Catalysts newsletter Say Something Positive To Yourself If you’re like most people, you carry on a silent conversation with yourself during much of the day. This “self-talk” directly affects your thoughts, motivations, and behaviors. What are you saying to your-self? Do you give yourself a pep talk or do you undermine your own efforts? Understanding self-talk, and the powerful effect it has on you, can help you develop or maintain a positive attitude. Stockton The Stockton office celebrated Christmas together at The Old Spaghetti Factory and later on in the month they also had a potluck/ gift exchange. Everyone at the Stockton office, hopes everyone had a great Christmas. Congratulations to Aaron M! Aaron attended his company Christmas party/Awards ceremony with Direct Service Supervisor Leah Meredith on December 3rd, 2005. The party was held in San Ramon at the Marriott. Aaron received recognition for his 15 years of dedicated service to Operating Engineers local union No. 3 Credit Union. He was awarded a diamond ring! Congratulations to Aaron for a job well done! Aaron enjoyed the Christmas party, dancing with co-workers and had a wonderful dinner. Keep up the good work Aaron. ~Continued in the insert~ Stockton's team gave a surprise visit to Stockton VMRC's Valerie Schuchard before her retirement. We will all miss Valerie. She was very surprised to see the large group and gave a very warm word of appreciation of Community Catalysts. Her thank-you letter she later sent reflected how she felt; Dear Phillip & Paige, I wanted to thank you and all of the staff for the overwhelming send off you gave me this morning. I am very touched and very appreciative. As I mentioned, it has been so very fulfilling to work with committed professionals who embrace a "can do" attitude. I will always savor our ability to work as a team. Again my thanks. I wish each of you the best in the new year ahead. Valerie Schuchard January 2006 CATALYSTS Anniversaries YEAR 11 James Besser Denise Mansfield YEAR 8 May Moua YEAR 6 Sylvia Ruiz-Ortiz YEAR 5 Luz Cruz Tina Huynh Carole Uhlenhop YEAR 4 Shawn Benson Sandra Hernandez YEAR 3 Eleanor Maynard Rosa Vizcaino YEAR 1 Rosalie Fimbres David Martinez Arlene Monroe The month of December was filled with creative decorations and fun planned activities. Consumers participated in decorating the office, and getting ready for Christmas. They all picked out names for their annual gift exchange and Christmas Party. Besides all this, consumers were able to participate in the Coalinga Christmas Parade for the first time. Everyone had fun and wish to make the Coalinga Christmas Parade an annual event. On December 18, consumers celebrated their Christmas gala organized by staff. Since the consumers did so well with their fundraisers, staff decided to make this event more elegant and memorable by preparing a fancy dinner for them (restaurant style-3 course meal). First, staff brought out dinner rolls and butter. Then salads came out. After that was the main course (prime rib with au jous, turkey, green bean casserole, and baked potato). Last, was dessert (vanilla cream cheesecake filling with whipped frosting, apple caramel pie, and sugar free pies). Staff did an excellent job expediting the food. They even took on the role of waiters/waitresses. For the grand finale, every consumer received a present, had their pictures taken with other and also participated in a holiday raffle. Then consumers, volunteers and coordinators ended the day at Maya Cinema to watch the movie, “Yours, Mine & Ours,” a movie that everyone enjoyed. CAC is pleased to announce that we received a $500.00 grant from Wal- They had all of the fix-ins and On December 16, the Santa Clara office celebrated their holiday party at Dave and Busters. They ordered these amazing appetizers. One was a party sampler that had buffalo wings, tortilla chips with a cheese dip and potato skins. The other appetizer was criss cross garlic fries with a cheese fondue and some bacon, sour cream, and chives. While staff waited for their entrees to come out, they played a gift exchange game called White Elephant. Everyone took home really nice gifts. When the main course came out, everyone devoured their plate and no one insisted to share. Usually when this happens, it means that everyone was very satisfied with their meals-this is a traditional trait for the Santa Clara staff. The night ended with joy and laughter. SALINAS T he Salinas Office had their Christmas party on December 9, 2005 and it was held at Mucky Ducks in Monterey. The Salinas consumers had a great time on their Christmas Event held on December 15, 2005 at Round Table Pizza where they socialized with each UKIAH Darryl C. went to San Diego for 3 days. He went to Sea World, Safari Park and the Zoo. He had a great time, and loved the airplane ride! Kenneth W. celebrated his birthday in November. David S., Darryl C., Shannon S, and Erik L. visited family members over the Thanksgiving holiday. Randy D. and Paul R. had a GREAT Thanksgiving dinner at Paul's house. Santa, and also played the White Elephant game. This year, some of the consumers got into the groove of the White Elephant game and did some gift stealing. Some even became possessive and didn't want to give up their gift, but everyone left happily satisfied. The Santa Clara staff would like to thank everyone for their participation, especially Earl for volunteering to be Santa and Abraham, our guest volunteer, for helping out with the event and mingling with the consumers. Thank you all for your dedication and hard work! Mart. CAC is excited with this grant. Also special thanks to Arlene Monroe ILS Coach/ CAC Coordinator for applying for this grant. Further more, the winner for the Safety Meeting incentive was Roxana Jimenez. She won a gift card for Cosmo’s Coffee. We had our Holiday trimmings. Randy D. went to San Francisco to see the Pickle Family Circus. His most exciting event was the flame throwers! Celebration--Santa even stopped by to pass out gifts! We had an ornament exchange, a few games to get everybody in the holiday David S. and Erik L. celebrated the holidays with family members. Albert P. and Marie G. had an ornament exchange with family members. COALINGA spirit. Sharon K. was recognized for the most festively dressed, as we all enjoyed our lunch! BEAUTY NEWSLETTER-iss Announcement Modesto M odesto Skills Coach DwightMahabir playing Scrooge and his friend Tiny Tim. Once again Newman Performing Arts and Dwight put on yet another awesome performance during the holidays. Seventeen Modesto and Stockton staff, along with theirfamilies cheered from the front row as Ebenezer "Dwight" took a journey through his life with three "ghastly" characters. (hint,...Ghost of Christmas Present looked alot like Dwight's girlfriend,...) Dwight and the theatre put everyone in the Christmas spirit with their talented cast. And in the end, Dwight still came out a nice guy! Great job, Dwight! Dwight and Tiny Tim cast member also appeared on the front page of the Modesto Bee's Art Section with a great article about the show. What's next, Dwight? Modesto staff and consumers must have been especially good this year. At least Santa seems to think so. We had two great holiday get-to-gethers during December. A Christmas lunch at Beijings Chinese restaurant was attended by most on December 15. If you happen to get a chance to stop by for a meal, make sure you ask for the Snow Pea's. Patty Hazen, MDO skills coach, highly recommends them. Their 14 Years 7 Years John R.: San Diego Robin W.: Santa Clara 3 Years 12 Years 6 Years Marie G.: Ukiah 2 Years Johnny J.: Fresno Leo B: Santa Clara Enrique R.: Salinas Anthony A.: Stockton 11 Years Everardo M.: El Centro Yolanda J.: Visalia Epifanio M.: Santa Clara Linda W.: El Centro Mark K: San Diego Maria A. G.: Salinas Michael R.: Merced 10 Years 5 Years Timmy W.: Visalia 1 Year Akito I.: El Centro Alice C.: Santa Clara Alex L.: San Diego Steven R.: San Diego Paul M.: El Centro Cheryl L.: San Diego Elva G.: Coalinga Sepideh V.: Santa Clara 9 Years Danny A.: Salinas Richard G.: Stockton Karen M.: Salinas Jack C.: El Centro 4 Years Harrison M.: Stockton Jeremiah P.: Salinas Elliott Q.: Visalia Alexandria C.: Merced Olivia A.: Santa Clara Erika T.: Salinas Chia L.: Fresno Mario V.: Salinas Susan M.: San Diego Jess G.: Ukiah Sou T.: Fresno Steve G. Merced Plai M.: Fresno Ray R.: Merced Star of the Month-Decemeber 2005 Community Catalysts of California was excited to announce that Elva Lopez had been selected as the Star of the Month for December 2005. Elva has been with Community Catalysts of California for two years and within this time has worked as a skills coach for our supported living program. Elva is prompt in turning in all required documentation and assures that her job is completed before leaving her shift at the consumer’s home. Elva performs above and beyond her duties as she assists consumer’s in their program. She has been flexible when required and is very creative in helping solve her assigned consumer’s problems at home. Elva is always on time and if an emergency should arise she is there with her consumer. Elva’s consumer’s appreciate her creativity in completing her duties by giving them options on apartment needs, minor fixtures as well as meeting all safety measures in their home. Congratulations, Elva! Consumer Catalyst of the Month - January 2006 Mike Hack Community Catalysts of California is proud to announce that Mike Hack is our Consumer Catalyst of the Month for January 2006. Mike has been with our agency since 1995 and is in our ILS program in El Centro. Even though he is reaching his golden years he stays very busy! Mike is very actively involved in the community programs with persons with developmental disabilities. He has and is serving on various committee including Transportation, People’s First, Area Board and with San Diego Regional Center Board of Directors for 5 years. Mike is also an outstanding athlete and has been the Captain and Coach of many Special Olympics teams including basketball, Bocci, bike races, and Track and Field, which is his current sport. Mike’s hobbies include working with computers and electronic devices like DVDs and VCR players and CB radios. Mike also plays Bocci ball, basketball and enjoys speed walking around town for exercise and he always looks forward to spending time with his friends. Mike is looked up to by his peers and service providers for his leadership and involvement with consumer issues. He always asks the right questions to help find better solutions for consumers. Congratulations, Mike! Community Catalysts of California6050 Santo Road, Suite 145 San Diego, CA 92124 Ph: 858-569-1055 Fax: 858-569-1064 www.communitycatalysts.org Say Something Positive To Yourself ~Continued from page 1~ What You Say is What You Get You’ve probably heard the term “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Self-talk is very much like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You think about something enough that it actually happens. When your self-talk is posi-tive, “I know I can do this job,” or “I can lose five pounds,” you are giving yourself permission to succeed and chances are you will. When your self-talk is negative, “I’m going to have a terrible time tonight,” or “I’ll never be a manager,” chances are you won’t even try. Thoughts Are Linked to Behaviors Self-talk shapes your thoughts and behaviors. If you say to yourself, “This job is perfect for me,” you’ll be more willing to apply. During the interview, you’ll have more confidence in yourself. But if you think, “I’ll never get this job,” you may not even bother applying, which will guarantee that you won’t be hired. Physical and Mental Effects of Self-Talk Negative self-talk increases stress, and can make physical symptoms such as headaches and stom-achaches worse. Negative self-talk can also encourage you to behave in self-destructive ways. Thoughts like “What difference will it make if I don’t go to work today, no one will miss me” or “Nobody cares about what happens to me, so why shouldn’t I have another drink?” can lead you to make damaging life choices. On the other hand, positive self-talk is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Thinking and acting in a positive, upbeat manner will lead to higher self-esteem, confidence and a happy, healthier you. Changing your self-talk script If you are trying to change your self-talk from negative to positive, you may find resistance from within yourself. You may tell yourself, “There’s no use trying” or “I can’t do this.” Be patient; it will soon fade. You’ve probably been using negative self-talk for years, and it takes at least 30 days to break an old habit or establish a new one. Here are a few things that can help you as you rewrite your new positive self-talk script: § Record yourself making positive statements. Listen to the tape in the car or whenever your hands are busy but your mind is free. § Write positive statements on sticky notes or index cards and place them where you can see them. When you are at a loss for a positive thing to say, take a cue from what you have written. § Talk positively to yourself, even when you don’t want to or don’t feel like it. The subconscious is a funny thing. Often you can make something positive happen just by talking yourself into it. Resources Are Available, Call 1-800-523-5668 Additional information, self-help tools and other resources are available online at www.MagellanHealth.com. Or call us for more information, help and support. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide confidential assistance at no cost to you. Say Something Positive To Yourself ~Continued from page 1~ What You Say is What You Get You’ve probably heard the term “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Self-talk is very much like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You think about something enough that it actually happens. When your self-talk is posi-tive, “I know I can do this job,” or “I can lose five pounds,” you are giving yourself permission to succeed and chances are you will. When your self-talk is negative, “I’m going to have a terrible time tonight,” or “I’ll never be a manager,” chances are you won’t even try. Thoughts Are Linked to Behaviors Self-talk shapes your thoughts and behaviors. If you say to yourself, “This job is perfect for me,” you’ll be more willing to apply. During the interview, you’ll have more confidence in yourself. But if you think, “I’ll never get this job,” you may not even bother applying, which will guarantee that you won’t be hired. Physical and Mental Effects of Self-Talk Negative self-talk increases stress, and can make physical symptoms such as headaches and stom-achaches worse. Negative self-talk can also encourage you to behave in self-destructive ways. Thoughts like “What difference will it make if I don’t go to work today, no one will miss me” or “Nobody cares about what happens to me, so why shouldn’t I have another drink?” can lead you to make damaging life choices. On the other hand, positive self-talk is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Thinking and acting in a positive, upbeat manner will lead to higher self-esteem, confidence and a happy, healthier you. Changing your self-talk script If you are trying to change your self-talk from negative to positive, you may find resistance from within yourself. You may tell yourself, “There’s no use trying” or “I can’t do this.” Be patient; it will soon fade. You’ve probably been using negative self-talk for years, and it takes at least 30 days to break an old habit or establish a new one. Here are a few things that can help you as you rewrite your new positive self-talk script: § Record yourself making positive statements. Listen to the tape in the car or whenever your hands are busy but your mind is free. § Write positive statements on sticky notes or index cards and place them where you can see them. When you are at a loss for a positive thing to say, take a cue from what you have written. § Talk positively to yourself, even when you don’t want to or don’t feel like it. The subconscious is a funny thing. Often you can make something positive happen just by talking yourself into it. Resources Are Available, Call 1-800-523-5668 Additional information, self-help tools and other resources are available online at www.MagellanHealth.com. Or call us for more information, help and support. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide confidential assistance at no cost to you.