Gratitude Sweepstakes Submissions

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Gratitude For:	Department:	Why are you thankful for this person?	Submitted By
Abel Tovar	Youth Services	He is by far the best supervisor I have ever had in the history of working. He is kind honest and caring and I always feel heard supported and encouraged in everything I do. He is helping me see areas where I need growth and I am internally grateful for the opportunity to work in an environment where I feel like I can flourish and achieve anything! Thank you Abel for all you do! for me and for our department	Lauren	Meadows
Abel Tovar	Youth Services	Being a great supervisor!	Bruce	Foster
Alvy Rangel	Health Services	In just my first few months at the Center, Alvy has been a complete role model for me in professionalism, poise, and compassion. She brings such a bright and energetic presence to the office that I am insanely grateful for!	Kyle	Ryan
Amanda Hernandez	Youth Services	They are always the first to jump up to help someone who needs it, whether its an emotional, physical, or mental need. They truly care so deeply about the job, and it isn’t always recognized as much as it should be.	Kami	Brooks
Angela Echeverria	Facilities	Angela is an amazing and understanding person. She is even better as a leader and has been overlooked most of the time. It shows everyday how much she cares about the center and the work we do. She has an AMAZING story! she escaped from her country after seeing an incredible amount of death an horror and IMO should be featured on the Vanguard	Becky	McLean
Ari Anderson	Youth Services	Being helpful and always eager to learn.	Neysa	Chavez
Arlene Stevenson	Health Services	Arlene always has a smile for everyone, her can do attitude is a breath of fresh air!	Chris	Clarkin
Ashley Rojo	Legal Services	Ashley has been with the center for a few year now and has shown immense care towards her clients! She goes above and beyond!	Mateo	Barrios
Ashley Rojo	Legal Services	I’m thankful to have Ash as a close colleague and friend because she has been so supportive through the challenging cases we work on. I’m especially grateful to have Ash as a learning partner in the intensive training we’ve been working through the last 8 weeks. You cannot do trauma work without support and I am so lucky to have Ash as part of my support system. Ash, you’re a star and I’m so thankful for you!	Metzli	Mejia
Aurelia Taleb	AIDS/LifeCycle	Aurelia always says yes to help with the extras. They bring enthusiasm to whatever they do. They have helped me immensely as we are back to in person events. We even started a Women, ENBY, Trans bike ride and Aurelia took the lead. Forever grateful!	Christie	Gilmore
Aurelia Taleb-Ahmed	AIDS/LifeCycle	Aurelia tirelessly fights for change at AIDS/LifeCycle, and follows through with it too. They recently started a new affinity training ride group for our Women, Trans and Enby community members called Everybody Rides. Aurelia is a great teammate, and embodies what it means to be an agent for change. Thank you for everything you do, Aurelia, behind the scenes and out in front of the community!	Celia	Mueller
Bella Gavilan	Human Resources	I am grateful for Bella literally every day at the Center! We are so lucky to have her warm, knowledgeable, sparkly presence in the Anita May Rosenstein Campus entrance. Whether she’s (lovingly) reminding us to take our lunch breaks, hand delivering packages and mail with a twirl and a joke or patiently re-explaining how to fix the printer – she’s the colleague we all need and deserve. Thank you, Bella, for all that you do and all the energy you bring to work!	Jae	O’Dougherty
Bernadette Lopez	Youth Services	Bernadette is always willing to go above and beyond for the youth we serve. She is thoughtful and intentional about the work she does, and always creates a warm and welcoming environment for the folks we serve.	Mandy	Litwin
Brandon Burciaga	Health Services	Brandon is always down to help the patient. He is thorough and a great employee.	Laura	Garcia-McLean
Cain Andrade	Cultural Arts	Cain has been more than happy to jump in and assist with whatever tasks we were faced with, regardless of how far out of his job description they were. For example, we received a donation of platforms, and he happily jumped in and helped us lug them around. His constant cheerfulness and willingness to help others makes him an exceptional candidate for gratitude!	Matt	Richter
CeCe Lam	Health Services	CeCe is always extremely helpful, cheerful, and festive! She truly goes above and beyond for her colleagues and clients.	sam	christie
Celia Mueller	AIDS/LifeCycle	Celia or “Baby Seal” as we affectionately call her is a great teammate. She is consistently looking for ways to support her coworkers, think of creative solutions to problems and look at the long term sustainability of the work we do at AIDS/LifeCycle.	Cailin	corbett
Chris Clarkin	Health Services	They do a lot of behind the senses work to ensure their team has all the things they need to service the community.	Arlene	Stevenson
Christopher Aguilar	Health Services	Chris has to wear several hats. He has supported the ARS team throughout my time at the Center. I rely on him greatly to coordinate with clients in ways that my position does not allow. Chris maintains a team-oriented attitude that has helped everything flow as smoothly as possible during this ongoing pandemic.	Vasyl	Ghanimian
Christopher Williams	Health Services	Thankful to work alongside you – helping to develop, shape and push the Center South team forward. You are a great teammate and I’m glad we have this great opportunity to do so much good and in service for our Black and Brown folx in the community of South LA!	David	Flores
Christopher Williams	Health Services	I am glad to work with someone that cares about our most need it community	Eddie	Sanyer
Christopher Williams	Health Services	I am thankful for Christopher because he wants to genuinely help the underserved community of South LA. He is a fearless leader yet is very approachable. I’ve only worked with him for a short amount of time but he helps me feel at ease to know that I have his full support.	Sarah	Gabagat
CJ Richardson	Youth Services	I’m grateful for all the attention, care and balance that CJ brings to his work in Youth Development. Whether he’s leading trips to the community garden, planning incredible holiday celebrations, or casually connecting with youth throughout the space, his purpose is clear and his presence is inviting and consistent in such a rare, necessary way! CJ has been a key staff member in Youth Services for years, and we are so fortunate to have his knowledge, patience and secretly goofy self in our midst!	Jae	O’Dougherty
Claudia Alvarez	Health Services	Claudia is a great mentor and I appreciate her drive.	Deanna	Newman
Danny Gonzalez	Volunteer Resources	Thank you Danny for the extra help during November’s donor events.	Gia	Rili
David Flores	Health Services	I am thankful to work with a Manager that cares about not only our community but also to his staff	Eddie	Sanyer
Deanna Newman	Health Services	Deanna is an excellent manager to our team! She is always direct and understanding. A great leader.	Kat	Lopez
Derald Hunter	Health Services	They are front an center at all event representing the center in its best light and always ensure weho has all their condom and lube needs.	Arlene	Stevenson
Doni Tadesse	Youth Services	Over the past year, Doni has not only been an outstanding coworker and teammate but has also become a very dear friend. I am grateful for his kindness and ability to put a smile on my face, for his wit and perfectly-timed pop culture references too!	Eden	Sarkisian
Dora Solis Malta	Human Resources	Dora is always ready and eager to be of assistance in any way that she can. She puts people at ease, makes them feel heard, and goes above and beyond to be of service to the staff here.	Mandy	Litwin
Dylan Richardson	Senior Services	Dylan is a Senior Care Specialist who goes above and beyond for our clients. I am thankful that our department and our clients have Dylan as a Senior Care Specialist because he truly cares for our seniors. Dylan’s assistance has helped to house clients experiencing homelessness and trauma, as well as assisting clients with obtaining all they need in order to be housed. Dylan Richardson is an invaluable member of our Senior Services team.	Bryan	Heitz
Eden Anai Luna	Legal Services	Luna is a wonderful advocate and is always available to help clients in need. Luna is an amazing colleague.	Lynda	Cruz
Elizabeth Sanchez	Youth Services	Came into the team and hit the ground running. Has assisted the youth on her caseload and others in a heartbeat.	Elizabeth	Jimenez
Enrique Castrejon	Health Services	For providing the best mentorship over my first year with the Center. Enrique shows incredible skill in being a strong advocate for our participants and clients while also supporting everyone in the Research Department.	Jacq	Lewis
Erick Fletes	Health Services	Erick has been a critical aid that supports my work in MAT services. His willingness to engage clients directly and coordinate care is necessary for the program to function.	Vasyl	Ghanimian
Erin English	Development	Erin has been a wonderful teacher and leader in my last three months since starting at the Center. Erin has really taken the time and patience to train me and guide me towards becoming a successful contributor in the Major Gifts Operation. She is an authentic professional, great communicator, and is impressive in balancing her many responsibilities with sharing a funny moment, even though we have been virtually interacting the majority of the time since I started at the Center. Her passion for the Center’s mission always shines through, even in the less exciting parts of our work. Thank you, Erin!	Talia	Rothman
Gabriel Flores	Health Services	I am so very thankful for Gabriel because he is always so willing to help whether it comes to staff or patients. He is honestly one of the best people I know. He is kind and patient even when it’s “one of those days”. Gabriel’s positive energy radiates and he deserves all good things.	Sarah	Gabagat
Hope Hatem	Health Services	They are front an center at all event representing the center in its best light and always ensure weho has all their condom and lube needs.	Arlene	Stevenson
Jae O’Dougherty	Youth Services	Jae has been someone I’ve looked up to for some time now. They are so incredibly kind, intelligent, and always looking to help others – even when they’re busy with their own tasks! Their commitment to this work inspires me. I try to be “a little bit more like Jae” every day!	Mickey	Couto
Jason Toma	Finance	Mutual appreciation of Nintendo games 🙂	Josh	Bittner
Jeannesta Abramson	Health Services	Great resource and sounding board; helped me learn more about the Center and FQHC rules (which were new to me).	Marcos	Beltran
Jennie Solis & Juan Hernandez	Youth Services	Jennie and Juan have led the COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 testing charge in Youth Center residential programs throughout these trying times. Jennie and Juan, along with all the incredible staff in the Youth Center, have been working with admin staff to speak with youth one on one about vaccine concerns, support vaccine education efforts, implement weekly testing and monthly on-site vaccine clinics. Their coordinated work is a big reason that so many youth members at the Center have made confident decisions to support their health and the health of our communities – on top of all their usual responsibilities! We appreciate their heart, humor and care throughout the challenges of the pandemic!	Jae	O’Dougherty
Joe Heally	Senior Services	Joe spent most of last weekend, calling seniors to complete RSVP’s for them by our deadline for a thanksgiving Meal. In addition to his dedication to our older adults he has been working extremely hard to make sure all the logistics are in place to make sure over 850 meals are delivered and the data collection and tracking is done to report this back to our funders. This is in addition to his regular workload.	Kiera	Pollock
Joei Gyondla	AIDS/LifeCycle	Joei has been such a source of light for everyone at ALC. Their energy and passion for our work and the ALC community is something they bring to everything they do. Joei reminds me why we do what we do, especially on days when it feels like never ending voicemail boxes and emails. I am so thankful for them, and for their willingness to share all parts of their humanity with me and our team. Thank you, Joei!	Celia	Mueller
Kaiyti Duffy	Health Services	Dr. Duffy inspires me daily and has taught me so much. I am very thankful for her.	Marissa	Marqusee
Kami Brooks	Youth Services	Kami is the newest addition to the team but they are already making a splash! Youth simply adore them. Their programming content is clever, intentional, and always fun.	Mickey	Couto
Kat Lopez	Health Services	Kat is dedicated and dependable. I know I can count on her to keep her word.	Deanna	Newman
Katherine Franco, Esq	Legal Services	Katherine really listens and considers our ideas. Katherine is a wonderful supervisor and leader.	Lynda	Cruz
Keith Leach	Health Services	Keith is a breath of fresh air – always spreading positivity and I appreciate that!	Deanna	Newman
Kristi Cecil	Senior Services	Kristi is new to our department, she immediately become available to provide support in anyway needed. She is a welcoming face to our new staff and models how best to provide our clients with quality care.	Rhee	Pates
Kyra Kaesemeyer	Health Services	I have found Kyra to be reliable and a pleasure to work with. Kyra has been consistently helpful and positivistic while handling so many time-sensitive tasks. I feel confident that something directed to Kyra will be handled with utmost professionalism.	Vasyl	Ghanimian
Kyra Kaesemeyer	Health Services	I’m so thankful for Kyra because she’s is always patient and ready to lend a hand even if she has her own plate full. She’s a true team player and deserves all the croissants she can handle!	Adrienne	Ogle
Lashanda Thompson	Health Services	Thankyou for being such an amazing team player and supervisor. For working almost every Saturday, and being so supportive to our staff and patients. For having amazing customer service and going above and beyond at the front window to help our clients. For having my back when I am on vacation to make sure nothing falls behind. Your an amazing soul.	PAULA	HERNANDES
Linda Taylor	Finance	The best teammate I could ask for!	Josh	Bittner
Lisa Kimsey	Health Services	I’m thankful to Lisa for her compassion. She’s always willing to listen and gives great advice!	Deanna	Newman
Loan Le	Finance	The best boss I’ve ever worked for	Josh	Bittner
Lucina Morelos Gonzalez	Legal Services	Lucy gets the job done and is very considerate of others.	Lynda	Cruz
Mandy Litwin	Youth Services	I love and appreciate the warmth and positive energy Mandy carries with every day. I’ve seen the unconditional support she provides both the youth and staff and she just simply has a heart of gold. I’m super thankful to have the opportunity to work with her AND thankful for all her hard work and dedication here at the center.	Dora	Solis Malta
Margarita Lopez	Health Services	Margarita is such a valuable person to help us clinicians keep our credentialing in order. I don’t know what I’d do without her. She also has the patience of a saint.	Emiko	Kenderes
Matt Hernandez	Facilities	Matt always has a positive attitude and I love running into him. He is always working on all sorts of building requests and interacts with clients especially well. Our department wouldn’t function without his leadership.	Ariel	Bustamante
Matthew Cassidy	IT	Matthew is not only gracious, but super friendly and always a joy to get when I have to call IT! He’s also great and prompt at what he does.	Emiko	Kenderes
Michael Couto	Youth Services	He is always helpful and willing to listen and understand any problems I may be having, and has helped me immensely in feeling heard and safe in my new department.	Kami	Brooks
Michael Zimmerman	Health Services	because all his support and good energy helping me in my work	Amanda	Tirado Paez
Michael Zimmerman	Health Services	Thank you for being continue support in helping pt get coverage or find solutions to difficult problems. You are expert in your field.	Virginia	Leon
Mona Abron	Youth Services	She is one of the greatest supervisors we have. The center would not be the same without her, she cares so much about the residents and the workers and always puts her all in. Her favorite phrase is “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” and she truly lives by that.	Kami	Brooks
Mona Abron	Youth Services	Mona’s commitment, expertise, and warm heart are only a few of the many reasons that youth and staff alike gravitate towards her and look to her leadership. Mona is someone who I admire and try to emulate every day.	Mickey	Couto
Neysa Chavez	Youth Services	I am thankful for Neysa because they are an amazing coworker and friend. They have taught me so much while working with here; they are the Yoda to my Luke Skywalker	Ari	Anderson
Orville Ranglin	Youth Services	too many to list, positivity + optimism, inspiration and sets the tone!	Max	Moller
Patricia Sutherland	Cultural Arts	Patricia manages a big team that helps bring about some of our wonderful theatre productions, she coordinates access to the space available for rental and Center programming at The Village, and her team seems to have a high admiration for her, myself included, as she is always patient, kind and ready to help her team succeed. I can only hope to learn a bit of that impressive, managerial skill set. I am thankful The Center has her.	Caín	Andrade
Paul Chavez	Health Services	They go above a beyond to ensure their team is ok and ready to service the community	Arlene	Stevenson
Ricardo DeLeon	Finance	Super grateful for Ricardo coming on-board and providing amazing leadership for the Center and our Department	Josh	Bittner
Robert Cervantes	Health Services	Robert is a great leader who knows how to keep morale high – whether by asking about how your weekend was or by reminding the front office at the end of every day that he his grateful for the work we put in.	Adrienne	Ogle
Scott Gizicki	Development	Thank you Scott for going above and beyond with the tear-down of November’s donor events.	Gia	Rili
Sharon Brown	Human Resources	I feel seen and heard by Sharon. I’m alway welcome in the space that she is in.	Bella	Gavilan
Simon J Sailer	Youth Services	Dedication to the youth we serve, his team spirit	Elizabeth	Jimenez
Sol Ace Rosado	Health Services	They are a team player and are always willing to help assist Spanish-speaking clients. Thanks for being awesome Sol Ace 🙂	Monique	Gutierrez
Stella Perish		She is so knowledgeable and creates Amazing groups for the youth here. She is helpful patient kind and loving and is quick to provide support wherever needed. Thank you Stella You da Best!!	Lauren	Meadows
Susan Holt	Health Services	Susan has literally helped me keep my job with her relentless efforts on grants upon grants. She’s also helped keep me sane to maintain said job with her wisdom and guidance throughout my internship and into my career as a therapist. Truly, forever grateful for Dr. Susan Holt.	Emiko	Kenderes
Susan Holt	Health Services	She has kept the department moving in great direction. Not only does she strongly care about the work we all do in the department but she truly cares about our wellbeing and that is comforting.	Steven	Valladarez
Susy Arreola	Health Services	For her incredible phlebotomy skills and hard work in transforming our 2nd Floor Research Laboratory as well as supporting every research study our department conducts. Susy is the glue that holds our department together.	Jacq	Lewis
Teshale Wesene	Youth Services	I am always grateful for the times that both Teshale and I are in the office. He is very kind and we often find ourselves falling into such easeful conversation. Though we are both on the admin team, our work does not overlap much if at all. However, I am very glad that Teshale is on my team because he always adds a bright spot to my day. 🙂	Khrysta	Robinson
The ALC Team!	AIDS/LifeCycle	I am very grateful for my entire team, for our strength to push through all the challenges even though we could not have an in-person event over the past 2 years. This year we are hitting the ground hard and continuing to fight to provide free HIV/AIDS services & programs for all! This is How We Roll!	Aurelia	Taleb-Ahmed
Travis Crown	Youth Services	Travis is a leader on this team! The youth love him and he is a kind, talented, and thoughtful coworker. I consider myself lucky to work with him!	Mickey	Couto
Tui Lyon	Development	Tui and I work closely together and share resources and knowledge often. She always brings a can do attitude and chill presence. Recently she has supported ALC broadcasting with kindness, knowledge, and sunshine. So grateful for her!	Christie	Gilmore
Will Freiberger	Health Services	I’m thankful for Will because he’s constantly helping out behind the scenes even when we don’t know it! He may be quiet but he’s always present and happy to lend his expertise. I don’t know what we’d do without him!	Adrienne	Ogle
Yvette Topete	Youth Services	HUGE APPRECIATION to Yvette for their awesome support during our first virtual Youth Leadership Team meeting! Although we did not have a big turnout, I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to share virtual space with you and our youth both! Super glad to have you on the team 🙂	Juan	Pirir

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