Blog archive
February 2025
Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025
Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025
Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025
Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025
Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025
Living the Mission
02/05/2025
Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025
Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025
Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025
Villager's Stories
02/05/2025
A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025
Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025
Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025
January 2025
At Dawn by Ed Mervine
01/31/2025
Thank you for Relief Efforts
01/31/2025
Status - January 30, 2025
01/30/2025
Needs as of January 25, 2025
01/24/2025
Eaton Fire Information
01/23/2025
Fires in LA Occupy Our Attention
01/22/2025
Escape to San Diego
01/19/2025
Finding Courage Amid Tragedy
01/19/2025
Responses of Pasadena Village Jan 29, 2025
01/18/2025
A Tale of Three Fires
01/14/2025
Cheers to our Volunteers!
By Blog MasterPosted: 04/01/2021
Pasadena Village relies on volunteers to build community, fulfill member requests for rides and other support, for office and tech help, to create and run all of our programming, and a myriad of other ways of furthering our mission. Knowing that the 2021 Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 18-24) would again be without the joyous and delicious gathering at the local favorite restaurant Mijares, the Village forged a new partnership to show our appreciation in another way.
Gabriel Vazquez from the Institute for Redesign of Learning was looking for ways their clients can give back to the community when he and Katie Brandon met on Zoom at a Pasadena Chamber of Commerce event earlier this year. The Institute for the Redesign of Learning (IRL) provides programs for individuals with special needs, ages infants through adults, through the greater Los Angeles including here in Pasadena.
This mutually beneficial partnership turned into a creative endeavor for adults in IRL’s programs who are on the autism spectrum or who have Down's syndrome. Gabriel told the Village how much these individuals miss social connections and how they find joy in art projects. One of IRL's clients is Francisco who has been a part of the Almansor Transition Program for many years which has surely enriched his life. The IRL staff works with him on independent life skills and ways to be a part of his community. They shared, "Francisco is mainly non-verbal but if you know him well as we do, you will be able to communicate with him," and that he has been recognized for his hard work and ability to follow directions. The IRL staff was grateful for this creative project for Francisco. They shared that, "Artistic freedom allows Francisco to totally be himself. His art frequently displays bright vibrant colors with no rhyme or reason." We hope the cards he made will convey his larger than life smile and personality.
Two months after the Chamber event, Gabriel hand-delivered over 100 colorfully decorated thank you notes to the Village office to be sent to Pasadena Village volunteers and supporters. They have traveled from the Institute for Redesign of Learning campuses, to the homes of their clients, to the Village’s offices, and finally will arrive in our volunteer’s homes in the coming weeks. The Volunteer Coordinating Committee hopes our amazing volunteers know how appreciated they are and that these little cards will spread joy and make our community feel even closer during these times when we continue to be physically separated.