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Casa Teresa!
Click Here to Help
Address:
P.O. Box 429
Orange, CA 92856
Phone:
714-538-4860 Fax:
714-744-6409
Email:
info@casateresa.com

©2003-2009
Casa Teresa.
|
Oct. 13, 2009

|
NBC
Los Angeles - Channel 4
“OC Bargain-Hunters Score Thrifty Deals”
By Vikki Vargas
ORANGE - Everything old is new again.
They stop by in between classes, fondling
the denim and silk, looking for a bargain. Students at
Chapman
University
are shopping at a second-hand store that comes to them twice a week.
The tented store sells jeans for $6
and sweaters for $4, all in the name of charity. It's run by Casa Teresa,
a shelter for pregnant homeless women. All the clothing is donated by other
resale stores.
And it's not just Casa Teresa,
which clears about $4,000 a month at the kiosk. Goodwill has seen its annual
sales grow to $32 million in
Orange
County.
For deal hunters who can't make it
into a brick-and-mortar location, shopgoodwill.com has more than 10,000
listings.
Plus, armed with some thrifty
pointers, Goodwill shoppers can scoop up quite a few bargains:
Stop in frequently since most shops have
a constant turnover of merchandise.
Talk to sales staff and find out which
days new merchandise is put out for sale. That way, you'll get the first
opportunity to get the best merchandise. Many Goodwills put out new
merchandise daily, so serious shoppers may want to stop in on a regular basis
to find out what's new.
Introduce yourself to the staff, and
ask them about items you're looking for or what they would suggest as a good
buy. Establish yourself as a regular customer and the staff may even call you
to let you know when certain items arrive in the store.
Find out store policies on markdowns,
holds and the methods of payment your Goodwill accepts. If policies aren't
posted, ask the sales staff about them.
For
the Online Version – Click Here |
Oct. 13-15, 2009,


|
NBC
Los Angeles - Channel 4
OC Bargain-Hunters Score Thrifty Deals
By Vikki Vargas
(STORY AIRED THREE TIMES) |
Oct. 12, 2008

|
The
Panther
“Day of Service Helps Community, City”
By Kerrianne Rivas
For some
students and alumni, making bandanas for dogs at OC Animal Care is a better use
of a Sunday morning than sleeping in. Several students sat in groups of three to four, cutting strips of
fabric and writing phrases on them such as “Adopt Me” for homeless dogs at
the animal shelter. “I’m here to give
back and help out the dogs that need a home,” said Alberto M. Lacayo-Herrera,
a 2004 alumnus.
This is all part of the first Chapman Day of Service, hosted by Student Civic
Engagement, which began around 9 a.m. yesterday as a kick off to Chapman’s
Give A Little Bit campaign. More than
a hundred volunteers headed to five off-campus sites including: Casa
Teresa, Mary’s Kitchen, YMCA of Orange, Pretend City Children’s Museum,
and the Santa Ana Youth Expo. Many also stayed on campus to do projects, like
making bandanas. “Service to the community
is a responsibility we all have,” said Chris Hutchison, associate director of
Student and Campus Life. Cherry On
Top, Belshire Environmental Services, Inc., Sodexo and Watson Drug and Soda
Fountain were a few of the event’s sponsors.
Chapman’s past Make a Difference Days were organized similarly to the Day of
Service, but did not involve as many students, said Justin Koppelman, program
coordinator for Student Civic Engagement. This year the program is pushing short-term activities to create a
foundation for students to continue volunteering beyond one-day events,
Koppelman said. The Give A Little Bit
campaign is a two-year service commitment by Chapman to give 150,000 hours of
community service to
Orange
County in celebration
of Chapman’s 150th anniversary in 2011, according to the university’s Web
site.
President Jim Doti said that he thinks Chapman can exceed the 150,000 hour
goal at the Day of Service opening ceremony. Mayor of Orange Carolyn Cavecche thanked Chapman and said later that
service is needed now more than ever because of the economy.
The event ended at 12:30 p.m. with a volunteer fair where students could talk
with representatives from community agencies and have lunch provided by
Sodexo. Senior Marisa Conner, service
program assistant, said some students remain in a college bubble. “As college students, it is our civic duty
to use our knowledge and expertise to go and help our community,” she said.
For Online
Version – Click Here |
Oct. 5, 2008

|
The
Panther
“Non-Profit Organizations Look for
Funding”
By Caroline Stegner
After taking a
semester off of work, senior Connor McGinn did not expect many people to
remember him. But when he entered the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center,
a 4-year-old boy knew who entered the building just at the sound of his
voice. Since 2007, McGinn has provided
tutoring services at the non-profit, which is currently suffering from the
poor economy. Chapman students like
McGinn have shown an interest in volunteering and working at non-profits for
internship credit or to simply lend a hand. But while interest is up, funding
is not.
Organizations like the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center in
Santa
Ana, and Casa Teresa in
Orange lost funding in 2008. Individual
donations dropped because of the economic downturn, forcing the non-profits
to rely on more support from foundations and government agencies. To
counteract the economic situation, non-profits are increasing fundraising
efforts and applying to more foundations for grants. According to Natalie Bishop, program
officer for Orange County Community Foundation and a 2006 alumna, the need
for services like food, shelter and housing assistance is much greater
because of the lack of funds. “[Non-profits] really have to re-think fundraising. A lot of the time
they’ll just do one gala, but no one is going,” said Bishop. “They just have
to be more creative.”
Non-profits are generally comprised of charities or service organizations
which use funds to assist others and pursue the goals of their mission statement.
Funding typically comes from three different areas: government agencies,
foundations and primarily individual donations, Bishop said.
Bishop has noticed a trend in non-profit organizations cutting or creating
different plans for staff to save money. For example, some programs are using
part-time staff or are sharing staffers among themselves, she said. “Two non-profits will use one person and
split the cost,” said Bishop. “There’s a lot more collaboration, which is a
good thing anyways.”
The Orange County Community Foundation provides several grant programs for
struggling non-profits. The program typically gives $20-$25 million a year to
non-profits, with only $1 million of the total from its own endowment and the
rest from donors.
The organization was directly affected by the economic downturn, Bishop said.
Compared to the usual $800,000 raised, the program only gave $250,000 this
year. But by increasing its effort to attract donors from the community they
serve, the organization was able to raise $830,000 in April 2009, Bishop
said. “We’re a little bit like a
bank,” Bishop said. “People give us money whenever they want and get a tax
deduction.”
Non-profits like the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center
have also noticed a decline in funding. The organization focuses on aiding
blind and visually impaired pre-school children from 6 months to 6 years old.
However, the organization also provides services to students up to 21 years
old.
Kim Neuhauser, president and executive director of the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center, noticed individual donors and
corporations decreasing financial support in October 2008. Two of the
Center’s events, a golf tournament run by Johnson & Johnson and a 5K
walk, did not raise as much money as in previous years, she said. The two events raised a total of $107,000
in the 2007-08 fiscal year, while only $78,000 was raised in the 2008-09
fiscal year, Neuhauser said.
She received the first clue that something was going on when Johnson &
Johnson cancelled the golf tournament for the 2009-10 fiscal year due to a
lack of funds.
“When we budgeted for this coming year, we budgeted very conservatively,”
Neuhauser said. “We expect this trend of fewer donations to continue next
year.”
During the 2007-08 fiscal year, the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center
raised $1,030,000 from individual donations, the government and corporations.
But for the 2008-09 fiscal year the program raised only $954,000, Neuhauser
said.
About $334 million of the state budget was cut from the Department of
Developmental Services, Neuhauser said. As a result, students with special
needs now receive two hours of service, instead of four, she said. “When children don’t get access to
education, particularly those who are visually impaired, they get so far
behind and it’s very hard for them to catch up,” Neuhauser said. “Budget cuts
are really devastating to the children.” McGinn decided to work at the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center
as a part of Chapman’s work-study program.
“Rather than pushing papers behind a desk I actually get to work with kids
and make a difference,” McGinn said. “It’s so much more interesting to work
with people.” McGinn often works as a
math and English tutor in a classroom of about six to 10 children. He also
plays with them, which usually involves working with textures like mud, water
or Velcro, he said.
“[The job] has nothing to do with my major. It’s just the fact that I get to
play with little kids all day,” McGinn said. “People get back from work and
[complain] that they had to do this and that, but I get to finger paint and
play with blocks.”
Like the Blind Children’s
Learning
Center, Casa Teresa provides services to the less fortunate, specifically pregnant and homeless
women. The program currently houses about 25 women who live in the homes for
a few months or up to two years, said Terri Anderson, finance manager
for Casa Teresa. Although
Anderson noticed
a downturn in individual donations beginning in summer 2008, she also saw
foundations providing more funding, she said.
“The foundations upped the ante a little bit, knowing that most non-profits
were going to see a downturn in individuals,” said
Anderson. “They kind of filled in
the gap.”
In the 2007-08 fiscal year, Casa Teresa received $559,916 from
individual donations, which decreased to $369,443 in the 2008-09 fiscal year,
according to
Anderson.
When the program noticed the decline in contributions, they decided to
increase fundraising efforts and applications to foundations for grants. Last year, Casa Teresa submitted
about four grant proposals each month, while this year about six are proposed
each month. The process of requesting a grant can take up to nine months to
be evaluated and accepted,
Anderson said. “Even though we know there’s
going to be a pull back, we’re going to apply for more [grants],”
Anderson said.
Senior Marisa Conner, service program assistant in the Department of Student
and Campus Life, started volunteering for Casa Teresa in fall 2007.
Conner was drawn to the organization’s purpose and proximity to campus, she
said. As a volunteer, Conner primarily worked as a baby sitter while the
mothers attended educational classes through Casa Teresa and went
grocery or clothing shopping.
This year, she
applied as an intern for Casa Teresa through Chapman’s internship
program to receive credit. Her duties as an intern include sitting in on
meetings and shadowing the house moms, which is the equivalent to a
supervisor in the homes. “The house
moms are basically in charge of everything that’s going on during the time
they’re on duty, like overseeing volunteers,” said Conner. “They kind of run
the place.”
The economic situation has not been entirely negative for non-profit
organizations, however.
Anderson said the program has seen an increase in students applying for internships,
mainly ones from Chapman, Cal State Fullerton and the University of Notre
Dame. In addition to interns, Casa Teresa has a strong base of support
and people who have volunteered for more than 30 years, she said. “Even though funding dipped a little, it’s
not like [the volunteers] are gone,” said
Anderson.
The Blind Children’s
Learning
Center has also seen a
rise in students applying for internships. Currently, the program has 14 Cal
State Fullerton interns and a couple of work-study students from Chapman,
Neuhauser said. The organization has also seen a rise in volunteers,
specifically people who are unemployed and want to do something constructive,
she said. Both non-profit organizations
have learned to cope with the current economic situation and have found ways
to make up for the loss of funds.
“We think
we’re coming out of the recession but still think we won’t see the full
benefits for nine months to a year,”
Anderson said. “But we’re hanging in there.”
For Online
Version – Click Here |
July / August 2009

|
The
Old
Towne
Orange
Plaza Review
Community Cares - “Reach Out and Help
Someone”
By Julie Bawden-Davis
CASA TERESA CLOTHING SALES
Casa Teresa
provides a temporary home and on-going support for pregnant women 18 years of
age and older who are alone. This
summer on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. they are selling clothes at the
Grand St. parking
lot across from First Presbyterian Church. Sales from the gently used clothes, shoes and purses, which run from
$2-$10, help provide diapers and toiletries for the organization. Contact Yvonne Aguilera at yaguilera@casateresa.com,
or 714.538.4860 x 20. |
May 2009

|
The
Orange
County
Catholic
“Casa Teresa Announces 2009 Mother of
the Year Honorees”
By Ashley Winters
DIOCESAN NEWS - Casa Teresa, a
nonprofit organization that provides a temporary home and ongoing support for
pregnant women aged 18 and older, is hosting the first Mother of the Year
Awards on Thursday, May 28, at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Casa Teresa will be
recognizing women in the community, as well as a Casa Teresa graduate, who have
balanced motherhood, community involvement, professional endeavors, and
philanthropy.
The event will include dinner,
presentations by family of each honoree, and the awards presentation.
This year’s honorees include Casa
Teresa co-founder Sally Sullivan, a mother of seven; mother of four Susan
Strader, an advocate for children, the arts and the community; and Frances
Carrillo, a former Casa Teresa resident who is a mother of three. All the
honorees represent Casa Teresa’s goal of empowering women to be independent
and to be good parents.
“We are pleased to recognize these
women and create awareness about Casa Teresa,” says Casa Teresa Announces
2009 Mother of the Year Honorees Casa Teresa Executive Director Stacey
Proctor. “I am looking forward to the
event and celebrating each honoree’s accomplishments with Casa Teresa and the
community.”
For the past 30 years, Casa Teresa has
been home to more than 2,300 pregnant women. Counseling and educational programs
prepare these women to make loving and informed life decisions for themselves
and their babies. The program has three separate residential programs: The
Parenting Program, the Adoption Program “Hannah’s House,” and the Transition
Program (Phase I and Phase II) for single mothers. The Casa Teresa experience
is transformational, offering women with no means of support the opportunity
to become self-sufficient and independent.
For information about the Mother of
the Year Dinner and Casa Teresa, call 714-538-4860
.

Frances
Carrillo Susan
Strader Sally
Sullivan
 
For
the Online Version – Click Here |
April 13, 2009

and
April
16, 2009

|
The
Orange
County
Register
and The
Orange
City News
“Students Lend a Hand at Casa Teresa”
By Pamela Sailor
ORANGE - Casa
Teresa, an Orange nonprofit organization that provides a temporary home
and ongoing support for pregnant women 18 and older, was recently selected to
be part of South Jr. High School’s annual Service Day.
The students were on spring break last week and volunteered their time to
come out and give back to the community.
Twenty students from the
Anaheim
school arrived at 8:45 a.m. Friday morning to plant donated flowers around
Casa Teresa’s facilities and cook in the kitchen. The noise of eager planters
and the smell of fresh-baked goods brightened the hearts of Casa Teresa’s
residents and staff. One of Casa Teresa’s residents, Trina said, “I feel so lucky
to have them here, even though I have to depend on myself, it is nice to
receive help and support.” For the past 30 years, Casa Teresa has been home
to more than 2,300 pregnant women. Counseling and educational programs
prepare these women to make loving and informed life decisions for themselves
and their babies. Information: 714-538-4860.
Pamela Sailor is marketing and special events manager for Casa Teresa.

South Jr.
High students help beautify the grounds at Casa Teresa in
Orange.

Students
present Casa Teresa flowers.
Anaheim
students help out in the kitchen.
Casa
Teresa resident Angie and baby Addison take time to smell the flowers.
CLICK Here to Read The Orange County Register Article Online
CLICK Here to Read The Orange City News Article Online
(View Page 7) |
Feb. 8, 2009

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“Hobby
Meets History at Museum’s Quilting Event”
By Jaimee Lynn Fletcher
SANTA ANA - The
Bowers
Museum displays
historic textiles and caters to local enthusiasts. A modern-day hobby mingled with a proud and
practical tradition on Sunday as dozens of
Orange
County quilters and enthusiasts
perused the
Bowers
Museum's "All
About Quilts" exhibit and quilt fair. Quilting demonstrations and vendors showed the art form's latest
techniques, while walls draped with vibrant and intricate quilts dating back
to 1775 outlined the history of how quilting came to be an American
tradition.
Today's
patchwork pieces are created to tell stories, encourage community involvement
and help various philanthropic causes, much like in the past, some quilters
said. Pioneer women in the early 1800s
sewed the patched blankets from pieces of old clothing as a necessity for
their families. The pastime also became a way for women to bond, according to
the exhibit.
Civil War-era
story quilts were said to be maps to lead slaves out of imprisonment. The
blankets would lead men and women through the Underground Railroad to safety,
the exhibit explained. Wives and
mothers of Civil War soldiers also made quilts for the men to use as bedding
when they were fighting in the field.
During the
Depression, quilting served as an economics-savvy hobby. Scraps of fabric
were collected and sewn together to make an impressive and eclectic piece of
art that also served a functional purpose, the exhibit showed.
Although
enthusiasm for quilting seemed to taper off in the 1950s and 1960s, the
founding principles of the hobby have inspired more than 400 Orange County
residents to join O.C.'s Quilters Guild, said Jeanne Sandow, 57, of Santa Ana. "It's a heritage," Sandow said.
"I have a quilt that my great-great-great-grandmother made from
1855. "It's also a great
pastime." Sandow has been
quilting since she was a teenager. The self-taught quilter's works are
meticulously pieced together with perfect, even stitching and colorful
patterns.
The quilting
guild, she said, is a good bonding experience for residents who share the
same passion. Guild members sometimes work on pieces together, much like the
pioneer women, and at other times create their own pieces to share at
meetings, Sandow said.
Peggy Calvert,
58, of
Orange
said today's quilting also maintains the historical storytelling function
while serving various philanthropic causes. "We've created quilts for local veterans and we've donated to
many charities including Casa Teresa," she said.
The guild also
created a quilt for a local library to encourage children to read, similar to
the Civil War-era quilts that acted as maps or family stories. "We created children's story-character
archetypes and hung it on the wall," she said. "That idea of
communicating through quilting was there."
Although some
techniques have changed over time, the O.C. Quilters Guild strives to hang on
to the centuries-old tradition that members hope will continue to be passed
on to future generations. "It's
just a great way to be part of your community," Calvert said.
The
Bowers
Museum's "American Quilts: 200
Years of Tradition" exhibit will be on display until March 15.
For Online Version – Click Here |
October 2008

|
The Journal
“Casa
Teresa: A Mother’s Day to Remember”
By: Tracy Thacker,
Casa Teresa Volunteer
A woman’s first Mother’s Day should be
unforgettable. For the expectant and
new mothers of Casa Teresa, a temporary home for pregnant women who are over
the age of 18 and alone, Mother’s Day truly was a celebration because members
of the Order of Malta were there to serve and share in this special day.
Hosted
and orchestrated by Knight Lou Oddo and his wife Diana, with Provisional
Knight, Terry McGaughan and his wife, Kathy, a bountiful, homemade, classic,
Italian lunch of lasagna was served and enjoyed by the mothers while they
socialized and played with their children. All present were thankful that
day, including one Casa Teresa mother, Lorena, whose life has been
drastically changed by the Casa Teresa program.
In her
earlier years, Lorena had been involved in drugs, which led to her being sent
to jail and losing custody of her twelve and nine year old daughters. After
being released, Lorena discovered she was pregnant, which was when she called
for help.
Located in
Orange,
California,
Casa Teresa is a safe haven for women over the age of 18 who find themselves
pregnant with nowhere to turn. Through the counseling, educational programs
and ongoing support Casa Teresa provides, Lorena has regained her
relationship with her two daughters, has a beautiful new son, and is able to
support herself. “They have helped me to redo my life, and to recover my
children,” Lorena expressed. “I feel so thankful that this place has given me
the opportunity to raise my boy.” Like many of the other 2,300 women that
Casa Teresa has helped during the last thirty years, Lorena is very thankful
for the help and support that Casa Teresa has provided for her.
Founded in 1976 by Neill and Sally Sullivan of
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in
Newport Beach,
California,
Casa Teresa has been home to thousands of women who have become self
sufficient and independent. Casa Teresa offers single mothers three,
separate, residential programs, The Parenting Program, The Adoption Program
(“Hannah’s House”), and the Transition Program (Phase I & II).
The goal at Casa Teresa is to assist
motivated, young women during their pregnancy to break the cycle of
dependency and abuse by providing psychological and career counseling,
financial and case management, education, and the tools for a successful
transition back into society. Women can stay at Casa Teresa for up to two
years. During this time mothers are supported while they strive to obtain a
job or further their education.
The members of the Order of
Malta
continue to support the goals of Casa Teresa by teaching nutrition classes to
the residents, encouraging the residents and hosting Mass. The grant monies that Casa Teresa receives
annually from the Order of Malta benefit the programs that Casa Teresa offers
its residents. The relationship between these two organizations continues to
grow.
“This
place gives them a second opportunity,” said Diana Oddo. “How many times can
you say that you received a second opportunity?” Without the support that
this sober and supportive environment provides, many mothers would not be in
the positive position they are in today.
For
the Online Version – Click Here |
Oct. 02 2008

|
The Orange
County
Register
“What’s On Our Minds”
By Minday Schauer and Paul Rodriguez
Frances Carrillo, 42,
Anaheim. "I work at Casa Teresa,
a home for single moms and teach a sexual integrity workshop once a week. I
see a lot of pain. Most woman are broken who use their bodies as an object
instead of a special and intricate part of their being. The media is
responsible." 
For
Online Version – Click Here |
Sept. 20 2008

|
The Orange
County
Register
“Girls Haul Trash for Diaper Cash and
Vaccines”
By Vic Jolly
The Norman girls' effort to raise money for a local
non-profit has led Pampers to donate 1,000 tetanus vaccines to UNICEF.
NORTH TUSTIN
- Tooth fairy money. Some shoe leather and elbow grease. And a fair amount of
stinky neighborhood trash. When the
idea took root in Claire Norman's head as she watched a Pampers commercial
during summer break, the 11-year-old could not have guessed how it would all
come together. The faces of the
"cute and cuddly" babies from various parts of the world on her
television screen are what got her attention, recalls the
Arroyo
Elementary School
fifth-grader.
Pampers had pledged to match each specially marked
bag of diaper purchased with a vaccine donation to UNICEF for babies and moms
in underdeveloped countries of the world. "Personally, I hate shots," said Claire, smiling through her
braces. But this seemed important. So,
over the next few days, she bugged her mother, Jane. Claire called her over
whenever the commercial played. Jane Norman, 40, a homemaker in the middle of
a divorce, her hands full raising Claire and her two younger sisters, Grace,
9, and Mary, 6, wondered what they could do. At first, mom had an "Oh, geez" moment. But Claire wasn't
giving up. "I thought if I could
get the diapers and give them to one of the babies who need them, then they
could get the shots," she recalled thinking.
Claire already had helped an elderly neighbor take
out her trash, so she thought if she could do that for some of their other
neighbors and raise some money, she could buy a bunch of diapers. Mom encouraged her and helped write out a
paragraph that explained the 1 pack of Pampers = 1 vaccine commercial. Grandma Peggy Van Steenhuyse suggested they
donate the diapers to Casa Teresa in Orange, a nonprofit that for 30 years has provided shelter and support for
pregnant women 18 years of age and older.
With a colorful flier in hand and previous
experience taking out trash, the Norman sisters made their pitch. "Hi, we're raising money for babies,
what's your name?" is how the girls introduced themselves to neighbors,
Grace recalled. Many of the neighbors contributed without asking the girls to
haul trash. Claire, Grace and little
Mary took out about 20 neighbors' trash for two weeks and even put the empty
cans back the next day.
The $155.78 the Norman girls ended up raising
included some $20 of their own – Mary parted with $8 of her $12 in tooth
fairy money and the rest came from the sisters' piggy banks. But hauling trash cans during the hot,
mid-August days of summer is not without its icky parts. "A lot of them were heavy and really
stinky," said Claire. "When
they came back, honest to goodness, they were sweaty," said Jane Norman,
gesturing with her hands around the side of her face. But in the end, it was worth the effort,
say the girls and their mother, who are not strangers to helping those in need.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the
family put up a displaced family from
Louisiana
in a guest room at their
Los Angeles home,
where the
Normans lived before moving to
North Tustin. And, the
Normans also helped furnish a house for another
Katrina family. "I am really
proud of me and my sisters," said Claire, "Kids our age should try
to make a difference, big or small. … It makes you feel good."
Touched by the girls' effort, Pampers has decided to
send 1,000 tetanus vaccines to UNICEF. The local Albertsons has donated another $127 in diapers and the
Norman girls are now ready to deliver 900 to 1,000 diapers to Casa Teresa, which plans to recognize
the sisters for their community-conscious attitude. Claire will receive the
nonprofit's "Making a Difference" award on Tuesday. "It's remarkable to see young ladies
having an impact at such a young age," said Pamela Sailor, a spokeswoman
for Casa Teresa.
 
(Left) ABOVE AND BEYOND: Sisters Grace, 9, Claire,
11, and Mary Norman, 6, from left, are pictured outside of their home in
North Tustin. The girls went door-to-door in their
neighborhood to raise money for Casa
Teresa, a shelter for single mothers.
(Right) FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Sisters Grace, 9, Mary, 6,
and Claire Norman, 11, from right, are pictured with a mountain of diapers
outside of their
North Tustin home. The
girls went door-to-door in their neighborhood to raise money to donate
diapers for Casa Teresa, a shelter
for single mothers.
CHRISTINA HOUSE, FOR THE ORANGE
COUNTY
REGISTER
For Online Version – Click Here |
August 2008

|
The
Orange
County
Catholic
By Amanda Leon
On Sept. 23,
Tustin
residents Claire, 11, Grace, 9, and Mary Norman, 6, received Casa Teresa’s “Making a Difference”
award, presented by Michelle Baehner, last year’s recipient. City of
Orange Mayor Carolyn Caveeche
and the Tustin City Council presented the young girls with appreciation
awards in honor of their Changing the World, One Diaper at a Time
contribution to Casa Teresa, a
home for pregnant women who are alone, and their effort to help babies
around the world.
In exchange for donations for their “Please Help
Babies” campaign, the Norman girls raised $157.46 by taking out their
neighbors’ trash for two weeks. With their hard-earned donations in hand, the
girls headed to the diaper aisle and made sure to buy Pampers brand to
support the “One Pack = One Vaccine” campaign, which provides vaccination to
mothers and babies in need in underdeveloped countries. Their actions were
enough to inspire Procter & Gamble to match their donation to Casa Teresa and to donate
1,000 vaccines in their names.
Albertson’s was also touched when they saw the young
girls purchasing 20 packs of Pampers, and decided to match their contribution
of diapers to the women’s shelter. “We are so touched and impressed by the
Norman girls’ efforts to provide us with this highly
needed item,” said Jim Lester, executive director for Casa Teresa. “It is heart-warming to see people, especially so
young, taking an active role in Casa
Teresa and in its mission to lead moms on a path toward a brighter future
for themselves and their babies.”
Claire, Grace, and Mary’s total contribution of just
under 1,000 diapers—a $433.97 value—will help alleviate a portion of the
costs needed to purchase the 52,000 diapers used annually by the babies at Casa Teresa. “The extraordinary
kindness shown by these young girls and people like them is what allows Casa Teresa to help the ever-growing
population of homeless women and babies,” said Pamela Sailor, spokesperson
for Casa Teresa. “The Norman girls
are such a blessing to us.”
Casa
Teresa provides a temporary home
and ongoing support for pregnant women 18 years and older who are alone. Counseling
and educational programs prepare these women to make loving and informed life
decisions for themselves and their babies. Casa Teresa offers three separate residential programs: The
Parenting Program, the Adoption Program “Hannah’s House,” and the Transition
Program (Phase I and Phase II) for single mothers. Over the past thirty
years, Casa Teresa has been home
to more than 2,300 pregnant women. Information: 714-538-4860 or www.casateresa.com. OCC
For
Online Version – Click Here |
May 16, 2008

|
Excelsior
“Celebrating the opportunity of being a mother after a
life of abuse and drug addiction,
Lorraine
Antilia passed the weekend of the Day of the Mothers next to her three children”
By Courtney Bacalso
For Lorraine Antilia, Gabriel, her baby of 14
months, is a gift of God, a gift that she was on the verge of losing on
account of the evils from her past, but now feels fortunate of having. Antilia was one of the mothers that celebrated
Mother’s Day at Casa Teresa this
past Sunday and who gave thanks for the opportunity to be able to be there
next to her children. “This place
gives them a second opportunity,” said Diana Oddo, who collaborates with Casa Teresa to help single mothers. “How many times can you say that you
received a second opportunity?”
This second opportunity was what managed to change
the life of Antilia. Before entering
at Casa Teresa, Antilia was
involved in drugs and served time in jail. During that same time, Antilla lost custody completely of her
daughters, Aliana, now 12 years old, and Alexandría, 9.
When she was put on probation, Antilia wanted to
redo her life. But things got
complicated when she realized that she was pregnant. “I had just left jail,” said Antilia. “I was not in a position to have a
family”.
It was then that Casa Teresa helped. “They
have helped me to redo my life, and to recover my children,” said
Antilia. Casa Teresa is a home that offers support to single mothers, many
of whom have suffered abuse, but now have the desire to improve their
lives. Casa Teresa helps these women to provide a better opportunity for
their children. “If I had to describe Casa Teresa in a few words I would
say that we are a place that breaks the cycle of abuse,” said Pamela Sailor,
a spokesman of Casa Teresa.
The program is divided into two parts. The mothers attend the first part of the
program when they are pregnant to when their babies are approximately two
months old. Later the mothers can pass
to the second phase of the program, the Transition Program, where they live
communally with other mothers. The
final phase of the program is where the mothers live in loft-style apartments
that Casa Teresa provides to help
to establish the feeling of independence.
During this extra time, the mothers have the
opportunity to learn how to be responsible of their personal finances, to
improve their self-esteem, to plan for the future and how to be better
mothers. “I needed to improve myself,”
said Alina Kamae, another of the mothers that resides at Casa Teresa. “I needed to
improve my life for me and for my daughter, and needed to begin to take
responsibility for my actions,” said Kamae. Now Kamae has a healthy girl of 13 months, has obtained work and is
prepared to live alone.
“After Casa
Teresa, these women will no longer have to depend on anyone,” said
Oddo. “They will be able to depend on
themselves”.
Antilia plans to do the same thing. After approximately two years of living at Casa Teresa, Antilia celebrated
Mother’s Day with her three children. Now, Antilia is prepared to finish the last phase of the program, and
says that if it wasn’t for Casa Teresa,
she would never have recovered her daughters, much less to have been a mother
for Gabriel.
“I feel so thankful that this place has given me the
opportunity to raise my boy,” said Antilia among sobs. “I love my son and I give thanks that he is
alive.” |
March 2, 2008

|
The
Panther
“Vagina Monologues Address Serious
Issues with Comedic Twist”
By Matt Grager
“Vagina.
The word sounds like an infection at best.” This was one of the first shocking lines delivered, in a monologue by
junior Laura Zempel, in the Feb. 29 performance of the “Vagina Monologues.”
As the production progressed, these words seemed less outrageous as the
audience listened to comparisons of the female genitalia to freeways and flowers,
descriptions of vaginas dressed in pearls and pink tutus and suggestive
language from cast members that included statements like, “slow down,” and
“come inside.” Each actress had a
chance in the spotlight, but every monologue personified one entity: the
vagina itself.
The performance in the Irvine Lecture Hall combined humorous and somber
moments to encourage women to become comfortable with their bodies and
sexuality and to think critically about women’s issues around the globe.
“It’s 2008, and men and women still aren’t comfortable talking about the
vagina,” said Erica Cohn, the director of the show. “This brings the issue to
the forefront. It gives women the opportunity to feel more comfortable
talking about their needs and their sexuality.”
Eve Ensler, the writer of “Vagina Monologues,” created V-day, an organization
dedicated to preventing violence against women. Ensler asks that each
performance of her play donate proceeds to local women’s causes.
Some of the funds from the Feb. 29
performance were donated to Casa Teresa, a local temporary home for pregnant
women. Representatives from this home, along with volunteers from other
charities such as Beads for Life - which develops Ugandan communities by
selling their beaded jewelry - and Sexual Assault Victim Services - the rape
crisis center for Orange County – set up tables to inform audience members
about women’s issues as they entered the show.
“How could we not come to ‘Vagina Monologues’?” said Christina Beecher,
volunteer coordinator for Sexual Assualt Victim Services. “[What] with V-Day
and all the work Eve Ensler has done to stop violence towards women.”
In addition to raising money for charities, portions of the play were written
to raise the level of social consciousness among audience members about
specific issues such as rape and female genital mutilation. One monologue,
titled “My Vagina Was My Village,” is the first-person story of a Bosnian
woman who is raped by enemy soldiers.
“I haven’t experienced anything like that personally,” said junior Akiko
Katagiri, who performed the piece. “I really want to let people know this is
a reality. People get caught up in the little things and overlook these huge
issues.”
The genuine tone of the monologue also seemed to resonate with audience
members.
“I knew that stuff happened, but having it poetically told was much more
powerful,” said Meredith Fay, a junior from UCI.
However, the show was not all serious in nature. One monologue was the comedic story of a
prostitute who only pleasures women, and considers herself something of a
moaning connoisseur. The actress began reciting the differences between “clit
moans” and “vaginal moans,” and then touched on a new level of suggestive
language while describing “mountaintop moans” and “machine gun moans.” Though frequent sexual antics were aimed at
making women feel more comfortable with their bodies and sexuality, the play
offered meaning for male audience members as well. “It was really eye-opening for me as a
male,” said junior James Akau. “It made me more wary of how I [should] treat
women. They’re a whole other species.”
The Panther Online |
February 25, 2008

|
The
Panther
“Numerous Campus Groups
Work to Prevent Violence Against Women”
By Sarah Young
V-Day is no longer about romance; it is
about violence. In an effort to stop violence against women, “The Vagina
Monologues” creator Eve Ensler started an organization called V-Day. This
global movement is one beneficiary of Chapman’s second annual production of
“The Vagina Monologues,” showing Feb. 29 and March 1 in the Irvine Lecture
Hall.
The production is an example of an effort made by one of Chapman’s on-campus
groups dedicated to preventing violence on campus. By providing information
and hosting educational events throughout the year, numerous campus
organizations aim to keep students and faculty conscientious and interactive
in an attempt to curtail violence against women.
“The first step in ending violence, or more specifically violence against
women, is to bring awareness to the Chapman community,” said junior Michelle
Pascucci, producer of the Vagina Monologues. “‘[The] Vagina Monologues’
discusses issues ranging from tampons to Bosnian women’s rape testimonies.”
“The Vagina Monoglues” will donate
proceeds to Casa Teresa, an
Orange
County program that
provides a support network for single pregnant women. The program was first
involved with the Chapman community in October for Domestic Violence
Awareness Month.
“Usually we have to pound on doors to get donations,” said Pamela Sailor,
Casa Teresa marketing and special events manager. “But Chapman students came
to us and it has been a great partnership.”
Chapman groups and Orange County organizations such as Bead for Life, Planned
Parenthood, Community Service Programs, and C.A.R.E.S. will also be
represented at “The Vagina Monologues” with tables set up to provide
information on preventing violence against women. Based at Chapman, C.A.R.E.S. - Creating a
Rape-free Environment for Students - comprises student volunteers. The group
educates and empowers others about issues of rape and sexual assault.
This advocacy group hosts educational programs and events such as The
Clothesline Project and Take Back the Night. The Clothesline Project is an
annual event that displays T-shirts color-coded to represent acts of violence
and advocacy. Chapman has modified this national project to represent
violence against boys and men as well as including advocacy shirts from
members of the Chapman community to speak out against all types of violence.
“Violence is a people’s issue, not a women’s issue,” said Smith.
Take Back the Night, another event that speaks out against sexual and
domestic violence, includes an open mic portion that gives people their
voice, said Smith. “It’s difficult for a lot of people to talk about and
report their experiences,” said Pascucci. “These events allow students and
faculty members to create their own way of speaking out and preventing
violence.”
In a 2004-2007 Public Safety department annual security report, there were 13
reported assaults and one reported rape on Chapman University-controlled
property. “These statistics show a consistently low violence rate on campus,”
said Randy Burba, Chief of Public Safety. “But for me, one instance is too
many.”
However, violence is not just a campus safety concern. It is just as problematic
in the classroom when dealing with writing as a form of self-expression, said
Richard Ruppel, the English department chair. “People are used to violence in
novels, stories and film,” said Ruppel. “But difficulties arise when people
are affected by it and it’s up to the teacher to be the judge and make the
students feel safe in their classrooms.” If these expressions of violence
become excessive, personal or targeted towards others, the professor will
contact the department chair, confer with the students involved and possibly
contact on-campus counseling services or public safety if the problem becomes
extreme, according to Ruppel.
Outside of the classroom, Public Safety plays an integral role in keeping the
campus predator-free. The blue emergency phone booths on school grounds are
checked once a month for maintenance, lighting surveys are conducted
frequently, safety walks are performed annually to check for weaknesses in
campus security and Operation Safe Ride is provided for students whenever
needed, according to Burba. “We try to produce an environment where people
are less likely to be victimized,” said Burba. “And since Chapman has a small
campus and student population, we are able to look out for each other.”
In addition to keeping the campus looking and feeling safe, Public Safety’s
goal is to teach students about violence prevention by providing information
and self-defense training, said Burba.
“By educating students about violence, they are able to take care of
themselves and then take care of others,” said Burba. Public Safety teaches
defense tactics for women, ages 16 and older, as part of their Rape Awareness
Defense (R.A.D.) classes every semester. The program, taught by Public Safety
Lt. Craig Lee, is broken up into three days. The first focuses on education,
the second covers defense tactics and the third teaches hands-on training.
Once the program is completed, each person becomes R.A.D. certified. A group
session outside of the scheduled classes of up to 15 people can be arranged
by contacting Lt. Lee. “The Provost
Office and C.A.R.E.S. group have been through the program,” said Lee. “We are
in the process of getting the residence assistants R.A.D. certified and we
would love to get the sororities involved too.”
These events, programs and classes give students the opportunity to receive
education, but the key to achieving non-violence is to take action, according
to Smith. Today we have mistaken the idea of violence and non-violence,”
Smith said. “Being non-violent does not mean that we are passive, it means
that we are more mature.”
The Panther Online |
November 8, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“Get a Jump on Your
Holiday
Shopping”
By Lisa Liddane
If you're looking for holiday décor for
your home or want to get a jump start on gift shopping, check out the
Christmas Company Nov. 16-19 at the
Orange
County Fair & Exposition
Center at
Fair
Drive and the 55 Freeway in
Costa Mesa. More than 100 select vendors
are featured, including The Gift Box in
Balboa
Island, The Carved Horse in San Juan
Capistrano, Model Metalworks Inc. in
Huntington Beach
and Nautical Luxuries in
Irvine,
among other locals.
The four-day event kicks off with a
preferred shopping breakfast ($30) that gives you first dibs from 8 a.m. to
10.a.m on Nov. 16. There's also early bird shopping ($20) from 8 a.m. to10
a.m. on Nov. 17. General admission tickets ($10) are valid from 10 a.m. to10
p.m. Nov. 16, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 17-19, and can be purchased at
the door. Most of the proceeds of the event go to Junior League of Orange
County beneficiaries such as the Orange County Bar Foundation, Orange County
Children's Therapeutic Arts Center, Casa Teresa Inc., Girls Inc., Orangewood
Children's Foundation's Bridges to Higher Learning,
Impact
Orange
County, and Bear Hugs.
For breakfast tickets and information,
go to www.jlocc.org or call 949-263-3785.
For
Online Version – Click Here |
November 8, 2007

|
L.A. SPLASH Magazines Worldwide
“1st Annual Christmas With a
Conscience Fashion Charity Extravaganza – Hosted by Actress and Philanthropic
Designer Christina Fulton & Weston Coppola-Cage”
By Quang Bui
Christina Fulton
and Weston Coppola-Cage will be presenting FULCAGE’s winter collection on
December 5th at Boulevard 3 from 7pm to 12am. They will be supporting the
Fulton-Cage’s Single Mom Foundation. The two designers served as ambassadors
for single mothers and now unite their expressive and luxurious designs with
their obligations to help single mothers.
The FULCAGE fashion charity extravaganza will be a
one-stop Christmas shop. There will be the FULCAGE designs, hors d’oeuvres, comedy,
dancing and a gifting room inside Boulevard 3. Starbucks is also generously
sponsoring the event.
The objective of FULCAGE is to support and raise
awareness of single parenthood, a dormant issue that affects over ten million
families in the
US
.
Christina Fulton, a single mom, actress and designer, established this
clothing line and charity to support single parents across the country. The
clothing line features headwear and apparel for men, women, and children.
They also feature a collection of dog apparel. Some of the clothing lines
include "Single Mom," "Mom Squad," "Dad Squad"
and "Rock on Single Mom." These collections are available online
for purchase and in
Los Angeles
boutiques and will be available for purchase at the Christmas with a Conscience
Fashion Charity Extravaganza.
A portion of all sales from this line are donated to
the Single Mom Foundation. Their goal is to establish funding, opportunities
and resources to improve the status and living conditions of single mothers
in need. Christina, who founded the foundation, is also working on an
upcoming reality show about single moms and fund raising within the community
with Tijuana Productions.
The FULCAGE mission statement is: “ Save
America
’s
Single Moms and We’ll Save Our Children!”
Expected guests to cross the red carpet include
Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, Thomas Jayne, Marla Maples, Tiffany Trump,
Cedric the Entertainer, Rex Lee and many others.
Actor comedian
Pauly
Shore
will be hosting the event and Brittney Powell, the honored single mom, will
be presenting. Dr. Michael Niccole will also be helping the Single Mom
Actress Britney Powell. It is a touching story and Fox News has agreed to
follow the story of a struggling single Mom’s dream coming true during
Christmas.
Christina
Fulton was also recently crowned the celebrity ambassador by Casa Teresa, a
non-profit organization that provides temporary homes and on-going support
for pregnant women 18 years and older. In the past year she has done humanitarian work for The Single Mom
Foundation, Haven Hills, Hats Off to Cancer, Driving Donors and her community
outreach within inner city kids. With Sheriff Lee Baca on her advisory board
her outreach expands beyond single parents. She also is continuing her movie
career along side her philanthropic work.
Attend the 1st Annual Christmas with a Conscience
Fashion Charity Extravaganza at Boulevard 3 and get your Christmas gifts
while supporting single mothers. The event will start at 7pm and go till
12am.
$100 donations grants general admission including
food, drinks and entro to the raffle. $500 donation grants you access to the
VIP celebrity lounge, a VIP gift bag valued over $2500, and auto entry to the
VIP raffle. All Donations are Tax Exempt and go to the Charities.
For Donations or Tickets call 323.655.5300 or visit www.FULCAGE.com
L.A. SPLASH Magazines
Worldwide |
November 6, 2007

|
The Orange
County
Register
“The Gift of Giving; How Charity Works”
By Peter Larsen
CASA TERESA - The mission: "We are a home for pregnant women who have nowhere
to go," said spokeswoman Pamela Sailor. In addition to providing a place
to live during their pregnancies, Casa
Teresa has expanded over the years to offer educational programs aimed at
helping the women learn to live on their own and provide stable homes for
their families.
The process: The mothers at Casa Teresa are offered everything from nutrition and health
classes to job training to counseling to help them break the cycle of
poverty, addiction or other poor life choices. If accepted into the program
during their pregnancies, they can stay for up to two years.
The people: The organization has 21 full- or
part-time employees, and about 225 volunteers donate their effort each year.
The jobs: Volunteers do everything from baby-sitting
while the new mothers attend classes to cooking meals as part of nutrition
training. Some offer their own special skills – a photographer shot Christmas
portraits, a poet taught poetry classes. Donations are important, too, Sailor
said. To support one woman in the program costs $17,775 yearly. For
more: www.casateresa.com
Photos - CINDY YAMANAKA, THE
ORANGE
COUNTY
REGISTER  
NAPTIME: Single mom Brandy Ford, 31,
rocks her four-month-old son Michael Anthony after giving him his
bottle. The Casa Teresa resident's day consisted of two parenting classes, work and a Narcotics
Anonymous meeting.
SPARKLING PERSONALITY:
Brandy Ford's eye shadow matches her personality. Taken at the Casa Teresa home in
Orange where she lives. Ford kisses her four-month-old
son Michael Anthony good night. The single mom says she "runs with
God" now.
For
Online Version – Click Here |
Oct. 29, 2007

|
Excelsior
“Otra Opción
Para
las Madres Solteras; Casa Teresa
Ofrece Ahora Cuidados Infantiles con la Apertura de un Nuevo Centro”
Por Laura Bucio
Casa
Teresa, un centro que ofrece
cuidados a mujeres embarazadas, ahora también puede ofrecerles un lugar de
cuidado infantil. Todas aquellas mujeres que han recibido ayuda previamente
pueden dejar a sus niños en Casa
Teresa durante el día. En Centro
de Cuidado Infantil Dorothy Von der Ahe, de Casa Teresa, abrió sus puertas la semana pasada y ya hay varios
niños que están recibiendo cuidados.
El centro fue abierto con la colaboración de la Iglesia
presbiteriana, que se ha comprometido a pagar a los empleados que trabajan en
el centro.
“No creo que haya nadie que haya recibido esta clase
de cuidados cuando era pequeño”, dijo Pamela Sailor, gerente de ventas y
eventos especiales en Casa Teresa.
Sailor asegura que la iglesia ha contratado a personas que han estudiado
específicamente acerca de los cuidados infantiles. Las madres que dejan ahí a
sus pequeños pueden estar seguras de que sus niños están recibiendo el
cuidado apropiado.
En el nuevo centro los niños pueden participar en
varias actividades que los ayudan a crecer y a desarrollar sus sentidos,
afirmó Sailor.
Casa
Teresa comenzó
como un lugar donde las mujeres embarazadas
de pocos recursos podían acudir para obtener ayuda. Después de un tiempo la
casa añadió dos programas a sus servicios.
Es lo que ellos llaman transiciones uno y dos. En
estos programas las mujeres que ya han dado a luz a sus bebés tienen la
oportunidad de asistir a la escuela. Casa
Teresa también les da asesoría acerca de cuidados para sus bebés,
cuidados
del hogar y administración
del dinero, dijo
Sailor.
Ahora, con la apertura
del Centro de Cuidado Infantil, Casa Teresa puede ofrecerles a las
madres ayuda para el cuidado de sus niños. Según Sailor muchas veces estas
mujeres llegan a pagar hasta la mitad de su sueldo completo en el cuidado de
sus niños.
Las mujeres que acuden a Casa Teresa tienen la oportunidad de recibir ayuda a lo largo de
su embarazo y hasta que logran una estabilidad económica y mental, afirmó
Sailor.
“Muchas de estas mujeres nunca han tenido la
oportunidad de llevar una vida normal”, dijo Sailor. “Y hasta ahora este es el único lugar que
puede dársela”.
For Online Version – Click Here |
Oct. 25, 2007


ELISABETH
DEFFNER
ORANGE PEOPLE
|
The
Orange
City News
“Senior House Mother Keeps Things
Running at Casa Teresa”
By Elisabeth Deffner
As the senior house mother at Orange’s Casa Teresa—a shelter for single
pregnant women—Frances Carrillo does everything from checking the residents’
chore chart, to organizing donations that flow into the shelter, to meeting
with the residents one-on-one when they have a problem or a question—or they
just need someone to talk to. “The
girls are always coming to me, which I love,” Carrillo said. “It means they
trust me. They’re going through a lot.
They depend on us for shelter, depend on us to be kind to them—I never forget
that.”
Since she started in the newly-created position last year, Carrillo and her
colleagues have initiated some new programs, like “Casa Bucks.” Residents can
earn the bucks and then use them to “go shopping” for baby supplies and
maternity clothes that have been donated to the shelter. “This way they
really feel like they’ve earned something,” Carrillo explained. “Can you
imagine having to ask every time you need something?”
The reality is that these are women in difficult situations—some of them
fleeing abusive homes, some of them trying to leave homelessness. Sometimes
they arrive at Casa Teresa with
nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. If they need to make an emergency
purchase—like medication—Carrillo gives them a gift card to a store like
Target or Food 4 Less (residents have to return the gift cards and give
Carrillo their receipts, so the shelter can maintain an accounting of
expenditures).
Gift cards are among Carrillo’s favorite donations,
though she notes that Casa Teresa also
needs new baby car seats, new twin mattresses, and small loveseats to replace
the old ones in the shelter’s bedrooms.
The dignity and safety of each resident—Casa Teresa has the capacity for 16
women—have been at the forefront of staff’s and volunteers’ minds since the
shelter was established 30 years ago. The mission is to help residents
achieve self-sufficiency and independence—and to have a chance at a space in
Transition I or Transition II, which can extend the Casa Teresa stay till a resident’s baby is 20 months old. Program
requirements are simple: residents have to attend school or have a job, save
their money, and comply with any court-ordered programs. Residents are also provided with computer
training, job skill assessment, and career development classes.
Casa Teresa has grown extensively
since Carrillo first encountered it as a scared, pregnant 18-year-old. The
staff was much smaller and so was the shelter. (Most recently, Casa Teresa celebrated the opening of
the Dorothy Von der Ahe Infant Care Center, based at the downtown Orange
First Presbyterian Church.) But one thing has remained the same over the
intervening years: the support residents gain not only from staff and
volunteers, but from each other. “It’s amazing what happens to them while they’re here,” Carrillo said.
“They all become better people while they’re here. They feel like they’re
really loved here.”
Carrillo is open with residents about her firsthand
experience as a Casa Teresa resident, and she laughs when she says that one of the best things about
being a past resident is that the women staying at Casa Teresa now can never snap at her, “You don’t know what it’s
like.”
Now a mother of three, Carrillo had worked as a
police records clerk, a parking control officer, and a dispatcher for the
Santa Ana Police Department. She took some time off to be home with her
youngest son when he was just starting school, but missed the camaraderie of
the workplace. With her husband, she
often discussed what her ideal job would be. “I wish I could be at Casa Teresa and be a housemom or
something,” she told him more than once.
She started volunteering her photography skills at the shelter, and told
executive director Lissa Callaghan to keep her in mind if there was a
part-time opening. A few months later, Callaghan phoned to offer her a
newly-developed fulltime position.
“It was just from God,” Carrillo said. “How
many people get to do what they’ve always dreamed of? I feel like I really have a purpose in my
life.”
Orange
City News Link
|
Oct. 18, 2007

|
The
Orange
City News
“Child Berth; New
Infant
Care
Center
in
Orange
Provides Vital Service for Low-Income Mothers on the Edge”
By Gwendolyn Driscoll
ORANGE – Brandy Ford knows what a bad childhood
means. When she was 5, her parents
divorced. When she was 12, her alcoholic
mother offered her a beer. When she
was 15, she gave birth to her first child, a baby girl she gave up for
adoption. “I couldn't cope,” she says.
“It was too hard.” A drug addiction,
bad choices and jail – she was arrested 14 times for drug dealing in one year
alone – followed. So did another child, a now-11-year-old boy named Anthony
Michael who lives with his father's parents.
Today, the 34-year-old Ford is a mother again to a
five-month-old boy named Michael Anthony – the mirror-image name chosen so
that Ford feels “I have both my boys together.” She says she is determined, she says, to
both fight her addiction and provide her newborn with a childhood far
different than her own. It is why,
each morning, she walks her baby to a brightly painted building filled with
the offspring of women just like her – new mothers on the edge of
homelessness, addiction and poverty.
Center opening
The building is the latest brainchild of Casa Teresa, the Orange-based charity
that provides shelter and intensive parenting classes to women like
Brandy. The organization's support
includes helping homeless mothers to find jobs. Until now, however, it has
not included in-house childcare, a crippling obstacle for many low-income women
trying to hold down those jobs. On
Thursday, Casa Teresa and a
coalition of partners and supporters opened an infant care center for its
high-risk, low-income clientele. The goal: give mothers a safe place to leave
their children so that they can find jobs.
Unsubsidized childcare can cost from $3,000 to
$9,000 a year or more and low-income families, overwhelmingly headed by
single mothers, may spend up to 56 percent of their income on child care,
according to the Center for Law and Social Policy. Because of the high labor
involved, infant care is typically more expensive than other kinds of care –
about $12,000 a year, according to Callaghan. “The cost of living is very difficult in
Orange
County,”
said Lissa Callaghan, executive director of Casa Teresa. “For single moms childcare is a big chunk of their
income and housing is the other chunk and then what do they eat?”
The 800-square-foot, $200,000 Dorothy Von der Ahe
Infant Care Center at the First Presbyterian Church of Orange can house up to
12 children between the ages of 2 months and 2 years. Callaghan said that low-income mothers are
often referred to “bottom of the barrel” child care providers, with
occasionally unpleasant results. “Our
women would come home and say (about their child care provider) ‘'I think
(all she did was) sit in a swing all day.’ Or, ‘she came home with a
bruise,’” says Callaghan. “You don't know what's happening … and when you're
a working mom at poverty level you don't have any control.”
The new infant center has cribs and toys but does
not use rockers or swings – “we want people always interacting with the
infants, not just sitting them in front of a TV” says Pamela Sailor, a Casa Teresa spokesperson. Inside the Center, a portion of the wall is
devoted to photographs of each child. “It's beautiful,” says Ford. “I just feel welcome. I feel safe. And
they have a schedule going on – that's something I wish I had with when I was
young.”
Big obstacles
Casa
Teresa's about 35 residents
struggle with the additional psychological burdens of homelessness, addiction
and, as in Ford's case, past felonies. Many employers won't hire felons, Callaghan said. Felons are also not
eligible for some social service benefits, such as the “CalWORKS” state
welfare programs. The Casa Teresa infant center charges
$1,000 a month per child but much of that money is reimbursed through state
programs and grants.
Callaghan said the
Orange
County
charity the Children's Home Society might subsidize some or all of Ford's
childcare costs. If not, Ford will pay
a nominal fee for child care, yet to be determined, based on her income
level. “They understand you're in a
tight squeeze,” Ford said.
Ford currently works a minimum wage job at a
Togo
's
restaurant near the Orange Mall and takes home a monthly salary of about
$900. She must also attend three
addiction programs a week, as well as be tested twice a week for drugs. She must accomplish both work and rehab
within the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours of the infant care center.
How would Ford pay for childcare without help? “I wouldn't know,” she says. “I couldn't
tell you that.” Two hundred dollars of
her salary goes to Casa Teresa as
“rent” – a mostly symbolic contribution to her own rehabilitation, according
to Sailor.
Ford is also saving to buy a car. She has other
ambitions as well: a high school diploma, a college degree in business
administration, her own
Togo
's
franchise one day. She has less than
two years to make a start. Casa Teresa residents may house their children at the center up to the age of two. After
that, they are expected to complete their own rehabilitation program, secure
stable work, and move out.
Despite her low pay and the addiction that
perpetually gnaws at her – she is only ten months sober – Ford says she is
confident she will succeed, in large part because of a renewed faith in
God. “I wouldn't be here today if it
wasn't for him,” she says. “I'm starting to run his way. Because every time I
go my way I end up in hand cuffs.”
Infant care
What: Dorothy Von der Ahe Infant Care Center
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 191 N. Olive, Orange
Who: The
center, which houses as many as 1 2 children up to 2 years old, is open to
residents of Casa Teresa, an
Orange-based charity that helps low-income single mothers recovering from
homelessness and substance abuse.
Cost: The
center charges $250 a week; much of that money is reimbursed through state
child care programs or grants.
Call: 714-538-4860

NAPTIME: Single mom Brandy Ford, 31, rocks her four-month
old son Michael Anthony after giving him his bottle. The Casa Teresa resident’s day consisted of two parenting classes,
work and a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

MUCH IN COMMON: From left: Brandy Ford, left, picks up her son
Michael Anthony, 4 months, and jokes with her best friend Nicole Skipper
holding her daughter Destiny, 2 months. The Casa Teresa residents picked up their babies at the Dorothy Von
der Ahe Infant Care Center in
Orange.
Orange City News Link |
Oct. 14, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“New
Infant
Care
Center
in
Orange
Helps Low-Income Mothers”
By Gwendolyn Driscoll
ORANGE – Brandy Ford knows what a bad childhood
means. When she was 5, her parents
divorced. When she was 12, her
alcoholic mother offered her a beer. When she was 15, she gave birth to her first child, a baby girl she
gave up for adoption. “I couldn't
cope,” she says. “It was too hard.” A
drug addiction, bad choices and jail – she was arrested 14 times for drug
dealing in one year alone – followed. So did another child, a now-11-year-old
boy named Anthony Michael who lives with his father's parents.
Today, the 34-year-old Ford is a mother again to a
five-month-old boy named Michael Anthony – the mirror-image name chosen so
that Ford feels “I have both my boys together.” She says she is determined, she says, to
both fight her addiction and provide her newborn with a childhood far different
than her own. It is why, each morning,
she walks her baby to a brightly painted building filled with the offspring
of women just like her – new mothers on the edge of homelessness, addiction
and poverty.
Center opening
The building is the latest brainchild of Casa Teresa, the Orange-based charity
that provides shelter and intensive parenting classes to women like
Brandy. The organization's support
includes helping homeless mothers to find jobs. Until now, however, it has
not included in-house childcare, a crippling obstacle for many low-income
women trying to hold down those jobs. On Thursday, Casa Teresa and a coalition of partners and supporters opened an infant care center for
its high-risk, low-income clientele. The goal: give mothers a safe place to
leave their children so that they can find jobs.
Unsubsidized childcare can cost from $3,000 to
$9,000 a year or more and low-income families, overwhelmingly headed by
single mothers, may spend up to 56 percent of their income on child care, according
to the Center for Law and Social Policy. Because of the high labor involved,
infant care is typically more expensive than other kinds of care – about
$12,000 a year, according to Callaghan. “The cost of living is very difficult in
Orange
County,”
said Lissa Callaghan, executive director of Casa Teresa. “For single moms childcare is a big chunk of their
income and housing is the other chunk and then what do they eat?”
The 800-square-foot, $200,000 Dorothy Von der Ahe
Infant Care Center at the First Presbyterian Church of Orange can house up to
12 children between the ages of 2 months and 2 years. Callaghan said that low-income mothers are
often referred to “bottom of the barrel” child care providers, with occasionally
unpleasant results. “Our women would
come home and say (about their child care provider) ‘'I think (all she did
was) sit in a swing all day.’ Or, ‘she came home with a bruise,’” says
Callaghan. “You don't know what's happening … and when you're a working mom
at poverty level you don't have any control.”
The new infant center has cribs and toys but does
not use rockers or swings – “we want people always interacting with the
infants, not just sitting them in front of a TV” says Pamela Sailor, a Casa Teresa spokesperson. Inside the Center, a portion of the wall is
devoted to photographs of each child. “It's beautiful,” says Ford. “I just feel welcome. I feel safe. And
they have a schedule going on – that's something I wish I had with when I was
young.”
Big obstacles
Casa
Teresa's about 35 residents
struggle with the additional psychological burdens of homelessness, addiction
and, as in Ford's case, past felonies. Many employers won't hire felons, Callaghan said. Felons are also not
eligible for some social service benefits, such as the “CalWORKS” state
welfare programs. The Casa Teresa infant center charges
$1,000 a month per child but much of that money is reimbursed through state
programs and grants.
Callaghan said the
Orange
County
charity the Children's Home Society might subsidize some or all of Ford's
childcare costs. If not, Ford will pay
a nominal fee for child care, yet to be determined, based on her income
level. “They understand you're in a
tight squeeze,” Ford said.
Ford currently works a minimum wage job at a
Togo
's
restaurant near the Orange Mall and takes home a monthly salary of about
$900. She must also attend three
addiction programs a week, as well as be tested twice a week for drugs. She must accomplish both work and rehab
within the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours of the infant care center.
How would Ford pay for childcare without help? “I wouldn't know,” she says. “I couldn't
tell you that.” Two hundred dollars of
her salary goes to Casa Teresa as
“rent” – a mostly symbolic contribution to her own rehabilitation, according
to Sailor.
Ford is also saving to buy a car. She has other
ambitions as well: a high school diploma, a college degree in business
administration, her own
Togo
's
franchise one day. She has less than
two years to make a start. Casa Teresa residents may house their children at the center up to the age of two. After
that, they are expected to complete their own rehabilitation program, secure
stable work, and move out.
Despite her low pay and the addiction that
perpetually gnaws at her – she is only ten months sober – Ford says she is
confident she will succeed, in large part because of a renewed faith in God.
“I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him,” she
says. “I'm starting to run his way. Because every time I go my way I end up
in hand cuffs.”
Contact
the writer: 714-704-3705 or gdriscoll@ocregister.com
For
Online Version – Click Here |
Oct. 11, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“New
Infant
Center Opening This Afternoon;
Center in
Orange
Will Serve Single Mothers”
By Gwendolyn Driscoll
ORANGE – Casa
Teresa will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for its new infant
care center, created to serve high-risk, low-income single mothers enrolled
in the Orange-based charity's rehabilitation programs.
The 800-square-foot, $200,000 Dorothy Von der Ahe
Infant Care Center, housed at the nearby First Presbyterian Church of Orange,
will care for up to 12 children between the ages of 2 months and 2 years.
Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche and actress Christina
Fulton will attend the 4 p.m. opening of the center, which was constructed
with a $159,000 grant from the Weingart Foundation and individual donations.
Casa
Teresa officials said the center
would support low-income single mothers with affordable childcare so that
they could concentrate on job training and employment.
"Not only are we helping the moms give birth to
a healthy baby we're helping them to raise that baby in a safe and
stimulating environment," says Lissa Callaghan, Casa Teresa's executive director.
For
Online Version – Click Here |
Oct. 11, 2007


|
KDOC-TV – DayBreakOC Morning News
Oct. 11, 2007
(GO TO
CASA
TERESA
WEBSITE TO VIEW VIDEO) |
Oct. 9, 2007

|
Foothills Sentry
“Casa
Teresa benefits from creative fundraising”
Casa Teresa,
a long-term shelter for homeless pregnant women in
Orange, announced that one of its benefactors,
Paragon Global Resources of Rancho Santa Margarita, has pledged to raise
$17,775, which is the cost to support one woman at Casa Teresa for one year. The company will match employee
donations from some unusual sources. For example, an employee can donate $10
to the fund and as a reward can wear jeans for a week. A car wash will be
held behind the offices, and the company’s service providers will provide a
luncheon for the office, which employees can ‘purchase’ for another donation. For information about Casa Teresa, contact (714) 538-4860.
For Online
Version – Click Here |
September 14, 2007

|
LA’s
The Place
“FULCAGE Clothing Line Launches at the
Beverly
Center”
Lori Wilson
FULCAGE clothing is the brainchild of
actress/designer Christina Fulton and her son Weston Coppola-Cage.
Launching their couture line at the Premier Men store at the
Beverly
Center
in
Los Angeles,
the mother/son duo will donate the proceeds from FULCAGE to directly support
the needs of underprivileged single mothers.
Celebrities lending their support to the
star-studded evening included Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, Marla Maples,
UFC champions Bas Rutten and Royce Gracie, comedian Cedric the Entertainer,
Himalayan Yogi Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath, musician Marcus Foy, and actor
Dwayne Martin among many others.
Attendees were entertained by dancing models in the
latest FULCAGE fashions for men and women, refreshments generously donated by
Roberto Cavalli Vodka, and an assortment of tasty edible treats catered by
Chaya. GenLux Magazine served as one of the evening’s premier
sponsors.
For her efforts to help single mothers in need,
Christina Fulton has been named the Los Angeles Chairwoman for Casa Teresa’s
Celebrity Circle of Friends. Casa Teresa is a non-profit
organization that provides temporary home and on-going support for pregnant
women 18 years and older. To further her support of Casa Teresa,
Fulton
will debut the FULCAGE line in
Orange
County with a special fundraising
event at
Melrose Place
in
Laguna Beach
on October 30.
The FULCAGE clothing line includes couture for women
and men, t-shirts, onesies, dogwear, and decorative mugs. FULCAGE clothing
features unique designs with bold and original artwork that is on the cutting
edge of fashion.
Fulton’s original designs are
hand-cut, hand-sewn and made in
America
.
FULCAGE is a charitable organization that gives back
to the community. The proceeds from its clothing line go directly to single
mothers via Christina’s, Single Mom Foundation, contributing to the housing, education
and careers of single parents. Celebrity supporter of the foundation
include Maria Maples, Tiffany Trump, Shar Jackson, Erica Rose and Nicolas
Cage.
For more information on Christina Fulton’s Single
Mom Foundation please go to www.singlemomfoundation.net. www.FULCAGE.com
For
Online Version – Click Here |
August 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Catholic
By Elisabeth Defner
When St. Norbert parishioner Michelle Baehner, 12, learned
that her cat Oliver was missing, she prayed to God to help her family find
the feline – and promised to give all her money to a good cause in gratitude
for a prayer answered. At 3 a.m.,
Oliver showed up –and Michelle was as good as her word. She sent $9 to Casa Teresa, a shelter for pregnant women. Here Baehner, right, receives a certificate
of gratitude from Casa Teresa Program Manager, Katie Dever, left and Executive Director Lissa
Callaghan.

For
Online Version – Click Here |
August
14, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“Girl Donates Life Savings; Thankful for
Her Cat’s Return, She Empties Her Piggy Bank”
By Erin Welch
When Michelle lost her cat, Oliver, she promised to donate
all of her money to a good cause if her black-and-white friend came
back. When Oliver returned, Michelle
kept to her word and gave $9 from her piggy bank to Casa Teresa, a nonprofit organization for pregnant women. “Michelle is a giver by heart,” said
Michelle’s mother, Helen Baehner.
Recently, Michelle received a
commendation from Orange City Mayor Carolyn Cavecche and the “Making a
Difference” award from Casa Teresa for her donation. “She’s quite the
go-getter,” Cavecche said.
“She was so sweet,” Casa Teresa Executive Director Lissa Callaghan said. “When a
little girl reaches out, it means a lot. After visiting Casa Teresa,
Michelle decided she wants to work there when she grows up.
Q.
Why did you decide to give your money to Casa Teresa?
A. I thought it was a great cause for women and it was
great that the women choose not to abort their baby. I’ve known about it
since I was little. For my birthday one year, my friends gave me baby clothes
instead of gifts and I gave the clothes to Casa Teresa. When I was little, my mom gave them my baby crib and
she told be about it. I thought it was great.
Q.
Why do you want to work for Casa Teresa when you grow up?
A. I don’t know. I’ve always been trying to figure out what kind of job I want in the future.
When I went down there and met with [Casa
Teresa staff member] Pamela and she said every time she wakes up in the
morning she says, “I love my job” and she can’t wait to go to work. I don’t
know why it just hit me, but it seems like a great place to work someday.
Q.
How has your family influenced you in your decision to be involved with
charity?
A. They’re a great Christian family and they’ve
supported me with everything. They’ve taught me everything I need to know.
I’m glad to have parents like them and my brother. I didn’t do anything out
of the ordinary. I’m just a normal person in a normal in world.
Contact the Writer: 714-704-3738 or ewelch@ocregister.com
|
August
9, 2007

|
The
Orange
City News
“Girl Keeps Promise, gives $9 to
Charity; Michelle Baehner Empties Piggy Bank After Her Lost Cat Returns”
By Erin Welch
When Michelle lost her cat, Oliver, she promised to
donate all of her money to a good cause if her black-and-white friend came
back. When Oliver returned, Michelle
kept to her word and gave $9 from her piggy bank to Casa Teresa, a nonprofit organization for pregnant women. “Michelle is a giver by heart,” said
Michelle’s mother, Helen Baehner.
On July 30, Michelle received a commendation from Orange City Mayor Carolyn
Cavecche and the “Making a Difference” award from Casa Teresa for her donation. “She’s quite the go-getter,” Cavecche said.
“She was so sweet,” Casa Teresa Executive Director Lissa Callaghan said. “When a
little girl reaches out, it means a lot. After visiting Casa Teresa,
Michelle decided she wants to work there when she grows up.
Q. Why did you decide to give your
money to Casa Teresa?
A. I thought it was a great cause for women and it was
great that the women choose not to abort their baby. I’ve known about it
since I was little. For my birthday one year, my friends gave me baby clothes
instead of gifts and I gave the clothes to Casa Teresa. When I was little, my mom gave them my baby crib and
she told be about it. I thought it was great.
Q. Why do you want to work for Casa
Teresa when you grow up?
A. I don’t know. I’ve always been trying to figure out what kind of job I want in the
future. When I went down there and met with [Casa Teresa staff member] Pamela and she said every time she
wakes up in the morning she says, “I love my job” and she can’t wait to go to
work. I don’t know why it just hit me, but it seems like a great place to
work someday.
Q. How has your family influenced you
in your decision to be involved with charity?
A. They’re a great Christian family and they’ve
supported me with everything. They’ve taught me everything I need to know.
I’m glad to have parents like them and my brother. I didn’t do anything out
of the ordinary. I’m just a normal person in a normal in world.
Contact the Writer: 714-704-3738 or ewelch@ocregister.com
Click Here For
Link to The Orange City News |
August
6, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“Seven FV Girl Scouts Earn Gold Award;
Projects included Activities for Seniors, Musicians and Single Mothers”
By Danielle Glazer
Seven
Fountain Valley
girl scouts received the Girl Scout Gold Award this year for their work. To
receive the award, each Girl Scout had to complete a Gold Award project and
30 hours of using their leadership skills to earn the Girl Scout Gold
Leadership Award.
Brittany Louise De Bella planned the children's section of the Fountain
Valley Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 5, 2006. The ceremony featured holiday
refreshments, live entertainment, games, crafts, photos with Santa, writing
letters to Santa and train rides. More than 200 people attended the event.
Kelly Kraus organized
the music for the Kingdom Seekers Youth Choir. She helped fill the choir
folders with music before rehearsal every week and held a concert at the end
of the year. "I chose this
project because I love music and working with people. This allowed me to do
both," Kraus wrote.
Jennifer Susan Pryor held a craft workshop for 50 senior citizens. She
taught them how to sew blankets, pillows, Hershey kiss tulips and flower
pens. Pryor trained 15 volunteers to
assist her at the workshop. She donated 600 Valentine's Day favors for three
different senior citizen facilities for their Valentine's Day luncheons.
Ashley Tara Serota ran the entertainment section of the Garden Grove Relay for Life. She
organized games and activities to help spread awareness on cancer and how to
prevent it.
Hilary Rose Serota planned a ceremony for the Garden Grove Relay for Life event for the
American Cancer Society. "I saw
how many people and their families suffered from cancer," Serota wrote. "I
wanted to create a ceremony to remember and honor these heroic people."
Heather
Nicole Talley organized a baby
shower for 12 single pregnant women who were part of the Casa Teresa program for single mothers-to-be. The shower included
a buffet and gifts for the expecting mothers.
Rebecka Barbara Webb produced a play called "Hairum Scarum."
She trained a junior troop to help her run the show.
Contact the writer: 714-445-6681 or dglazer@ocregister.com
For Online Version – Click Here |
July
11, 2007


|
KNBC – Channel 4 – News 5
“Giving Thanks”
By Vikki Vargas
ORANGE,
Calif. – [Colleen
Williams] “The return of a missing, pet cat was the answer to the prayers of
a little girl in
Orange
County. Because of that she made good on a pledge
to do a good deed. Channel 4’s Vikki
Vargas is live in the city of
Orange
now to explain all of this for us.”
[Vikki Vargas] “And Colleen, we’re
outside of Casa Teresa. It’s a shelter for unwed mothers and the
organizers say they do get a lot of anonymous donations; some big, some small
and in their words, every one of them makes a difference.
“It was the tone of the handwritten
letter that caught someone’s eye. How
the author had just $9.00 to donate but was willing to get it all away
because her cat, Oliver, had come home. In the eyes of this eleven-year-old girl, her prayers had been
answered.”
[Michelle Baehner] “Please let him come
back, because we already lost one cat and I don’t think I could handle
another one.”
[Vikki Vargas] “Michelle Baehner made a
pact with God that night. If Oliver
returned, she would give away every penny in her piggy bank. About 3:00am her prayer was answered.”
[Michelle Baehner] “‘Meow. Meow!’ You hear a little Oliver at the screen door. So my dad, I was still sleeping, woke my
brother and he told him the cat was home.”
[Vikki Vargas] “Anaheim Hills girl made
good on her promise, and sent the money to the director of Casa Teresa, Lissa Callaghan. The organization works with unwed mothers
to get them back on their feet. It was
easily enough money to buy a box of diapers.”
[Lissa Callaghan, Executive Director] “Every
time the mothers see a donation come in, it means ‘somebody cares about me’
and that means a lot to them.”
[Vikki Vargas] “The black and white
feline named Oliver is about to get a collar and an earlier bed time. Michelle says he is worth her entire
savings.”
[Michelle Baehner] “I was probably
going to buy an animal book with [the money] but not really. It was just sitting there, and so I thought
‘Ok God, here it goes.’”
[Vikki Vargas] “And believe it or not,
even though Michelle wanted Oliver back, she is allergic to cats but she
wanted him none the less. And the
folks here, at Casa Teresa, say
they plan to give her an award and they are going to call that award “Making
a Difference.” Live in
Orange, I’m Vikki
Vargas, Channel 4 News.” |
July
11, 2007


|
KNBC – Channel 4 – Blog
“Notes From the OC: Viewer Email Creates
Story For Broadcast”
By Vikki Vargas
ORANGE COUNTY,
Calif. -- Sometimes our best stories just fall into our laps...or
in this case into our email boxes. I get a handful of story ideas from
viewers daily. Some are worth holding on to for a rainy day; others get the
delete button treatment immediately.
I don't remember
meeting the woman who sent me this email (staff member from Casa Teresa), but thanks to her we
have a wonderful story for our news. It's about a young girl who prayed her
cat would come back and when he did, she gave her savings to a local shelter
for unwed mothers (Casa Teresa).
I suspect with a major bus strike, and
planes appearing to fall from the sky, this one might not make the usual
headlines. But timing has a lot to do with our decision process.
This was one of those rainy
days...
For Online Version –
Click Here |
July
2007

|
Newport Beach [714]
“Happening: Casa Teresa”
The Founders Guild of Casa Teresa recently held their Spring Luncheon. Guests attending the event brought baby
gifts for the Casa Teresa babies,
as well as non-baby items for the women at “Hannah’s House.” Featured speaker Lissa Callaghan, executive
director for Casa Teresa and
Frances Carrillo, the past resident and senior house mother presented
“Changing Lives for the Better.”

http://www.newportbeach714.com/ |
|
July
2007

|
Orange
County
Catholic
“28th Annual Golf Tournament
Raises Nearly $60,000
Left: Casa Teresa founders Neill and Sally
Sullivan.
Right: Casa Teresa resident, Nicole 9 months pregnant.
|
|
for Pregnant
Women’s Shelter”
By Elisabeth Defner

On June 4, Casa Teresa—a non profit organization
that provides a temporary home and on going support for pregnant women 18
years and older—hosted its 28th Annual Golf Tournament, an all-day event that
included a silent auction, 50-50 raffle, awards dinner, and of course
golfing. The event raised an estimated $58,000 for Casa Teresa. “After 28
years, I continue to be amazed and thankful for all the support we receive
for our moms and babies through our annual golf tournament,” said Executive
Director Lissa Callaghan.
For the past 30
years, more than 2,250 pregnant women have found shelter at Casa Teresa. Counseling and educational programs prepare
these women to make loving and informed life decisions for themselves and
their babies. Casa Teresa offers three separate residential programs: The
Parenting Program, the Adoption Program “Hannah’s House,” and the Transition
Program (Phase I and Phase II) for single mothers. The Casa Teresa experience is transformational, offering women with
no means of support the opportunity to become self-sufficient and
independent.
Orange
County Catholic Link |
June
15, 2007

|
The
Daily Pilot
“Junior League of Orange
County
Names President”
By Jessie Brunner
After
serving nine years as a dedicated member of the Newport Beach-based Junior League
of Orange County, Stacey Kinney of
San Juan Capistrano
was named president at a recent board meeting, and Kelly Northridge of
Newport Beach will now
serve as vice president.
The 2007-2008 board of directors will also include Carla Dillon of
Costa Mesa and Isabelle Ord and Jennifer Martin of
Newport Beach. The nonprofit consists of about 750 women
who volunteer to nurture a healthier and safer community while promoting
volunteerism.
Funds raised annually benefit numerous charitable projects, including Casa Teresa and Girls Inc.
For
Online Version – Click Here |
May
17, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register – Blog – See O.C.
“Pirating a Nap”
By Jebb Harris

Her baby carrier boldly upholstered with a skull and
bones motif didn’t keep three-month-old Justice Stanley from a peaceful nap.
She and mother Amber Stanley were attending a picnic at
Casa
Teresa
Home in
Orange. I was covering the event as a daily
assignment, but couldn’t resist the contrast between the angelic sweetness
and stark Jolly Roger. Perhaps mom wanted to inoculate her early in life
against scary things.
For Online Version – Click Here |
May
17, 2007

|
The
Orange
City News
“Together Once More; Mothers, Daughters
Reconnect Sunday at Casa Teresa, a Shelter for Single Moms in
Orange”
By Serena Maria Daniels
ORANGE – Linda Skipper, 53, described this Mother’s
Day as miraculous. She dug into a
plate of lasagna with her daughter, Nicole Ebeling, 29, who is about to give
birth to a daughter, and tearfully explained Ebeling’s transformation.
Ebeling and Skipper were among more than 40 other
women who joined for lunch Sunday at Casa
Teresa to reconnect and enjoy the company of their newly formed families
at the shelter. “It was a Nicole I
hadn’t seen in a long time,” Skipper said of her daughter, who arrived at Casa Teresa a month ago.
Expectant mothers like Ebeling, often with nowhere
else to go, live at the transitional housing program while attending life
skills classes or working.
They learn how to balance a checkbook, prepare
healthy meals and keep a clean house.
Donors Lou and Diana Oddo hosted the first-ever
Mother’s Day luncheon at Casa Teresa so those without family to visit would not feel alone on the holiday. “At one time, I was a young mother,” said
Diana Oddo, 58. “Luckily, I had my mom and dad, but some of these young
mothers don’t have anyone to turn to.”
The Oddos donated money and furniture for one of the
apartments, where women who are in the program’s long-term transitional
housing program can have a more private home environment when their baby arrives.
Ebeling said the move into the program has helped
her rebuild her relationship with her mom. “There was no relationship before,” Ebeling said of the years in which
she struggled with drug addiction. “Now, it’s a complete 360,” she said.
For more information on the programs at Casa Teresa or to find out how to
volunteer, go to www.casateresa.com. |
May
14, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“Together Once More; Mothers, Daughters
Reconnect Sunday at Casa Teresa, a Shelter for Single Moms in
Orange”
By Serena Maria Daniels
ORANGE – Linda Skipper, 53, described this Mother’s
Day as miraculous. She dug into a
plate of lasagna with her daughter, Nicole Ebeling, 29, who is about to give
birth to a daughter, and tearfully explained Ebeling’s transformation.
Ebeling and Skipper were among more than 40 other
women who joined for lunch Sunday at Casa
Teresa to reconnect and enjoy the company of their newly formed families
at the shelter. “It was a Nicole I
hadn’t seen in a long time,” Skipper said of her daughter, who arrived at Casa Teresa a month ago.
Expectant mothers like Ebeling, often with nowhere
else to go, live at the transitional housing program while attending life
skills classes or working.
They learn how to balance a checkbook, prepare
healthy meals and keep a clean house.
Donors Lou and Diana Oddo hosted the first-ever
Mother’s Day luncheon at Casa Teresa so those without family to visit would not feel alone on the holiday. “At one time, I was a young mother,” said
Diana Oddo, 58. “Luckily, I had my mom and dad, but some of these young
mothers don’t have anyone to turn to.”
The Oddos donated money and furniture for one of the
apartments, where women who are in the program’s long-term transitional
housing program can have a more private home environment when their baby
arrives.
Ebeling said the move into the program has helped
her rebuild her relationship with her mom. “There was no relationship before,” Ebeling said of the years in which
she struggled with drug addiction. “Now, it’s a complete 360,” she said.
For more information on the programs at Casa Teresa or to find out how to
volunteer, go to www.casateresa.com.
For
Online Version – Click Here |
May
1, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“Local Elk Lodge Donates to Charities”
By Courtney Bacalso
The Orange Elks Lodge No. 1475,
211 E. Chapman Ave., donated $4,500 to
nine local charities. The nine groups
each received $500.
They include: Battered Women’s Transitional Living
Center, Pediatric Dialysis for Kids at St. Joseph Hospital, CHOC Foundation
for Children to benefit children with cancer, Casa Teresa Home, temporary home for single and pregnant women, House
of Hope Rescue Mission, Eli House, a refuge for victims of domestic abuse,
Ronald Mc Donald House, which provides a home for families of seriously ill
children receiving treatment at local hospitals, Beverly House Fun, center
against domestic violence, Discovery Arts, bringing arts to children with
cancer and serious blood disorders.
Information: www.elks1475.org or 714-538-1475. |
March
1, 2007

|
Newport Beach [714] Magazine
‘“Home with a Heart’ Recognition Dinner
at
Bowers
Museum”
By Martha Green
Because of his 29 years of loving service and
dedication to single mothers and babies at Casa Teresa, Dr. James Pugh, clinical Physiologist for Casa Teresa, was honored with a
Lifetime Dedication Award. The 2nd Annual Recognition Dinner, “Home with a
Heart,” was held at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in the new Dorothy and
Donald Kennedy Wing and chaired by Board Member Barbara Roppolo. Prior to the
dinner, Casa Teresa’s sponsors and
donors attended a VIP cocktail reception and a pre-event viewing of the two
newest exhibits, “Ansel Adams: Classic Images,” and the “Treasures from Shangai:
5000 Years of Art and Culture.”
Lisa Callaghan, executive director for Casa Teresa thanked and acknowledged
her committee which included
Patricia Carson,
Mary Frome (Casa Teresa Guilds
Founder), Leann Marienthal, Pat Morabito, Pamela Sailor (Marketing and
Special Events Manager), Jennie Thomas, Katie Dever (Casa Teresa Managing Director), and Josie Traino.
A City of
Orange
Proclamation and a stunning Lladro sculpture, “The
Cradle of Life,” were presented to Dr. Pugh by Casa Teresa Board President Keith Eyrich. Guests enjoyed a
delicious dinner prepared by Tangata, part of the Patina Restaurant Group,
with live music from Kobayashi Entertainment and a special surprise
performance by Eric Marienthal, a world-renowned saxophonist with a fabulous
rendition of the “Days of Wine and Roses.”
www.newportbeach714.com |
Feb.
27, 2007

|
The
Orange
County
Register
“2nd Annual Recognition
Dinner Honoring Dr. James Pugh”
By Donna Bunce
“Casa Teresa is a magical place, and tonight we’re honoring the magician,” said board
member and event chairwoman Barbara Roppolo. The magician is Dr. James Pugh,
the honoree Saturday night at Casa
Teresa’s “Home with a Heart” recognition dinner, for his 29 years of
loving service to single mothers and babies.
Casa
Teresa’s executive director,
Lissa Callaghan, said of its
clinical physiologist: “Dr. Pugh has been an inspiration to us all, never
tiring of his work to improve the lives of our residents, even making himself
available for calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are pleased to
award him our Lifetime Dedication Award.”
Board president Keith Eyrich presented Pugh a
City of
Orange Proclamation
as well as a beautiful Lladro “The Cradle of Life” sculpture. After a moving
video of Pugh’s work, he said, “We’re talking about young women who are
pregnant with nowhere to go. You never shut the door or turn away. You just
love them.”
Held at
Bowers
Museum in its new Dorothy and Donald Kennedy Wing, the evening event drew 220 guests and included
a tempting silent auction followed by a delicious three-course dinner catered
by the Patina Restaurant Group. World-class jazz saxophonist Eric
Marienthal joined the Baba Elefante Trio in a surprise performance of
“The Days of Wine & Roses” in tribute to Pugh, who is a jazz lover and
friend.
The live auction, energetically orchestrated by
auctioneer Dawn Marie Kotsonis, saw Roppolo’s table guests win six of
the 10 auction items. Among them, a Las Vegas getaway went to Penny Skow;
a Fashion Island offering with hotel, dinner and shopping certificates to Carol and John McDermott; a Chicago weekend went to Anne and Dave
Mudgett, and another weekend to Linda and Roger Chaix;
dinner for eight in your home by L’Opera Ristorante to the Mudgetts and Rick
Loesel; a Newport Harbor cocktail cruise for eight to Isabelle
Villasenor; and finally, an adorable pedigreed Shih Tzu puppy to the
Mudgetts, who promptly gave it to Pamela Sailor, Casa Teresa’s marketing and special event manager. “She just
loves the puppy, and we want her to have it,” Anne said. Skow, who won the
Vegas trip, also won the “50-50” cash drawing, which generated $1,500, or
$750 to her. “I’m on a roll and leaving for Vegas tonight!” she exclaimed.
Another surprise came when Bill Teachout, representing
the First Presbyterian Church of Orange, which is providing space for an
infant child-care center for the children of Casa Teresa, gave Callaghan an autographed hard hat to visit the
construction site.
Ropollo acknowledged her committee, which included
Patricia Carson, Leann Marienthal (Eric’s wife),
Mary Frome (CT Guilds’’ founder), Lori Frome, Pat Morabito,
Jennie Thomas,
Josie
Traino, CT managing director Katie Dever and Sailor. The
$90,000 net proceeds will benefit the Orange-based nonprofit’s three
residential programs: the Parenting Program, the Adoption Program called
Hannah’s House, and the Transition Program for Single Mothers.
For Online Version – Click Here |
December
2006

|
Orange
Coast Magazine
“The Givers; Here are Five Women Who
Work the Front Lines of
Charity From Behind the Scenes”
By Dawn Pettit & Photography By
Jason Wallis
Whether it’s answering a phone call,
planning an upcoming event or lending a ride, these individuals dedicate
their time and energy to serving others throughout
Orange
County. They may not be front and center at a gala
fund-raiser, but they are integral to the success of the organizations they
volunteer with. During this season of
giving, we honor them for their infectious spirit and brave efforts to give
back to the community.
Marguerite
Di Stanislao: Since 1999,
Marguerite Di Stanislao has helped many pregnant and homeless young women in
the parenting and adoption programs at Casa
Teresa, a safe home in
Orange.
“I have been blessed with a good and
plentiful life, and felt the need to give back to the community my talents to
help others,” says the retired administrative assistant. Di Stanislao credits her daughter, Carol,
who was president of the agency’s Founders Guild, for encouraging her to join Casa Teresa. “Volunteering and being part of the guild
has blessed me with many long-lasting friends,” she adds.
Each week, the
Newport Beach resident screens incoming
calls at the Casa Teresa office,
some of which are from women who need immediate assistance. She also plans upcoming projects with the
director of volunteers, and in some cases drives the women to their doctor’s
appointments.
“The greatest joy comes from the
progress of the women, who have gone through the program and will make better
lives for themselves and their babies,” says Di Stanislao, who dedicates 350
hours each year to Casa Teresa. She hopes that sharing her personal
experience will encourage others to volunteer. “What greater gift can we give but [to
give] of ourselves?”
www.orangecoastmagazine.com |
|