When I ask people what they like about UCP many are quick to mention the number of families we help each month, and I must agree, it’s an impressive number. We currently serve 1,940 families per month.
You understand the importance of a healthy family. You know how important good parenting is to a child. You recognize the challenges many families face – from providing meals and a safe place to sleep to educating and teaching life skills to young kids. So much of a child’s success hinges on the actions of the parents.
That is why I am writing to you today. Imagine adding the responsibility of raising a young child with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or epilepsy to the equation. More than half of UCP’s families have a child with disabilities under the age of ten. Over 54% of our families are of low income, resources are stretched, and stress is often high.
Your donation to UCP’s Family Respite will help relieve that stress. Our trained UCP respite workers will come into a family’s home and engage with the child, offering a stressed parent an opportunity to take a break, have a good uninterrupted chat with a friend or give focused attention to one of their other children.
You’re giving a tired parent the chance to take a break and re-energize. You’re helping a parent refocus, allowing them to come back and care for their child with renewed energy.
This holiday season know that your gift of respite care will help transform a stressed family into a happy, healthy family.
Thank you,
P.S. The demand and need for UCP Family Respite continues to grow. Help us to meet the need. Your donation makes a difference. $50 helps (1) family, $150 provides support for (3) families and $500 helps (10) families. Learn more about ways you can donate now.
Making a legacy gift is easy – it is a charitable donation of any amount made through your will, trust or life insurance documents.
You can give a gift that costs you nothing now but brightens the future of today’s children. Designate a percentage of your life insurance, trust and other estate documents to The Foundation for UCP of Sacramento and Northern California.
The designation is as easy as making a phone call or emailing your financial advisor or attorney. On some documents, you can make the change yourself and you can always change the designation if situations change.
Leave a legacy for your family and then for the good of the community. Contact Steve Horton – Director, Legacy Giving at 916-283-8312 or shorton@ucpsacto.org.
If you have an IRA and are 70½ years old or older, you can take advantage of a simple way to protect the future of today’s children. With an IRA Charitable Rollover, you can give up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to The Foundation for UCP (of Sacramento and Northern California) without having to pay the federal income tax that would otherwise be owed.
The process is simple. Contact your IRA administrator and give them your instructions to make a qualified charitable distribution. The distribution is sent to:
The Foundation for UCP
ATTN: Steve Horton
4350 Auburn Blvd.
Sacramento CA 95841
Federal Tax ID number 26 3279530
So many things came to mind when Ashley and Allen learned of their 2-year-old son Barrett’s diagnosis.
They’d never heard of autism. Yet in 2015, the day before Thanksgiving, Barrett was diagnosed with severe autism. It was a day of sorrow and disbelief that changed their lives forever.
The diagnosis was challenging for everyone in different ways. “As a family we didn’t understand what we needed to do to help him,” Ashley said.
Each day holds new obstacles for the family that need to be dealt with on a physical, mental and emotional level.
Physical challenges include toileting, dressing, and everyday hygiene.
Mental challenges range from difficulty communicating to understanding day-to-day appropriate behavior.
Emotional challenges include reactions to everyday life such as frustrations, melt downs, and other environmental exposures.
For a child with autism, it’s a continuous task to face and overcome each one.
Through it all, UCP’s Family Respite Care services have been there to help cope with the unknown and provide much-needed mental and physical breaks so that Ashley and her family can remain patient and positive.
Barrett is now 4 years old and has just started making words and some phrases. “Looking back, the challenges have been many, but the rewards have been great,” Ashley says, “We set out on this journey not knowing what to expect but knowing that we will be blessed no matter the outcome.”
The family knows that challenges still lie ahead for Barrett, but with the help of UCP’s respite care, they know that they’ve got the support they need to help them along the way.
It’s hasn’t always been easy for the Cattarusa family, a tight knit family of five. In fact, at times it seemed as though there was no light at the end of the tunnel for Jessica, a stay at home mom and mother to three young children.
Life took an unexpected turn seven years ago, when her eldest son, Saul, was diagnosed with intellectual delay.
With three kids, one with special needs, life at times can be overwhelming. Before discovering UCP’s Family Respite Program, Jessica admits to feeling stressed, frustrated and often alone.
Her husband’s busy work schedule meant she was the sole caretaker during the day, and she struggled to be there for her kids. It wasn’t until she was referred to UCP’s Family Respite Program that she finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Through respite care, she now has the relief she’s been looking for.
Today, UCP’s Family Respite Program has given the Cattarusa family a new lease on life. Leaving home is no longer a concern because they know their kids are happy with the respite caregivers. Relying on UCP’s Respite program has reduced stress in the household. Saul is continuing to learn new skills while gaining new independence, and best of all, the family, with the support they need, can now focus on the bright things in life.
