties and sear sucker jackets.
Guests were treated to a live performance and speech by former foster child and award-winning jazz musician Janiva Magness. The silent auction and live auction was facilitated this year with the help of Bidpal, an online bidding company as guests were seen throughout the evening busily bidding on their smartphones to raise funds for Five Acres programs. Highlighted live auction items included a trip to Hawaii, a trip to Mexico, and a gorgeous Porsche timepiece along with an always popular raffle of a Black Label Edition URB-E donated by Urban 626.
Five Acres Chief Advancement Officer shares,
âFor more than 128 years Five Acres has helped children and their families in crisis. The funds raised at our annual golf tournament help support all of our programs such as, prevention and intervention in our community-based, foster care and adoption services, our residential and group home and our non-public school. I want to thank our entire golf committee led by co-chairs Rustin Mork and Scott Street and all the supporters, board members and volunteers who help make this event possible.â
More than 3.7 million dollars has been raised for Five Acres programs and services since the golf tournament started, 29 years ago.
This yearâs title sponsor was Brad Reaume and Bolton & Co.
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About Five Acres:
Five Acres is a child welfare agency ensuring every child has a safe, healthy and permanent family solution through advocacy, prevention and evidenced-based services. Established as an orphanage in 1888, today Five Acres offers an array of services including community â based mental health and deaf services, wrap around, therapeutic behavioral services, residential care, foster care, adoption and a nonpublic therapeutic school. In 2015 Five Acres served over 8,500 children and their families across five counties. Visit us at www.5acres.org
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