Hope Services' Employees to Benefit from Gift of Sight Program

• Diana Kinsey, Coordinator. Diana is young, 23 years old, but has already taken on a lot of responsibility in her three years working at HOPE in Santa Cruz. As a coordinator, she oversees case managers by providing training and giving feedback on how to deal with special situations with certain clients. In a prior position, she also worked closely with the clients on a daily basis to help them live a more independent life.
  
  Diana saw how enthusiastic last year's HOPE recipients were of the program and their new found site, and she cannot wait to have her procedure done. She has a hard time doing activities with her glasses and cannot see well driving at night, and since her job requires her to be on call certain nights of the week, she is always worried about having to drive at night to see a client. Her procedure will greatly enhance her personal and professional life.
  
  
• John Koncoli, Central District Sales. John is one of the most enthusiastic and supportive HOPE employees. He is 49 years old, is a foster father of two, lives in Sunnyvale and works in Santa Clara. As Employment Development Director, he is out in the community on a daily basis, finding companies to provide work in partnership with HOPE's sheltered work centers. He most recently struck a deal with Starbucks, placing the first client in Mountain View, which will lead to Starbucks launching a nationwide diversity inclusion program. HOPE has workshops that train clients throughout the Bay Area/Silicon Valley. Approximately 700 clients are employed, 440 of which also work in the community. John works with clients to find out what their interested are and places them in jobs in the community. What John likes most about his job is helping clients be part of society, making them feel productive and increasing their self esteem.
  
  John has been wearing glasses since he was 12 and has been self-conscious about wearing them. Getting rid of them has greatly improved his self confidence and helps him better see the minute work that takes place in HOPE workshops.
  
  
• Ray Navarra, Job Developer in Mountain View. Ray Navarra is 45 years old and lives in Campbell. To some, he is perhaps better know as the drummer for "The King And Us Band" that plays at HOPE fundraisers or in the community, including a recent performance at the "First Friday's" event in downtown Campbell and Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose. The lead singer, an Elvis impersonator, is a HOPE client and on guitar/vocals, is Ray's mother in law!
  
  Not only is Ray a talented musician, but he is also a passionate HOPE employee. He has been with the organization for six years and as Job Developer, he helps clients find jobs in the community. What he likes best about his job is working closely with the clients and helping them accomplish their goals - while mentoring them through the good and bad times.
  
  Ray is looking forward to getting rid of his glasses so he no longer need to worry about losing them, forgetting them, scratching the lenses or needing to buy another pair. It will be one less thing he needs to worry about.
  
  
• Marjolaine Bennett, Instructor at Clove Drive Center, Willow Glenn. Marjolaine is 47 years old and lives in South San Jose. As a Community Support Facilitator she takes clients out in the community and helps them integrate and interact with other residents. She has worked with HOPE for six years and loves her job, taking part of the clients' daily activities and watching the happiness in the eyes of the client when they interact with others outside the HOPE community. Unfortunately, Marjolaine has very sensitive eyes and has problem losing her glasses during activities with her clients, which have been a big distraction. That is one of the reasons she is thrilled at the opportunity of getting rid of her glasses - one less thing to worry about.
  
  
• Grace Samayoa, Lead Instructor at Clove Drive Center. Grace is 53 years old and teaches HOPE clients essential skills such as learning to live on their own, math, reading, what to do in an event of an emergency and personal hygiene. She also takes the clients to work at companies that partner with HOPE and works along side them. She has worked with HOPE for four years and finds being around clients extremely rewarding.
  
  Grace was speechless with excitement when she learned she would be part of the Gift of Sight program. She had wanted to correct her vision for years, but could not afford it. While working, her glasses get knocked off by clients doing activities or having seizures, has problems seeing when driving at night and she recently had nose surgery and has difficulty with glasses on her nose. She cannot wait for her surgery.
  
  
• Judy Tran, Senior Central District. Judy is 28 years old and works and lives in San Jose. She has been at HOPE for over a year supporting some of its oldest and most fragile clients in the Senior Center program. The Senior Center provides social recreation and teaches important skills such as exercise, cognitive skills, safety awareness and nutrition. Judy supervises instructors and works directly with approximately 60 seniors with a broad range of developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, depression and schizophrenia. The most rewarding part of her job is helping her clients be more independent, enjoy a more active lifestyle outside of the home and improve their overall quality of life.
  
  Judy was ecstatic to be a recipient of the Gift of Sight Program. She has worn glasses since elementary school and she has difficulty at work when wearing glasses or contacts due to dry eyes and headaches. She cannot wait to get rid of her glasses and be able to focus 100 percent on her job. She would not be able to afford the procedure on her own.