NEWSLETTER
September 2024
WWW.ABILITYCOUNTS.ORG
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
Ability Counts, Inc., a 501(C)3 Non-Profit, advocates and promotes a partnership
with individuals with intellectual disabilities for the purpose of assisting them to
gain access to quality vocational skills, training, employment opportunities and
community integration.
ISSUE 126
Director’s Note
Years of Recognition
& Staff Spotlight
Consumers of the Month
Consumer Spotlight
Sahaba Initiative
CIT Paint and Sip Day
Landscape Spotlight
Safety: CERT Certification
Facility Updates
Upcoming CIT Events
Stay Involved!
Our Mission
"”I want to take this moment to
recognize the incredible efforts of
our
Staff
and
Consumers
this
month—your dedication, hard work,
and teamwork are truly the heart of
our success. Thank you for your
continued commitment to fostering
a stronger and more inclusive
community."
- Sophia Jurisch, Executive Director
A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
IN THIS ISSUE
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ACI is a non-profit 501(C)3 public charity
Tax I.D. #95-3659134
Charitable Trust C/T 41432
We are proud to recognize Andrew Kohatsu as our Employee
of the Month for September! Andrew’s dedication to detail in
auditing makes him an invaluable part of the team.
Beyond his technical expertise, Andrew is always willing to
offer support to his colleagues, embodying true teamwork
and commitment. We’re thrilled to celebrate Andrew’s well-
deserved recognition!
-Michelle Contreras, HR Generalist
Years of Recognition & Staff Spotlight
Staff Spotlight
Congratulations to LaRae Cupp, our CIT Program
Manager, celebrating 5 years with Ability Counts!
Congratulations to Maricela Torres, a Valued Job
Coach, celebrating 7 years with Ability Counts.
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
Years of Recognition
2
Congratulations to Sherlonn Bonner, a Valued Job
Coach, celebrating 15 years with Ability Counts!
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
Consumers of the Month
Jessica Salcedo is being recognized as a
fantastic IP Consumer at Tortilla Grille. She is
always smiling, eager to assist customers,
and willing to lend a helping hand to both the
kitchen staff and servers."
-Diane Hensel, Case Manager
Terry
Neel
is
being
recognized
as
dependable landscape crew member we can
count
on.
He
has
great
knowledge,
experience and is committed in ensuring his
tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.
-Veronica Salanga, Case Manager
Raymond Post is being recognized for his
improvement in keeping his work area clean
and
safe
for
himself
and
others
and
maintaining good attendance.
-Leonor Rivera , Case Manager
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
Meet Jose Espinoza. Jose has been with Ability Counts for 32 years.
His remarkable commitment and hard work throughout the years
have not gone unnoticed! Jose is currently apart of ACI’s Consumer
landscape crew, providing detail support at one of Ability Count’s
largest landscaping contracts.
Consumer Spotlight: Jose Espinoza
“He is a reliable hard worker, who
takes the initiative to assist others
when needed. He is respectful and
always has a positive attitude. Jose
consistently delivers high-quality
work. Jose is a team player who
inspires collaboration and works
well with others.”
-Veronica Salanga, Case Manager
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
In September 2024, Ability Counts, Inc. (ACI) launched a
partnership
with
Sahaba
Initiative’s
food
pantry,
where
Consumers from ACI's landscape program volunteer weekly to
prepare meal kits for distribution to low-income families. Sahaba
Initiative, founded in 2009, serves up to 400 families each week,
providing vital community support to San Bernardino and Riverside
County.
As part of this collaboration, Sahaba Initiative’s Executive Director
and team visited ACI’s facilities in Corona and Riverside to meet our
Consumers and Staff. ACI Consumers love participating in the
meal prep and donation acceptance activities. ACI is excited to
continue this meaningful partnership, supporting the community
side by side.
Ability Counts, Inc. Partners with
Sahaba Initiative to Support Local Families
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
ACI’s Riverside Community Integration
Training
Program
recently
treated
Consumers to a fun and creative Paint &
Sip event. While sipping on apple juice,
participants
learned
basic
painting
techniques and created their own unique
versions of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry
Night.
Guided
by
instructors,
Consumers
explored the use of colors, shapes, and
lighting. They practiced color blending,
brush
strokes,
and
adding
light
and
shadow to bring their artwork to life. The
event not only encouraged creativity but
also helped develop fine motor skills and
a
deeper
understanding
of
artistic
expression.
The room buzzed with excitement as
consumers experimented with bold colors
and swirling patterns. Many were proud to
showcase their work.
The Paint & Sip event was a joyful and
enriching experience, aligning with ACI’s
mission to provide engaging activities
that
build
confidence
and
promote
community involvement. The CIT program
continues to offer these types of events,
helping Consumers explore new interests
while fostering social connections and
personal growth.
CIT Riverside Hosts Paint & Sip Event
ACI's Landscape Program Impresses
La Sierra University and City of Riverside
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
ACI recently met with business partners from La
Sierra University and the City of Riverside to
discuss the future of its landscape program,
which provides employment opportunities for
over 47 Consumers. The meeting highlighted the
program's positive impact while touring the
beautifully maintained grounds of all locations; a
result of years of hard work by ACI’s Landscape
Consumers and Job Coaches.
Landscape Spotlight
Discussions focused on future collaborations with
the City of Riverside and La Sierra University to
meet the challenges faced by current contracts
and recent legislature challenges. Despite the
challenges posed by Senate Bill 639, ACI remains
dedicated to providing meaningful employment
for individuals with disabilities and continuing its
impactful work in the community. With growing
support from business partners and third party
landscape auditors, ACI will maintain its focus on
inclusion and excellence while adapting to the
evolving legislative landscape.
ACI Leadership Completes CERT Certification
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
In September, Amanda Rivera, LaRae Cupp, and Sophia Jurisch
successfully completed their CERT (Community Emergency Response
Team) certification. Each training session took 3 hours, with sessions held
twice a week throughout the month. This training has provided them with
essential skills in emergency preparedness and response.
With CERT-certified staff now in place, our organization is better
equipped to manage emergencies, from disaster response to first aid.
Their knowledge will help ensure the safety and well-being of both staff
and Consumers in critical situations.
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
Facility Updates
We are excited to announce that
Ability Counts, Inc. has begun
making facility improvements to
enhance the learning environment
for our programs.
Thanks to a grant opportunity from the Howmet
Aerospace Foundation, ACI has been able to
purchase partitions to support employment and life
skill training classes. These partitions will help create
dedicated, focused spaces for our Consumers,
allowing for more effective learning and skill-
building.
The ACI Consumer Store also received a fresh
makeover in September! Consumers who earn ACI
Bucks through attendance and active participation
have the opportunity to shop at the store every two
weeks. We accept donations for our store, please
reach out for more information.
Construction underway! Both our Corona
and
Riverside
locations
are
getting
brand-new hand dryers in all restrooms,
and the Corona front lobby is also getting
a fantastic facelift. As a reminder, during
these upgrades, all Consumer pick-ups
and drop-offs should continue to take
place at the rear entrance. Thank you!
Upcoming CIT Events
10
Breaking Barriers
Enriching Lives
Employment
Community
Diversity
Inclusion
CIT Corona and CIT Riverside hold
monthly events that celebrate our
IDD community and bring the
excitement to ACI!
September was packed with fun at CIT! We hosted a Paint and Sip Day, where
Consumers tapped into their creativity while enjoying some refreshing
beverages, and a spirited Crazy Hair Day, where everyone showed off their
wildest hairstyles. Be on the look out for more exciting Consumer events in
October!