November 2021 Newsletter

November 2021 Newsletter

At this time of Thanksgiving, we are so very grateful to our donors, alumni, families, employers, and community partners for supporting our mission and standing behind us as we continue to serve our community. We could not do so without your generous support!

If you missed our personal thank you last week from our CEO, you can watch it here. 

Giving Tuesday is November 30th!

Each year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving marks Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity. By helping BroadFutures become a part of the movement, you can ensure we can continue serving young people with learning and related disabilities. ALL donations are greatly appreciated and will help ensure we can continue to serve the young people who rely on our services. 

Employee Spotlight – Pamela Gray

Employer Engagement Manager

We are excited to introduce Pamela (“Pam”) Gray as our new Employer Engagement Manager. Pam is responsible for helping to grow, engage, and support our group of employer partners. She has worked in the public, private and nonprofit sectors in addition to being a longtime community volunteer in the Bay Area of Northern California. She is committed to helping disabled people better access employment, technology, and the outdoors. Pamela was the Senior Director of Operations at Goodwill Industries, San Francisco, which provides training and employment placement services for people who face barriers to employment. She was a staff member in the office of Berkeley City Councilmember Laurie Capitelli, working on legislative initiatives affecting Berkeley youth.  Most recently, Pam worked at the Center for Accessible Technology, which serves disabled people who have challenges accessing computers and technology. Pam has also served as a Board Member and sea kayak guide at Environmental Traveling Companions, a non-profit serving people with disabilities and under-resourced youth. She has additionally served as a member and Chair of the City of Berkeley Parks and Recreation Commission.  

Pam expressed her excitement to start a new role: “I am excited to join the BroadFutures team as the Employment Engagement Manager, focusing on developing opportunities for BF in Northern California. I see many possible partnerships for BF in the San Francisco Bay Area, with both schools and employers. There is a high level of understanding of and appreciation for neurodiversity in the workplace in the Bay Area. In the short time that I have been communicating with people locally about BF’s mission, I have received very positive responses, and much interest in learning more about BF’s program. I look forward to helping the BF team to broaden its reach to the west coast, deepen its impact and create even more value for more participants and employer partners.“

Pam, we are thrilled to welcome you to the BroadFutures team!

Apply to our Summer 2022 Internship Program

Program Dates: June 6th – August 6th, 2022

Application Deadline: March 15th, 2022

Interested in gaining valuable internship experience this summer? Apply today!

Interested in becoming an employer partner?

Please join our group of inspired employers looking to include neurodiverse talent!!! a

Who wants to play trivia?

Calling all BroadFutures Alumni! We invite you to play trivia with us on Thursday, December 9th from 12-1pm ET. There will be prizes!! Register at the button below if you think you have what it takes, or just want to have some fun with old and new friends. 

Intern Spotlight – Sadie Shapiro

This month we are delighted to feature Sadie Shapiro in our intern Spotlight! Sadie participated in our Summer 2021 Internship Program and was a fabulous addition to the cohort. A 24-year-old from Alpharetta, Georgia, Sadie moved to Washington, DC for the summer so they could intern at the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB). Sadie did such an excellent job this summer working with the Operations Team that they were asked to continue their internship through the winter.

Sadie is currently still working at CIAB, gaining more workplace skills each and every day. It has been amazing to witness their growth. According to Sadie, “Through BroadFutures I learned how to have better confidence in myself and the skills I came to realize I possess.”

Sadie keep up the good work and we wish you all the best in your future!!!