Alum Rock Counseling Center ARCC

Earlier today, volunteers from #CEFCU and #TeamTeal brought their holiday spirit and epic wrapping skills to make holiday magic happen for the youth and families whom Alum Rock Counseling Center ARCC serves. The gifts that volunteers wrapped today will be delivered by ARCC counselors and staff (safely) to families' homes just in time for the holidays. Thank you for giving our families a reason to celebrate and hope this year. #HolidayAssist

California is in the midst of a youth mental health crisis due to increased isolation of our students. SB 14 introduced by Senator @Portantino will equip educators and youth with the tools needed to support students and peers through these unprecedented circumstances. @cccbha #CALeg

We are excited to join @cccbha in support of SB 14 authored by Senator @Portantino. This bill will provide educators with vital knowledge and skills needed to support their students who are experiencing a behavioral health challenge. Read our coalition statement here: https://bit.ly/3n1PuHS #CALeg

The holiday season is upon us and Alum Rock Counseling Center’s 2019 Toy Drive is officially underway!! ARCC’s goal is to provide gifts and a holiday celebration to 800+ youth and their families who otherwise might not receive a gift this season. Want to get into the holiday spirit?! Check out the highlights video from ARCC’s 2018 Toy Giveaway Event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEUkPZzu1uY Thank you to Brian Vega for capturing the magic on video @iamthebay... To learn more about ARCC’s 2019 Toy Giveaway and Holiday Celebration event, please visit: https://www.alumrockcc.org/2019-holiday-celebration-toy-gi/

Thank you #SharksFoundation #CEFCU You are our holiday heroes!

Dear Friends of ARCC, Justice. Equity. Diversity. Respect. These are among the values and traditions that Alum Rock Counseling Center stands for. In these past weeks, our nation and world witnessed the murder of a black man by a white police officer and felt some of the pain, anger, heartbreak and demand for change and justice that our black brothers and sisters have felt and asked for for centuries. Our nation and our world are having soul-searching conversations and our p...rotestors are insisting on real change. In these past weeks, staff at Alum Rock Counseling Center have been having our own conversations in deepening and further defining our evolving identity, values and strategies in the context of historical and systemic racism. We will continue these conversations and develop and implement action plans within the context of our agency. Alum Rock Counseling Center was originally founded to address inequities facing Latinx youth and families who were, for all intents and purposes, falling through the cracks of the legal, educational, and health systems due to lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate practitioners and services. We continue this work in today’s context, addressing trauma directly and indirectly caused by oppression and inequity. Our youth and families want and need additional mental health and related support and Alum Rock Counseling Center stands ready to meet that need. We join the Equity Pledge initiated by a number of San Jose City Council members to ensure that equity is considered in policy development. We support environments where all people are safe, respected and treated with kindness. We actively work to end injustice, including speaking up when bullying and violence are about to occur or are occurring. We strive for inclusion including our brothers and sisters in the LBGTQ community and other marginalized groups. We care for our kids and our community by listening, showing respect and collaborating to make change. And, we heal families and inspire youth to reach their full potential. Let’s join together in healing so that all in this world can reach their full potential. Black Lives Matter Steve Eckert, CEO Alum Rock Counseling Center

During this unprecedented health crisis, each of us is seeking to find strength, joy, hope, and connectedness in new and different ways. We, at Alum Rock Counseling Center, missed seeing our family of supporters at our Annual Fundraising Luncheon back in March, and we invite you to gather (virtually) with us on Friday, April 24th for our first ever Gratitude and Joy Virtual Fundraising Event. Tickets are free! Simply sign up here to reserve your spot and receive the meeting link & details. https://zoom.us//r/8915870270374/WN_4YKOidHNSoOjq4s4AuIgqQ

Please Support Local Businesses & Organizations Who Care About Our Kids!! Alum Rock Counseling Center’s 2019 Toy Giveaway Event was a day filled with smiles, toys, arts & crafts, tasty treats, and holiday cheer. We welcomed almost 600 youth and families and over 100 volunteers. Please visit our Holiday Celebration recap page to see a list of the nearly two dozen local businesses and community partners who helped to make this year’s event possible. And when you’re out and about, please thank them for taking care of our youth and our local community. https://www.alumrockcc.org/2019-toy-giveaway-creates-magic/

Due to the pandemic, ARCC cannot host its in-person Toy Giveaway Event this year. But thanks to the Sharks Foundation & CEFCU, we will be (safely) delivering holiday gifts right to families' doors. Earlier today, Sharks & CEFCU volunteers shopped to fulfill families’ wish lists everything from dolls and skateboards to baby bouncers and diapers to blankets, puffer jackets, and shoes. Thank you for answering prayers and making dreams come true #SharksFoundation #CEFCU

ARCC extends its sincerest thanks to Jenne Johnson, Heather Hooper, and the amazing Sharks organization for putting together a magical evening for 20 of our youth and families - an evening they will never forget. It was filled with ice skating, cookie decorating, meeting Sharks players, yummy food and special surprises. The goodness you shared and the generosity you showed them will last long beyond the holiday season #sharksfoundation

Are you feeling lucky?! This coming Saturday, 12/21, ARCC will be the recipient of the Sharks Foundation 50/50 season of giving raffle, which will happen during the Sharks’ home game against the St. Louis Blues. According to Sharks Foundation Director Heather Hooper: The Sharks Foundation 50/50 Raffle program presented by Black Oak Casino Resort has one goal: to raise crucial funds for non-profit partners in our community. We are honored to select Alum Rock Counseling Cent...er as the beneficiary of our raffle on December 21. We are proud to support the ARCC mission of healing families and inspiring youth to reach their full potential and through this fundraising effort, hope to raise $8,000 to support their Annual Toy Giveaway Project. Come out and support ARCC’s kids and our Sharks home team! Thank you @SharksFoundation for all you do in taking care of youth and families in our local community!

It has been a busy few days!! Toy Collection Partners at Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, and California Stylin’ Salon have made their final push for toys and we have officially broken last year’s record collecting over 1,000 gifts from our local community. ARCC’s lobby was overrun with bags full of toys this weekend, and a small but mighty team of volunteers spent most of the day Saturday sorting those toys into age groups in preparation for our Toy Giveaway Event this coming Tuesday, 12/17. Thank you one and all for your partnership and making the holidays brighter for youth and families in need! #bringingtheholidaycheer #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

Calling all gift wrappers!! We are still looking for a few volunteers to help wrap gifts for our youth and families at our Toy Giveaway Event and Holiday Celebration taking place next Tuesday, 12/17 from 1-6pm in San Jose. If you can help, please fill out our short volunteer form ASAP: https://forms.gle/nBhX6XwWRZjDuKCV7 We hope to see you there!

It’s raining teddy bears!! This coming Friday, 11/22 at SAP Center, the San Jose Barracuda will host their 5th Annual Teddy Bear Toss at their game against the Colorado Eagles. According to Community Relations Manager Joey Goldstein: The Teddy Bear Toss has become a mainstay promotion around the American Hockey League and quickly became a fan favorite during our inaugural season in 2015. Each year this promotion allows the organization and our fans to team up and give back... by providing teddy bears to various youth organizations in the Bay Area." Thank you #SJBarracuda for taking care of ARCC’s kids this holiday season!