FC_NoD_Program_2016_R5

Family Connections

Night of Dreams

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Family Connections

A Parent Child Education Center

Building a Path to Achievement

Join us at one of our monthly Open
Houses and see our programs in action!

Family Connections’ staff and board invite you
to observe classes in session, tour our campus,

and see how we are preparing children and
their families for school success.

Go deeper, become involved and support
a bright future for children and families!
Please call Suzie Sheedy, Development

Director, for more information.

(650) 556-9503 ext. 117 or [email protected]

Evening Events

6:30 Hosted wine & beer reception
Raffle ticket and Wine Pull sales

7:15 Doors open for dinner

7:45 Welcome from Night of Dreams Co-Chairs,
Amy & Eric Sahn and Angela & Miguel Espinosa

Three-Course Dinner

8:30 Family Connections’ Interim Executive Director,
Regina Neu

Raffle winners announced

Video Presentation

Master of Ceremonies, the Honorable Joe Simitian,
Santa Clara County Supervisor and former California
State Senator

Keynote Speaker, Ted Lempert, Executive Director of
Children Now

Family Connections’ Parent Speakers, Claudia Cueller,
Nancy Torres and Jiobany Recinos

9:15 Fund-a-Need — Directly support our programs for
children and their families

9:30 Thank you for attending Family Connections’ 5th Annual
Night of Dreams

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Welcome to Family Connections’ Night of Dreams

February 23, 2016

Dear Friends,

It is an honor to welcome you to
Family Connections’ 5th Annual Night
of Dreams. We invite you to celebrate
and support the important work our
organization is doing on behalf of our
community’s low-income families and
their children.

We are excited to be joined this evening
by two Family Connections families as
well as two special guests who know
a great deal about building essential
community partnerships to support
meaningful educational advances. Our Emcee, Joe Simitian, has
championed the importance of education as a School Board
President, Mayor, County Supervisor, State Assembly Member,
and State Senator. Tonight’s keynote speaker, Ted Lempert,
also a respected former State Assembly Member and County
Supervisor, is the President of Children Now, a national research
and advocacy organization. I know their passion and insights will
enlighten our evening together and move us to action on behalf
of our community’s underserved children.

Thank you for joining us on our Night of Dreams. Your
attendance this evening signals an affinity for our mission. On
behalf of our Board of Directors I invite you to explore a deeper
partnership with Family Connections. There are many children
and families who stand to directly benefit from your investment
as a donor, advocate, volunteer or advisor. Your contributions will
help us make dreams come true and build brighter futures.

Sincerely,

Nic Kiyasu
President, Board of Directors
Family Connections

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Event Sponsors

Dream Makers

Anonymous Angela and Miguel Espinosa
Andrea and Andy Ballard Bonnie Matlock and Tod Francis
DJM Capital Partners, Inc.
Amy and Eric Sahn

Inspired Believers

Julie and Steve Bram Meg and Stuart McLaughlin
Burlingame Mothers’ Club Sandy and Mark Moore
Seed Mackall, LLP
Nic and Dave Kiyasu

Creative Achievers

John and Nancy Jo Cappetta Angela and Nick Kalayjian
Cargill Salt Leslie and Matthew Mayerson
Menlo Atherton Cooperative
The Carter-Atkin Family
Debbie and Paul Denton Nursery School
Michelle and Bill Futornick Lee and Kim Scheuer

All-Stars

Missy and Rich Bechtel Annie Luetkemeyer and
BKF Engineers Ben Coughlin​
BNBT Builders
Patty and Bryant Macy​
Sarah and Du Chai Karen Manship
Gretchen and Wally Cheng
Melinda and Rick Osterloh
Kate and Eric Dachs Courtney, Phillips & Associates, CPAS
Philip Dur and Tina Clarke Dur
Tamara Pow, Strategy Law LLP
Gene and Maria Frantz​ San Mateo Council of Parent
Janet and Richard Hart Participation Nursery Schools
Joyce and Tatum Real Estate, Dwell
Latino Community Foundation Chris Schin and Tammy Tompkins
The Studio Shop

Wilkinson Preservation Team

Scholars

Capiraso Group, Inc. James and Jacqui Inglis
Carlmont Parents Picole Lamarre
Nursery School
Little Wonders—A Parent-Child
Mira and Mike Carrington Center
Chen Financial Group, LLC
Alisa and Neil MacAvoy
Steven and Carol Elliott Jane P. Relyea
Jack Fitzpatrick
Lindsay and Laurie Parton
Dani Gasparini and Alyn Beals

Special Thank You

Veronika Gulchin, See My World Photography
Lambert Bridge Winery

Susan Powell, Powell Design Group

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Master of Ceremonies

Joe Simitian was elected to the Santa Clara
County Board of Supervisors in 2012. He represents
the Fifth Supervisorial District, which includes
Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain
View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, and portions
of Sunnyvale and San Jose. He currently serves as
Chair of the Finance and Government Operations
Committee and Vice Chair of the Health and
Hospitals Committee.

Joe’s public service over the years includes stints
as a member of the California State Senate, the
California State Assembly, Mayor of Palo Alto,
President of the Palo Alto School Board, and an
earlier term on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

During his years in the State Legislature, Joe authored landmark legislation
on energy, water, environment, education, privacy, elder protection, and
highway safety.

Joe received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with academic honors, from The
Colorado College. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in International
Policy Studies from Stanford University; a Master of City Planning degree
from the University of California at Berkeley; and a Juris Doctor law degree
from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall).

Keynote Speaker

Ted Lempert is the President of Children Now, a
national research and advocacy organization based
in Oakland. A former California State Assembly
member, Mr. Lempert served on several state-wide
education committees and had more than 75 bills
signed by Governors Deukmejian, Wilson and Davis,
including major laws in the areas of education,
health care, children and families, tax policy and
the environment. During his time on the San Mateo
County Board of Supervisors, Mr. Lempert was the
founder of the County’s Youth Commission and
chaired the Task Force on Violence Against Women.
Prior to holding public office, Mr. Lempert was
special counsel and an associate for the law firm
of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton in San Francisco. He has been
recognized for his service to the education community by the California
School Boards Association, the National Association of Educational Service
Agencies, the California Association of School Administrators, California
Community College Faculty and the UC and CSU Students Associations. He
graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs and earned his law degree from Stanford University.

4

Family Speaker Bios

Claudia Cueller and her son Chris, now two
years old, began coming to Family Connections
in 2015. Ten years earlier, Claudia, then eighteen,
came to the United States from El Salvador with
her ten-year-old brother to reunite with their
mother. Claudia developed her English through
classes in Menlo Park at what is now JobTrain
before working for several restaurants and as
a floral arranger/decorator. When she and her
husband, Alfredo, had Chris, Claudia decided
care for her son full-time during the day until he
turns three while taking classes in the evenings.
Claudia is currently expanding her English education at Cañada College
and plans to pursue a degree and a career, allowing her to provide a better
future for her family.

Nancy Torres and Angel Jiobany Recinos have
two children, Ricky, aged six, and Ana, aged
five. Both children have participated in Family
Connections’ Preschool. Ricky is also in our
Young Scholars Program. Jiobany was born
in Guatemala and has lived in the Bay Area
for more than fifteen years. Jiobany works in
construction and is attending English classes in
the evening through JobTrain with hopes of one
day working in a technical field. Nancy came
to the United States at the age of four with
her parents and has lived locally for more than two decades. As a teenager,
her dad encouraged her to do her best in school. Nancy, a bookkeeper,
attends Cañada College. She is looking forward to transferring to a four-year
university to earn a degree in accounting. Jiobany and his wife, Nancy, were
brought together by a common love of music, meeting each other in a Menlo
Park choir.

5

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Dear Eric and Amy,

We are so proud of all you do for Family Connections!

Thank you for providing hope for a brighter future
to the students and their families.

With love and admiration,
Julie & Steve Bram

(310) 867-2904
10250 Constellation Blvd., Suite 2700

Los Angeles, CA 90067
[email protected] • www.gspartners.com

7

8

The Sahn Family congratulates
Family Connection and their Young Scholars

program for another great year!
These programs continue
to be a vital resource for
families in our community.

Keep up the wonderful work.

9

Lambert Bridge is a small, family-owned winery located
in the heart of Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley.
We craft small-production bottlings of artisanal,
Bordeaux-style blends and varietals, each reflecting an
individual and distinctive identity that is consistent,
vintage to vintage.
Drop by for a wine flight at the tasting bar, reserve a

Bordeaux-varietal tasting in our Redwood Barrel Room,
picnic in our peaceful gardens, or plan your visit around one

of our signature food and wine pairing experiences.

Open daily 10:30am to 4:30pm
www.lamberbridge.com 707.431.9600

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Our firm proudly supports Mergers and Acquisitions
•
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Securities Offerings
Thank you, Amy and Eric, for all that you do. •

Seed Mackall LLP, Santa Barbara’s preeminent business Technology Licensing
law firm, provides experienced counseling on a wide and Startups
range of complex business and real estate transactions. •

1332 Anacapa Street, Suite 200 • Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Capital Formation Expertise
(805) 963-0669 •

Real Estate
•

Estate Planning
•

Employment Law
•

Litigation

MaalisksnrtudkeapfdtpafoonoFn,dratovthmSroaasiallnuynnknfddtCoyetcorheoMnertmnsohet,moeecpirarittaceimorohneewnesnngro!ttosusi,tln,dog

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It is in honor to
celebrate the amazing

work that Family
Connections does for

our community.
Michelle, Bill, Aviva and

Shira Futornick

high-density, flexible I.T. colocation
solutions in Silicon Valley

http://www.colovore.com/

We are proud to support
Family Connections and the
Board, staff and honorees of
such a great organization.

Tamara B. Pow

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The Burlingame Mothers’ Club is pleased to support
the work of Family Connections. We celebrate Family

Connections’ commitment to enriching the lives of
young children and their families. Family Connections is
making a difference each and every day and we could
not be more proud to be a supporter of their schools,

programming and educational goals.

244 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
650-344-1378 thestudioburlingame.com

Joyce Romeo & Tatum Clark
www.joyceandtatum.com

Joyce: 650-888-4366 • [email protected]

Tatum: 650-714-5852 • [email protected]

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THANK YOU

to all the volunteers
and community

members for their
many hours of support

for our families and
our program.

Bunker Hill Nursery School
Carlmont Parents Nursery School

Family Connections
Little Hands
Little Wonders

Open Gate Nursery School
Redwood Parents Nursery School
Sequoia Parents Nursery School
St. Paul’s Nursery School
United Methodist Church Nursery School
Woodside Parents Nursery School

graphic design • logos • branding Thank you
brochures • ads • posters • etc
rhinodesignworks.net for attending the 5th Annual Night of
Dreams dinner and celebration fund-
raiser. Your involvement and support

help make dreams come true!

The Family Connections Board &
Staff

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2016 Family Connections Board of Directors

Nic Kiyasu, President Picole Lamarre
Gretchen Cheng, Secretary Angela Kalayjian
Sandy Moore, Treasurer Karen Manship
Andrea Ballard Nisha Somani
Angela Espinosa

Family Connections Advisory Board

Carrie Du Bois Memo Morantes
Rabbi Nat Ezray John Seybert
Don Horsley Jo-Ann Sockolov
Steven Kaufman Dr. Sally Stewart
Fiona Ma Sister Trinitas Hernandez
Alisa MacAvoy

2016 Night of Dreams Host Committee

Amy & Eric Sahn, Co-chairs Bonnie Matlock
Angela & Miguel Espinosa, Co-chairs Mireille McKee
Debbie Denton Patty Macy
Philip Dur and Tina Clarke Dur Leslie Mayerson
Cathy Guglielmi Meg McLaughlin
Annie Luetkemeyer Joyce Romeo
Alisa MacAvoy Aimee Swanson

All of our Wine Pull Donors In-kind Donors
Andrea and Andy Ballard
Tim Barn Vineyards Oakland A’s
John Bentley’s Rosewood Sand Hill
Angela and Miguel Espinosa San Francisco Giants
Lambert Bridge Winery Sheraton Palo Alto
Sandy and Mark Moore Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry
Westin Palo Alto
Brightlighter Productions
Capiraso Group, Inc Special Thanks
Jon Emerson Productions, Inc.
Susana Lerner, Susler Sales Jen Maravillas, Stella & Dot
Jill Reinemann, Rhino Design Works
Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club

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Vision

Our vision is that whole communities thrive when children and parents—
regardless of their circumstances—are educated and supported to reach
their greatest potential.

Mission

Our mission is to provide underserved children, their families, and their
communities with the early childhood education and ongoing support they
need to grow, dream, and achieve.

About Family Connections

Family Connections provides educational services to low-income families
including tuition-free preschool, parent education, links to community
services as well as support to children and their parents throughout K-12,
building a path to achievement and giving them the tools and resources they
need for success.

Over 600 individuals, many of whom are English learners, attend Family
Connections annually at our three Northern California locations in East Palo
Alto, East Menlo Park and Redwood City.

Founded in 1993, Family Connections has instilled a culture of learning for
thousands of children and parents. We empower parents to become active
participants in their child’s education, while their children gain the skills they
need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.

Board & Staff

Lorena Alcayaga, Case Coordination Supervisor/Teacher
Laura Ambrose, Teacher
Betsy Carter, Volunteer Coordinator
Vanessa Drebin, Substitute Teacher
Yareni Hernandez, Parent Recruiter
Arely Huitron, Registrar
Angela Jaime, Teacher
Yadira Mederos de Cardenas, Teacher
Stephanie Moody, Information and Technology Coordinator
Ruth Pinkus-Resnik, Education Director
Marsha Quita, Program Administrative Assistant
Suzie Sheedy, Development Director
Amelia Stone, Development Administrator
Margarita Ventura, Teacher
Carrie Wolk, Substitute Teacher
Lynette York, Finance Director
Miriam Yupanqui, Young Scholars Program Coordinator
Regina Neu, Interim Executive Director

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Family Connections

A Parent Child Education Center

Building a Path to Achievement

VALUES STATEMENT

Equality in Education
We believe all individuals should have equal access to high quality
education that includes opportunities for growth and success regardless
of socio-economic status.

Building from Strength
We value a strength-based approach to supporting our families, staff
and board that builds on their talents and abilities as a way to foster
confidence, growth and success.

Empowering Families
We empower the families we serve by connecting them to community
resources and encouraging lifelong learning.

Advocating for Children
With each child’s best interest at heart, we partner with parents to build
the passion and determination needed to be advocates for their children.

Collaborating with the Community
We collaborate with members of our community in an effort to provide
the best ideas, resources and services to better serve our children and
families.

Honoring Diversity
We value diversity and we respect the traditions, heritages and
experiences of our families, staff, board and volunteers.

CLASSROOM LOCATIONS www.facebook.com/
peninsulafamilyconnections
Belle Haven Elementary School Site
415 Ivy Drive, P16 www.familyconnections.org
(corner of Chilco Street & Hamilton Avenue)
Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-369-6467

East Palo Alto Site Family Connections
1070 Beech Street P.O. Box 358
(corner of Beech and Pulgas Avenue) San Carlos, CA 94070
East Palo Alto, CA 94303

Redwood City Site
414 Fourth Avenue
(off Middlefield Road)
Redwood City, CA 94063

Family Connections is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) Tax I.D. #94-3315163