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A Celebration of Courage and Hope
An evening of courage, hope, and community it was! Thank you to all who supported In Celebration with Caminar.
Our sincere gratitude to our chairs, Alma and Michael Collopy and Carole Middleton, and our generous sponsors and donors who help make our work possible.
Our featured speakers and guests, Drew Robinson, Ellie, and Dr. Shana Alexander courageously shared Drew's mental health journey, spread hope for those who need it, and spoke authentically to end the stigma of mental health. It was nothing short of remarkable, inspiring, and life-changing.
Because of everyone who joined and supported us on Saturday, and those who support Caminar and our clients in so many other ways, Caminar can provide quality behavioral healthcare to our Bay Area neighbors who need it most. We are truly grateful.
If you didn't have a chance to make a donation at the event, it is not too late!
View more photographs
from the evening
taken by Drew Altizer.
Caminar in the News: Our H.E.A.R.T. Program
As October and Domestic Violence Awareness Month wrapped up, ABC 7 featured Isabella Bunkers of our H.E.A.R.T. Program.
The H.E.A.R.T. Program - which stands for Healthy Equitable and Respectful Together - has been working with the Santa Clara County community since January 2023 to create a safe space to discuss relationships and bring an end to domestic and intimate partner violence.
H.E.A.R.T. offers resources to the community, including workshops for individuals to attend who are seeking help, and provides a comfortable space to share more information on building healthy relationships.
In the interview, Bunkers and ABC7 Morning anchor Jobina Fortson discussed the importance of bringing awareness around domestic and intimate partner violence, building healthy relationships, and sharing resources. We invite you to view the 4-minute segment.
Institutional Giving Update
Caminar is pleased to share the award of a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente in support of our Jobs Plus program in San Francisco. For over 30 years, Caminar Jobs Plus has been a leading provider of job services and vocational rehabilitation for every person motivated to succeed in the competitive labor market, regardless of any mental or physical disability. Our thanks to Kaiser Permanente for their partnership in this important work.
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Caminar is happy to announce the continuation of our valued partnership with El Camino Healthcare District in the form of two grants: one in support of our Domestic Violence Prevention Services and one for the LGBTQ Speakers Bureau. These two programs reach thousands of clients and promote a safer community for those experiencing abuse and those in our LGBTQ+ community. Our thanks to El Camino Healthcare District for recognizing the impact of these programs and for their generous support!
Welcome New Caminar Leadership
Melek Totah, MBA | Chief Financial Officer
Melek joined Caminar as our CFO in August. Melek has worked for four large public companies, including the Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, and Gap Inc. where she obtained best-in-class foundations for her financial journey. Over the past 15 years, she has held CFO roles in several social services agencies providing services to children and adults across a wide spectrum of programs. Most recently, she held the CFO role with Aspiranet, a non-profit agency serving children and families across the State of California.
She has led finance, accounting, IT, facilities, risk management, contracts, grant writing, and business development teams. She is a strong partner to program teams, and supports high-quality decisions through collaboration, diagnostics, and data. She has a strong track record of successfully developing and delivering strategic initiatives, identifying, and mitigating organizational risk, and optimizing infrastructure to pave the way for growth. Melek is familiar with many program models including clinical training programs, family resources centers, foster care, residential treatment, outpatient mental health, IOP, wrap-around, school-based treatment, hospital diversion, PHD, CSU, FSP, and transitional-age youth programming.
Why I Support Caminar
"For the love and compassion that was shown to me!”
-A Caminar donor
