Impact Stories

You Give Karen Hope for Independence

Karen entered Hope Services’ Supported Living program in 2004 with the goal of achieving greater independence.

Lorenzo’s Story (Community Employment)

Truly meaningful employment sets the foundation for personal and career success. That is the goal of Hope’s Community Employment Services (CES), the program that helped Lorenzo land an opportunity at Safeway.

Donna’s Story (HopeSTUDIO)

In anticipation of Hope Services’ 70th Anniversary, participants in HopeSTUDIO launched a community art project to capture the essence of Hope’s clients, staff and supporters. Just as the project began, HopeSTUDIO artist, Donna, was undergoing back surgery.

Laura’s Story (Mental Health Services)

Meet Laura, a resilient woman who found her strength through virtual therapy at Hope Services. Born with cerebral palsy, Laura faced lifelong discrimination as a Native American woman with a disability.

Hope Opens a New Door for Corinne

As an individual with a learning disability, Corinne came to Hope Services after high school in search of training and advocacy to help her on her path to employment.

Meaningful Employment: The Journey of Hope’s Longtime Client Dominic

Dominic is one of Hope Services’ longest standing clients, having been an early student at the schoolhouse founded by a group of determined parents of children with developmental disabilities almost 70 years ago. Born with cleft palate and diagnosed with spinal meningitis at the age of three, Dominic came to Hope Services to help him get the best start at life.

Hope’s Homestart Program Provides Vital Assistance to Family of Siblings Olivia and Myles

When Cherish learned that her second child, Myles, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, she spent eight months working with the regional center that partially funds Hope Services to find a placement and begin receiving support for her child.

Twilla and Larry’s Story

From working to marriage to retirement, Twilla and Larry have been able to navigate it all with the help of Hope Services.

A Future With Hope

When our son was young, we worried about whether we could find a program that would meet his needs after he aged out of the public school postsecondary program. Our anxieties grew over time, but while Rob was in his postsecondary program, we learned about a new Hope Services community-based program.

Emery's Story

During the pregnancy Emery's parents learned that he had Down syndrome. They didn't know what to expect, or what to do. It was "scary" when Emery would wake up and just do nothing. But once Emery was enrolled in Hope's Homestart early intervention program, progress was rapid.

Peris Quadruplets' Story

This has been a time for heroes. At Hope Services, we see scores of heroes every day in our essential staff, our clients and their families, like Michele and Jose Peris, parents of 13-month-old quadruplets: Carla, Laila, Lucia, and Maya. We know there's a hero in you.

Hannah's Story

Hannah started attending the Whittier EMCC (Employment, Media and Community Connections) program in 2018, after finishing her post-secondary school program through the Fremont Unified School District. Hannah quickly acclimated to the variety of activities and opportunities that the EMCC program offered.

Charlie's Story

Charlie has received services from Hope since March, 2014. He lives in his own apartment in Watsonville with the support of our Supported Living team. Charlie's start with Hope Supported Living was also his first time living in a home of his own. Living in his own apartment is very important to Charlie and he is proud of his accomplishment.

Max's Story

Max has been a client at the Counseling Center for more than 20 years. When he came to Hope, he was struggling with daily anxiety and impulsivity, he was often yelling, and he could become aggressive when the coping skills he used to manage his anxiety were interrupted. Max also struggled to manage obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors that negatively impacted his life.

Maya's Story

Before living independently, Maya used to be fearful of crossing the street by herself to attend the day program at Hope's Whittier office. Maya used to have a friend meet her at the intersection to make sure she made it safely across the street without falling, if she was to fall she felt she wouldn't be able to get back up on her own.

Catalina’s Story

Catalina was born with congenital heart disease. Open heart surgery at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford saved her life, but at a cost: a hypoxic brain injury left her with cerebral palsy. She became a client of Hope Services in 2015. For a year she received personalized support in Project SEARCH, one of Hope's training and employment programs.