Highlights
This month we are kicking off our Eighth Annual KYJO Angel Tree Gift Drive. Our KYJO Angel Tree program fulfills Christmas gift wishes for the all children associated with our agency who are in the Child Welfare system. Various locations throughout the Central Valley are hosting angel trees from November 16th through December 18th. This year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we are including the option of purchasing gifts through Amazon. Each KYJO child has built a gift wish list that is accessible on the KYJO website; www.kyjo.org/angel-tree-wishlists/. Each gift that is purchased is sent directly to the KYJO office.
The following locations are hosting KYJO 2020 Angel Trees:
- James G. Parker Insurance Associates
- The Mug Community Coffee Shop, Inc.
- Intrinsic Hair Salon
- Meraki Salon and Spa
- Peter Graveline
- All About Smiles Dental
- North Fresno Primary Care
- Lorenz & Associates
- Bitwise
- KSEE24/CBS47
- Little Leaf Tea
- Coleman & Horowitt, LLP
- Brenntag Pacific, Inc.
- Executive Interiors
- CORE Business Interiors
- Town and Country Dry Cleaning
- Realty ONE Group Infinity
- PG&E
- Guarantee Real Estate
- America’s Kids in Motion
- Thomas Vu Dental
- Quizno’s (Merced St. in Fowler)
- Clovis Glass Company
- Dicicco’s-Old Town Clovis
KYJO Events & Outings
With great caution and following all Covid-19 guidelines, KYJO has resumed events and outings for our agency youth. Several residents earned a trip to San Francisco to visit the Museum of 3D Illusions. This trip was the first time to San Francisco for some of the youth. After the museum tour, they all enjoyed walking around, viewing the historical sights of the city.
In our efforts to live out the KYJO Vision statement of “Creating Opportunities for a Better Way of Life”. KYJO staff treated many of our male residents to their first spa pedicure. Though some were hesitant for the experience, all were pleased with the end results. Kudos to those residents for stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new to them!
To cap off Halloween celebrations, KYJO FFA teen youth visited a haunted Halloween maze, Garden of Goat Heads Bayou. This outdoor scare maze is put together by the family of KYJO foster parent, Camille Gonzales. All proceeds from the event went towards Chasing Tails, Inc., a nonprofit animal rescue facility here in the Central Valley.
Employee Spotlight – Staff Anniversaries
Much gratitude to our KYJO staff celebrating anniversaries this month!
3 Years
Luis Santiago-Facility Manager
Foster Family Agency
Welcome Grigsby Family!
This month KYJO FFA welcomed Phillip and Tamar Grigsby to our family of foster family homes. Phillip is the Senior Pastor of Straight Gate Apostolic Worship Center in Fresno. The couple have 4 children. The Grigsby’s feel as though the Lord has called them to be foster parents! They are excited to begin this journey to help guide families towards reunification.
Community Spotlight
This year KYJO received generous donations of 20 turkeys from various donors throughout the community. These turkey donations will help provide a hearty Thanksgiving dinner to our foster family and residential youth homes. Thank you…
- Grocery Outlet, Clovis
- Food Maxx, Sierra Pavilion Shopping Center
- Fabian Sanchez & Felicia Carrasco
- Andrew & Sienna Curtin
Kevin’s Huddle
Hello and Happy Thanksgiving beautiful people! This month is not only a special month because it’s Thanksgiving! It also is the anniversary month of KYJO. This year marks KYJO’s 13th anniversary! This would not have been possible without the continued support & assistance from our board members, staff, foster youth and parents, residents, donors, Community Care Licensing, county representatives and community partners. As well as anyone else who has supported the efforts of KYJO throughout the years.
Year 13 brings with it the beginning of a new era and marks the start of a transition possibility of enhancing a new opportunity! This also aligns with our Vision statement “Creating Opportunities for a Better Way of Life”. We hope that in seizing these opportunities our youth will be motivated to make the best of their life. As always, thank you for your continued support of KYJO.
Kevin Jordan
Executive Director
Donations
Our doors are always open to donations for our Residential Group Homes and foster youth. We are in need of:
- Athletic shoes, hiking boots and river sandals (variety of men’s and women’s sizes)
- New pillowcases and bath towels
- New or gently-used sweatpants
- Paper products (toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels)
- Kitchen supplies (aluminum foil, zip lock bags in sandwich and one-gallon size)
- Cleaning supplies (no-ammonia all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergent, dishwasher soap)
- New, unopened packages of athletic socks – crew or low cut – and boys’ and girls’ underwear
- Personal hygiene items for boys and girls (deodorant, hair supplies, bar soap, toothpaste/toothbrushes, body lotion, etc.)
- Gift cards to grocery and retail stores (Target, Wal-Mart,), restaurants/coffee shops
- Movie, bowling, skiing or swimming passes or tickets to sporting events, concerts or plays
- Arts and crafts items (yarn, beads, art paint, construction paper, poster board)
- Board games, puzzles and playing cards
Amazon Smile
KYJO Enterprises, Inc. is now a featured organization of the Amazon Smile Foundation. Amazon Smile is a charitable extension of Amazon that allows consumers to donate a portion of their purchases to the organization of their choice. Most products that are featured on Amazon are eligible for Amazon Smile with 0.05% of profits being donated. Please visit https://smile.amazon.com to learn more about the program and to sign up to have your Amazon purchases benefit KYJO.
