April 2017 Team Accomplishments

Krystal Koons, health educator supervisor with North Star Youth Partnership, has put her heart and soul into this year’s Priceless Prom Project. She did an amazing job setting up the event and coordinating volunteers. Krystal was instrumental in collecting hundreds of dresses and donations, both material and monetary.

Clairette Clinger, program manager for the unaccompanied minor program, is a beacon of light to her team. Recently, there have been a few tough cases that needed extra support, Clairette stepped in to make sure the cases were covered. She leads by example and is not afraid to dive in and help her team.

Len DeJoria, formerly with North Star Youth Partnership, is now the community engagement and resource development officer for Catholic Charities' northern region. We welcome him and are thrilled that this is a new position in the north. Thanks to Len for jumping in with both feet and hitting the ground running!

Collaboration between Westside Head Start and the refugee program led to a successful enrollment of a refugee child into Early Head Start programming! Thanks to the work of Karla Solano and Connie Guevara, who had reached out to Kate Radabaugh and Omar Attayee with the refugee program for cultural support. Catholic Charities staff from these two programs were able to meet with the newly arrived family for a home visit. The home visit revealed a gap in the child’s physical exam follow-up that the child’s father did not know how to address. With Connie’s keen eye for markers of child health and helpful coaching on child development combined with Omar’s cultural knowledge and interpretation skills, the family was provided the support necessary to ensure regular medical care for the child. Months after this home visit was conducted, the child is still receiving the benefits of Early Head Start programming. This example demonstrates how collaborating between Catholic Charities programs can enhance services by providing a tailored experience that meaningfully responds to the unique needs of our clients.

Pat Gillem, volunteer coordinator in the refugee program, does an amazing job managing interns, volunteers and other community partners like Arizona State University and James Madison University. Pat’s dedication to nurturing these ongoing relationships greatly benefits our program.

Janessa Jones, administrative support for the Philanthropy team and Doris Muniz, donor database coordinator, are two quiet, yet hard working and detailed team members who exemplify keeping projects on track and supporting others.