| Kristin |
| YES Perspectives: AlcoPops (2009) |
| 2010.08.05 16:00:00 | |
The YES Partnership has a Cable 8 program! Each episode is around a half hour long, and the files are big so we recommend you let the entire video load before you hit play. Enjoy!
Perspectives: YES Partnership - AlcoPops. Hosted by Robin Perkins. Featuring: Casey Bressler and Erin Begley.Tags: Hits: 124 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Head Start's Annual Report, 2009 |
| 2010.07.20 01:52:29 | |
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Have you wondered about the many faces and stories of Head Start? Head Start is one of the biggest ATCAA programs, serving hundreds of families throughout both Amador and Tuolumne counties. Please take a peek through the marvelous Head Start 2009 report to see what the fine folks at Head Start have been doing!
(If the image isn't big enough, please click the + sign to enlarge! If you can't read the image here, please check it out at ATCAA's Scribd account.) Tags: Head Start Hits: 204 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Short and Tall Golf Tournament! |
| 2010.07.16 03:25:37 | |
 Mentoring Works is holding a golf tournament! Each team will be made up of one adult and one child, so round up your favorite shorter-or-taller golfing buddy and come play!
When: Saturday, July 31 Time: check-in begins at 8:30 Where: Phoenix Lake Golf Course (map) For more info, check out the poster or give Elena a call at 533-1397 ext 229. Tags: Mentoring Works | Events Hits: 162 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Liveblogging the YES Retreat 2010! |
| 2010.06.11 04:17:04 | |
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Thanks to the fabulous wireless from Aladdin Motor Inn and the East Sonora Conference Center, we can liveblog from the YES Partnership Retreat for the second year in a row! (For coverage from last year's event, click here!)
In the little stretch of breakfast time - the pastries look amazing! - your fearless ATCAA blogger wades through the Healthy Kids survey results. The batch of numbers that stand out particularly are the shift in perception of harm from 2000 to 2008. Only 3% of 7th graders in 2000 thought that alcohol and marijuana were "Harmless". By 2008 that number for both substances rose to 21%. This number is stunning: 21% of surveyed local 7th graders - 12 and 13 year olds - think that alcohol and pot are harmless. Many kids grow up in households where alcohol and marijuana are consumed casually. Perhaps what the adults in their lives aren't making clear is that although it may seem like a bottle of wine is every bit as mundane as a bottle of water, most grown ups use alcohol (and even marijuana) with a certain amount of deliberation. Are we simply not having these conversations with our the kids in our general orbit? Also intriguing: only 6% of 11th graders felt that alcohol is harmless and 11% of them think marijuana is harmless. That's a significant shift; we'll have to wait until 2012 to see what this particular group of 7th graders think by the time they reach middle high school. Bob White brings up a great point! If you're on Facebook, please support your local pages! Just a few: YES Partnership, Tuolumne County Local Child Care Planning Council, Center for a Non Violent Community,Tuolumne County Library, Mother Lode Fair. Are you fans of other local joints? Hit the ATCAA Facebook page and let us know! Liz Sewell does a lovely job hitting the highlights of the survey results: 91% of kids surveyed feel connected to their community. Even among racial minorities in predominantly white Tuolumne County, black and Latino kids report feelings of community connections in the mid-70%s. A trip to the fair or to the rodeo or any of the local parades will demonstrate the strength of this community, but it is nice to see that feeling reflected in the numbers! Diane Martin is here to make a presentation about cultural competency and inter-cultural communication, including what cultural competence is and what strategies can be used to increase the cultural competency for the YES Partnership. Culture comprises much more than race and ethnicity. "Culture is really a mental software that people carry around in their head. Culture is about values and the way people think." Profession, age, gender can all be parts of culture. Culture "is continually changing and evolving", not static. Questions for organizations: "What are we doing? How do we prepare ourselves as an organization to be open to folks from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and still be effective?" Todd Stolp encourages actively seeking the participation of youth who are not currently engaged. Theresa Nelson agrees: YES Partnership would like to "create a culture of attraction and invitation" to all. Liz nails it: to provide a more inclusive environment we must diversify the profile of the adult YES collaborators; Laura Sunday: "so the membership reflects our community." But how do we do this and avoid tokenism? Theresa: "we honor what they bring by utilizing it...and it makes you want to come back. It gives you a sense of meaning and purpose." The coalition must do more than be welcoming and warm; we must use the gifts offered by all participants. Cory Ashton suggests "improving the way we recruit". Also, not treating one person as representative of an entire culture. (Kristin internally cheers!) Themes raised during the small group sessions:
Great conversations, everyone! Let's keep it up throughout the year! Tags: YES Partnership | Live Blog Hits: 241 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| This just in from the Food Bank! |
| 2010.05.29 02:55:40 | |
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What are you doing on Tuesday, June 12? If you've got little ones around, here's what you should be doing: First 5 Hands-On Health Express!
Stop by the Jamestown Food Bank on 10059 Victoria Way (in Jamestown) for free resources and educational activities! 10 a.m. to noon gets you kids' activities, 12:30 to 1:30 gets you more fun for the kids and food bank tours. Call First 5 for info: 209 586-2337! Hits: 294 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| You're invited to the Rose Quartz Place Ribbon Cutting! |
| 2010.05.05 04:03:49 | |
Join us to cut the ribbon at ATCAA's newest neighborhood!
Rose Quartz Place Ribbon Cutting! Tags: Housing Resources | Events Hits: 291 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| A Taste for Mentoring Dessert Contest and Antique Auto Show |
| 2010.03.27 05:43:42 | |
Mentoring Works presents the fifth annual A Taste for Mentoring!Sample the finest desserts created by local restaurants and vote for your top choice! When: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 2 pm to 4 pm
Where: Sonora Elks Lodge (100 Elk Drive, Sonora, CA: map) Tickets are $20 per person (and can be purchased below). You can also reserve a full table for $120! 2010 Participating restaurants:
As always - a round of applause for our fabulous sponsors!
Tags: Mentoring Works | Events Hits: 370 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| ATCAA Soliciting Letters of Qualifications! |
| 2010.03.18 03:58:42 | |
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Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency is Soliciting Letters of Qualifications from Consultants.
ATCAA, a public organization, is updating its list of consultants available for specific projects. Interested parties should identify specific abilities in any or all of following skill-set areas:
By Mail: ATCAA, 935 South State Highway 49, Jackson, CA 95642. Attention: Carolyn van Ravenswaay. By email: Submit to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Faxes will not be accepted. Deadline: Letters of Interest will be received through May 3, 2010. Listing will be kept on file until updated. E.O.E. Tags: ATCAA Hits: 288 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| FRS: Taste of Gold, 2010! |
| 2010.03.05 01:06:08 | |
ATCAA Family Resource Service's 4th Annual Taste of Gold fundraiser:
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When: Saturday, May 1, 2010, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the ATCAA office in Jackson (935 S Hwy 49, Jackson) or over the phone: 209 223 1485. Tickets can also be purchased via PayPal right here on the ATCAA website! Please click "Add to cart" below and tell us how many tickets you'd like. Once done, confirm your order and kindly fill out our registration form. You're almost there! Confirm your registration and click the PayPal button to head over to PayPal's secure website to purchase your tickets. Remember - you haven't bought your tickets until you enter your credit card information!
[Link removed]
If you want to participate as a winery, restaurant or car owner, or need more information, contact:
Aurora Hicks: 209-223-1485 x234;
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or Pat Porto: 209-223-1485 x236;
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Taste of Gold is sponsored by the | Emma |
| NEW: Tax Assistance Newsletter |
| 2009.12.18 03:03:00 | |
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The first issue of the ATCAA Tax Assistance Newsletter has just been released. You can read a copy and learn about this exciting new program at: http://infonettc.net/take-action/vita-program/225-vita-newsletter-fall-2009 Enjoy, and Happy Holidays from all of us in the Tax Assistance division of ATCAA. Tags: Tax Assistance Hits: 419 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| ATCAA Release: Notice to Contractors |
| 2009.11.20 06:39:34 | |
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORSBids are being solicited by ATCAA-Early Childhood Services until December 16th, 2009 at 4 PM, for a consultant who can assist us with several large construction projects at our local child care centers. We are looking for an experienced contractor who can oversee and draft plans and specifications related to these projects. The projects will include moving one portable building located on a school site to another location, building a retaining wall, fencing, drywall repair, and several major repairs in various locations throughout Tuolumne County and Amador County. Please note that you will not be bidding on the actual construction, but the consulting and expertise involved in choosing and overseeing an appropriate contractor to complete the projects in a satisfactory manner. The projects can be reviewed and explained in detail, as well as pictures, by contacting the Tuolumne Office at (209) 533 0361 x 244 or the Jackson Office at (209) 223-7333 option 3 extension 3.Each bid should contain the full name of the person submitting the bid. Please enclose the bid in a sealed envelope and mark as follows: Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency-Early Childhood Services- 427 N. Highway 49, Suite 305, Sonora, Ca. 95370. PROJECT CONSULTANT. Include your hourly rate, details of your experience in project oversight and any other relevant information. Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency-Early Childhood Services, reserves the right to reject any and all bids if it is determined to be in the best interest of ATCAA. Publish dates: Union Democrat, November 23, 24, 25, 2009. Amador Ledger Dispatch Nov 20, 27, and December 4, 2009. Tags: ATCAA Hits: 440 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Request for Qualifications out from Housing Resources Department! |
| 2009.10.23 16:00:00 | |
This just in from Housing Resources Director Beetle Barbor:
ATCAA invites consultants to submit Statements of Qualifications for Homeless Management Information System Project Coordinator. Implement and oversee data collection in a web-based system, perform data analysis and reporting, provide training for agencies in Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. This is a grant-funded position. Bid packets available at ATCAA's Service Centers 935 S Highway 49 in Jackson and 427 N Washington Street in Sonora and by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Closes 11/18/09.Interested in downloading more information?
Tags: Hits: 472 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Head Start Awareness Month! |
| 2009.10.22 00:05:27 | |
This just in, from Roz at Head Start - October is Head Start Awareness Month!
Head Start families have long recognized the positive effects the program has on their children. On average, Head Start graduates rank higher in language, literacy, social conduct, and physical development that their non-Head Start peers. Head Start children are also significantly more likely to complete high school and attend college that those who did not participate in the program. With more than 25 million alumni to date, Head Start is making appositive impact on the lives of low-income children across the country.  Dads and kids building race cars at the Summerville Center Tags: Head Start Hits: 418 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Creative Parenting is Back! |
| 2009.10.07 01:09:43 | |
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Parenting can be rewarding, frustrating, exhilarating! Every parent has challenges - join our eight session course to learn some creative ways to rise to the occasion! Brought to you by ATCAA Family Resource Services! (Hat tip to Pat Porto for the lovely flyer!) Classes are held at ATCAA Jackson office - sign up now!
Follow the link to view the flyer!
Creating Parenting Course! 10/20/2009 Tags: Family Resource Services | Classes Hits: 428 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| A Taste for Mentoring Soup Sampling and Art Show! |
| 2009.09.30 16:00:00 | |
It's that time of year again! It's time for A Taste for Mentoring Soup Sampling and Art Show! Join us on Monday, Oct 26 5pm – 7pm at St. Patrick's Parish Hall 98 W Jackson St, Sonora, CA 95370 $20 gets you samples of all the soups we have! And a souvenir soup mug! Come taste delicious soups created by the finest local restaurants and caterers! For more information, contact Elena Linehan at 533-1397, ext 229 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Featuring the art work of Jarome Andrews, Diana Boyd, Diana Eppler, Patrick Karnahan, Jim Sells, Bobbie Smith, Irene Taylor, June Vaughn, Charles Waldman and Corey West 2009 Restaurants and Caterers:
A huge thank you to our marvelous sponsors:
To purchase tickets online through PayPal with a credit card, please click the "Add to cart" button below. We'll ask you to complete registration here on the ATCAA site, and then make sure you click on the PayPal button, which will take you directly to our PayPal account, where you can pay safely and securely for your tickets! (Remember: until you've entered your credit card info, you haven't completed your purchase yet!) The product (code : MW001) is not published.Tags: Mentoring Works | Events Hits: 657 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Live-blogging the YES Social Media Class! |
| 2009.09.19 01:51:31 | |
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Currently sitting at the back of the second ever YES Partnership Social Media and You class!
Unable to make it to one of our classes? You can take the self-guided version of our class here: http://infonettc.net/component/content/article/205-yes-social-media-101 (PowerPoint to come!). This week the class is a bit smaller than last week, and we're running Firefox off the Macs at the County Schools lab (one of these days we'll get Parallels Desktop going and play with the Windows side of these gorgeous machines, but so far the Mac side has performed flawlessly for us). The class has been built to be as interactive as possible: we want you to click on all of these links and play with all of these websites. Sign up for Facebook and become a fan of ATCAA! We are thwarted once again by Twitter sign-ups! Grrr, Twitter. A few people have created their accounts, but everyone else is blocked out. If you have a Twitter account, consider following us on Twitter! This is, unfortunately, a very common and very realistic experience of Twitter. Frustrating but realistic! Fail whale strikes again! Once again, the Onion video Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids is a big hit (watch out for inappropriate language on the screencaps, and keep in mind that The Onion is a satire site: it's not true, but it sure is funny). The Facebook section is going splendidly. Michelle Shelton aptly demonstrates extreme privacy settings: you can set your own account so that even you can't search for it! Everyone who wants a Facebook profile seems to already have one or has quickly set one up, which leads to an excellent conversation about private versus public. It's definitely scary at first to consider sharing parts of your personal life in your professional sphere, but that's the strength of social networking! You may connect with someone you hardly know through a shared love for bellydancing or klezmer music! Facebook allows a number of options to keep certain parts of your profile private: if you want to post status updates at three a.m. about your venomous snake collection, but you don't want your friends in the I Hate Snakes group to know about it, you can block them from seeing your updates! No problem. A quick tour of iGoogle! We love Google here at ATCAA Special Projects. The first rule of the world wide web is this: absolutely nothing is truly private. You can set Facebook so that your pals can't see your snake pictures, but Facebook owns every single thing you have ever posted, and will re-use your photos, notes, updates and everything else in whatever way they like. Google's lovely, poetic Terms of Service state that Google has a "perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute" any content you've posted through Google services. You still own the copyright, but they can use your content (they can publicly perform it - I love this! - they can publicly perform my Google Spreadsheets!) to promote their services. Read any TOS document of any common application and you'll find the same thing - it's not a secret. So be clever about what you post! Once again, the two hours have passed so quickly! We've added another week for an intensive social media workshop! Please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the YES Partnership if you want more information about our classes! Big thanks to the County Schools lab and IT department, and of course the YES Partnership! Tags: Classes | YES Partnership | Live Blog Hits: 381 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Need help navigating your mortgage? Let Housing Resources help! |
| 2009.07.22 00:01:39 | |
This just in from ATCAA's incredible Housing Resources program - thanks, Susz!:
Are you behind on your mortgage or in danger of missing a payment due to job loss, decreased hours, loss of wages, poor economy, injury or illness? We may be able to help you lower your payment. All our services are free of any charge & available for all homeowners living in Tuolumne, Calaveras or Amador. Click on the links below for information on the President’s newest re-finance and loan modification programs. If you qualify and you live in Tuolumne County, please call 533-1397 x231 & leave a message or email Susz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Due to the high volume of calls we are only able to return calls on Fridays. Emails are answered daily.The links:
Tags: Housing Resources Hits: 522 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| ATCAA Field Trip! |
| 2009.07.17 02:28:23 | |
A fabulous collaborative post from the YES Partnership! Thanks, Dianne and James!
The first ever ATCAA field trip was held on Thursday, July 16, 2009. We started off at the ATCAA Jamestown Food Bank. Lee Kimball gave us a tour and explained the process and needs of our community. The size of the warehouse surprised us most, and the number of volunteers that participate to make it work.All right, you heard them - the Food Bank can always use new and returning volunteers and the shelter is running low on bath towels and toiletries! If you can help with supplies, drop me a line ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). If you've been thinking about how to contribute some time to your community, give Lee a call over at the Food Bank at 984-3960. Hits: 470 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| ATCAA's First Summer Activity! |
| 2009.07.08 02:43:06 | |
Brought to you by ATCAA's monthly staff meetings! (With hat tips to Chris Tarleton for coming up with the game and Elena Linehan for bringing it to the Sonora staff meeting!)
Materials:line-drawn map of your home (or office!) with enough copies for everyone to have one colored pens, pencils or crayons one or more people to play Game: Raise your hand if you have an emergency escape plan for your home. (I hope everyone's hands are raised!) Now - hands up if you have an emergency kit at home. How about a supply of water and food? Candles and flashlights (with, of course, extra matches and batteries)? Working fire extinguisher? The object of the game is to locate all of the important items in your house so everyone knows where everything is, even down to the youngest members of your household. Now, choose a couple of important items (everyone should know where to find the first aid kit - or box of Band-Aids, at least! - and flashlights are), then color code those items and send the team out to map your house. You can play this game to target anything you like; we played this morning at the staff meeting to target locations of fire extinguishers (yellow), first aid kits (green), fire alarm pulls (red) and emergency exits (blue). You may find out that the drawer you've been putting candles in all these years is not the drawer where everyone else has been storing them. Other items you might want to look around for: whistle, battery-powered radio and leashes/harnesses for any pets in the home. What else do you have around the house that everyone should know about? Let us know by dropping me a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or joining us on Facebook and MySpace! It's not a competition! Work together to map your house, and have a good time doing it! Hits: 449 | Read more... |
| Kristin |
| Fabulous YES Partnership Retreat, 2009! |
| 2009.06.12 00:39:44 | |
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Live blogging the YES Partnership Retreat, courtesy of the East Sonora Conference Center and the Aladdin Motor Inn wireless internet connection.
What a gorgeously coordinated retreat! Well done, YES and Friday Night Live!
Excellent presentation in progress by Jeremy Wilson of Butte County and Youth Leadership Institute. What an outstanding opportunity to share wisdom and to learn from what other areas are doing with environmental strategies.
Interesting discussion generated regarding surveys and evaluation methodology. The more tools you have, the more accurate your combined data will be!
Whenever we bring in folks from other areas it reinforces what we already know about Tuolumne County - we have incredible strength in representation from the usual suspects: behavioral health practitioners, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, schools, social services, and community members. There is such tremendous value in sharing our experiences and strengths!
Back to concentrating on the presentation! Tags: YES Partnership | Friday Night Live | Events Hits: 516 | Read more... |
