Lutheran Social Services (LSS) has a new Area Director in the Thousand Oaks office on a part-time basis. Darlene Mees has been with LSS for 10 years and has developed successful transitional living programs for women and children for LSS in Riverside and hopes to do the same in Ventura County. 

Client Success Story: Tye Horn

Tye Horn is meeting with his Villa Esperanza Services Independent Living Skills Instructor/Job Coach, Dan. Along with Tye, is his eleven year old son Troy, they have just returned from their Friday morning breakfast ritual which all three seem to relish. Apparently, Tye is a popular regular at their favorite spot. He is an exceptional client who has taken on full responsibility as a single dad and held down a job at Home Depot for 18 years. Villa Esperanza Services supports his efforts both at home through Independent Living Services (ILS) and at work through the Employment Services Individual Placement program.

I’ve had a very difficult time writing the President’s Message for this newsletter. There are so many fantastic things to highlight when writing about Community Conscience and the wonderful organizations housed “Under One Roof.” Some of those items are touched on in other portions of this newsletter, so please, read the entire newsletter. However, as President, I would be remiss if I did not tell our friends and supporters about some of the difficulties Community Conscience faces as well.

The Seventeenth Annual Mardi Gras Ball, held on February 21, 2009 at the Hyatt Hotel in Westlake, was a banner event for Community Conscience, “Under One Roof” Human Services Center. Thanks to the hard work and generosity of members of our community, profits from the event exceeded our expectations.

Longtime community volunteers, Harry Selvin and Susan Holt were named the King and Queen of the 17^th Annual Mardi Gras Ball. The Community Conscience “Under One Roof” sponsored event took place at the Westlake Hyatt Hotel on Saturday, February 21, 2009.