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Growing up in NPS:
Graduate Ready for New Chapter
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| Cassie has been attending Casa Pacifica’s Nonpublic School (NPS) since 6th grade. A running joke between Cassie and many staff is that she knows more people on campus than they do – not far from the truth, Cassie’s eagle eyes will spot you from across campus and one glance at her friendly face will brighten anyone’s day. During her time with Casa Pacifica, Cassie formed many strong bonds with many staff: |
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- Randy Osuna, Cassie’s first teacher who she said she knew “was going to be a lovable teddy bear kinda guy.”
- Anthony “AP” Pinedo, a behavioral and physical education specialist who shares Cassie’s love of the Dodgers and would always make time for a game of catch when Cassie was upset.
- Dr. Sean Schoneman, Cassie’s clinician, often seen taking a lap with Cassie to talk things through.
- Baker, Otis, & Pearl, Casa Pacifica’s Newfoundland therapy dogs – “I grew up with Baker, we were extremely close. Otis and Pearl are part of what makes it hard to leave – every time they see me they get all excited.”
- Jill and Tom Ball, Cassie’s most recent teachers, in her own words, “They are the best! One of my favorite subjects is history, mainly because of the fact that Tom is so enthusiastic about it. He puts so much enthusiasm into the lesson that I think ‘Okay, this is getting really awesome, I want to learn more about it.’” Cassie had endless stories about science experiments, presentations, and good times in their class, it’s clear her love of learning has been well-nurtured.
With the support of all these staff and many more, Cassie has developed a life plan, personal goals, and a strategy to become the highest version of herself. Mark Capritto, Casa Pacifica’s Director of Education had this to say of his longtime student, “Cassie is quite the student, attending daily – and wasn’t shy about calling me if the driver was two minutes late to pick her up for her ride to school,” he laughed.
“Cassie is an intellectual, thought provoking, and
inquisitive young woman.”
– Mark Capritto, Casa Pacifica’s Director of Education
Pandemic or not, staff knew they had to do something special for Cassie’s graduation. More than 25 cars full of teachers, clinicians, staff and fellow students drove by Cassie’s house for a special graduation parade. Everyone decorated with signs, paint, balloons – some staff even played the traditional graduation Pomp and Circumstance through their car stereo as they drove by. Cassie stood outside proudly and waved as they drove by, neighbors even came out to see what all the fuss was about and joined in the cheering. It might not have been the graduation everyone expected, but it turned out to be just as special and unique as the graduate herself.
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Cassie has been accepted to Moorpark College for the upcoming school year and hopes to join their zoology program. She’s planning on playing softball and soccer as well – softball in honor of “AP” and soccer because she loves it.
“For the longest time I wanted to get out of Casa Pacifica but now I don’t want to leave. I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life but Casa Pacifica is like my family.” – Cassie
Mark Capritto’s thoughts on Cassie’s graduation, “Speaking for NPS as a team, over the years, we were blessed with this opportunity, to watch a young child, often rambunctious, develop and grow into a wonderful young woman; a high school graduate. We are all very proud of Cassie and all that she has become!”
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30,000+ lbs of Fresh Produce Donated By
The Berry Man
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A lot of people are in need right now and some of the families Casa Pacifica serves are no exception. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of both individuals and businesses. Farmers who normally provide produce to restaurants and facilities found themselves with nowhere to send their food and a lot of it going to waste. The USDA enacted an emergency Farms to Families food box program to get this much needed food to people in need. Longtime Festival and community supporter The Berry Man bid aggressively on the contract and won.
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“We wanted to bring this great resource
back to our community,”
– Les Clark, President of The Berry Man.
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Over the next eight weeks, Casa Pacifica will be receiving 100 38 lb. boxes of fresh produce – distributed by our staff to families in need. Families of our nonpublic school got the delivery along with their regular Monday homework packets and Casa Pacifica community-based staff delivered all over the county to families in their various programs. The families were thrilled to receive the boxes filled with fresh apples, pears, blackberries, celery, romaine, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, and oranges – what a haul!
Les Clark commented on the outpouring of gratitude from the community, “It has been our pleasure to be able to set this up. It was a win-win for everyone – the farmers, us, and people in need in the community. Everyone has been so grateful and we’re just happy to be a part of it.” |
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| Throughout this pandemic, we have seen such an outpouring of support for our youth and their families. These kind gestures mean so much to them, our staff see it in their faces when we get to deliver wonderful things like this. Thank you to The Berry Man and all of our other supporters who have stepped up during this difficult time to help us provide for our children and families. We are grateful. |
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| As a parent, talking about sexuality with your teen can be uncomfortable. And having your teen express to you that they are LGBTQ+ may be overwhelming. That’s why as parents it is so important we come together to talk about these issues and support the LGBTQ+ youth in our homes and community. |
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The Festival Silent Auction Raised $71,296.00
With YOUR Help!
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| We are overwhelmed with gratitude! The cancellation of our Casa Pacifica Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival meant the success of our Festival Silent Auction was critical – and it was successful thanks to all of YOU!
Thank you to everyone who donated, bid, liked, shared, posted and helped support this important fundraiser! Thanks to our amazing community of supporters we were able to raise much needed funds! All proceeds raised by the Auction will directly support our vital programs and services for foster and at-risk youth and families. We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you! Thank you so much for your support! |
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Now You Can Use AmazonSmile
On Your PHONE!
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AmazonSmile customers can now support Casa Pacifica Centers for Children & Families in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start shopping!
- Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
- Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
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| Want to make a difference in a child or family’s life? Camino a Casa and Casa Pacifica are always looking for motivated people to join our team at one of our four locations in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Along with competitive salaries, we offer a generous benefits package including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401(k) plan, educational assistance, paid time off, and an employee assistance program. In addition, we also offer ongoing training through our well-established training institute. Visit our website to see all available positions and apply today! |
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| 1. Shop! Shopping online at Target? Who can resist Amazon these days? Put those shopping sprees to good use and shop for our kids! Check out our Target registry or Amazon wish list and have items shipped straight to us. And don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smile and designate Casa Pacifica as your charity of choice so we receive a percentage of your purchases!
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2. Give monthly and change lives year round!
You can give the gift of hope all year long with the ease of monthly giving. Automatic monthly donations provide consistent support that enables Casa Pacifica to serve our most vulnerable children and their families. Even small gifts add up to make a big difference. Please give a monthly gift and support year-round to offer our youth a brighter future. Signing up is easy! Contact Madeline Sattler, Donor Relations Officer at [email protected] or (805)366-4422. |
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| 3. Become an Angel or Amigo! These two groups are some of our biggest supporters. The Casa Pacifica Angels help out with our fundraising events and children’s parties throughout the year. The Casa Pacifica Amigos organize fun activities for the kids on the weekends – some favorites are carnival day and movie nights. Annual membership is $50 – join or gift a membership today! |
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Thank you to our Corporate Leaders!
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