Para Las Familias Food Drive

SAN DIEGO – As we approach Thanksgiving, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the remarkable support received for Para Las Familias' (PLF) Autumn Food Drive.

PLF provides outpatient behavioral and mental health services to underserved South Bay communities. Thanks to your contributions, we are building a stronger, healthier community.

Together, we are making a difference!

PLF staff pick up food drive donations from ECS Headquarters in National City. November 2023.

PLF staff show off food donations to support ECS families during the holidays. November 2023.

Twins: Building Trust & Overcoming Challenges Together

A mother, feeling overwhelmed by her twin daughters' struggles with emotional dependency and developmental milestones, turned to Para Las Familias (PLF) for support.

Twin sisters share a warm embrace. April 2023.

The family embarked on a remarkable journey as they participated in weekly play therapy sessions, under the caring guidance of Itzel, a dedicated PLF therapist. These sessions were designed to address the twins' emotional dependency and developmental hurdles through trust-building activities and targeted strategies. Itzel helped the twins normalize using the restroom and addressed their clingy behavior, while simultaneously empowering their mother with the confidence to support her children.

Itzel spoke highly of the family's progress, stating, "the most important piece with this family is knowing that the mom has confidence in her ability to support her children. The growth they have experienced goes beyond overcoming initial challenges, extending to a much healthier and secure relationship between the mother and her daughters."

The twins' journey highlights the positive influence of PLF’s tailored approach, resolving challenges and fostering a secure family environment for a brighter future.

ECS Attends the 2022 Live Well Advance Conference & School Summit

Live Well San Diego aligns the efforts of individuals, organizations, and the government to help residents enjoy a better quality of life.

Several ECS staff members attended the Live Well Advance Conference & School Summit at the San Diego Conference Center on Dec. 7. The event provided an opportunity to promote ECS’s services and connect with other organizations in the same or complementary industries. The conference welcomed over 2,000 participants, and ECS was one of the few selected partners to have a booth in the Connection Hub.

Additionally, on Dec. 12, Leslie Manriquez, Para Las Familias (PLF) Program Manager, gave an excellent presentation to advance the knowledge of our PLF program and to strengthen partnership opportunities for the Live Well San Diego South Regional leadership team.

Live Well San Diego Regional leadership teams bring together community groups in each region to make way for collaborative planning and organizing efforts.

ECS continues to make vital connections in the community to expand our reach and further our purpose of cultivating a strong, vibrant, and just San Diego region.

ECS staff at the Live Well Advance Conference & School Summit at the San Diego Convention Center. December 2022.

Leslie Manriquez, PLF Program Manager, presenting at the Live Well South Regional Leadership Team Meeting. December 2022.

ECS Featured In Giving Back Magazine

Elizabeth Fitzsimons, Edgar Sierra, and other community leaders are featured in the September edition of Giving Back Magazine highlighting ECS’ annual meeting. ECS facilitated the panel discussion, which focused on the pandemic, its impact on San Diego’s children, and various solutions, including affordable early childhood education through our HS programs and the benefits of behavioral health services through our Para Las Familias program. Additionally, the panel shared concerns about children overcoming the impact of the last two years encountering shutdowns of primary care providers and longstanding inequalities for disenfranchised communities.

Visit Para Las Familias to learn more about our outpatient behavioral and mental health clinic.

Giving Back Magazine is a monthly bilingual, binational publication featuring events, businesses, and individuals making a difference in the San Diego and Tijuana community. Read the full article.

ECS CEO Elizabeth Fitzsimons, ECS HCS Associate Director Edgar Sierra, First 5 San Diego Alethea Arguilez, M.A, Rady Children’s Hospital Willough Jenkins, M.D., and San Diego for Every Child Erin Hogeboom photographed at ECS’ annual meeting. September 2022.