Creating a community for people with special needs, Friday Nights Out is a monthly gathering of high school & young adult students with special needs. It is a safe place where inclusion and acceptance prevail and where young people can socialize and build lifelong relationships. For information on this activity please contact Noralyn Giles.
A nonprofit corporation under the County's Employment & Human Services division, VESTIA is composed of volunteers who raise money and obtain donated goods and services to provide supplemental support to County clients. Annually it serves over 6200 clients with low to very low incomes. VESTIA has been a safety net for thousands of low-income children and families in Contra Costa County and works in a public-private partnership to provide supplemental support to clients when no other resources exist.
Volunteer opportunities:
This organization focuses on providing early intervention programs and services to infants and preschoolers with special needs. Through targeted early intervention services, We Care helps young children and their families reach their full potential, regardless of their ability or circumstances.
Programs offered include: mental health services for children with social, emotional, and behavior issues, early screening and identification of preschool children with learning delays, speech and physical challenges, as well as behavioral and emotional needs.
Volunteer opportunities:
• Help us host two, daylong events per year at the preschool, including collecting supplies.
• Volunteer at the Center.
Youth Homes provides a safe place for foster youth to heal from emotional and sometimes physical abuse, and gives them the support they need to grow into a happy, healthy adult. They feel that each of their young clients deserves a chance to grasp a new reality, and to understand that their past will not dictate their future.