A Message from Five Acres CEO Chanel W. Boutakidis

Hello Five Acres Community,

Since the start of this pandemic, 285 days ago, much of my time has been focused on keeping our children safe and healthy, keeping our staff safe and healthy, and keeping the agency financially sound during these challenging times. As 2020 comes to an end, I want to share that Five Acres is still here! Despite this pandemic, murder hornets, fires, and economic instability, we are still kicking, and we continue to do what we are committed to doing.

While we have faced many obstacles to providing services this year, we did not have a day of pause in our services, even if it meant converting and training over 100 team members to offer telemedicine in less than five days. Our Prevention Division has served more clients this year than pre-COVID. In the past nine months, we have already impacted 6,811 clients, which signifies the community’s growing needs due to COVID. We have provided these services without disruption and today offer our services safely in-person, via telemedicine, or as a combo of the two.

Our Intervention Division, where foster children live in our care until we can find them a safe and forever family, has been our most incredible opportunity this year. Caring for children without families in a congregate care setting and our foster care setting while in a pandemic is something I will remember as one of our most defining moments. Court closures that halted the movement of foster children… Education closures leaving us with the responsibilities of the education of special needs children… Supply and food procurement to keep children and staff safe, particularly early on when supplies were hard to come by as shelves emptied rapidly.

As a leader during this pandemic, we know that we are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the children we serve and the teams we employ. As county resources became maxed and overwhelmed, realizing that we were on our own was the turning moment. When we decided to move forward versus hope and wait for a “Hail Mary,” that decision led to my team’s incredible leadership and creativity. We found a solution in the supply procurement of proper PPEs for our team members who continued to work in person. We created and operated our own in-house Isolation Units for COVID-positive clients because hospitals would not admit them, and we did not want to risk mixing COVID-positive children with the other children. We figured out how to provide onsite COVID testing for over 200 team members weekly and procure testing kits to test any child as needed through our nursing department. We are managing and monitoring COVID spread and infection while keeping our agency positivity rate below 3%, even during county spikes. With so many obstacles to overcome, the surprises we faced, and many options to fail, we have not.

While in this pandemic, we have impacted over 6,800 individuals across six counties, with 359 infants, toddlers, and teens that lived in our care safely during COVID. While we have been surprised by many unfamiliar challenges, we have continued to be creative to maintain an 81% permanency rate for the children we serve. Finally, we remain over 400 team members strong, with a turnover of 10.7%, and continue to work daily to stay financially viable to keep as many team members employed during these economically unstable times.

While we miss gathering in the community and celebrating with you at our annual gala, golf, and community events, we thank you for continuing to support us and allowing us to redirect our attention to the safety and health of the children and our team. Five Acres is here, and even more proud of what we have accomplished so far during these extraordinary times. We look forward to less extraordinary times in 2021 and hope to see you soon!

Thank you,

Chanel W. Boutakidis, MA, MFT

Chief Executive Officer

 

Five Acres’ Holiday Toy Drive To Benefit Children and Youth in Foster Care Greatly Impacted By The COVID-19 Pandemic

Bring holiday joy to our Five Acres kids

Five Acres’ annual holiday toy drive creates joyful holiday memories for vulnerable children and foster youth who have already overcome many challenges in their young lives. Through the years, many generous supporters in the community have made these children’s holiday wishes come true. This year the need is greater and more urgent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Five Acres is requesting help from the community to donate gift cards and unwrapped toys by December 18.

“Each year our holiday toy drive brightens the children and youth in foster care living on our residential campus, our foster families, and our community families we serve,” said Five Acres Chief Advancement Officer Jennifer Berger, who oversees the nonprofit’s annual holiday toy drive. “However, this year vulnerable children and youth have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic making the need for toy donations and gift cards even greater and more urgent. We are calling on the community to help Five Acres to continue to spread joy, especially during this difficult holiday season for many.”

Five Acres’ most requested gifts from kids are the following: art supplies, bath and body products, bike and helmet, board games, dolls, MP3 players, pillow pets, puzzles, remote-controlled car / helicopter / plane, scooter and helmet, sporting equipment, Star Wars figures, stuffed animals and tablets.

Gift cards also make great holiday gifts for Five Acres’ youth. The most requested gift cards are the following: Amazon, Best Buy, Dominos, Game Stop, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, Target and Wal-Mart.

Based on the children’s requests, Five Acres has also built an Amazon Wish List full of toys that can be accessed at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZV9U7LEB62LL.

The designated days to drop-off unwrapped gifts to Five Acres are the following: Thursday, December 10 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, December 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, December 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday, December 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The address for curbside drop-off is at Zeilstra location at 747 W. Mountain View St., Altadena, CA 91001, across from Five Acres’ main campus.

To become a sponsor of this year’s holiday toy drive or for information, call Stephanie Perez at 626-731-9453 or email StephaniePerez@5acres.org.

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About Five Acres

Since 1888, Five Acres has protected the most vulnerable members of our community: children. Serving more than 10,200 children and family members annually across six counties, Five Acres strives for permanency—a permanent, loving home—for all children in their care. The three pillars of safety, well-being and permanency provide the framework for its programs and guide their steps as the agency develops even more effective means of caring for children and families in crisis. Visit 5acres.org.

5 simple tips to counter the holiday blues

The holidays are around the corner and mental health is a big priority during this time. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mental health issue that can show up in late fall and early winter. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of SAD include having low energy, trouble sleeping, changes in appetite or weight, and social withdrawal.

Below are five tips that can help improve your mental health and keep the holiday blues away.

Brighten up your surroundings – A quick and easy way to improve your mood is to brighten up your home. Increase the amount of lighting around you to energize and uplift. Open up curtains during the day to let natural light in. Hang up your decorations early! Decorate your trees and ornaments with twinkling lights. Embrace the holiday season ambiance to help make your space feel warm and cozy.

Find time for your physical health – Find time to engage in physical activity, which is amazing for mental wellness. There are activities for everyone such as exercise, meditation, or yoga. This year virtual races are a great way to connect to people and participate in events while still socially distancing. Signing up for virtual races like the upcoming Five Acres Turkey Trot is a great way to stay active during the holidays. Physical activity will help release energy and provide an outlet for stress relief.

Take a mental wellness break – A fantastic way to help improve your mental health is by taking a mental wellness day. Spend a day doing what makes you happiest. Do the things you enjoy doing and unwind. Drive around your neighborhood and take in the beautiful holiday decorations. Many neighborhoods set up extensive holiday displays and decorations that will be fun to check out and enjoy while still socially distancing.

Reach out to your loved ones – Take opportunities to virtually interact with your friends and family outside of your household. Virtually socializing will help lift your mood and strengthen the meaningful relationships in your life. Take advantage of the season to decorate your home with your family and spend quality time together. It can be easy to fall into a gloomy state of mind, but the people around you help remind you that you are loved.

Use available resources – There are many resources available to help provide support for your mental health when times are tough. Five Acres offers assistance with basic needs, resources, community linkages, and starting the process for additional mental health services. Five Acres offers mental health support through the HOPE line and telehealth services at 800-696-6793 or HOPE@5acres.org. To find a mental health provider near you, contact 211 LA County at https://www.211la.org/ or SAMHSA’s National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

This holiday season it is important to keep an eye on your mental health. There are many different ways to keep the holiday blues away and Five Acres is here to help.

Five Acres Holiday Toy Drive

Five Acres Holiday Toy Drive

Each year at Five Acres, we strive to create joyful holiday memories for vulnerable children and foster youth who have already overcome many challenges in their young lives. Fortunately, we have you—generous supporters who make their holiday wishes come true.

This year, we invite you to make a difference today and join our holiday toy drive, become a Cottage or Family Angel, sponsor a Holiday Wish Tree or make a holiday donation. 

Want to join in on the fun? Check out our toy drive flyer, sponsorship opportunities and list of the most requested items from our kids. To purchase the children’s wishes from our Amazon wish list, click here. To make a gift, simply click the button below.

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Holiday Sponsorship opportunities
Most Requested Gifts
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When to Donate Your Gifts

To ensure our children receive their gifts in time for the holidays, please deliver your unwrapped donations to Five Acres between Wednesday, December 2 – Friday, December 11, 2020.
Donations are accepted Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. and Thursday, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
or you may arrange a time and date with Stephanie Perez at StephaniePerez@5acres.org or call (626) 379-2953

REMEMBER: Submit your gift-in-kind form!
Please be sure to complete a gift-in-kind form so we can track your donation for tax purposes. You can submit the form HERE.

Our commitment to safety and well-being

Since 1888, Five Acres has been committed to ensuring the safety, well-being and permanency of the children and families we serve. During these challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic, our mission remains the same.  Our highest priority is to ensure children and families continue to safely receive the services they need.  Five Acres pandemic protocols are informed by the CDC, the WHO and the LA Department of Public Health guidelines and are evaluated frequently to ensure our enhanced protocols meets and/or exceeds the health authority and government regulations.

Below is a PDF of an overview of some of the comprehensive steps Five Acres is taking to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff, and the children and families we serve.

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Five Acres Makes Appeal for Resources to Help Foster Care and Adoptive Families during the COVID-19 Crisis

 

(ALTADENA, Calif.) July 30, 2020 – As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Los Angeles County-based foster care/adoption agency and mental health provider, FIVE ACRES, is in need of resources for its critical Adoption Promotion and Support Services (APSS) program, which serves Altadena and the greater Los Angeles community.

“The Adoption Promotion and Support Services program cultivates an organic community of over 80 foster and adoptive families who are brought together by a common collective experience that is unique to them as individual families,” said Five Acres Division Director Cesar Gomez, who is a licensed clinical social worker. “These commonalities and relationships can be life-long in their duration and are at the heart of what makes an ongoing community of committed families.”

Five Acres is making an appeal for the following resources from the community for its APSS program: family needs (diapers, baby wipes), summer arts & crafts (glue sticks, crayons, coloring books), funds for streaming movie services (Netflix, Disney+), summer snacks (granola bars, popcorn, juice boxes), indoor games (board games, toy race cars), and outdoor games (chalk, scooters, bikes).

Gomez said, “Additionally, gift card donations to fost-adopt families can be most helpful right now. This is especially true for big box stores like Walmart where fost-adopt families can requisition different kinds of life necessities such as groceries, clothes, and cleaning/sanitizing supplies as needed.”

For an entire list of items needed, visit https://5acres.org/apss-covid-19-needs/. Donations will assist foster care and adoptive families who are supported by APSS and do not have the resources due to the pandemic.

Five Acres believes children thrive and heal best within healthy, permanent families. The pathway to permanency can include reunification with a birth parent, a relative or adoption by a foster-to-adopt family. The agency’s programs support families throughout the adoption process as well as during post-adoption. Five Acres strengthens existing families and works tireless to find loving, permanent families for children in need.

Gomez said, “Fost-adopt families provide unconditional love, safety, support, and grace to abused and neglected children who are in desperate need of all these critical qualities in their lives. All children everywhere require these life ingredients to truly flourish.”

To learn more about Five Acres or to support the agency’s efforts, visit 5acres.org.

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More About Five Acres’ APSS Program

APSS offers multiple regularly scheduled dedicated support groups for fost-adopt children, fost-adopt parents, and LGBTQ+ fost-adopt youth. Five Acres is proud of the caliber of its support groups, which are provided by dedicated facilitators who incorporate thoughtful group curriculums, and which are very well attended, including virtually under the current pandemic conditions. APSS client families can be referred for adoption specialty mental health services, including individual therapy, family therapy, and rehabilitation services to help adoptees and their families receive high quality client care. APSS also offers all fost-adopt families adoption specialty case management services that are in place for as long as the families need them for the purposes of needed ongoing support.

About Five Acres

Since 1888, Five Acres has protected the most vulnerable members of our community: children. Originally founded in downtown Los Angeles as an orphanage, Five Acres was initially created to offer safety to children who had no home. In time, our mission expanded to also focus on the well-being and mental health of our clients who were increasingly coming to us as a result of abuse or neglect.

Having grown to an agency caring for more than 10,000 children and family members annually across six counties, we now strive for permanency—a permanent, loving home—for all children in our care. The three pillars of safety, well-being and permanency provide the framework for all our programs and guide our steps as we develop even more effective means of caring for children and families in crisis.

The Power of Showing Up

The Power of Showing Up workshop

Parents worry. It’s what we do. We worry about our kids and their safety; about the times we let our kids down; if we’re giving them too little or too much attention; and how to manage in a world filled with digital distractions and endless commitments on our time. Reassuringly, the latest brain and attachment research is clear on how best to make a difference in our child’s life over the long run: we simply need to show up.

Come join us as, Dr. Bryson, based on her latest book (co-authored with Dan Siegel), shares how when a caregiver predictably (not perfectly) cares for a child, that child will enjoy the very best outcomes, even in the face of significant adversity. To help our kids succeed and feel at home in the world, our children need to feel what Siegel and Bryson call in their latest book, the Four S’s: Safe, Seen, Soothed, and Secure.

Offering plenty of warmth and humor, Dr. Bryson will share stories and simple strategies for honoring the Four S’s effectively in all kinds of situations—when our kids are struggling or when they are enjoying success; when we are consoling, disciplining, or arguing with them; and even when we’re apologizing for the times we don’t show up for them. No parent is perfect, but all of us can show up for our kids. Impactful parenting begins right where you are, right now.

About the Trainer

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson headshotDr. Tina Payne Bryson is the co-author (with Dan Siegel) of two New York Times Best Sellers—The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline—each of which has been translated into dozens of languages, as well as The Yes Brain and The Power of Showing Up and the forthcoming Bottom Line for Baby. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Connection, a multidisciplinary clinical practice in Southern California. Dr. Bryson keynotes conferences and conducts workshops for parents, educators, and clinicians all over the world, and she frequently consults with schools, businesses, and other organizations. An LCSW, Tina is a graduate of Baylor University with a Ph.D. from USC. The most important part of her bio, she says, is that she’s a mom to her three boys. You can learn more about Dr. Bryson at TinaBryson.com.

This will be a virtual training

To register for this event, RSVP to your APSS Case Manager or Karissa Kelly at: KKelly@5acres.org or 626.214.0344

 

Five Acres Hello Summer! Party

different colored orange slices with the wording five acres hello summer party a free virtual event for the whole family

Friday, June 26, 2020
5 p.m. PST

Five Acres register here button

While this year’s 2020 Sunsets in Santorini gala was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic, Five Acres mission of helping children and families in crisis has not been postponed.  We asked guests register to join the 2020 Gala Committee and 5A friends for a free, family-friendly party to celebrate our mission. Thank you for joining us at the virtual party. If you were unable to attend, we are sorry to have missed you. We have good news! You can watch our virtual party event below.

Here’s a Hello Summer Coloring page for the kiddos to spark the imagination!

While the silent auction has ended, there’s still time to contribute to Five Acres mission and the lives of more than 10,000 children and families we serve annually. For $21 per month or $252 a year, you can bring hope to more children and families impacted by mental health, child abuse, domestic violence, or unexpected life challenges. Click on either button below and you will be redirected to a page. Remember to select ‘make this a monthly donation.’ Thanks, in advance!

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Five Acres button that reads donate any amount

Five Acres in Altadena Launches HOPE line

Five Acres HOPE line is here call or text 1-800-696-6793 or HOPE@5acres.org

(ALTADENA, Calif.) May 12, 2020 — Now with the U.S. highest unemployment rate due to the coronavirus, people are struggling financially, experiencing food insecurity, and facing mental health challenges like depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Altadena-based foster care/adoption and mental health provider, Five Acres has launched the HOPE line at 800-696-6793 or HOPE@5acres.org where individuals can call, text or email. The HOPE line staff helps people in need of support in mental health, prevention of child abuse, domestic violence, and families seeking to become foster resource families.

“The number of referrals being received by our community service programs is on the rise due to the mental stress of the pandemic,” said Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis, who also expressed concern for the children who are experiencing abuse behind closed doors and have no means of reporting it to a trusting adult like a teacher, school counselor, or peer.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, on average, the county’s Child Protection Hotline received about 1,000 daily reports. In recent weeks, however, there has been a decline in calls of up to 50 percent.

The agency’s community-based services team is available now to assist with basic needs resources, assessing abuse and reporting it, and starting the process for additional Five Acres services. While the HOPE line is not a 24/7 crisis line, the agency’s staff will reply within one business day to all texts or calls to 1-800-696-6793 or emails to HOPE@5acres.org requesting help.

To learn more about Five Acres and to support the agency’s efforts, visit 5acres.org.

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Five Acres IT Sets Workforce to Provide Telehealth Services

What Five Acres had intended to provide in five years occurred in five days. When Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued the safer-at-home emergency order, Five Acres information technology (IT) team set up the agency’s workforce to work remotely and provide telehealth services within a week.

An essential business provider, Five Acres provides residential care to foster care children, who are unable to live at home because they experienced acute trauma. In addition, they offer adoption services, mental health treatment, prevention and early intervention services to keep children safely in the home, and specialty services for children who are deaf.

Led by Five Acres IT director Elena Yau, the team of 10 employees worked side by side to purchase additional laptops and issue them to the staff. “We identified the core services to maintain business continuity,” said Yau. “We looked at anything in our inventory, decent laptops and got them set up daily to get everybody for remote access.”

Yau points out that, for the most part, the agency’s workforce was previously ready for remote work as they have always been mobile, serving clients in their communities, homes, or schools. Today, they’ve “ramped the type of services that were face-to-face to now being a digital format using apps with clients.’

Five Acres quick response enabled their workforce to continue providing all non-residential clients telehealth services without interruption. Sessions are hosted through phone, Skype, FaceTime, or another remote way where both client and clinician can have a confidential conversation in a safe, private space.

“We want to minimize and streamline the process for our clients as much as possible and look at how to remove the barriers for them,” said Yau, who is committed to getting everybody comfortable with this new technology.

Training has been key to this transition. In conjunction with human resources, the onboarding process where the agency’s IT team delivers new equipment to a new employee, trains them on how to use their laptop and the systems, and tests out the documentation process has gone virtual.

In addition, the IT team has assessed client applications, boosted additional training sessions, increased their bandwidth, and deployed software remotely.

“The pandemic has brought us closer,” said Yau, who was part of the COVID-19 response team the agency’s leadership convened. She also acknowledges that the agency’s donors care and understand this human need for mental health services by continuing to support the mission during the pandemic.

“We are working with foundations that have relaxed their requirements to allow us to use funds for technology,” said Yau. “Other businesses are closing doors and can’t restructure themselves to figure out where are the opportunities to help their community and serve their needs.”

With these immediate changes, Yau continues to ask, “How do we build a network to sustain the load?”

Late shifts and weekends. That’s what it took for the Five Acres IT team to orchestrate upgrades that did not interfere with the business operations. They also changed out the wireless technology for the foster care children sheltering in place to minimize their footprint on the agency’s campus.

“Our children continue to stay connected with their families via phone and technology which has not stopped during this time,” said Claudia Rice, the agency’s director of residential-DCFS. “Five Acres encourages the kids and their families to stay connected in hopes to continue working on strengthening their relationship.”

The number of referrals being received by the agency’s community service programs is on the rise due to the mental stress of the pandemic. “Although we were not planning on moving toward telemedicine this quickly, we did,” said Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis, who most recently led the agency in establishing a mental health HOPE line. People can call or text at 800-696-6793 or email HOPE@5acres.org to get help.

Setting up Five Acres community-based team to receive calls coming from the HOPE line, Yau proudly said, “What I appreciate about this agency is that we are providing opportunities in the community, employing people and helping them provide for their families too.”

To learn more about Five Acres and to support the agency’s efforts, visit 5acres.org.

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About Five Acres

Since 1888, Five Acres has protected the most vulnerable members of our community: children. Serving more than 10,000 children and family members annually across six counties, Five Acres strives for permanency—a permanent, loving home—for all children in their care. The three pillars of safety, well-being and permanency provide the framework for its programs and guide the way as the agency develops even more effective means of caring for children and families in crisis. Visit 5acres.org.