Introductory note from Executive Director Alissa Friedman:
We featured the success story of René Tucker, Manager of Professional Development (penned by Jesse Golden) in our January 2006 newsletter, and it is with a mixture of pride and sadness that I set about updating it today. René's tenure here dates back to the period when I was both teaching computer skills and managing the DataWorks interns. She was a star student, a leader on the workfloor, and, finally, the ultimate professional in her role as Manager of Professional Development. She has coaxed, coached and counseled scores of interns into positions that are helping them make better lives for themselves and their families. I have enjoyed working with her in every capacity and will miss her a great deal.

At OPTIC, René has excelled at helping job seekers find better jobs. She will soon be working with customers of the Contra Costa County One Stop Career Centers, doing very similar work to what she has been doing here. Although serving as a reference for her was excruciating for me, I am tremendously proud of her. And this is not goodbye. She has vowed not only to be an active alumna and volunteer, but to continue in her after-hours position as our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance manager. She will always be one of us.

Here is René's letter to all of you:

"Every small, positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future." -- Alice Walker

In October 2002, I embarked on the most fantastic, positive change of my life. I was presented with the opportunity to become a staff member of OPTIC, a program that I believed in then, and still wholeheartedly believe in today. This great (not small) positive change awakened my self-confidence and my belief in my abilities.

I once heard someone say that each person we meet opens a world unto us, a world possibly not born until that person arrives, and it is only by this meeting that this new world is born. Each job training participant I worked with has given me daily motivation; I have approached each new day with excitement. As they embarked on their own personal journeys, I felt myself accompanying them. Their troubles have been mine, and their successes have given me great pride, as I dare to think that the career training I worked so hard to impart somehow made a small difference.

I am leaving my position as OPTIC's Manager of Professional Development. I choose not to say that I'm "resigning," because I will be continuing with OPTIC as their VITA Program Manager, and will always remain a dedicated, active, and supportive Alumna and ambassador to the community. However, I will be starting a new position with Contra Costa County, as Social Service Employment Placement Counselor effective August 9th, 2006. I will be assigned to the Brentwood One Stop.

Leaving OPTIC was a very tough decision to make. I have enjoyed my tenure here and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you. I also appreciate the support, guidance and encouragement so many of you have provided me during my time at OPTIC. Even though I will miss my colleagues and the organization, I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase of my career.

I would like all who read this to take responsibility for the continued success of the OPTIC Job Training and Placement Program; I have every confidence in Alissa's leadership, the skill of the staff, the integrity and purpose of the board. I am confident that the organization will find a great successor for my position, and I welcome that person to the World's Greatest Non-Profit.

Please keep in touch; I can be reached at quarterly Alumni meetings and other OPTIC events.

Thanks again for everything, with gratitude, love, and respect.

René Tucker

When Mary Jane Arnold speaks at OPTIC's 20th class graduation on August 3, audience members might not realize that she'll be sharing some of the same wisdom for which her clients, including Fortune 500 companies all over the globe, pay top dollar.

Mary Jane has led goal-setting trainings for several groups of OPTIC trainees, and when she talks about overcoming obstacles, she speaks from experience. As the first-ever female sales representative for Xerox Corporation in 1975, and later a regional sales manager, Mary Jane had to face considerable opposition. Later, starting her own sales training company (http://www.kirbyarnold.com) in 1991, she was able to build a successful business, gaining clients such as Hewlett-Packard, Verizon, MCI and Agilent, and allowing her the flexibility she wanted to spend time with her family and enjoy her home in Moraga.

Mary Jane is passionate about goal setting, getting rid of negative emotions that can hold you back, and achieving the most you can in life. New Year's Day with her family always includes a goal-setting session, and while her family makes fun of her devotion to goal-setting, they still come and bring any new family members each year.

In her OPTIC trainings, she emphasizes "response-ability."  "We all get dealt bad cards in life,” Mary Jane points out. “What matters is your ability to respond to the cards life deals you."

Mary Jane will no doubt inspire the guests at OPTIC's August 3 graduation as she does each group of trainees that she works with. We hope you'll join us at 6 p.m. for the graduation event!

OPTIC is thrilled and grateful to announce that the Lesher Foundation has extended and expanded its support this year. The Foundation, which has supported OPTIC since 2002, recently awarded us a two-year $100,000 grant ($50,000 a year) to support both our Job Training and Placement Program and our evening Delta Community Technology Center. "The Board felt that OPTIC has a very positive impact in the community and appreciated the uniqueness of the services OPTIC provides -- both the intensive services for Job Training participants and the drop-in format for evening classes in English as a Second Language and Computer Basics," according to Kathleen Odne, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Since 1994, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $24 million and reaching citizens in all parts of Contra Costa County. True to the original wishes of Dean and Margaret Lesher, the Foundation continues to build on the strengths of the community by supporting organizations and programs that provide help and support to people in need; enhance and enrich the lives of all citizens; and promote a healthy and exciting future for the community. The Foundation funds nonprofits in Contra Costa in the focus areas of education, the cultural arts and services for children and families.

OPTIC's Walk for the Future and Picnic will take place on Saturday, September 30, 2006, and all alumni, participants, volunteers and supporters of OPTIC are cordially invited for either event, or both! The event begins at 11 a.m. with a short (1 mile) walk around the Buchanan Park area. Walkers will find some fun gifts and refreshments at three “walk stations” around the path. Please see the form at www.optic-cc.org/walkform.pdf to respond for either event or for both.

Walkers who raise $75 or more receive a special gift. Please ask your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors or co-workers to sponsor your walk with a contribution of any amount. Those who want a tax deduction should pay by check, which will act as their receipt.

At noon we'll start serving lunch and are planning games for children of different ages from 1-3 (so be sure to tell us the ages of any children you'll be bringing).

Look for us at the large sheltered picnic area of Buchanan Park. Call 925-776-1133 to check event status in case of bad weather.

OPTIC is pleased to announce that non-profit veteran Michelle Stewart will be joining our staff as Case Manager and Career Counselor, taking over the responsibility for intern and alumni professional development and placement.

"We had worked with Michelle when we collaborated on some projects with the Child Care Council," reports Alissa Friedman, Executive Director, "so I was really excited when I found out that she was interested in the position. I already knew from experience that she was committed to empowering clients to become self-sufficient and that she brought a lot of skills to the table."

Michelle most recently served as the Director of Volunteer Services for the Contra Costa Child Care Council, where she held several positions during a 16-year tenure. "This position will give me an opportunity to get back to doing direct client services, which is something I have been yearning for," she explains. "Working for positive change in the community is my personal mission."

Michelle will start work on July 31st, which will give her a little over a week of overlap with the departing René Tucker. Interestingly, the two worked together years ago, as volunteers in the Pittsburg schools. "Michelle was actually part of my OPTIC story," recalls René. "She saw my volunteer work and told me to get out there and realize my potential. I heard about OPTIC shortly afterward, and her encouragement helped prepare me to embark on this wonderful journey."

• Alma Williams of Class 9 makes us proud every time we turn around. She has served on our Board of Directors, is a member of our nascent Advisory Board, and volunteers Thursdays teaching Computer Basics to our evening program learners. A Senior Staff Assistant at Kaiser Permanente, Alma is a valued member of their team, too. From an email sent to Alma's manager: "I just wanted to share with you what excellent customer service Alma provided for me yesterday. I had a very important project that seemed impossible. I called her, she took the time to walk me through the steps to extract the data I needed from the employee database and import that data into an Excel document (something I had not done in a very long time and forgotten how). I had some issues that I could not explain on the phone and she even came over to my work station and helped me complete it. She really saved the day!!!!!" Kudos to Alma.
• Congratulations to Class 14's Florcie Robles, who recently took a position with the National Council on Aging as a Customer Service Representative and Administrative Assistant. She writes: "Please tell Jesse, Rene, Natalie, Doctor Kate, well everybody at OPTIC, that I say hello and thank you again! I think I will always say thank you to all of you. I felt like I was with a real family! Support in every way! Even a little scolding (just kidding). Sometimes I daydream that I will become a millionaire and will help OPTIC!!!" Hold that thought, Florcie, and best wishes in your new job.

Your friend emails you an urgent message -- one that asks you to pass it to others. Maybe it's warning you that telemarketers are about to call your cell phone. Maybe it's letting you know about a new and devious kind of street robbery in the parking lots of shopping malls. Maybe it's alerting you that Microsoft will pay you to forward a certain message.

Wait! Before you hit that “Forward” button, do this: copy the subject line of the email (leave out the part that says “FW:”), go to the Web site www.snopes.com, and paste the subject line into their search bar. Chances are, you'll pull up an article that summarizes the email you just received, and tells you whether it's true or false. Here's what they have to say about that famous Microsoft payout:

So the next time you see a forwarded email with a startling claim, checked it out on Snopes.com. You'll probably find out just what you expected: it ain't necessarily so.

OPTIC gratefully acknowledges its corporate, foundation and government funders:

OPTIC Hiring Partners help us place Job Training and Placement participants into good jobs with opportunities for advancement. Many thanks to OPTIC Hiring Partners Ascot Staffing, Contra Costa Child Care Council, CASA of Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Council, Springboard Advisors, Supervisor Federal Glover, and USS Posco Industries. To join them, fill out our very simple Memorandum of Understanding.

The Friends of OPTIC are an energetic, talented group of women dedicated to supporting OPTIC's work in the community. We are thrilled with their efforts to publicize our work, help with special events and donor development, and support the staff in innumerable ways. They are: Mary Jane Arnold, Katia Avila, Beth Bissell, Sharon Cahill, Jules Campbell, Jane Collett, Pam Elliott, Sue George, Judy Johnson, Sue Kidd, Kathy Leahy, Helen Loewenstein, Jan Monteyne, Sarah Morrill, Denise Silicani, and Maureen Wilhelm.

If you share our vision, we'll find a way to help you get involved -- whatever your schedule, whatever your resources. You can:

• Volunteer with the day or evening program. We have positions for mentors, tutors, mock interviewers, and much more.
• Employ an OPTIC graduate. Our candidates are proficient, experienced and motivated.
• Contract with OPTIC’s internship program. From database management to mailings, we’re fast, reliable and cost-effective.
• Give. Your tax-deductible contribution will change a life.
• Buy OPTIC Gear. You can help support OPTIC's programs while spiffing up your wardrobe or kitchen table.

We welcome your feedback and involvement in our program. You can reach any of us by telephone at (925) 776-1133. For inquiries about:

• OPTIC's Job Training and Placement Program, contact Program Coordinator Natalie Georgia (natalie@optic-cc.org);
• Employment opportunities for OPTIC alumni, contact Professional Development Manager René Tucker (rene@optic-cc.org);
• Delta Community Technology Center, contact Delta CTC Director Jesse Golden (jesse@optic-cc.org);
• OPTIC's integrated mental health services, contact Director of Mental Health Kate Novotny, Ph.D. (kate@optic-cc.org);
• OPTIC's DataWorks internship program, contact Project Manager Nathan Clark (nathan@optic-cc.org); or
• Communications and donations, contact Executive Director Alissa Friedman (alissa@optic-cc.org).
• Accounting and human resources, contact Accountant Pam Elliott (pam@optic-cc.org).

• Keith Archuleta, Founding Partner, Emerald Consulting
• Robert Beck, Principal, Pittsburg Adult Education Center
• Linda Best, Executive Director, Contra Costa Council
• George Birdsong, President, Springboard Advisors
• Janet Brown, Housing Specialist, Center for Independent Living
• Sandy Bustillo, Interim Division Manager for General Assistance, Contra Costa County Workforce Services
• Susan H. George, Friends of OPTIC
• Mary Jane Hargrove, Consultant, Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Joe Mathai, Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
• Nancy Parent, Councilmember, City of Pittsburg
• Ricardo M. Perez, D.D.S., Owner, Cosmetic Dental Spa
• Tonya Smith, Assistant, Office of Supervisor Federal Glover

You may unsubscribe from our periodic emails by sending a message to info@optic-cc.org to that effect. Please indicate the email address to be removed, if it is not the same as your return email address.

Newsletter Contributors: Jesse Golden and Alissa Friedman