Health center welcomes new directors - Father Joe's Villages

Witnessing the 

human condition 

Augustinian nurse reflects on 

her year as a volunteer 

Page 17 

Transformed lives 

Stories from the 'University of the Human Spirit' 

Pages 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 

Food distribution 

Martha's provides aid to migrant farm workers 

Page 7 

Thanksgiving Day 

5K Run/Walk 

Join us in Balboa Park. Sign up today! 

Page 19 

September 2009 • Volume 19, Issue 2 

Health center welcomes new directors 

By Patricia M. walsh 

unique distinction of being dual Center is on the cutting edge of 

St. Vincent de Paul Village 

Family Health Center (VFHC) 

board certified in family medicine 

and psychiatry. 

Dr. Folsom and Dr. Searles are 

integrating mental health into 

primary care,” says Dr. Folsom. In 

1997 Folsom was the first resident 

has new directors. 

also co-directors of the Combined to graduate the combined program. 

David Folsom, M.D., MPH, has Family Medicine and Psychiatry “The center is by far the exception 

been named the medical director Residency Training Program in health care. It is very uncommon 

of VFHC, and Chris Searles, at University of California, San for mental health and primary care 

M.D., FAAFP, has been named Diego, whose primary clinic is the to be in the same location.” 

the associate medical director of VFHC. The Combined Program Both doctors see patients in 

the health center and director of was founded by Margaret E. addition to their administrative 

community outreach through McCahill, M.D., who retired in duties. 

the Mobile Health Clinic and its March 2009 after more than 10 “They caught the St. Vincent 

partnership with the San Diego years as medical director of the de Paul addiction that serving 

VILLAGE NEWS Patricia M. Walsh Health and Faith Alliance. Both VFHC and as director of the neighbors in need is its own 

Medical Director Dr. David Folsom, left, and Associate Medical Director and physicians did their residencies residency training program. 

Director of Community Outreach Dr. Chris Searles. at the health center and hold the “The Village Family Health 

Continued on page 16 

Boulevard Apartments opens 


Father Joe’s Villages opened its second building with affordable housing 

for low-income working families on April 22, 2009. The stylish building 

on El Cajon Boulevard in North Park has 24 apartments for very lowincome 

working families and includes nine units of permanent supportive 

housing. Rents are based on income and family size. 

“As we have helped neighbors rehabilitate their lives we have discovered 

a severe shortage of affordable and permanent housing with supportive 

services attached to them,” says Father Joe Carroll, president of Father 

Joe’s Villages. “So we decided to be part of the solution.” 

NoN-ProFiT 

U.S. PoSTage 

PAiD MaiL 

MaNageMeNT 

groUP 



3350 E Street 

San Diego, CA 92102-3332 

VILLAGE NEWS Patricia M. Walsh 

Toussaint Academy Class of 2009 graduates with Father Joe, from left, 

Cristina, Aaron, Christopher and Lyric. 

we are family 

At Toussaint Academy of the 

Arts and Sciences homeless 

youth are helped by dedicated 

professionals, teachers, counselors, 

and volunteers who are more like 

a caring family of social service 

professionals. When young people 

leave Toussaint they move on 

to self-sufficiency that includes 

diplomas, college degrees, stable 

housing, and money in the bank. 

See success stories in this issue’s 

Centerpiece beginning on page 9. 

Bridges to Independence 

we hope you’ve received your Bridges to independence catalog 

and enjoyed reading about the broad scope of services at the 

Village. we look forward to your comments about our program at 

the "University of the Human spirit." 

If you need a copy, please call 1.800.HOMELESS

2 

Village News, sePTeMBeR 2009 

is published by 

Father Joe’s Villages® 

3350 E Street 


P: 619.446.2100 

F: 619.446.2129 

www.neighbor.org 

Publisher/President 

Father Joe Carroll 

Editor 

Patricia M. Walsh 

Associate Editor 

Miriam H. DiBiase 

Editorial 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen 

Gloria Gomez 

Claudia Castorena 

John Wolohan 

Kathy Medved 

Graphic Design 

Hernando Marquez 

Kathleen Wise 

Production/Traffic Coordinator 

Emily Velez-Confer 

Web Design 

John Bradley 

We welcome your comments and 

suggestions. Please send to: 

villagenews@neighbor.org 

or Village News, 3350 E Street, 


In accordance with Federal law 

and U.S. Department of Agriculture 

policy, Father Joe’s Villages® is 

prohibited from discriminating on 

the basis of race, color, national 

origin, sex, age, or disability. To file 

a complaint of discrimination, write 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil 

Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 

or call 800.795.3272 or 202.720.6382 

(TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider and employer. 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, Inc. 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen, Inc. 

Toussaint Youth Villages, Inc. 

National AIDS Foundation, Inc./ 

Josue Homes are partners of 

Father Joe’s Villages®, a registered 

trademark of S.V.D.P. Management, Inc. 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors® 

is a registered trademark of 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, Inc. 

© 2009 S.V.D.P. Management, Inc. 

Dear Neighbors, 

The next time someone says “there is no good news,” I hope you’ll give 

them a copy of Village News, the publication of Father Joe’s Villages. This 

issue is full of inspirational stories of hope, hard work, and transition. 

At Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences (TAAS) homeless 

teens find a home, family and foundation for the future. (See 

Centerpiece, page 9.) 

Recently Louise Hay, best-selling author and founder of Hay House, 

Inc., visited TAAS and brought with her Dr. Robert Holden, director of 

“The Happiness Project.” The authors’ visit and positive message of selfworth 

is one example of the enrichment our teens receive on their path 

to self-sufficiency. 

Throughout the Village our dedicated and professional staff help 

provide services that transform lives. One department is the Addiction 

Treatment and Education Center at St. Vincent de Paul Village. There 

staff members are helping our neighbors in need like Charlie regain 

their lives. (See page 5.) Charlie’s story of courage and change is one of 

many in this issue. 

This year we held our Alumni Reunion at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village. Staff and graduates of “The University of the Human Spirit” 

gathered at a celebration that included a hearty fiesta-themed meal 

and band. 

All of these happenings and more are made possible because of your 

personal commitment and generosity. 

I hope this Village News gives you a great sense of pride in what YOU 

are providing for our neighbors in need. We cannot provide these 

programs without your help. Thanks for supporting us these past 27 years. 

May God bless you in abundance! 

Father Joe Carroll 

President 

Thank you for your tax-deductible donation! Save a stamp! donate online www.neighbor.org 

Yes 

Father Joe’s Villages FAST 

Yes, there is good news 

I want to provide books & supplies for 

teens at Toussaint Academy. 

$125 1 student 

$250 2 students 




$1,000 8 students 

$1,250 10 students 

other $ 

Yes 

I want to provide meals so growing 

teens get the nutrition they need. 

$43 20 meals @ $2.15/meal 

$86 40 meals @ $2.15/meal 

$129 60 meals @ $2.15/meal 

FACTS 

Father Joe’s Villages provides support services for all the agency’s partner Villages. 

services include but are not limited to food service, security, maintenance, property 

acquisition and development, human resources, accounting, information technology, 

grant writing, fundraising, creative/communications, and general management. 

Author Louise Hay signs her book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ for Toussaint teen Ocie. 

VILLAGE NEWS PHOTOS Patricia M. Walsh 

Alumni Chris Fehlberg, left, and Cindy Myhra at the reunion. Chris made signs to 

promote membership in the Village Alumni Association. Cindy is now a member 

of the SVdPV board of directors. 

PLEASE PRINT USING A BALLPOINT PEN (Required for cash, checks and credit cards) 

Name 

Address City 

State 

Please email me at 

Donation $ 

Zip Phone ( ) 

c Check enclosed made payable to Toussaint Academy 

c Visa 

Credit Card # 

c MasterCard c American Express c Discover 

Code (on back of card) Exp Date 

Please print cardholder name 

Signature 

(required for credit cards) 

Father Joe, please use my gift for your favorite programs as needed. 

Planned Giving 

Send information on starting a scholarship fund. 

Send information on bequests, trusts, endowments and annuities. 

Send information on making a gift of property. 

i/We have included Father Joe’s Villages/Toussaint Youth Villages 

in my/our will. 

Clip out and 

mail to: 

Tousssaint Academy 

3350 e Street 

San Diego, Ca 92102-3332 

VNFall2009


With Father Joe, front from left, Elena Cala, Holy Family School; Francie Wright, Holy Trinity School. Second row, from left, 

Rosemary Watson, St. Rita’s; Chris Haddad, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart; Yolanda Minton, St. Jude Academy; Elizabeth 

La Costa, St. Didacus; Donna Wittouck, School of the Madeleine; Toni Dimuzio, St. Martin of Tours Academy. Back row, 

from left, James Horne, St. Augustine High School; Steve Stutz, St. Charles, South Bay; Noel Bishop, Our Lady’s School. 

Johnny’s story: The future is bright 

By Johnny J. 

Hi, my name is Johnny. I went to 

National City Middle School and 

Sweetwater High School. 

I was doing real good playing 

sports, keeping my grades up 

until I started to hang out and 

go to parties. At that time I got 

introduced to drugs and gangs. 

This is when my life took a turn for 

the worse. I started to gang bang on 

other people that got in my way. I 

also started to do drugs – crystal 

meth, PCP, alcohol. And then I 

started selling. 

Today, after spending more than 

10 years in gangs, I have a new 

chance at life. I am 33 and live in 

the Joan Kroc Center with my 

3-year-old son, Diego. Thanks to 

Father Joe’s Villages I can be a good 

father and role model for my son. 

But it wasn’t always like this. 

In 1997 I thought I was living 

good. I had moved to Mexico and 

came back and forth and smuggled 

drugs and illegals. But then I got 

arrested and lost it all – a house, 

car, license from the States, friends, 

and most importantly my respect 

for myself. 

I did my time in county jail then 

I ran back to Mexico and started 

the same stuff. I was living a life 

of luxury. I did not need anything 

from anybody. 

Then came more jail time. In 2001 

I went to prison in Mexico. I lived 

in a little hut with about six other 

people; some of them were in the 

military. I was scared for my life. I 

got a hold of my family and God 

must have been watching over me 

because in three days I was released. 

When I got out of jail I went back to 

doing the same thing. I didn’t care 

about anything but myself. 

In July 2006, I was just waking up 

by a park in National City when two 

homeboys stabbed me. I spent two 

and a half weeks in intensive care. 

After I got out of the hospital I went 

“ Thanks 

to Father 

Joe’s Villages I can 

be a good father 

and role model for 

my son. 

right back to where I got stabbed 

and started over selling drugs. 

The last time I got out of jail was 

in 2008. That’s when I heard about 

St. Vincent de Paul Village. I asked 

for help and they said, “We’re gonna 

help you.” 

And I’m doing it. I’m working the 

program and getting my GED. 

I work at the Day Center 

as a senior chore monitor. I’m 

responsible for cleaning up and 

helping the homeless who come in 

for showers. I help them any which 

way I can. 

This helps me a lot because I 

Principals from San Diego area 

parish schools joined Father Joe 

Carroll for a lunch in support of 

the Youth Outreach In Education 

program at Father Joe’s Villages. 

The youth outreach program 

provides an avenue for schools and 

students to get involved in helping 

our neighbors in need by becoming 

fully aware of the broad scope of 

work at the Village. 

“When our young people learn 

that the Village provides so much 

more than just a place to sleep, they 

are excited to find out how they can 

help,” said Sister Mary Kiely, Youth 

Village News, sePTeMBeR 2009 3 

Father Joe's Villages 

Principals support 

Youth Outreach 

Johnny and his son Diego. 

look back at myself and I used to 

be like that. Now I can give back. 

St. Vincent’s was there for me in my 

addiction so now it’s time for me to 

give back to them. 

I thank God for giving me 

another chance at life. Now I can 

raise my son as a respectful and 

sober person that I am today. I have 

a new life here at the Village. This 

Outreach In Education coordinator. 

“It’s amazing to see what these 

students do to help when you 

provide them the opportunity and 

believe in them,” she added. 

Students are invited to help 

Father Joe serve 1.7 million meals 

by forming teams to participate in 

Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K 

Run/Walk in Balboa Park. For more 

information on forming a team for 

the 5K or the Youth Outreach In 

Education program, contact Sister 

Mary Kiely at 619.446.2115, or 

mary.kiely@neighbor.org. n 


gives me the opportunity to be a 

father and let my past be gone from 

my life. I love being sober now. 

Thank you mom and dad for 

being caring parents and not giving 

up on me. Also to Father Joe’s entire 

Village staff members, and the 

most important person, my higher 

power, Jesus Christ. n 

THANKSGIVING DAY 5K RUN/WALK 

Runners & dogs & pies, oh my! 

Sign up, page 19

4 


St. Vincent de Paul Village FAST FACTS 

 

Mail bag 

Editor’s note: The dedicated 

program staff of St. Vincent 

de Paul Village provides a 

continuum of care that gives 

our neighbors in need the tools 

they need to regain their lives. 

After they graduate, former 

residents write to keep in touch 

with their case managers. Here 

are their success stories. 

Hello, 

Here we are a year later and 

doing great. My husband Joe 

is still working at Father Joe’s 

warehouse and got an award 

for being “Helper of the Year.” 

(See photo page 18.) 

Russell is doing great 

and taking the summer off. 

Cristina graduated from 

school (see photo page 1), 

and is taking classes at City 

College full time. 

i’m getting ready to take a 

trip with my mom to see my 

sister and brother in st. louis. 

i would like to tell all of 

you: “Thank you so much 

for helping us in our time 

of need.” 

Thank you and god bless, 

Joyce N. 

what i got out of st. 

Vincent’s was a life learning 

experience to say the 

least. i’ve seen a lot of torn 

lives being restored. This 

impressed me greatly. 

i’m grateful for the food 

and shelter i received. 

The staff is awesome. i am 

grateful for the patience 

of the adult education 

instructors – Michael 

Palagonia and David 

Holden who for 17 months 

worked with me on passing 

my language, reading, 

and math. Robert Ruiz 

who teaches Challenge 

to Change. i will always 

remember him. awesome 

man! i was amazed to see 

the different walks of life 

that homelessness strikes. 

Thank you so much for 

your patience with me. 

Wanda M. 

Chargers player 

mentors 

students 

By emily Velez-Confer 

San Diego Chargers wide 

receiver Chris Chambers brought 

a group of students from Hoover 

High to volunteer at St. Vincent 

de Paul Village as part of his 

mentoring program “C.A.T.C.H. 

84 Foundation.” 

The students donned hairnets, 

aprons and gloves, and served 

lunch to non-residents who come 

to the Village for a daily meal. 

Students also took a tour of the 

Village to see the full scope of 

services offered. 

“It was a great chance for them 

to see that even if they don’t have 

much, they have a lot to be grateful 

for,” Chambers said. 

Neil Good Day Center – a year later 


It’s been a year since St. Vincent 

de Paul Village assumed 

operations for the Neil Good 

Day Center (NGDC), the City of 

San Diego’s day-use facility for 

homeless adults. Over the year 

there have been many changes at 

the facility. From the outwardly 

obvious of fresh coffee served each 

morning and a clean, well-kept 

facility with polished floors and 

new signage, to the inward work 

of providing homeless neighbors 

in need a comfortable day retreat 

and ultimately a path to regain 

their lives. 

In the past year the center 

provided assistance to 7,952 

unduplicated individuals. That 

help could be anything from use 

of laundry facilities to medical 

care, says Cheryl Deblois, program 

manager for the NGDC. 

“The day center is a gateway to 

get into the Village and a place for 

homeless adults to find services 

without having to live anywhere,” 

Deblois says. “Here people can get 

their needs met and we can also 

direct them to other agencies that 

can help.” 

The Homeless Outreach Team of 

the San Diego Police Department 

Chambers’ “C.A.T.C.H. 84 

Foundation,” which stands for 

Children Achieving Through 

Community, is a mentoring 

program that teaches teenagers 

stevie’s story 

By stevie P. 

I have really grown a lot since coming to the 

Village a year ago. One special aspect I would like 

to share is my association to Neil Good when he 

was alive. That was about 30 years ago, and I am 

proud to be working again for my old friend – so 

to speak. 

Back then I worked as a travel agent for Neil Good 

at an agency he co-owned with a friend. The motto 

of Pacifica Travel Agency in the Morena-Linda 

Vista area of San Diego was “see the world before 

you leave it.” Neil Good was a wonderful person; 

generous, witty, funny, and a great influence. I got 

to know him quite well at work or play or on a trip 

to the far reaches of the world. Then in about 1980 

he decided to sell his half of the business and get 

holds a meeting once a month at 

the center. “We’re trying to create a 

community. Everyone is welcome 

and can voice concerns and talk to 

police,” Deblois says. 

Other agencies that collaborate 

with the NGDC include the 

Salvation Army, which provides 

shelter for three to six month for 

homeless individuals working 

in trade jobs; Uplift, a group of 

st. Vincent de Paul Village in downtown san Diego offers a continuum of care for people to regain 

their lives. The Village provides for singles and families, long- and short-term transitional housing and 

permanent affordable supportive housing. wrap around services include case management, mental 

health counseling, addiction treatment, career counseling, job training, a child development center, 

medical, psychiatric and dental care and an on-site elementary school. 

life skills. Chambers, who helped 

serve the meal, said, “I like to be 

involved in all the activities. I want 

to show them the right way to do 

things, not just tell them.” 

churches that comes on Mondays 

with a van and driver to take people 

to jobs, medical appointments or 

to get an ID; and Friend to Friend, 

which is on site on Tuesdays and 

Wednesdays to help those with 

acute mental illness find housing. 

Doctors from the Family Health 

Centers also visit several times 

a month, and if necessary set up 

appointments at the St. Vincent de 

VILLAGE NEWS Emily Velez-Confer 

San Diego Chargers wide receiver Chris Chambers, third from right, served a meal with Hoover High School students, from 

left, William Izaguirre, Lamar Andrews, Lilly Morn, Elvis Collins, Devin Jordan, and Chris Gonzalez. 

Emily Velez-Confer is the 

production/traffic coordinator at 

Father Joe’s Villages. 

into government, and 

he excelled in that 

capacity too. 

A few years after 

he died, the city built 

a day facility for 

homeless adults in 

his honor. Thanks to 

St. Vincent de Paul I 

have been able to do 

my chores at the Neil 

Good Day Center and 

am again working for 

Neil Good. I have 

always taken pride in my work and try to convey to 

those I work with that we do our best to make the 

place a show piece and do so in Neil’s name, sort of 

taking care of his house. 

I am sure any of us homeless people can appreciate 

what services we get at the Neil Good Day Center. 

Paul Village Family Health Center. 

NGDC hours of operation are 

6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through 

Friday and 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on 

weekends. The Village’s contract 

to manage the facility runs 

through 2010. 

Patricia M. Walsh is editor of the 

Village News.



Addiction Treatment and Education Center 

accomplishing a mission 


On the second Thursday of every 

month at 6:30 p.m. graduation 

is held at St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

The monthly rite of passage is part 

of the Bridges to Independence at 

the University of the Human Spirit 

that honors the accomplishments of 

residents and clients on their path 

to self-sufficiency. 

Each month a different speaker 

steps to the podium to share his 

or her journey. Some speakers are 

outgoing, some timid. What they 

all have in common is their courage 

and gratitude to the Village and 

staff who have helped them. 

People like Charlie who, through 

the help of the Village’s Addiction 

Treatment and Education Center 

(ATEC), are getting their lives back 

on track. 

“What makes our program 

unique is that it’s tailored to 

treat the homeless and persons 

from cultural poverty,” says 

Marc Stevenson, ASW, program 

manager for ATEC. “We’re able 

to integrate their treatment with 

respect and regard for the unique 

circumstances and conditions they 

experience in society.” 

ATEC is a full-service, statecertified, 

addiction day-treatment 

program for residents of the Village. 

Staffed by qualified professionals, 

the program offers assessment, 

intervention, program orientation, 

psych-educational and process 

groups, individual counseling and 

sober support. 

“We strive to support a healthy 

community by providing an 

individual and group recovery 

program in a compassionate 

environment,” Stevenson says. 

“Those who have fallen out of the 

mainstream of society can step 

back into life and living.” 


ATEC staff, from left, Cheryl Knight, CAS, counselor; Marc Stevenson, ASW, program 

manager; K Rafanan, administrative assistant; Joe Meza, CATC, counselor; 

Steven Master, BSW, CATC, program supervisor; and Jon Lutack, CAS, counselor. 

Residents of the Village who 

meet the criteria for substance 

abuse or dependence or are 

otherwise at risk for substance use 

are required to participate in the 

ATEC program in order to stay in 

long-term transitional housing. 

Charlie’s story: a reason to have hope 

By Charlie 

“ The 

This is the story of a lost child trying to find a way home. 

My name is Charlie. My street name is Train Wreck. 

My Indian name is Howling Sunrise. But you can call me 

Ground Zero. 

My mother was a Lumbie Indian, my father was a Swede. 

I was born in an Army hospital at Hickam Airfield, Oahu, 

Hawaii in 1953. I am 56 years old. My father was a medical 

air corpsman. My mother was an addict, alcoholic. Our onbase 

housing was an in-house pharmacy. I was born toxic, 

hence my Indian name of Howling Sunrise. I have a sister six 

years older and a stepbrother six years younger. 

I was three when my mother ran off; she took me, my sister 

and some Navy man that was soon to be my stepfather. To 

San Diego we came, the beginning of a living nightmare. I 

would live my life from tragedy to trauma, pain and anger, 

rage and hate, sadness to sorrow. I was to spend a lifetime 

trying to fix this broken thing inside of me. As a child, I 

knew something wasn’t right with my mind and soul. 

Age 13 was my first suicide attempt. The aftermath was 

the beginning of the abuse of drugs and alcohol. At 16, I 

arm-robbed a Taco Bell and got caught. I needed money for 

my fix. 

Since then I have lived in eight states and 28 cities. Always 

working, always moving, always in and out of local jails, 

running deeper into addictions and mental illness. I’ve been 

married twice. The first ended in a violent and ugly divorce. 

The second ended more violently. She was shot and killed on 

Valentine’s Day in a drug related incident – a gun fight gone 

bad in Dallas. 

I had a severe IV methamphetamine addiction, and I 

doctors, the professional staff, the 

day and night staff, the cooks, the 

maintenance staff, the groups I attend, 

the other residents have helped to 

bring me back from the edge. 

knew it. My wife’s death was a direct result of it. I was in the 

hospital for treatment for 44 days – the first of nine different 

treatment centers. Another suicide attempt ended me up in 

a Texas state hospital. It was the first diagnosis of a mental 

illness – manic-depressive depressed type with violent 

tendencies; poly-substance abuse; situation guarded, will 

self-medicate. 

Through the years, the sickness and darkness grew inside 

of me. I was past the point of no return. I had abandoned all 

hope. Damnation and desolation were all that were left. Two 

years ago I came full circle, back to San Diego. I came here 

to die. Make no mistake, I am an alcoholic. I am an addict. 

I am diagnosis severe bipolar, with manic episodes, severe 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, severe high anxiety. I have 

Hepatitis C with an active viral count. 

I have one other major thing that is happening to me. I 

have St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

For two years, St. Vincent’s has been my home, my 

lifeline, my sanctuary. The doctors, the professional staff, 

the day and night staff, the cooks, the maintenance staff, 

the groups I attend, the other residents have helped to bring 

Together ATEC counselors and 

clients develop an individualized 

treatment plan that details the 

specific groups and supports the 

client engages in while enrolled 

in ATEC. 

Specialized services include the 

In 2008, 86% of 

residents who attended 

recovery groups at 

St. Vincent’s remained 

drug-free for four 

months or longer. 

psych-educational groups such 

as Discovery, Addiction, Life 

Skills, Relapse Prevention, Co- 

Occurring Disorders, Women’s 

Group, Men’s Group, Healthy 

Relationships, and attending offsite 

sober support meetings. 

“When a person is successful in 

ATEC we’ve helped to accomplish 

the mission of Village,” says 

Stevenson. “When we’ve helped 

one person we’ve helped the 

Village, the community and society 

as a whole.” 


Village News. 

me back from the edge. I am 

a graduate of Challenge to 

Change, Recovery Services, 

Relapse Prevention, Anger 

Management, Co-occurring 

Disorders group. I use the 

VCARE counselors. I still 

go to Co-occuring group. 

I meet with mental health 

counselors. I take meds 

prescribed by psychiatrists. 

I see a psychiatrist. I follow 

a treatment plan. I have come back from the edge and I’m 

getting my life in control again. 

St. Vincent’s can’t cure me of my mental health problems 

and my addictions. St. Vincent’s can and is showing me how 

to live and function in today’s society. Not to hurt myself or 

others. To have hope, to feel life is worth living. To be here 

for tomorrow and what tomorrow will bring. 

I want to give a very special thanks to Marc Stevenson, to 

Charese Phillips (residential program manager at the Joan 

Kroc Center); to Sam Arroyo and Sara Brunolli, my case 

managers; to Steven Masters; to Linda Hamilton; to Father 

Gil; to Dr. Ruth; to Dr. Folsom and Dr. Shackleford; and the 

VCARE staff. You are lifesavers each and every one. Last, but 

not least, are two very special people to me. I owe them my 

life, my soul, my sanity. Thank you Joe Meza and Keith Burke. 

You have taught me how to live and stay alive, to have hope. 

Thank you both for showing the lost child the way home. 

St. Vincent de Paul Village is a living miracle. 

My name is Charlie. I thank you, and God bless all of you.

6 


Martha’s Village & Kitchen FAST FACTS 

Energetic seniors volunteer at Martha’s 

By Kathy Medved 

read an article in a newspaper 

I that said that retired people are 

ornery, depressed, lonely, diseased, 

and wasting away. They feel they 

have no purpose in life and spend 

their time visiting doctor after 

doctor and taking pill after pill 

trying to find a way to minimize 

their aches and pains. 

I guess the person who wrote this 

article has never been to Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen. Many of our 

volunteers are senior citizens. They 

are knowledgeable, hard-working, 

energetic, and happy despite their 

age and the aches they undoubtedly 

endure. Here are examples of four 

such volunteers: 

Betty Gorey, 96, volunteers in the 

Thrift Shop cleaning and pricing 

the dishes, pots, pans, radios, 

clocks, lamps, electronics, and 

other hardware that is donated on a 

daily basis. She is so reliable that if 

she can’t come in to work, she will 

Joining 

forces 

By Kevin Johnson 

find a replacement so that the work 

will not pile up while she is gone. 

And as if this is not enough, 

her mornings are spent opening 

the St. Francis of Assisi Church in 

La Quinta. As a Sacristan, Betty 

prepares everything for the weekday 

liturgy. She also does this for every 

Sunday, Holy Day, holiday, and 

wedding service. For her generosity 

and service to the parish community 

and for her faithful witness as a 

follower of Christ she was awarded 

the Our Lady of Guadalupe award 

in May 2009 from Bishop Barnes at 

a special ceremony at the Pastoral 

Center and Holy Rosary Cathedral 

in San Bernardino. 

Jerry Novotny, 80+, has selflessly 

volunteered in the Medical Clinic 

for the last seven years. He is a 

nurse, retired priest, and teacher. 

Last year he worked 560 hours for 

Martha’s, one or two days a week, 

every week. His experience in 

dispensing prescription drugs in the 

dispensary is indispensible, filling 

For years southwest Community Church has utilized the 

services provided by Martha’s Village& Kitchen by referring 

people who have needs greater than we are able to meet. we 

are confident when we send neighbors in need to Martha’s 

because they have a proven track record and a well-developed 

holistic program to help people get on their feet. we also 

encourage our members to volunteer at Martha’s. 

Our desire at southwest is to make a difference in the Coachella 

Valley by mobilizing our members to serve the practical needs 

around them. Rather than reinvent the wheel, it seemed smarter 

to join forces with an agency like Martha’s that is already doing 

good work in the community. This has enabled our volunteers 

to gain exposure to the work that Martha’s is doing, put “feet to 

their faith” by providing practical help to Martha’s. 

we are grateful for the work that Martha’s Village does and 

are glad we can be a part of this vital ministry in the Coachella 

Valley. 

Kevin Johnson is the pastor of outreach for Southwest Community 

Church in Indian Wells, Calif. 

Betty Gorey Jerry Novotny Miguel Lozano 

11,926 prescriptions last year. 

Larry Jenkins, 93, has 

volunteered in the dining room 

three hours every Tuesday for the 

last 10 years, making the 30 gallons 

of fruit punch, filling pitchers with 

water and punch, waiting tables, 

and helping where needed with the 

daily lunch service. After retiring 

from 29 years as a Navy fixed-wing 

pilot, he worked for 13 years at 

the California State Employment 

Department in Oxnard. Ten years 

ago he and his wife moved to Palm 

Desert. When he’s not at Martha’s, 

Larry is volunteering at the Palm 

Springs Air Museum as a docent 

or reading a good WWII novel 

like Candy Bombers, his current 

favorite, or helping his wife with 

her “honey-do” list. Why does he 

continue volunteering at MVK? He 

says: “To help me get into heaven!” 

Miguel Lozano, 85, has worked 

in Emergency Services for five years, 

Monday through Friday, several 

hours a day. Miguel has no car so 

he takes the bus. He helps load and 

organize the shelves of dried goods 

and baby items and fills food bags for 

families in the community who are 

trying to survive in an emergency 

situation. Miguel also helps serve 

the lunch utensils at our daily free 

public lunch. When he’s not at 

Martha’s, he likes to hit the casinos 

and to spend time with the ladies. 

(Don’t tell his wife of 50 years!) 

Kathy Medved is the executive 

assistant to the founders at Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen. 

Volunteers celebrated 

at appreciation dinner 


Patrick and Sue Sheehan, long-time volunteers, were 

among those honored April 22, 2009, by Founder 

Gloria Gomez during Martha’s Village & Kitchen’s 

Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. The Sheehans 

were presented with the Sharing God’s Blessing Award 

in recognition of their exemplary service, outstanding 

teamwork, and leadership as volunteers to Martha’s 

Village. More than 120 people attended the catered 

event hosted by The Heritage Palms Country Club. 

Carlos Gonzalez, Jr., senior field representative for 

the 80th District Assembly Member Victor Manuel 

Perez, was the keynote speaker. Greg Cervantes, 80th 

district director, presented volunteer awardees with a 

certificate of appreciation from Assemblyman Perez for 

their contribution to the community. 

The managers of several departments at Martha’s – 

Dr. Helen Carlson, Laqueta Jandt, Nedra Swindell 

and John Wolohan – presented six volunteers with the 

Friends of Martha’s Awards for selflessly volunteering 

their time in several departments: Dr. Van Dusen and 

Friends Across the Border (Vision Clinic); Miguel 

Lozano (Emergency Assistance); Fran Crane, Carol 

Schlattman, and Connie Kosciolek (Thrift Store); and 

Larry Jenkins (Food Services). 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen in indio, Calif., offers a continuum of care for people to regain their lives. 

The Village provides emergency and transitional housing for singles and families, addiction counseling, 

job skills, career counseling, medical care, and children’s services. Martha’s is the largest provider of 

homeless services in the Coachella Valley. 

Several other hard-working volunteers were 

recognized for the long hours they worked this year: 

Joyce Oldenberg, 823 hours Food Services 

Suellen Johnson, 744 hours Thrift Store 

Jerry Novotney, 563 hours Medical Clinic 

Connie Kosciolek, 538 hours Thrift Store 

Fran Crane, 561 hours Thrift Store 

Betty Gorey, 385 hours Thrift Store 

Ibby Burgin, 358 hours Thrift Store 

Jim Graham, 301 hours Food Services 

The event included a cocktail reception, raffle, dinner, 

awards ceremony, and entertainment by soloist and 

Founder Claudia Castorena. 

Gloria and Claudia commended the volunteers 

for their tireless work, stating that Martha’s 400-plus 

volunteers have donated more than 35,000 hours of 

service this year to help the homeless and those in 

need. 

Kathy Medved is the executive assistant to the founders 

at Martha’s Village & Kitchen.

Volunteers join Claudia Castorena, front center, Father Joe, and Gloria Gomez to assemble food boxes. 

Food distribution 

aids migrant workers 


To help the migrant workers housed in a rundown 

trailer park next to a dump site in 

Mecca, Calif., Martha’s Village & Kitchen acted as a 

coordinator and staging area for the first assembly 

and distribution of 550 boxes of food donated by 

Catholic Charities and others. The outreach is a 

wonderful example of neighbors helping neighbors 

and continues through September. 

The 40-acre trailer park on a reservation is home 

to between 3,000 and 5,000 migrant workers and 

their families. 

The trailer park is notorious for code violations 

and unsafe living conditions. On May 1, 2009, after 

seven years of litigation, a federal judge refused to 

close the mobile home park, saying it would result 

in a “major humanitarian crisis” for thousands of 

poor farm workers with no place else to go and 

that closure “would create one of the largest forced 

migrations in the history of this state.” But he urged 

residents to relocate. 

Over 50 volunteers and many of Martha’s staff 

gathered on June 15 to fill boxes with donated food 

for delivery on June 17. Father Joe Carroll was there 

to oversee the process and bless all who participated. 

On delivery day approximately 80 volunteers and 

staff carpooled the 11 miles to Mecca, and waited 

for the two Martha’s trucks carrying food boxes 

and cars with two trailers carrying boxes of rice. 

When the vehicles arrived everyone was given red 

Martha’s hats. 

Delivering food at the trailer park. 

Father Lincoln from Sacred Heart Church in 

Palm Desert, Calif., led a prayer and instructions 

were given on how to distribute the food. The dirt 

roads in the park were free of debris and the many 

dogs were behind fences. The parade of people and 

trucks began, with the trucks stopping every few 

trailers to allow the volunteers to carry the boxes to 

the front doors. If someone came to the door they 

received two food boxes and one rice box. 

The grateful smiles of the residents were all that 

was needed to make the effort worthwhile. The 

distribution was over in less than an hour, but the 

effects of the outreach will last much longer. 

Kathy Medved is the executive assistant to the 

founders at Martha’s Village & Kitchen. 

By Roberta 

So much has happened in just 

one year! Up to last year, being 

addicted to meth and gambling 

kept me from being the mother 

I should have been to my three 

children. I lost custody of them, 

had nowhere to live and was at the 

end of my rope. I discovered that 

I could stay at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen short-term while I decided 

what to do with my life. 

I had always wanted to work 

in the medical field so I started 

taking classes at the Milan Institute 

to become a medical assistant. 

In order to stay in Martha’s longterm 

transitional housing while 

I took these classes, I had to 

commit to following rules and 

attend additional recovery, relapse 

prevention, healthy relationships 

and after-care classes. 

I really was afraid that I wouldn’t 

be able to do it all. 

After a lot of hard work, I 

completed the classes, was able 

to get custody of my 13-year-old 

daughter and graduated from 

the Milan Institute with an AMA 

certificate. 

I am so proud of my graduation 

that I still have my cap and gown 


Martha's Village & Kitchen 

Roberta’s story 

from the ceremony. 

When I was hired full-time at 

Marshall’s in Indio, I found a place 

for two of my daughters and me 

to live on our own. With mixed 

emotions, I said farewell to my 

Martha’s Village home. 

I am happy to say that I have 

been sober for over a year, am able 

to support the three of us and will 

continue to look for that dream 

medical assistant job. 

I want to control my future; I 

don’t want meth or a casino to take 

over my life. The people at Martha’s 

Village have shown me that I can. 

GAINing independence 

through volunteering 

By lorena lara 

The Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) program last year 

joined Martha’s team of volunteers. GAIN, a part of the Riverside County 

Department of Public Social Services, was created to help participants gain 

freedom from the burden of welfare dependence and achieve a lifestyle of 

self-sufficient citizenship. 

GAIN helps welfare recipients with job-hunting skills, resumes, job 

applications, and interview preparation. Participants also get help with 

clothing to wear to interviews. 

Adults who receive cash assistance and are able to work are registered with 

GAIN when their aid is approved. All California Work Opportunity and 

Responsibility to Kids recipients must participate in GAIN by volunteering 

in different areas of our community. 

Here at Martha’s Village they volunteer 40 hours a week, eight hours a 

day. Just like going to a job, they complete a timecard and report their 

hours to a counselor every Friday. The experience helps them in their 

path to permanent employment. Some of the GAIN volunteers do their 

hours at the Thrift Store and some in Martha’s kitchen. Some help out with 

office work in the fundraising department. Right now we have 15 GAIN 

volunteers doing their volunteer hours with us. 

We thank all our volunteers for lending a helping hand to our 

community. 

Lorena Lara is the volunteer services assistant at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen.

8 


Martha's Village & Kitchen 

Diligent staff secure grant that changes Greg’s life 

By Helen Carlson, Ph.D. 

Liz Vargas, medical case manager 

for Martha’s Medical Clinic, 

was the first to suggest Greg as a 

potential candidate for a Change a 

Life Foundation grant. 

A man in his 40s living in the 

Emergency Shelter at Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen, Greg was just a 

teenager when he lost his eye in a 

hunting accident. He had worked 

as a certified welder, but had fallen 

on some hard times. He was seen 

in the Medical Clinic and received 

treatment for problems related 

to the 15-year-old eye prosthesis 

in need of replacement. While 

many private medical insurance 

companies consider eye prostheses 

medically necessary and will cover 

their replacement, Greg could not 

Employees 

honored 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen employees Jaime 

Gonzalez and Sophia Garcia have been honored for 

their outstanding service and dedication. 

Gonzalez, a maintenance worker, was recognized by 

the City of Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia for his 

hard work and willingness to go above and beyond 

the call of duty to be helpful with a smile. 

Sophia Garcia was honored by Assemblyman 

Victor Perez’s office for her outstanding job as a case 

worker, continually reaching out to the community, 

going beyond her duties to give food and shelter to 

anyone in need. Sophia recently transferred to San 

Diego to work at Father Joe’s Villages partner agency 

Josue Homes. She will be missed but we all wish her 

well in her new surroundings. 

Liz Vargas Tracey Stern 

afford medical insurance, nor was 

he eligible for Medi-Cal. 

An operations committee 

comprised of John Wolohan, Nedra 

Swindell, Charles Bray and myself 

agreed. “Greg really is committed 

to self-sufficiency and is working 

Boulevard apartments opens 


Jaime Gonzalez 

Sophia Garcia 

Father Joe’s Villages opened its second building with affordable 

housing for low-income working families in San Diego on April 22, 

2009. The stylish building on El Cajon Boulevard in North Park has 24 

apartments for very low-income working families and includes nine 

units of permanent supportive housing. Rents are based on income 

and family size. 

“As we have helped neighbors rehabilitate their lives we have 

discovered a severe shortage of affordable and permanent 

housing with supportive services attached to them,” says Father 

Joe Carroll, president of Father Joe’s Villages. “So we decided to 

be part of the solution.” 


very hard,” Bray said. “Greg takes 

the 5 a.m. bus every morning out 

of Indio, then commutes two hours 

each way to work as a part-time 

maintenance man.” 

Case Manager Tracey Stern was 

identified as the point person for 

By star s. 

On July 15, 2008, I became 

homeless for the first time 

in my life. I am 60 years old and 

wheelchair-bound. I worked for 

TWA for 31 years as a flight 

attendant. I retired in 1999 to take 

care of my blind and mentally 

handicapped daughter. 

Everything was going well until 

May 5, 2005. 

On that day I had an accident 

that left me unable to take care 

of my daughter or myself. My 

ex-husband came to help us but 

ended up taking her and leaving 

me alone. He then had me evicted 

from her house. This was the 

beginning of a nightmare. 

For the first four nights I stayed 

at Motel 6. When I ran out of 

money I asked the police to take 

me somewhere I could stay. They 

took me to a shelter in Palm 

Springs. From there I spent two 

days and two nights locked in a 

basement nearby. When I got out, 

the shelter got me a hotel room 

for four nights. After that I went 

to an assisted-living house for two 

nights. When I left there I ended 

up sleeping under a bush! 

Finally, the Palm Springs shelter 

sent me to another shelter. I stayed 

one night and found out we all had 

to leave at 7 a.m. the next day. It 

was August and 110 degrees. I 

didn’t know what to do. 

A kind woman pushed me to 

writing the preliminary grant 

application. “Tracey is known for 

her diligence, and went the extra 

mile by enrolling in a grant writing 

course to sharpen her grant writing 

skills,” says Swindall, director of 

Residential and Social Services. 

Stern submitted the final 

application May 31 and was 

notified that a $3,273 grant had 

been awarded to Greg on June 

24. Change a Life Foundation 

agreed to cover all costs 

associated with the replacement 

prosthesis, including lodging and 

transportation to the ocularist. 

Since 1998, Change a Life 

Foundation has awarded over 

3,800 grants ranging from $500 

to $7,500 to individuals via 

nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit 

organizations are selected by 

Martha’s Village. 

That was August 7, 2008. When 

I arrived I thought I had died and 

gone to heaven! I felt so safe and 

secure. The three weeks I was in the 

street had been hell. I was molested 

and almost raped twice. 

At Martha’s I knew I would eat 

three times a day, take a shower and 

have a bed to sleep in. After a few 

weeks I began to take advantage 

of the classes they offered. After 

graduating from the Challenge 

to Change course, I took the 

classes on communal living, took 

computer classes, participated 

in the Discovery group sessions 

and continued to go to addiction 

relapse prevention meetings three 

nights a week. 

After seven months in the 

Emergency Shelter, I was finally 

moved into the Dan Dunlap 

Center. Much to my surprise, I 

Change a Life Foundation because 

their mission and vision reflects 

that of the foundation, and because 

they are dedicated and passionate 

about making a difference in the 

lives of the people they serve. 

“We look forward to continued 

collaborations with Change a Life 

Foundation and are hopeful that 

this is the first of many life-changing 

grants that we are able to obtain for 

our clients,” said Wolohan, vice 

president of operations for Martha’s. 

“Tracey and Liz did a terrific job 

and we are delighted to be able to 

help Greg as he continues to move 

closer to his goals.” 

Helen Carlson, Ph.D., is the 

program manager for the Medical 

Clinic at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen. 

star’s story: My homeless journey 

“ At 

Martha’s I knew 

I would eat three 

times a day, take a 

shower and have a 

bed to sleep in. After 

a few weeks I began 

to take advantage 

of the classes. 

received a letter on April 15, 2009, 

saying my disability was approved 

and I would begin receiving a 

monthly check in May. 

I am now looking for an 

apartment and a bright new 

future! I have learned to be 

more independent and to take 

the initiative. When I get my 

own place, I will continue the 

structured environment that I 

learned to appreciate at Martha’s. 

I am optimistic now for the first 

time in years. 

I will always be grateful to Father 

Joe and Martha’s for helping me 

survive the worst part of my life. 

Thank you to Father Joe and the 

great staff at Martha’s Village. 

P.S. Special thanks to Marvin, 

the security guard, for his kindness 

and graciousness.

CENTERPIECE Village News, sePTeMBeR 2009 9 

Homeless teens find a home, 

family & future 

stories by Patricia M. walsh Design by Kathleen wise 

America’s families are as diverse and unique as the country. Among the 

mosaic of married, blended, and single-parent families there is perhaps none as 

individual and inspirational as the “family” at Toussaint Academy of the Arts 

and Sciences (TAAS). 

A residence for homeless teens since 1992, TAAS is named after 

Pierre Toussaint, a slave who in the 1800s chose servitude over 

freedom and who broke through many of society’s barriers 

in the name of charity. The staff at TAAS, a group of 

dedicated professionals, teachers, counselors, and 

volunteers, are more like a caring family than social 

service professionals. They strive to provide support 

and opportunities to at-risk youth who have faced 

unimaginable challenges. Through the program 

based on Father Joe Carroll’s University of the 

Human Spirit, the youth mature into reliant, 

self-sufficient adults. 

One in every 50 American children is 

homeless, or roughly 1.5 million kids, 

according to The National Center on 

Family Homelessness report released 

in March 2009. The study, “America’s 

Youngest Outcasts,” shows that 

homeless children are twice as likely 

as other children to be held back one 

academic year, to be suspended, or to 

drop out of school altogether. 

Not at TAAS. 

Over the last six years at TAAS, 

youth leaving the program have made 

significant academic achievements: 

100 percent increased their GPA by .25 

or more or maintained a GPA of 3.0 or 

higher, 100 percent passed the California 

High School Exit Exam, and 90 percent 

went to college. 

“We took the Father Joe’s Villages model 

and applied it to Toussaint,” says Father Joe, 

president of the Villages. “From the beginning 

we evolved with each experience. We focused on 

education and learned that kids don’t instantly 

become adults when they’re 18.” 

While most youth “age out” of programs on their 

18th birthday, TAAS has an alumni services program 

that provides continued services and support to graduates after 

high school – just like any other family would do. 

“The best part about it,” Father Joe says, “is it works.”

10 Village News, sePTeMBeR 2009 

CENTER 

Growing up 

Now imagine all of that teenage drama and multiply it by a factor of homelessness. 

Age: 23 

Years at TAAS: 2003-2005 

Maria is a full-time supervisor at Pierre’s Place, the restaurant 

that supports TAAS students with jobs and scholarships. 

“I like being a supervisor, but it’s hard to be friends with 

someone when they are also your employee. It’s a dose of the 

adult world.” 

Maria came to TAAS in 2003 as a runaway. “I was 

embarrassed to be 16 and homeless, but didn’t want to be at 

home either,” she says of a problematic home life. Then she met 

other teens in similar circumstances. “I wasn’t embarrassed 

anymore; I knew other teens were the same and struggling.” 

The only person in her family with a high school diploma, 

Maria was determined to graduate. “I wanted to make 

something of my life so I stayed in school.” 

Hard-working and fiercely independent, Maria doesn’t 

“like to ask anybody for anything.” After graduating and 

being out on her own, she returned to TAAS to access 

alumni services. Maria was soon offered a position at Pierre’s 

Place. She accepted the job, but chose not to tell anyone she 

was pregnant. When staff and co-workers learned she was 

expecting, they celebrated and gave her a baby shower. 

Currently: Maria has two jobs to support herself and her 

2-year-old son, Javier – at Pierre’s Place, and working parttime 

as a cashier at CVS. She enjoys her work and relishes the 

time she spends with her son. “We’re making it. Barely, but 

we’re making it,” she says of her $700 a month rent and other 

basic life expenses. 

Goals: “I want to go back to school to be a pediatrician or 

work in the nursing field,” she says. “But I don’t have time 

between work and my son.” Maria meets regularly with staff 

members at TAAS who are encouraging her to find the time 

to take the next step in her formal education. 

On TAAS: “The staff cared a lot, and I took away 

responsibility, and know how to manage money,” she says. 

“When I was living at TAAS I didn’t like the rules. After I left 

I realized they taught me a lot because I am somebody.” 

Remember what it was like to be a teenager? The angst over every decision – little and big. 

Trying to find your way and discover yourself while tiptoeing through the land mines of 

adolescence, peer pressure, and temptations? 

That’s what teens at Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences (TAAS) face every day. Yet despite the obstacles, TAAS teens – with the help 

of caring, experienced staff who work in an environment inspired by family – are able to find a successful life path that is uniquely theirs. 

Here’s a look at what three TAAS graduates are up to now. 

Maria Aaron Amanda 

VILLAGE NEWS Kathleen Wise VILLAGE NEWS Patricia M. Walsh VILLAGE NEWS Patricia M. Walsh 

Age: 18 


When Aaron graduated in June from TAAS, he broke out into 

song on stage, instantly entertaining the audience. A musician, 

artist, actor, and model, Aaron left TAAS with a high school 

diploma and an irreplaceable arts education that will help him 

achieve his goals and articulate his skills and passion. TAAS 

staff encouraged Aaron to follow his muse – he acted with 

Teen Connections, a comedy troupe that writes their own 

plays and performs for grade school students. Aaron’s artwork 

blossomed too. The mammoth he drew is the iconic logo of 

Father Joe’s Villages’ newest retail operation – City DIGZ. 

Sitting in on a brainstorming 

session with other teens to name 

City DIGZ, which honors the 

mammoth tusk unearthed during 

the building’s construction, Aaron 

sketched while he listened. “I was 

bored so I started doodling an elephant. They saw it and 

liked it. I redrew it a bit and that was the logo.” When City 

DIGZ opened, Aaron stepped in front of the camera to model 

fashions from the shop. His photo is now used in the store’s 

marketing and promotional materials. 

Over the summer Aaron worked at Sea World drawing 

caricatures. “It’s helping me become more of a people person,” 

he says of the work he also plans to do next summer. He 

found the job on Craigslist. “Twenty people applied and I was 

one of seven accepted,” he says. “I’m learning how not to be 

too judgmental of my art. When you do caricatures you use 

markers and can’t erase. So I’m learning there are no mistakes, 

just room for improvement.” 

Currently: Aaron is living with his mom in a two-bedroom 

apartment at 16th & Market, Father Joe’s Villages affordable 

housing, and attending San Diego City College. 

Goals: “I want to be an animator.” 

On TAAS: “I really owe a lot to staff for giving me a better 

grasp on reality and helping me see how tough the real world 

can be and for helping me get ready for it,” Aaron says. “The 

teachers, too. I learned you have to first find out what you 

want and then focus in and you can do it.” 

Age: 20 


Amanda’s thirst for knowledge and education has been 

nurtured and rewarded at Toussaint Academy. When she was 

13, Amanda left her chronically homeless family because she 

wanted a better life. “It was a tough decision,” she says, “but 

sometimes the tough ones are the right ones.” 

While living at Toussaint, Amanda attended San Diego High 

School, where she graduated with a 3.57 GPA and was her 

senior class president. Her academic excellence was noticed 

and James Brennan, a member of Toussaint Youth Villages’ 

board of directors, helped her secure a four-year scholarship 

to the University of San Diego (USD). 

Currently: Amanda started her junior year at USD this fall 

and is living on campus. A full-time student, she also works 

on campus in the office for the vice president of student 

affairs. Like most college students, Amanda has changed her 

course of study from a major in biology to communications, 

media and culture. 

The environment at USD has been an education in itself for 

Amanda. “I was used to having people around me in the same 

situation,” she says. “It’s been a very big challenge for me … 

USD culture is upper level, something I wasn’t accustomed 

to. Being with people who don’t know your hardships makes 

it hard to adapt sometimes. But I’m managing it.” 

Goals: Amanda has her eyes set on a degree from USD. “I 

thought I knew I wanted to be a vet and now I don’t know. I 

want to go out and help people just like I was helped – give 

back the helping hand like I got.” 

On TAAS: “The basic life skills they taught me really helped 

out with my decision making and things like understanding 

financial aid and filing taxes,” Amanda says. “They told me it 

was going to be hard and prepared me as much as they could 

for college. TAAS is still around to help me when I need it. 

In alumni services everyone has been so much help. They’re 

there for me when I need advice or need anyone to talk to – 

no matter the cause.”

PIECE 


Ending the cycle 

of homelessness 

Mind, body & spirit 

Toussaint Academy of 

the Arts and Sciences takes 

a mind, body and spirit approach 

to help teenage residents ages 14-17 get 

their high school education and learn the life 

skills necessary for independence to grow into wellrounded 

young adults. 

A team of dedicated professionals works at TAAS to enrich 

and empower teens and to end the cycle of homelessness. There 

are approximately 35 paid staff, including a program manager, 

program supervisor, clinical case managers, adolescent residential 

counselors, activity coordinator, and program assistant. More than 60 

volunteers assist with academic enrichment, special events, recreational 

activities, mentoring, life skills training, and connections to the arts and 

sciences. Financial support comes from generous donors and grants. 

“We make a commitment to be the last program a teen ever has to live in,” says 

Rick Newmyer, executive director of Toussaint Youth Villages. “We help teens 

get stabilized and stop the trail of broken relationships, switching schools, and 

sleeping under a different roof each night. We get them out of crisis mode so they 

can develop healthy attachments to others and begin to focus on their future.” 

Education, including core academics and enrichment, is the primary focus for the 

mind component of the curriculum. Students may attend a county-run high school 

on site, or complete their primary education at a San Diego-area high school. In the 

past five years Toussaint Academy has helped 52 youth graduate or obtain a GED. 

By receiving their diplomas, these students save cities billions of taxpayer dollars, 

according to The California Dropout Research Project done at the University of Santa 

Barbara California. According to the study, in San Diego 3,115 students dropped 

out of middle and high schools in 2006-07, costing the community approximately 

$392,000 per student. The study also shows that there is a $3 return for every $1 

invested in dropout prevention in California. 

In addition to education, teens learn important life skills such as cooking, 

money management, job skills, and soft skills such as communication, healthy 

relationships, and anger management. TAAS residents also fulfill expectations 

for chores, savings and working or volunteering. Once a teen is working and 

earning income they have guidelines for money management. 

However, it is certainly not all work and no play for Toussaint residents. 

Body classes help students develop their physical selves. Examples 

are physical education, participation in organized sports, yoga, and 

dance. Students also regularly take part in activities at Rancho 

San Vincente where they enjoy the outdoors and activities 

like horseback riding. The spirit is addressed through the 

creative self and spiritual side. Examples are fine art, 

music, and spirituality. 

“We combine high expectations with a high 

level of support,” Newmyer says. “Both are 

absolutely key if you want young 

people to succeed.” 

College grad thanks 

alumni services 

By Donna Blomquist 

Lorelei Sandoval, a resident of Toussaint Academy 

from 1994-1996, graduated cum laude in June 

from the San Diego State University (SDSU) School 

of Nursing with a bachelor of science in nursing with 

distinction. She also received the Clinical Achievement 

Award given by faculty to the nurse they would most 

like to care for loved ones. 

After graduating Toussaint with at 3.85 GPA at the age 

of 16, Sandoval found a stable living environment and 

started working full time. At the age of 22 she started 

night classes at Miramar College. In 2006 she graduated 

with honors with degrees in biology and liberal arts and 

gave up her job to transfer to SDSU. 

Lorelei was struggling to be a full-time student, pay for 

college and meet her financial commitments when she 

learned about alumni services at TAAS. Even though it 

Lorelei Sandoval 

had been 10 years since she left TAAS, she was eligible for help. Her desire, motivation, and 

determination made her an excellent candidate for receiving assistance. 

Through TAAS Lorelei received $875 from the Kathleen Sullivan Scholarship to help with 

tuition, and $500 from the Boys and Girls Foundation Scholarship through the College 

Opportunity program to pay for books. In 2007 alumni services bought Lorelei a laptop 

computer, and printer. 

Appreciative of the help she received to make her nursing degree a reality, Lorelei sent 

a thank you note saying she would like to repay our generosity by helping others who 

face the same challenges she did as a homeless teen. 

In July Lorelei started working as a registered nurse at Sharp-Coronado Hospital in 

acute care. She is married to Robbie Sandoval. 

Lorelei is an inspiration and a successful role model for our teens and living proof 

of how the University of the Human Spirit works. 

Donna Blomquist is the educational case manager at Toussaint Academy of the Arts 

and Sciences. 

Alumni services 

Turning 18 doesn’t instantly make an individual an adult. “The idea of a young person 

leaving home at 18 and never needing assistance again is insane,” says Rick Newmyer, 

executive director of Toussaint Youth Villages. So TAAS offers alumni services that support 

students to help them maintain stability and success after they leave the program. 

“Anyone at any time who lived at TAAS or went to school here and left as a success or not 

can use the alumni program,” Newmyer says. Services include academic and scholarship 

assistance, housing assistance, job placement, money management assistance, and social 

support through alumni activities. Currently there are 60 young adults in the Toussaint 

aftercare program. 

“Continuing education is really expensive, but Father Joe realizes the importance of it,” 

Newmyer says. “He has made it possible for us never to have to tell one of our teens that they 

can’t afford to go to college.” 

At a glance: 

Of those youths exiting TAAS over the last 12 months: 

74% obtained employment and established savings 

86% went to permanent, stable housing 

100% increased their GPA by .25 or more or maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher 

100% passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) 

100% went on to college 

Of those youths exiting TAAS over the last six years: 

90% went on to college 

95% obtained employment and established savings 

95% went to permanent, stable housing 

100% increased their GPA by .25 or more or maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher 

100% passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)

12 Village News, sePTeMBeR 2009 

CENTERPIECE 

Opportunity, creativity 

drive executive director 

Rick Newmyer doesn’t like 

using the word “program” to 

describe Toussaint Academy of 

the Arts and Sciences. “It’s a place 

where young people can stay up to 

four years, and who wants to live in 

a program?” he says. 

Executive director of Toussaint 

Youth Villages since 2001, Newmyer 

is proud that “we’ve done a lot to deinstitutionalize 

TAAS and make it 

more about academics and family.” 

Newmyer has a master’s degree in 

social work from San Diego State 

University and a bachelor of science 

in psychology from Loma Linda 

University. The depth and breadth 

of his work is evident in the years he 

has spent working with youth, and 

in education and social services. 

To really understand Newmyer’s 

approach, it’s important to look 

at what’s not on his resume. The 

45-year-old grew up working in his 

Like Aristotle, Linda Wells 

understands the intrinsic value 

of art. 

“The aim of art is to represent not 

the outward appearance of things, 

but their inward significance,” the 

philosopher said. 

“I want the kids to have a time 

to escape, and show them they 

can create something that’s theirs,” 

Wells says. “With one pack of clay 

they can make something of their 

own and someday teach their kids.” 

A retired teacher and high school 

counselor, Wells, who enjoys art as a 

hobby, is a volunteer extraordinaire. 

In addition to teaching art since 

2003 to teens and children at TAAS 

and St. Vincent de Paul Village, 

Wells is also a Village docent and 

coordinator of the Village Ladies 

Guild’s annual Easter shopping. 

She introduces students to art 

through many tactile projects. There 

are colorful 3D dream catchers; 

modern Picasso-style polymer 

clay frames, papier-mâché masks, 

paintings, ink block prints, and 

gourds, lots of gourds that are turned 

into shekeres–African percussion 

instruments covered with beads. 

Her signature project is so wellknown 

and popular that students 

nick-named Linda The Gourd Lady. 

family’s restaurant business, doing 

everything from washing dishes to 

opening new locations, giving him 

an entrepreneurial spirit that he 

brings to his job. He also worked 

in advertising as a graphic artist 

and copywriter, which gives him a 

great understanding of marketing 

an idea or product. “Those 

experiences come in handy,” he 

says. “I’m always looking for 

opportunities and creative ways of 

doing things.” 

Most importantly, he looks for 

ways to help homeless teens be 

successful. 

“Sometimes professionals are 

too quick to catalog challenging 

teen behavior as a sign of mental 

illness or delinquency. In reality a 

lot of what teens are going through 

is normal adolescent development, 

compounded by their family 

situations,” Newmyer says. “We 

Art is alive inside and out at 

Toussaint thanks to The Gourd 

Lady. Outside a colorful garden 

grows in the courtyard where Wells 

enlisted the help of her decorator 

and personally hauled bricks to 

create a border and plant a garden. 

Inside, the walls are a canvas 

for students’ artwork, pieces she 

rescued from a box in storage and, 

with the help of her husband and a 

friend, hung using donated frames. 

Linda’s work is also on display. 

Her framed collage of photos of 

graduates in their caps and gowns 

honors the teens. 

As Linda walks through the 

try to maintain an informed and 

realistic picture of what adolescence 

is really about.” 

Newmyer and his team also make 

a commitment that TAAS is the last 

place a teen ever has to live. “If we 

do our job they’ll be independent 

and successful. Where the rubber 

hits the road is when young people 

leave TAAS,” Newmyer says. “It’s not 

about meals or bed nights; it’s about 

diplomas, college degrees, stable 

housing, and money in the bank.” 

Gourd Lady keeps art alive 


Linda Wells in the garden with her signature namesake project. 

building giving a tour of projects, 

many teens stop to say hello, some 

share a hug and tell her what they’re 

up to. Graduates Kyle and Quinnton 

give her a photo of themselves 

dressed in suits; a memento from 

the annual Children’s Charity 

Dinner. La’Shanae, who graduated 

last year, stops to chat. 

Linda asks if she can borrow a 

hat La’Shanae crocheted. Now a 

student at City College, La’Shanae 

still enjoys crocheting, an art she 

learned from Linda. La’Shanae 

keeps up with the craft, making 

gifts of her handmade blankets and 

hats. 

About Toussaint Youth Villages 

Toussaint Youth Villages, a partner agency of Father Joe’s Villages, 

provides homeless and foster youth with healthy and stable environments 

where they may develop their identity, self-worth, sense of belonging, 

and connection to family and community. Toussaint Youth Villages 

includes Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences (TAAS), Pierre’s 

Place, Rancho San Vincente, and A Children’s Village. 

Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences, 

located in downtown San Diego, offers education, enrichment, nurturing 

and support to 35 young people ages 14-17 who live on site in a dormstyle 

setting. TAAS also has an alumni services program that serves up to 

60 young adults who have graduated from the program. 

Pierre’s Place, a hip café located at 5th and Ash next door to TAAS, 

serves delicious pizza, panini, salads, gelato, and coffee. Pierre’s provides 

jobs and internships for students and program graduates, while supporting 

college scholarships and alumni services for TAAS graduates. 

Rancho San Vicente, located on 477 acres in scenic eastern 

San Diego County, provides youth with a much-needed opportunity to 

experience the great outdoors. Future development of the property will 

include athletic fields, an indoor swimming pool, cabins, meeting rooms, 

and an outdoor amphitheatre. All activities are designed to help youth build 

confidence, learn teamwork, and gain an appreciation for nature’s beauty. 

A Children’s Village is a future project that will be located at 

the current site of the Flying “A” Ranch in rural east San Diego County. 

The 125-acre project will be home to 200 homeless and foster children, 

providing them a permanent home, quality education, and abundant 

recreation, and a foundation of responsibility and values. The Village is 

being developed and modeled after Boys Town in Omaha, Neb. 

Did you 

know? 

Pierre Toussaint is a boyhood 

hero of Father Joe’s. 

Born a Catholic slave in Haiti, 

Toussaint arrived in New York 

in 1787. Pierre learned to read 

and write from his master, Jean 

Berard, and also became an 

apprentice to one of the city’s leading hairdressers and eventually an 

expert in his own right. In 1807, Toussaint chose to continue caring 

for Berard’s widow instead of purchasing freedom. 

When Madame Berard died, Toussaint, 41, married Juliette Noel, a 

slave whose freedom he had purchased. Toussaint opened his home 

as a shelter for orphans, a credit bureau, an employment agency, 

and a refuge for priests and poverty-stricken travelers. 

Toussaint died on June 30, 1853, at age 87. In 1990, his body was 

exhumed and reinterred in the crypt below the altar at St. Patrick’s 

Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. In 1996, Toussaint was declared 

Venerable by Pope John Paul II, the second step toward sainthood.

By Miriam H. DiBiase 

Most people feel inspired after a tour of Toussaint 

Academy of the Arts and Sciences. The students 

are so personable and charismatic! The program is so 

well-organized! The music room is so cool! 

When Charity Settineri, whose family has supported 

Father Joe’s Villages for many years, toured Toussaint 

Academy for the first time in April, she was inspired 

in a different way: to bring a mother’s touch into the 

dorm-like bedrooms. 

“Laura, the girl who gave us the tour, was so sweet 

and showed us everything with pride and a true sense of 

appreciation for where she was,” says Settineri. “When 

Laura showed us her room, I noticed they didn’t have 

pretty things on their beds. Being a mother of three 

grown kids I couldn’t help but think how if they were 

kids in a college dorm their mothers would have made 

sure they had darling, pretty bedding.” 

So Settineri set out to change the situation. 

“I decided to gather enough bedding so that each kid – 

boys and girls – could have a comforter and matching 

pillow sham and pillow,” she says. She enlisted the 

help of her granddaughter, Faith, and 13 others from 

VILLAGE NEWS Kathleen Wise 

Charity Settineri, left, and granddaughter Faith visit TAAS resident Laura to see how new bedding brightens her bedroom. 

Donor adds a mother’s 

touch to teens’ rooms 

her Bible study, book club, Bunco group, and family to 

gather funds to purchase 26 bedding sets. 

Settineri and her granddaughter picked out the 

bedding and attached a message to each set so the teens 

would know why they were receiving gifts. The message 

read, “This bedding was donated by a mom and dad 

who care about you!” They delivered the comforters, 

shams and pillows the weekend before Mother’s Day. 

On one of her shopping trips for the bedding sets, 

Settineri discovered an added benefit to her already 

uplifting experience. “I had about six of the bedrolls 

piled high in my cart,” Charity recalls. “Struggling to get 

the cart into the elevator, I was helped by two women. 

One of them said, ‘Whoa, your kids are gonna love 

those!’ When I told her who the bedding was actually 

for, she became very solemn and said, ‘God bless you! 

I grew up in a children’s home.’ I gulped and became 

solemn myself.” 

“We never know who we are standing next to who 

could use a lift! It lifted her and it lifted me.” 

Miriam H. DiBiase is the board liaison at 


an early lesson in sharing and caring 

By Margot Howard 

Helping children see the world 

around them includes talking 

about both the joyful parts of life 

and those difficult situations that 

we face too. Kuanzo and Margo 

Anderson Inai decided to start a 

conversation about the poor with 

their daughter Bryce when she 

turned three. 

Bryce owns lots of toys and her 

family presented her with a few new 

ones on her third birthday. Bryce’s 

parents thought that this birthday 

provided a good opportunity to 

talk about sharing with others. 

They wrapped a cardboard box in 

bright paper and asked friends and 

family members to bring new shoes 

and socks to donate to children at 

St. Vincent de Paul Village instead 

of traditional gifts. 

“Bryce is just becoming aware 

that there are children in San Diego 

who do not have enough clothing 

or food,” Margo says. “When we 

talked with Bryce about why it is 

helpful for us to share, she smiled 

and said, ‘OK!’ Bryce is already 

a great role model for her baby 

brother, Kazuo.” 

On the day of the party, Bryce 

and all of her friends could see the 

box filled to the brim with gifts 

for others. Bryce had a great time 

at her party and it is true … there 

will be many more smiles when the 

children at the Village receive their 

new shoes and socks. 


Margot Howard is the director 

of charitable giving at Father Joe’s 

Villages. Bryce 


sUPPORT FROM FUNDeRs 

The programs at Father Joe’s Villages depend on support from foundations 

and organizations. Generous funding was received this spring from those 

listed below. 


• Invitrogen Corporation – $5,000 to support general operations 

• City of Palm Desert – $10,280 to support Food Services 

• County of Riverside Economic Development Agency – 

$61,435.88 to support Residential Services 

• Bank of America Foundation – $25,000 to support Children’s Services 

• County of Riverside First 5 Commission – $346,274 to support 

Children’s Services 

• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians – $5,000 to support 

Health Services 

• Supervisor Jeff Stone’s Community Improvement Designation 

Fund – $1,000 to support general operations 

• United Way of the Desert – $24,000 to support Food Services 

• U.S. Bancorp Foundation – $10,000 to support Residential Services 

Father Joe’s Villages 

• City of San Diego – $30,000 for bathroom renovation at the 

Joan Kroc Center 

• California Pollution Control Financing Authority – $582,500 

for 15th & Commercial Site Remediation 

• Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco – $1,500,000 for 

construction at 15th & Commercial 

• California Department of Housing & Community 

Development – $6,637,597 for construction at 15th & Commercial 

• California Department of Housing & Community 

Development – $3,089,027 for infrastructure costs at 15th & 

Commercial 


• Arthur P. & Jeanette G. Pratt Memorial Fund – $3,000 to support 

Children’s Services 

• County of San Diego Department of Housing & Community 

Development – $510,241 to support Josue Homes 

• FEMA – $80,881 for Residential Services at the Joan Kroc Center 

• FEMA – $209,692 for Residential Services at the Paul Mirabile 

Center 

• Massey Charitable Trust – $10,000 to support Health Services 

• Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration – 

$375,000 to support Village ACT 

Toussaint Youth Villages 

• QUALCOMM Corporate Giving – $30,000 to support Pierre’s Place 

• Masserini Charitable Trust and French Fund – $5,000 to support 

Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences 

• The California Wellness Foundation – $150,000 over three years 

to support Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences

14 


Affordable Housing 

A testament to progress 

By Toni atkins 

Affordable 

housing 

has always 

been an 

important 

issue for me. From a public policy 

perspective as an elected official and 

from a more personal perspective 

having grown up in substandard 

rural and urban housing, it is an 

issue that I feel compelled toward 

and enjoy working on. It has 

been my experience that access to 

quality affordable housing is the 

key to stability for individuals and 

families and the future success of 

the children involved. 

On Feb. 11 and April 22, 2009, 

the ribbon cuttings to open 16th & 

Market and Boulevard Apartments 

brought San Diego a combined 160 

units of quality affordable housing. 

As a City Council member, I was 

honored to work on the Boulevard 

project, which was built in District 

3. Clearly a new urban model was 

created for affordable housing that 

includes rooftop gardens, outdoor 

grilling areas, community meeting 

spaces, extended tot lots and play 

equipment, laundry facilities, and 

even a basketball court on the 

“backyard” roof area of 16th & 

Market. Both developments add to 

our community’s vitality and more 

than enhance the surrounding 

neighborhood. 

In my 15 years of public service 

I’ve learned that affordable 

housing has always been difficult 

to build for different reasons at 

different times. Numerous issues 

always come up during the long 

process to get a project entitled, 

constructed and opened. Land 

costs, housing demand during the 

good economic times, resource 

demands for subsidized/affordable 

housing in good and difficult times, 

political will, and acceptance of 

affordable housing developments 

by communities all combined to 

make it difficult under the best of 

circumstances. 

Today we realize, even with the 

Villages’ addition of 160 affordable 

housing units, our work is a long 

way from over. San Diego has 

struggled for several decades to 

provide affordable housing. We’ve 

gotten better at it – partnerships 

between affordable housing 

developers, public agencies like the 

San Diego Housing Commission 

and redevelopment agencies, and 

nonprofit service providers like 

Father Joe’s Villages have proven 

very successful and we should all 

be proud. 

However, when Wall Street 

tumbled and the housing bubble 

burst the economy weakened 

considerably. As people continue 

to lose jobs and businesses, 

and homelessness continues to 

increase, we face the stark reality 

that for all of our recent successes, 

we are still behind in providing 

an adequate supply of affordable 

housing. People are hurting and in 

great need. Our work is not done. 

Our challenge is to continue 

to work together in partnership 

toward providing affordable 

housing. I’ve seen success when 

we pull together and push 

through the issues one by one … 

whether it be piecing the financial 

resources together, working with 

communities for acceptance, 

finding the right sites, demanding 

political focus and will on the issue 

of providing affordable housing, or 

working with lenders. 

Now, more than ever, there are 

individuals and families counting 

on us. 

“The test of our progress,” 

according to President Franklin 

Delano Roosevelt, “is whether 

we provide enough for those who 

have too little.” n 

Toni Atkins is senior principal, 

Housing Policy & Planning, 

LeSar Development Consultants, 

and a former San Diego City 

Councilmember. 

St. Vincent de Paul Village St. Vincent de Paul Village 

| Joan Kroc Center 

Transitional housing for families and single women, 

Children's services, resident dining room, and 

supportive services 

| Paul Mirabile Center 

short-term housing for single adults, Health Center, 

Career & education Center, and dining room 

Housing Federation honors Father Joe 

Father Joe Carroll received the Industry Lifetime Achievement 

Award from the San Diego Housing Federation on June 11, 2009, at 

the Federation’s 14th Annual Affordable Housing and Community 

Development Awards. 

The Housing Federation honored Father Joe for “his years of 

dedication to providing homes for San Diego’s neediest and most 

difficult to house residents.” 

In 1987 he opened the Joan Kroc Center. That building grew into 

St. Vincent de Paul Village and then Father Joe’s Villages, which today 

owns 19 buildings, six of which were built during Father Joe’s tenure. 

Future construction plans include a high-rise at 15th & Commercial 

offering space for children’s services, long-term transitional housing, 

and permanent affordable housing; and A Children’s Village, a home 

for 200 homeless and foster youth in rural Campo, Calif., that will be 

modeled after Boys Town in Omaha, Neb. n 

Boulevard apartments 

Continued from page 1 

Boulevard Apartments is the 

second affordable housing facility 

the Villages opened this year. A 

brand-new 12-story, 136-unit 

affordable housing high rise at 

16th & Market began accepting 

tenants in February. 

A variety of agencies were 

instrumental in making Boulevard 

Apartments a reality, including 

the State of California Multifamily 

Housing Program, Federal Home 

Loan Bank of San Francisco 

Affordable Housing Program, 

California Tax Credit Allocation 

Committee Low-Income Housing 

Tax Credits, California Debt 


Limit Allocation Committee, 

U.S. Department of Housing 

& Urban Development (HUD) 

Supportive Housing Program, 

San Diego Housing Commission, 

City of San Diego Redevelopment 

Agency, HEDCO Foundation, 

Union Bank, and Corporation for 

Supportive Housing. 

Partners in the construction of 

Boulevard Apartments include 

Father Joe’s Villages; Jim Holmberg, 

architect; Silman Wright, architect; 

KD Stahl, Ninteman Construction; 

Chelsea Investment Corporation; 

and US Bank. n 


Village News. 

| Dan Dunlap Center 

Transitional housing, Medical Clinic, Children's services, 

dining room, and supportive services

15th & Commercial 

Child Development Center 

is slated for new building 

By lisa Huff 

Father Joe’s Villages expects to 

begin construction in November 

on a 12-story mixed-use building 

at St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

Among the many features of 15th 

& Commercial will be a threelevel 

Village Child Development 

Center that will provide space for 

all children living at the Village 

to enjoy. 

“The center will more than 

double current capacity and allow 

us to provide high-quality child 

care services and after-school 

programming for an expected 

350 homeless and impoverished 

children and families each year,” 

says Mathew Packard, vice 

president of development for 


The 29,000-square-foot center 

will occupy most of floors one 

through three and include an 

additional one-story building and 

ample outdoor playground space. 

The new center will serve families 

living at the Joan Kroc Center. 

Programs at the center will 

address the specific social, 

| Harvey Mandel 

emotional and cognitive needs of 

homeless children while providing 

parents access to high-quality child 

care that is free of charge. 

“It will allow parents the 

opportunity to work, seek 

employment, attend classes 

and pursue other economically 

empowering activities,” says 

Father Joe Carroll, president of 


Programs offered at the center 

will include a child development 

program, after-school program 

and on-site therapeutic child care 

services including sick- and wellchild 

visits and prenatal care. 

Parents will be able to participate 

through a family literacy program 

and a parent advisory board. 

The new building will also 

include four levels of transitional 

housing, four levels of permanent 

supportive and permanent 

affordable housing, and one level 

of underground parking. Total 

project costs are estimated at just 

under $59 million. n 

Lisa Huff is a senior development 

officer at Father Joe’s Villages. 

Permanent supportive housing for the mentally 

disabled & low-income single adults 


Affordable Housing 


Father Joe Carroll with a model of 15th & Commercial. The 12-story building will be built on the site of the Bishop 

Maher Center and include a three-story Village Child Development Center. 

Your contribution to 15th & Commercial is an investment that will not only benefit 

individuals, children, and families directly, but will make the san Diego community 

stronger. Your gift will create extraordinary opportunities for others. To learn more 

about this effort and to find out about naming opportunities for your contribution, 

please call Father Joe Carroll of the Charitable giving Team at 619.446.2100, or 

jcarroll@neighbor.org. He welcomes the opportunity to speak with you about this 

important development or send materials to you describing this new facility in detail. 

St. Vincent de Paul Village Downtown North Park 

| 16th & Market 

Permanent workforce/affordable housing for 

working families 

| Boulevard Apartments 

Permanent workforce/affordable housing for 

very low-income working families

16 


Village Family Health Center 

ABOUT THE 

HEALTH CENTER 

The Village Family Health Center 

(VFHC) is a licensed community 

clinic and Federally Qualified 

Health Center available to Village 

residents and neighbors in need in 

the community. Services offered 

include general medicine, pediatrics, 

optometry, obstetrics, dermatology, 

prenatal care, ophthalmology, 

gynecology, laboratory and 

dispensary services, general health 

education workshops, psychiatry, 

and a full-care dental clinic. Because 

of the current precarious economic 

situation, the clinic has seen a huge 

increase in the unemployed and 

working poor in need of health care. 

The health center is the primary 

clinic of the University of California, 

San Diego (UCSD) Combined 

Family Medicine Psychiatry 

Residency Program. It is also home 

to the Mobile Health Clinic and the 

Serial Inebriate Program. 

The Mobile Health Clinic is a 

40-foot truck outfitted with two 

exam rooms that takes primary 

care services into the community 

to individuals with no other access 

to healthcare. It is made possible 

through a partnership with the San 

Diego Health and Faith Alliance. 

Laboratory services, medication 

dispensing services and primary 

care consultation are available at no 

cost to patients. 

The Serial Inebriate Program is 

a national model for decreasing the 

number of chronically intoxicated 

people on the street. A collaboration 

between San Diego city and county 

agencies, the criminal justice system, 

and several nonprofits, the program 

provides treatment and support 

to homeless chronic alcoholics in 

their journey to sobriety and selfsufficiency. 

The VFHC provides for 

the primary care and psychiatric 

needs of participants, including 

medications to take to their soberliving 

environment. We remain 

their medical home as long as 

they stay in San Diego, decreasing 

reliance on area emergency rooms, 

thus saving the city and county 

hundreds of thousands of dollars in 

unpaid healthcare costs. 

David Folsom, M.D., MPH Chris Searles, M.D., FAAFP 

The first graduate of UCSD’s 

combined program, Dr. Folsom 

chose to stay at Village Family 

Health Center where he 

completed his five-year residency. 

Folsom, 40, is also co-director 

of the UCSD Combined Family 

Medicine Psychiatry Residency 

Training Program. He is board 

certified in psychiatry and family 

medicine, and assistant professor 

of psychiatry and family and 

preventive medicine at UCSD. 

Dr. Folsom’s research focuses on 

improving care for people who are 

homeless and mentally ill, and on 

improving medical care for people 

with schizophrenia. His area of 

research interest is improving the 

healthcare of older persons with 

serious mental illness. His research 

was funded by an NIMH Career 

Development Award. 

Dr. Folsom has served on the 

editorial board of the American 

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 

In 2007, Dr. Folsom was named 

Researcher of the Year by the 

California Academy of Family 

Physicians. He is a graduate of 

the Medical University of South 

Carolina. 

Medical directors 

Continued from page 1 

reward,” says Father Joe Carroll, 

president of Father Joe’s Villages. 

“One of the reasons the Village 

Family Health Center is so 

successful is because it is in a 

setting where many other needs 

of the homeless are met beyond 

medical care,” according to Dr. 

Folsom. “It’s because Father Joe 

puts it all together in one place by 

meeting the complex needs of our 

neighbors in need – be it housing, 

education, clothing or meals. If we 

were just a clinic sitting here by 

The associate medical director 

of Village Family Health Center 

and director of community 

outreach through the Mobile 

Health Clinic, Dr. Searles chose 

to remain at St. Vincent’s after 

completing his five-year residency 

there. He is also co-director of 

the UCSD Combined Family 

Medicine Psychiatry Residency 

Training Program and is board 

certified in psychiatry and family 

medicine. Dr. Searles, 39, directs 

behavioral medicine curricula 

for UCSD and the Scripps Family 

Medicine residency programs. 

He completed a fellowship at the 

National Institute for Program 

Director Development. In addition 

to providing primary care to the 

medically underserved, he teaches 

residents from several training 

programs. He is the recipient 

of the 2008 American Medical 

Association YPS Community 

Service Award and was highlighted 

by San Diego Metropolitan 

Magazine as one of “40 Under 40” 

to watch. Dr. Searles earned his 

undergraduate degree in writing 

at UCSD. He has a medical degree 

from the University of California, 

Davis School of Medicine. 

ourselves, it wouldn’t work.” 

The center takes a 

multidisciplinary approach to 

health care utilizing a team of 

case managers, social workers, 

substance abuse counselors, 

clinical psychologists, educators, 

residential specialists, and 

administrators to address patients’ 

needs. The clinic is also a pioneer 

in services utilizing electronic 

medical records, digital dental 

X-ray, and digital retinal imaging 

for patients with diabetes. 


Village News. 

UCSD Combined Family 

Medicine Psychiatry 

Residency Training Program 

The University of California, san Diego (UCsD) was among the 

first schools in the United states to have an accredited Combined 

Family Medicine Psychiatry Residency Program. in February 1995, 

the american Board of Family Medicine and the american Board of 

Psychiatry and Neurology set guidelines for combined residency 

training. in July 1997, after obtaining accreditation, UCsD started 

its inaugural class under the direction of Margaret e. McCahill, M.D. 

since then the Village Family Health Center has been the practicing 

clinic for UCsD’s combined program. 

almost all of the doctors who have completed their five-year 

residency at the VFHC have gone on to help the underserved. Here’s 

a look at where the doctors are now: 

Dr. David Folsom is the medical director the VFHC. 

Dr. Chris Searles is associate medical director of the VFHC and 

director of community outreach through the Mobile Health Clinic 

and its partnership with the san Diego Health and Faith alliance. 

Dr. Michael Kim is the medical director at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen Medical Clinic in indio, Calif. 

Dr. Mark Kang is caring for the medically underserved at the 

University of Hawaii. 

Dr. Kai MacDonald has a private practice in psychiatry. 

Dr. Tiffany Kumpel provides care in family medicine and 

psychiatry in rural georgia. 

Dr. Elena Swartz provides medical and legal services to medically 

underserved populations in sacramento, Calif. 

Dr. Murat Akalin cares for the medically underserved in his 

practice in rural Mono County, Calif. He is the only psychiatrist in 

the region and also practices family medicine. 

Dr. Gabe Rodarte cares for the medically underserved at the 

Neighborhood Health Care, a licensed community clinic in 

escondido. 

Dr. Vanessa Greenwood works for Kaiser Permanente. 

Dr. Nicole Esposito cares for the medically underserved 

at the North County Health services in san Marcos, Calif. 

Dr. Julie Le provides care to Hospice patients. 

July 2009 residency graduates 

Dr. Kathryn Hirst works for the san Diego Health and Faith alliance 

at the Church of Nazarene in City Heights. she also see patients at 

the VFHC where she is an attending physician and teaches residents. 

Dr. Roy Samorano is a physician at the VFHC where he works with 

the saMsHa-funded Village aCT team providing care to patients 

living in permanent supportive housing at the Village and through 

the mobile clinic. He also teaches residents. 

BY THE NUMBERS… 

In 2008 the health center: 

: Served 2,527 unduplicated patients 

: Provided 17,653 separate patient encounters with a 

primary care physician, nurse practitioner, or dentist 

: Provided over 3,300 visits through stand-by/triage 

for individuals that otherwise may have ended up 

in an emergency room. 

: Received the volunteer assistance of 145 physicians, 

four registered nurses and three dentists



Witnessing the human condition 

augustinian nurse reflects on year as volunteer 

By allison sherwood, BsN, RN 

“May today there be peace within 

you … may you trust that you are 

exactly where you are meant to 

be. May you not forget the infinite 

possibilities that are born of faith …” 

In my year as an Augustinian 

volunteer nurse at St. Vincent 

de Paul Village I was blessed with 

the opportunity to apply my new 

nursing education at the Village 

Family Health Center. 

As a new nurse I sought out 

learning experiences to practice all 

those skills I had been tested on and 

challenged to use during my four 

years at nursing school. 

What I underestimated were the 

times I would be challenged to put 

nursing interventions aside and 

learn that true health interventions 

do not exist in a medication bottle, 

syringe or medical procedure. I was 

to meet the most immediate need 

and stand as witness to the complex 

beauties of the human condition. 

For it was through witnessing 

injury, that I was able to witness 

healing. 

In witnessing relapse, I was able 

to witness recovery. 

In witnessing struggle, I was able 

Q&a with Dr. McCahill 

Margaret E. McCahill, M.D., retired 

this year after more than 10 years as the 

director of the St. Vincent de Paul Village 

Family Health Center. She is the founder 

of the Combined Family Medicine 

Psychiatry Residency Training Program 

at the University of California, San Diego. 

Dr. McCahill talks about the pioneering 

collaboration between the health center 

and the UCSD School of Medicine. 

Q: How many combined family medicine-psychiatry residency 

training programs are there in the U.S.? 

A: The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education lists 

10 programs. The only other one in California is at the University of 

California at Davis. These are all small programs. Our program is 

considered No. 1 nationally. We typically get around 50 applications for 

two residency positions every year, so admission is very competitive, and 

applicants are of the highest caliber. 

Q: How unique is the relationship between UCSD and St. Vincent de 

Paul Village? 

A: UCSD is the only combined program to have its own primary clinic. 

Other programs just have combined residents rotate through their 

regular family medicine clinics and psychiatry clinics – they don’t have 

a place where they all come together and see it as their clinical “home” 

like we do. No other program in the country has six dual-certified faculty 

members and the degree of solid identity and teamwork in a combined 

residency training program like we do at St. Vincent’s. 

Q: Would you say our patients are getting the best health care 

available today? 

A: No doubt about that. Our residents’ book knowledge is very new and 

up-to-date and they have an attending physician on site for big picture 

questions. It’s the best of both worlds – fresh book knowledge with 

long-term experience. We tell residents the level of medical care in the 

clinic needs to be every bit as excellent as a clinic in, say, La Jolla. They 

have to have the right attitude. There is no compromise and no second 

standard. 

to witness wellness. 

Through the many comprehensive 

services offered at the Village I was 

able to learn about the holistic 

nature of health that exists beyond 

the doors of a medical clinic and 

into lifestyle choices, relationships, 

and spirituality. I thank each patient 

for the times they challenged me 

to listen … not just through my 

stethoscope, but with my ears … 

sharing their stories, their struggles, 

their laughs, their tears, their faith, 

their doubts, their happiness, and 

their pain. 

I wish for them to continue to 

share with everyone they meet that 

By Teresa simms, MPH 

The Health Services program at 

St. Vincent de Paul Village has 

been awarded a U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services 

grant, which brings with it a special 

designation of Federally Qualified 

Health Center (FQHC) for the 

medical clinic. 

Awarded in August 2008, the 

grant has made it possible to expand 

services to help more homeless 

patients at the St. Vincent de Paul 


(VFHC) and the Mobile Health 

Clinic. 

The FQHC program is designed 

to help provide comprehensive, 

high-quality primary health care 

to the medically underserved in 

our community – in this case, 

to our homeless population in 

San Diego. The initial grant is 

for $200,000 annually to expand 

services, with an additional $97,000 

one-time funding to make capital 

improvements. 

“The funding means we have been 

able to expand our clinic and mobile 

clinic hours, hire additional staff for 

the Mobile Health Clinic, replace 

old equipment, and improve our 

facilities,” says Dr. David Folsom, 

medical director of the VFHC. “It 

has been instrumental in helping 

us expand our services of quality 

same love they so willingly and 

openly shared with me, for their 

health care to San Diego’s medically 

underserved population.” 

Hours of operation have been 

extended one additional night per 

week at the clinic and 12 hours a 

week on the mobile clinic. Increased 

staffing for the mobile clinic now 

provides medical case management 

services, mental health services, 

and addiction recovery services. 

A new digital X-ray system in 

the dental clinic has been added 

and eliminates the use of costly 

chemical X-ray processing. Older 

equipment and lighting have been 

upgraded and the VFHC has been 

reconfigured for better space usage. 

Because there are many federal 

regulations that accompany this 

status, the clinic implemented a 

“sliding scale” fee structure for 

patients. Most patients still receive 

relentless power and strength are 

transforming. I thank them for the 

times they let me see that healthy 

movement and journeys in wellness 

are paved with many different stops, 

starts, and complex paths. Today, far 

away from San Diego, I wish there 

be peace within each of them and 

that they know that although my 

hands are not present, my heart will 

continue to reside in each patient I 

was blessed to encounter. 

Allison Sherwood, RSN, RN, has 

returned home to upstate New York 

and is working as an emergency 

room nurse. 

Health center receives grant; 

services are expanded 

services at no cost, but those that 

are able to pay are asked for a small 

contribution to offset the cost of 

their care. 

“We developed this to have as 

minimal an impact on our patients 

as possible, and in keeping with the 

mission of the Village,” Dr. Folsom 

said. 

The grant also helps offset the 

cost of caring for patients who lack 

insurance, and allows the VFHC 

to bill Medi-Cal and MediCare for 

enhanced reimbursement for those 

patients with insurance. Provisions 

are also included for purchasing 

medication at a discounted cost. 

Teresa Simms, MPH, is the clinic 

administrator for Health Services 

at the St. Vincent de Paul Village 

Family Health Center.

18 


Neighbors Helping Neighbors FAST FACTS 


Imagine a group of several 

dozen 20- and 30-something 

vibrant professionals, gathered 

to network, make new friends, 

and support a good cause. Now 

imagine that good cause is Father 

Joe’s Villages – and you’re sharing 

the vision that created the group 

RISE San Diego, which stands for 

Reach Inform Support Empower, 

San Diego’s newest young 

professionals’ network. 

RISE was created and developed 

by staff of St. Vincent de Paul Village 

and Toussaint Youth Villages, 

and after the first official RISE 

fundraiser interest in membership 

within the San Diego community 

has been steadily growing. The 

group is a volunteer association, 

so all involved members help plan 

events and attend meetings during 

evenings or on weekends. 

RISE is similar in concept to the 

Village Ladies Guild, the longstanding 

auxiliary group that 

supports St. Vincent’s through 

volunteering and fundraising. 

The ages of the participants and 

activities are different, but the intent 

Through the generosity of donors and the time and talent of volunteers, Father Joe’s Villages is 

fortunate to have a wide range of supporters who model our motto and who are truly Neighbors 

Helping Neighbors®. 

Ladies Guild chalks up 23,287 volunteer hours 

By emily Velez-Confer 

The Village Ladies Guild 

celebrated its annual 

installation with Mass on May 18 

at the Immaculate Conception 

Church in Old Town. Outgoing 

officers were recognized and 

new officers for 2009-2010 were 

welcomed. Father Joe Carroll 

presented the new members with 

the Ladies Guild ribbon and cross, 

a symbol of their induction to this 

very important organization that 

provides thousands of hours of 

volunteer service throughout the 

Village each year. 

Mass was followed by a lovely 

dinner in the parish’s hall, catered 

by students and staff in the Village 

Culinary Arts Program. 

Father Joe Carroll celebrated 

the Mass and attend the dinner 

where he was presented with two 

oversized checks. A check for 

$511,615.39 was presented for the 

value of the hours that the Ladies 

Guild volunteered: 23,287 hours 

at $21.97 per hour; and one check 

for $15,000 as a cash donation to 

St. Vincent de Paul Village from 

Guild fundraisers. 

The outgoing officers are 

Joyce Ellison, president; Kathy 

McKinley, president elect; Diane 

Montag, recording secretary; Lucy 

Laurain, corresponding secretary; 

Cecil Hewitt, treasurer; Janet 

Milliken, parliamentarian. 

The incoming officers are 

Kathy McKinley, president; Cecil 

Hewitt, treasurer; Betty Andersen, 

recording secretary; Lucy Laurain, 

corresponding secretary; Joyce 

Ellison, parliamentarian. 

New members are Carol 

Anderson, Susan Baer, Hazel 

Ciceric, Jeannette Exter, Lois 

Fernkes, Mary Foley, Cheryl 

Grove, Catherine Hormozi, Wendy 

Matulich, Karen Rebelo, Joann 

Sinclaire, Emily Velez-Confer, and 

DRIVERS AND HELPERS HONORED: Drivers and helpers who travel thousands 

of miles each year to pick up much-needed donations of usable household 

goods and business items were honored for their outstanding performance. 

From left, Juan Carlos Saldana, St. Vincent de Paul Village fleet manager; Carlos 

Sanchez, driver of the year; Joseph Nay, helper of the year; Eric Robertson, driver 

safety honoree; Robert DeFalco, driver safety honoree; Oscar Jenks, driver safety 

honoree; Victor Gonzalez, driver safety honoree. Not pictured: Landrian Ashe, 

Ronald Gonzalez, and Daniel Tinoco, driver safety honorees. 

PEOPLE IN NEED PROGRAM: Sempra Energy Foundation's Executive Director 

Frank Urtasun, left, presents Father Joe and Vince Kasperick, chairman of the 

board for St. Vincent de Paul Village, with a check for $35,000 to support meals 

and shelter. The People in Need Program is part of a $1.5 million initiative by 

Sempra Energy Foundation and the Sempra Energy family of companies to help 

people in need. 

Joyce Zampese. 

The event was organized by 

Diane Montag and Lucy Laurain. 

Potluck meeting 

The brightest and loveliest 

flowers could be found on June 8, 

2009, at the Mission Basilica San 

Diego de Alcala in Mission Valley. 

What a bouquet! Flowers 

decorated the tables, plates, napkins 

and tablecloths – all for the annual 

Village Ladies Guild Potluck. Along 

with flowers was our bouquet of 

Ladies Guild members, brightening 

up the room, ready to enjoy a short 

business meeting led by the new 

president Kathy McKinley. 

Laura Kojima, Volunteer 

Services program manager, 

thanked members for all their 

support and hard work. McKinley 

led members in a heartfelt round 

of “Happy Birthday” to celebrate 

Kojima’s birthday. 

Father Joe arrived in time to enjoy 


The Village Ladies Guild was honored at the St. Vincent de Paul Village annual 

volunteer appreciation event. From left, Kathy McKinley, incoming Ladies Guild 

president; Laura Kojima, Volunteer Services program manager; ‘Father Joe’; Ruth 

Bruland, division director, St. Vincent de Paul Village; and Joyce Ellison, outgoing 

Ladies Guild president. 

the wonderful potluck goodies. 

He shared a few words on how his 

foot was healing and talked about 

the next building project (See story, 

page 15). 15th & Commercial will 

to support and spread awareness 

about helping our neighbors in 

need is the same. 

“I’m excited to be a part of RISE 

because it’s an opportunity to get 

involved in a fun and philanthropic 

way,” notes Eliza Hook, St. Vincent’s 

case manager and RISE member. 

The mission of RISE is “to 

engage, empower and educate 

San Diego’s emerging leaders to 

support our neighbors in need.” 

start construction this year. 

Emily Velez-Confer is the 

production/traffic coordinator at 


Young professionals RISE to help out 

STRIKES FOR TYKES 

More than 70 guests attended strikes for Tykes – the first Rise 

event held april 15 at east Village Tavern + Bowl in downtown 

san Diego. 

attendees brought diapers to donate to homeless mothers 

at st. Vincent de Paul Village. The group collected 1,769 diapers, 

which is almost an entire year’s supply of diapers for one child. 

Door prizes for the event were donated by City DigZ, 

Beaumont’s, Zanzibar Café, Pierre’s Place, Turquoise Coffee, 

starbucks, Movin shoes, east Village Tavern + Bowl, The Kebab 

shop and it’s a grind. 

To learn more about Rise and upcoming events, visit 

www.risesandiego.org, or email info@risesandiego.org to be 

added to the group’s mailing list. 

The group aims “to create fun 

philanthropic opportunities for 

emerging community leaders; build 

a network of people willing to share 

their time, talents and treasure; and 

to educate the public about the face 

of homelessness.” 

Miriam H. DiBiase is the board 

liaison at Father Joe’s Villages.

2009 

REGISTRATION FORM 

Father Joe’s 2009 Thanksgiving Day 5K 

Mail-in Deadline: 11/7/09 One entry form per person; photocopies accepted. 

This form is NOT VALID after 11/7/09. On race day, use form provided at registration table. 

r Participant r Team Name r Team Leader 

r Pledge Supporter r FJV Employee Years participating 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 

Please print clearly 

First Name Last Name 

Address City 

State Zip Email Phone 

Gender M | F Age on race day 

Minimum Entry Donation 

Children under age 5 on race day are free 

Adult $28 after 11/7– $31 | Child $16 after 11/7 – $21 

Payment Information 

Make checks payable to St. Vincent de Paul Village 

r Check enclosed r Visa r MasterCard rAmEx r Discover 

Please PRINT name on credit card 

First Name Last Name 

F ather J oe' s 

Thanksgiving Day 

5K Run/Walk 

November 26, 2009 

8 a.m. Start at Balboa Park, 

San Diego, CA 

Annual Father Joe Carroll 

Bobblehead Collectible 

Mail Entry Forms and Payment to: Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day Run, c/o WB Productions, 

PO Box 1868 Fallbrook, CA 92088 

Credit card # Exp. Date Security Code (back of card) 

Signature ____________________________________________________________________Date ___/____/___ 

Entry Donation ... $ 

Donation.................. $ 

Pie Order ................ $ 

Total $ 

WAIVER – Must be signed or application will be rejected. In consideration of accepting this entry I, the undersigned intending to be legally bound, hereby, for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, waive and 

release any and all rights and claims for damages I may have against St. Vincent de Paul Village, Father Joe’s Villages, KOZ Enterprises, City of San Diego and any and all sponsors and their representatives, successors, 

officers, and assigns for any and all injuries sustained and suffered by me during this run. I verify that I’m physically fit and sufficiently trained for this event and my physical condition has been verified by a licensed 

medical doctor. I consent to receive medical treatment, which may be deemed advisable in the event of injury or illness during the event. I understand that in the event this run cannot be held as scheduled due to act of 

God or circumstances beyond control, such as a national emergency, the run is not liable to refund any money paid by me to participate. I grant full permission to St. Vincent de Paul Village and/or Father Joe’s Villages to 

use any photographs, video tapes, or other recordings of me that are made during the course of this event. 

I have read and understand the above statement and hereby agree to the terms set forth therein. 

Participant’s Signature ___________________________________________________________________________________ Date ___/____/___ 

Guardian Signature ______________________________________________________________________________________ Date ___/____/___ 

(for participants under 18) 

Entries from minors will only be accepted with parent or legal guardian’s signature. 

Failure to sign the above agreement invalidates registration. 

VN5K09 


REGISTRATION 

Nov. 7 

Early-bird registration 

deadline to receive your 

race number free of charge 

by mail. 

After Nov. 7 

Pick up numbers Saturday, 

Nov. 21 from 1-4pm 

at Road Runner Sports 

located at 5553 Copley 

Dr., San Diego 92111 or 

Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 

2-5pm at Balboa Park’s 

Spreckels Organ Pavilion 

Race numbers may also 

be picked up Thanksgiving 

morning at the Spreckels 

Organ Pavilion from 

6:30-7:45am. 

MINIMUM DONATION 

Age 13 & up 

$28 through Nov. 7 

$31 after 

Age 6-12 

$16 through Nov. 7 

$21 after 

Age 5 and under 

Free 

Online registration 

Closes on Nov. 24 at 

11:59p.m. 

RACE DAY 

6:30 a.m. 

Event day registration 

opens, race numbers 

available 

7 a.m. 

Continental breakfast 

available, pick-up T-shirts 

8 a.m. 

Race starts 

8:30 a.m. 

Fun at the finish line 

begins with the Bill 

Magee Blues Band, free 

beer garden, Father Joe 

signing his bobbleheads, 

pie samples, and more! 

BOBBLEHEAD 

The Annual Father Joe 

Carroll Bobblehead 

Collectible is yours when 

you donate or collect 

pledges of $100 or more. 

Bobbleheads will be 

available for pick-up at 

the event. Collectibles not 

picked up will be mailed 

to the address you provide 

with your donation.

20 


Planned Giving FAST 

Yes, I want to know more about Planned Gifts! 

Please send me more information on how a Planned Gift to 

Father Joe’s Villages ® will benefit benefit me. me. 

Bequest Pooled Income Fund Life Estate 

Charitable Remainder Trust Bank Account Benefit IRAs/Life Insurance 

I / We named Father Joe’s Villages in our estate plans. 

Name 

Address 

City State Zip 

Phone ( ) E-mail me at: 

Please detach and send to: Joseph Perucca, Planned Giving Officer 

Father Joe’s Villages®, 3350 E Street, San Diego, CA 92102-3332 

FACTS 

Please make your choice 

of Father Joe´s Villages: 





Toussaint Academy of 

the Arts and Sciences 

A Children’s Village 

Rancho San Vincente 

National AIDS Foundation 

/Josue Homes 

Your charitable gift to Father Joe’s Villages is a personal expression of your goals, interests, and 

beliefs. whatever the size or form of your gift, we will work with you and your financial advisors to 

prepare a plan that reflects your interests and objectives and provides maximum benefits both to 

you and to Father Joe’s Villages. 

Focused giving makes contribution ‘more personal’ 

Kyle, TAAS graduate and Stumm 

Scholarship recipient. 

Estate planning isn’t easy. 

Writing a will, talking with your 

attorney, deciding how to allocate 

your assets and all of the other 

decisions involved in planning 

your estate can be a stressful and 

time-intensive exercise. But there’s 

an easy way to designate the 

beneficiary of your bank accounts 

that only takes a trip to the bank. 

You may designate Father Joe’s 

Villages or its partner agencies as 

beneficiaries on a variety of savings, 

credit union, money market, 

stumm scholarship fund supports Toussaint teens 


When Barbara Stumm and 

her husband, Jim, first heard 

Father Joe speak at the Church of St. 

Mary Magdalene in San Diego, they 

knew St. Vincent’s was a charity 

they wanted to support. “It was a 

natural fit for us,” Barbara recalls. 

“We took a tour of St. Vincent’s, and 

that’s when we started to just give 

general gifts.” 

After her husband passed away, 

Barbara decided she wanted to 

focus her support on fulfilling 

a specific need. Thanks to her 

husband’s success as a businessman, 

she was able to establish a fund to 

provide scholarships to Toussaint 

Academy students. 

“I think it’s vitally important 

for everyone to get an education,” 

she says. “A college degree is an 

accomplishment even if you don’t 

pursue what you studied. So many 

more opportunities are open to 

you if you have an education.” 

To date, 11 formerly homeless 

students graduating from the 

county-run school at Toussaint 

Academy of the Arts and Sciences 

have benefitted from the Stumm 

Scholarship fund – and every one 

of them has gone on to college. 

Among them is Kyle, a 2008 

graduate who is currently attending 

City College with a goal of entering 

the field of biotech engineering. 

“People look at you differently 

when you have a degree,” Kyle 

Naming bank account beneficiary is easy way to give 

POD/TOD accounts or other 

bank accounts. With a beneficiary 

agreement, funds remaining in 

your accounts when they are 

closed would benefit the Village of 

your choice as a charitable gift. 

This arrangement allows the 

transfer of your assets while 

avoiding probate, saving your 

beneficiaries time and money. You 

can also set up several separate 

accounts designated for different 

beneficiaries; for example, one 

account can be set aside for funeral 

expenses, another for family 

members, and another for Father 

Joe’s Villages. 

If your will doesn’t match 

your bank account designations, 

this may cause problems when 

allocating your estate. 

Designating a bank account 

beneficiary can take some of the 

sweat out of estate planning. Speak 

with your banking representative 

or contact our Planned Giving 

office for more information. n 

notes. “I really think it’s important 

to further my education, to have 

college on my resume.” 

Elizabeth, also a 2008 Toussaint 

graduate and Stumm Scholarship 

recipient, agrees. 

“It’s really important to build a 

good foundation for your future,” 

she says. “With just a few years 

of school, you can get a degree, 

start your own business and help 

other people.” Elizabeth notes that 

receiving financial aid such as the 

Stumm Scholarship has helped 

her pay for classes and books that 

she would not otherwise be able 

to afford. 

Barbara is glad to be helping so 

many students, and advises others 

who want to support one of Father 

Sherrill Baker 

Miles Blaine 

Madeline Branch 

Joseph Roger Carey 

Rose Crisci 

James Troy Davis 

Joe’s Villages’ partners to take a 

tour and decide specifically what 

programs they want to help. 

“Focus on how you want your 

gift to be used,” she suggests. 

“Giving to a specific program is 

more personal, and that makes it 

more meaningful.” 

To arrange for a tour or to 

receive more information on 

setting up an endowment or 

scholarship fund for Toussaint 

Academy or another of Father’s 

Joe’s Villages partner agencies, 

please contact Joseph Perucca 

at 619.446.2143 or email 

joe.perucca@neighbor.org. n 

Miriam H. DiBiase is the board 

liaison at Father Joe’s Villages. 

Kindly remember in prayer these friends of 

Father Joe’s Villages who left legacies to 

help our neighbors in need. 

Cecilia Louise Goodbody 

Andrew Wesley Long 

Bernadette A. Pollak 

Raymond J. Prell 

Virginia Risch 

Lorraine K. White 

Estate Planning 

Using beneficiaries’ full names – spelled correctly – and 

including up-to-date addresses is half the battle in creating 

an indisputable estate plan. If you have remembered one 

of Father Joe’s Villages in your plan, check your documents 

and be sure this information is current and accurate: 

Father Joe’s Villages 

3350 e street, san Diego, Ca 92102-3332 • Tax ID 33-0492304 




83791 Date avenue, indio, Ca 92201-4737 • Tax ID 33-1777892 



National AIDS Foundation/Josue Homes 


Questions: Contact Joseph Perucca at 

619.446.2143 or jperucca@neighbor.org.

Health center welcomes new directors - Father Joe's Villages

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