By Sadie Hess, Founder and CEO We understand the California budget for 2023-24 is a complex issue with significant implications for various communities, especially those relying on critical services like housing and developmental support. There was a proposal for a delay in funding for programs for Californians with disabilities until 2025, this is undoubtedly disappointing…
By Emily Simino, Case Facilitator Meet Melanie! An incredibly intelligent, funny, kind and friendly client in the East Bay. One of Melanie’s hobbies is gardening, and she has even started her own garden on the balcony of her condo. This past summer she and her roommate, Amelia, grew their own tomatoes and cilantro and made…
By Sadie Hess A 7 Year Commitment Compass has a group of individuals who have signed up for a 7-year commitment to our Strategic planning team. I feel very honored and privileged to have a group of people so dedicated to Compass’ mission and vision. We ask them to sign up for a seven-year commitment to the organization. This allows Eric…
By Sadie Hess I am turning 50 this June. Instead of feeling melancholy about turning 50 and focusing on the changes that come with growing older, I choose to focus on what is ahead. It can be easy to emphasize on loss, but it can be more challenging and rewarding to think about what is…
By Cassandra Sales Community Why retreats? Community is not only one of our core values, but it is the make-up of DNA as a culture. Once a year, we are afforded the opportunity to be in the community on a grander scale through retreats. The word retreat comes from the Latin word meaning to pull…
By Sadie Hess, Founder, and CEO “Hey, I have a dream, and let me know if you want to come along?” My sister-in-law casually asked me while we watched my niece play the Obo at a Davis football game. Curious, I asked for more information. “We are going to go do the Camino De Santiago for…
By Sadie Hess, Founder, and CEO Empty Tank The tank is empty. In more ways than one, or two, even five. We are tired, we have less to show for our hard work, and if we are honest with ourselves, we are a little more cynical about our world. We have had more disappointments than…
My parents are developmentally disabled. They have been that way since birth. My mom was diagnosed with a learning disability, but that was before autism existed. I believe she has autism. Her mentality is very similar to a young girl about six years old. My dad was born with hydrocephalus, which caused an intellectual disability….
Small Town I grew up and still live in a town that has more cows than people. If the elevation surpasses the population, that is the town for me. In Rural communities, you know your neighbor’s favorite cookie and take it to them every second Sunday in May because they lost their mom ten years…
By Sadie Hess, Founder and CEO Something BIg We are in the process of doing something big! (Something we haven’t done in about 15 years here at Compass.) We are going to open a new department at Compass! Not another office, as we have been doing. This will be a department that supports the whole…