Summertime fun!                    

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New friends, new school

During the month of July, UpValley Family Centers together with Calistoga Joint Unified School District, coordinated a Summer Bridge Program for incoming kindergarten students and their parents, to get prepared for the coming school year. Summer Bridge was created as a transition program to help children without preschool experience get acquainted with school life, before the school year starts. This summer, the program was opened to all incoming kindergarten students because of the large numbers of young children staying at home during the pandemic.  With 32 children registered, this year's Summer Bridge program was the largest cohort in over a decade!

Students were grouped into two classrooms with kindergarten teachers from Calistoga Elementary who will teach in the fall, and they attended class four half-days a week for four weeks. Parents attended weekly parent-only sessions led by UpValley Family Centers, where they had question/answer sessions with school officials, toured the campus, received helpful parenting tips from accredited Triple P practitioners, and met other parents.

The top three highlights of this year's program: 1) kinders making new friends and having fun learning together, 2) students and teachers forming bonds, 3) parents having their own dedicated time to build relationships with one another as they begin this new journey.

This program is supported with generous funding from Auction Napa Valley/Napa Valley Vintners, S.H. Cowell Foundation, Trinchero Family Estates, and individual donors.

Back to School Family Celebration

Save the date! Our annual Calistoga Back to School Family Celebration is happening on Friday, August 27 from 4-7pm on Berry Field at Calistoga Elementary School. This outdoor community event, hosted by UpValley Family Centers and Calistoga Joint Unified School District, will feature kids' activities, entertainment, a host of informational resources, and a free meal. You won't want to miss it!

Our Back to School event is sponsored by: Pacific Gas & Electric Company, The Doctors Company, Anonymous Supporting Sponsor, The Cave Company, Damian Maldonado Memorial Foundation, The Joel Toller Team, Jones Family Vineyards, and Westamerica Bank. If you are interested in being a sponsor for this event, please contact Alisa Barksdale at abarksdale@upvalleyfamilycenters.org or (707) 965-5010. 

Healthy relationships

Our CLARA youth mentoring program has been offering theme-based workshops for teens over the summer, with a focus on self-care and connection. Trabajadora Tuesday workshops are geared towards releasing stress, building skills such as time management, and creating peer connections in a safe space. Thriving Thursday workshops, coordinated in partnership with NEWS, are focused on building healthy relationships, setting boundaries, and fun group activities like making bracelets, coloring, and getting outdoors. To learn more about our CLARA Program, contact Karina Solis at ksolis@upvalleyfamilycenters.org or call our office at (707) 965-5010.

CLARO/CLARA is now on Instagram! St. Helena and Calistoga Junior and Senior high school students are encouraged to follow for program updates and fun! Check it out on Instagram @upvalley_youthmentoring

Positive Parenting Program

As school is preparing to resume, creating predictable environments and establishing routines for children will help set them up for success. UpValley Family Centers has accredited Triple P practitioners on hand, here to support parents in preparing children to adjust to new schedules. If you would like to know more about Triple P, please call us at 707-965-5010 or email gcachu@upvalleyfamilycenters.org.  We offer individual consultations and group presentations for parents at no charge, thanks to a grant from Napa County Master Settlement Agreement funds, and individual donors. Services are available in English or Spanish.

Emergency rental assistance

Many renters have experienced financial struggles as a result of the pandemic. The California Housing is Key Program currently has emergency rental assistance funds available to help eligible tenants pay past-due rent and utilities. If you have experienced financial hardship and have past due rent or utility bills, financial assistance could be available to you. UpValley Family Centers is here to support you with the application process. Our team of trained case managers can assist with reviewing eligibility guidelines, creating a user account, uploading documentation, and submitting your application. If you are interested in applying or need more information, please contact us via email at efa@upvalleyfamilycenters or 707-965-5010.

Join our team!

Are you interested in doing meaningful work that strengthens families and the community?  Please visit our website to view current openings. 

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