The Nominations Are In!
Home of Guiding Hands (HGH) has been supporting people with developmental disabilities for 54 years. They work side by side with a dedicated group of Board Members, community partners and volunteers who have devoted countless hours supporting their organization. These individuals were honored at the HGH Annual Meeting at Singing Hills Golf Club at Sycuan to recognize their outstanding contributions.
Trevor Yates, VP of Kineticom, was awarded Board Member of the Year. He joined the board in 2017 and is the acting Vice President. Trevor is also the HGH Charity Golf Classic Chair and has contributed significantly to the success of their tournament. A former Board member, Andrea Howard, was given the Humanitarian of the Year award for her continued advocacy and fundraising. Andrea and her husband Brent, have a son in the Residential Program at HGH.
Home of Guiding Hands provides services to more than 4,000 men, women, and children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, including autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome. Each individual has a story to tell of the hurdles they have faced and their strides to overcome them.
2021 marks the third year HGH has chosen to recognize one of these unique individuals as Client of the Year. This year’s finalist is a participant of the Independent Living Program, nominated by her counselor, Chelsea LaPrath. Her name is Renee.
A small committee, comprised of donors, had the honor of reviewing the heartfelt nominations. Each submission highlighted goals achieved, positive attitudes, and daily tasks accomplished.
Chelsea wrote: “Renee is 43 years old and has been in the Community Living Program for 12 years. She wakes up early and walks to her job of over 20 years at Sprouts. She will spend her workday helping enrich the lives of her coworkers and customers. After her shift, Renee will meet with her counselor to discuss her goals for the day. Renee will either spend her evening in her La Mesa home with her roommates or, if safety mandates allow, will visit with friends in the local Downtown La Mesa area. A day does not go by without at least one person recognizing Renee and stopping to say “hi.”
Renee is a dedicated and reliable friend, community member and employee. She has been an essential worker at Sprouts throughout the pandemic and has shouldered that responsibility with grace and fortitude. Renee’s generosity is consistently impressive. Donating is one of her passions, whether it be clothing and appliances to the local women’s shelter, a blood donation to the San Diego Blood Bank, or a food and coffee donation to local nursing staff. This last year Renee had shown adaptability and grit. She has perseverance with her goals in life and is a joy to work with as part of the Community Living Program. HGH is lucky to have Renee Cook as a client!”
HGH believes that all clients are unique and deserving of recognition. The Client of the Year award is simply another opportunity for others outside of the agency to see just why.
For more information about HGH, please visit their website at www.guidinghands.org.
