EMQ FamiliesFirst

I love this organization and the focus it has on helping children and families in crisis.

I have been involved with the Butter Paddle for less than two years. Since the Butter Paddle is the retail arm that donates all proceeds from the sale of the gifts and accessories to EMQ-Families First, I feel that by being involved with the Butter Paddle, I am making a rewarding time contribution to a very worthwhile cause!! I love giving back and through Children's Services, which I Chair with Ellen Lowenthal, it is very rewarding to me to be helping the Foster and residential kids at EMQ-Families First!!
I enjoy being involved with all of the "children's parties" and also know the kids enjoy!!
Thank you!!
Bonnie Morrill

EMQ-fAMILESFIRST is an outstanding non-profit -- it provides more than just services to families in crisis, it cares and works on the spirit of the people they help. The recognition event should be larger with more people in the community finding out what EMQ is all about...and the volunteers who support the Happy Dragon and the Butter Paddle couldn't be better ambassadors!!

EMQ and the Butter Psddle help to serve children and their families in crisis. They provide residential care, psychological assistance and wrap around programs in a caring and supportive atmosphere.

They have been helping children in crisis for a long time. They have continued to improve services that are really needed by children. The crisis stabilization facility recently added is an example.

EMQFF's Crisis Stabilization Unit is one of the many services they provide to help children in crisis; providing 24 hours, 59 minutes to find the best place and care for troubled youths. Since opening last year, the unit has helped over 1500 children.

Great work in the Santa Clara Valley... They need your support to keep up the good work.

EMQ Families First has provided needed services for at-risk children and their families. They are professionally managed and dedicated to assist the community with comprehensive services. Kudos to all those who are part of this organization. Thank you for all you do!

EmQ families first is a genuine non profit that cares about the children they serve.
They are very paticular in how they care for the kids and how the money from the non
profit is spent.
With the growing need for services at a younger age such a 7-8 it is
imperative we help these children in crisis.
Autism and ADHD Anxiety is leading the ranks of the new population needing funding.
With the help of fundraising and retail and second hand stores EMQ has survived the many challenges of State cuts in services. Our kids matter and mental health is on the rise we need to support our future generation with empathy and medical support and housing.

The amazing work that EMQ FamiliesFirst does in our community hugely benefits children and families in tremendous need. The benefits and services they provide to those who need it most are not available through other agencies. We applaud their role in community solutions.

I have been exposed to the important work EMQFF does in the Santa Clara County for over 20 years. Their work to help with children and families in crisis is amazing--they really make a difference. Educating middle and high school children in perils, foster children/parent assistance and their new "crisis center" where suicidal children receive protection and a suitable care plan within the first 24-hours of an incident are true successes.
EMQFF is the "tops!"

I have been volunteering at the EMQ Unicorn Shop in San Jose over 3 years. I feel very fortunate to be a part of the team at EMQ. Everyone that volunteers has a mission to help provide services to children in need and their families.

I have volunteered at the Unicorn now for 3 years now, and in that time I have seen and met parents and children that have come together as a Family again. I have met the wonderful, giving and truly caring people that work with these families. The goal is to keep the family unit together, and EMQ does that and so much more.
I am proud to say I am a small part of this fine organization.

Christina Torrez Wirt

People are the best. If one must go on trip, your covered for that shift or shifts!! I am currently in Va. without a worry!

As a volunteer for Happy Dragon Thrift Store, I find it great that we give items to the children in need, and I find the Happy Dragon to be a nice, upbeat place to work. I enjoy my time there. It is great that we are able to do that.

Over the years, I have known social workers and other staff of EMQ, and have personally witnessed the difference that have made in many children's lives. i have also heard and read about their evolving services for many years as well. I know they put every dollar raised to good use. The are a very valuable organization in our community.

I've been a volunteer at Happy Dragon thrift store for 16 years. We directly support Eastfield Ming Quong. I feel the work that EMQ does with children and their families in crisis is so very important that I plan to continue to volunteer as long as I am able.

I have been volunteering at the Unicorn thrift shop for 12 years and am just amazed of the work that EmQ does for families in need. When we have our General meeting and a speaker comes from EmQ and shares how they have helped a family in need such as helping the children and making sure they get the right help or simply listening and doing what needs to be done immediately, it reassures me that what work I do at the shop is very valuable. An EmQ family is very lucky to have this Help.

I have been a Volunteer with EMQ Familiesfirst for almost 15 years. During that time, I have been especially impressed with the innovative approaches they have developed to assist at-risk children and their families AND with the care and dedication of their professional staff members.

I work at The Happy Dragon, a thrift store, which contributes all its earnings to EMQ. I have toured their facilities and have seen a lot of their excellent help they have given to children and families.

I have been a volunteer for almost 15 years with Happy Dragon that raises money to support EMQ Famlies First. It is a wonderful caring organization that puts children first.

I love volunteering at happy dragon and I love the staff. I feel it is a very special place for charity and also for people to come together and socialize and support each other. ann singh

I have been a volunteer with the Unicorn Thrift Shop for more than ten years. I chose to volunteer here for two years when I retired from teaching an d was so impressed with the mission of EMQFamilies First that I am still actively working. EMQ has a dedicated staff that work with children and families in crises - they are helping so many children and their families getting their lives back together again. They have launched several other programs such as the autistic program where they are having amazing success. Another program that has been most effective is helping children who are in critical distress. The staff, the CEO, the managers at EMQ are always available to provide support so the volunteers are successful too in their retirement.

I first discovered the Happy Dragon when my daughter was at the Cooperative Nursery School on Lyndon. I believe I first shopped for Halloween costumes. Then I started shopping for myself, her and my mother. That was about 38 years ago. I have been a volunteer there now for almost 11 years. The money we raise goes to help Children and Families that need help in many ways. It has turned lives around that may have been lost. Working at the store has many rewards. It is fun working with other volunteers and knowing some of the customers. We see many happy faces that find useful things at great prices.

I gladly volunteer for this organization because I believe in it's purpose and I see first hand how dedicated the staff are in implementing that goal. With the degradation and disappearance of children's services by the government, EMQFF plays a vital role in provided help and services for children and their families. EMQFF is an absolute necessity in our community and the organization does an outstanding job.

EMQ is a wonderful organization. I have been a donor for so many years to help them provide their wonderful services to children and families. We are very blessed to have them in our community.

Aa a Butter Paddle volunteer I have seen what an amazing network EMQ has for providing wrap around care to children and families. They absolutely deserve any help and support to be able to continue providing such much needed services in our communities.

We are so thankful for our partnership with Families First. They are providing a valuable service to the students in our district. This is our first year in partnership and we are looking forward to many more!

I have been involved with The Butter Paddle, first as a volunteer and now as a sustainer, for the past 12 years, and it has always given me great pleasure to know that my time and donations go towards helping the children of EMQ. Besides being a wonderful organization that benefits children, The Butter Paddle is also the perfect place to shop for gifts for all occasions! I always find something there...for weddings, birthdays & holidays...for people of all ages...from grandchildren to grandparents...from bridal occasions to 50th anniversary celebrations. The Butter Paddle is definitely THE place to shop!

As a "Sustainer" and past active member of EMQ Families First - The Butter Paddle supports this wonderful organization and everyone who volunteers is committed to helping families in need of their support.

The Butter Paddle offers wonderful gifts for every occasion and I cherish the time I was an active member.

Your support does make a difference to many families.

I have been volunteering at The Butter Paddle, a nonprofit that supports EMQFamilies First for almost 10 years. They help the most abused and neglected children. I know EMQ is most deserving of your best rating. .They deserve your help, support, and money! Sincerely, Dale F Bates

For many years I have been donating to EMQ through The Tennis Marathon. What a lovely way to meet some new players while donating to such a worthy cause. Their programs to help those in need, especially children at risk, is such a worthy cause. Thank you for all you do and please keep doing what you do as well as you do. 10splyr.

It gives me great pleasure in knowing that my donation and the donations brought in by recruiting other single tennis players to participate in the EMQ FamiliesFirst Tennis Marathon each year is put to good use in helping so many children and families in crisis. The tennis marathon is no- pressure competitive tennis on your own schedule with a lovely group of ladies who are out there playing to help these children have brighter futures! I hope to continue for many years to come!

EMQ FamiliesFirst helps children & their families overcome challenges they face related to mental health issues. Through counseling and addiction programs, childrens groups and parenting groups EMQ gives families and children in foster care a chance to flourish. I am a volunteer and the time I spend helping raise awarness for mental health through EMQ is well spent!

I have worked as a volunteer with EMQ Families First for several years. I have been very impressed with the quality of the staff and their dedication to their mission of healing families. Their innovative programs keep them at the forefront of their field. Their success rate is amazing, considering the difficulties in this work. I am also a donor as I see the results of their work in the children who come to the events we host and who speak to us as the successfully graduated into productive adulthood.

EMQ FamiliesFirst is on the cutting edge of the Behavioral Healthcare industry. The agency has a solid history in serving children and families with the most complex of needs. Their work is informed by leading edge research and their use of evidence-based practices speaks to their ongoing commitment to delivering the highest caliber of services. Children and families in crisis in California are fortunate to have this statewide team of expert and committed professionals working to do "whatever it takes" to help them experience healing and positive change.

I have had the pleasure of working with EMQ-Families first for over 20 years. The staff here in Fresno has always been very professional and yet personable when working with myself and our children. I feel I can saftely place a youth into their care. Although not everything always goes perfectly I have been able to count on the admin and staff to address any concerns and correct any problems. For me that is really important.

Hello, I work as a volunteer at EMQ FamiliesFirst, Hollygrove, Los Angeles, CA in the Endless Summer Program. The program is dedicated to helping children and families with hardships in their life, such as abuse, drugs, poverty to name a few. The Endless Summer Program, led by Director Mary Brougher and Hugo Chacon, seeks to help the children in their care to find solutions to the problems they face by providing them education and in-sight into themselves. That they are ultimately responsible for what they make of their lives. We play games and have "mindful" teaching sessions that teach the children how to handle competitive situations, how their brains work to enable them to make good decisions, and we help with their homework to show them that learning is crucial to their success. Some of the kids find it harder to trust than others, but in the year I have worked with them I have seen non-readers become readers, angry kids become more open and trusting. I have no idea where these children would go or what would ultimately happen to them if they didn't have the positive and protective influence of Hollygrove in their lives.

Changing lives, saving children, amazing systems in place to help the hardest situations. My tour and involvement demonstrated the care from this incredible team.

I have referred a couple of my clients for Mentoring services through the IYRT program and have great success in the minors being connected with a mentor that they felt a "connection" to. Additionally, EMQ offers great workshops for the community they serve. Whenever I have had questions about somethign the staff have been quite responsive.

When our family decided to become foster parents, I searched the internet to find an organization to help us. Fortunately I came across the EMQFF site and made a call. Since the very beginning the staff was excellent as they helped us through the paperwork, training, and certification process. We now have a new 17 year old son who is an outstanding young man.

Every now and then you meet someone who is just a perfect fit for the work they do. It's rare to find a group or an entire organization who so completely fits the mission of the organization. Such is the case with EMQ-Families First. I have made my living evaluating and consulting to a wide variety of organizations on management structures, boards, and operations. Rarely have I seen the level of dedication and commitment to the mission that I've seen with these folks. Everyone I encountered at EMQ are so passionate about the work with children and families. A part of my work with organizations is to inspire. It's rare to BE in inspired by organizations - that was always my experience. To a person they are a pleasure to work with and I recommend them highly.

I have worked closely with many nonprofit organizations in California as a mental health professional and as an academic evaluator. I can say, without a doubt, that EMQFF is top notch. It provides high quality services using proven methods. The leadership within the organization is also outstanding, making it a great place to work. I encourage many of my best social work students to consider employment at EMQ-FF. Kathy Cox, Ph.D., LCSW Associate Professor School of Social Work California State University, Chico

I have been a foster parent now for 15 years. EMQFF has been our biggest support. They trained us and helped us become the foster parents that we are today. In return, we have been able to provide a safe, loving and nurturing home that any child can thrive in. I am happy to say that we have a very high success rate in retaining our foster children and helping them emancipate. Just as we teach the children that come into our homes, these children teach us! Such compassion, heart, courage, and strength! To see the world thru their eyes.. is priceless! I can't imagine life not being a foster parent! :)

I started out many years ago as a donor to the Foster Santa program. Surprising each child with a bike, helmet and bike lock for Christmas captured my heart in a way that is unexplainable. I remember so clearly what it meant to me to have and ride my bike as a kid, and so, became locked in and committed to this! Matter of fact, this year, I am the honorary chair.

EMQ Families First matched me and my husband with a delightful young girl when we decided to do respite care foster parenting. We adored this child and had very rewarding experiences during the times she was in our care. I would highly recommend EMQ for people looking to make a contribution and to spend time with a young person in need.

EMQ FamiliesFirst is a frontrunner in providing children’s mental health services. Their executive team is smart, innovative and clearly keeps the focus on ensuring children have access to quality treatment and care services. They work diligently in conjunction with county and state officials to reduce barriers to accessing care and improving the system of care for children's mental health. It is a pleasure to work among such dedicated professionals.

I have worked with EMQ Families First for years as a volunteer associated with the Yolo Crisis Nursery. The nursery is an EMQ managed - loving home - where parents are able to leave their children (5 and under) when the parents are experiencing extreme cases of stress. This home has served hundreds of parents in the past ten years and has helped families to stay intact while providing resources and case management for parents during their child's stay and beyond. I am part of the "Friends Group" of volunteers who are dedicated to promote community awareness and fundraise for the nursery. In my ten year association, I have been extremely impressed by the leadership and administration at EMQ Families First. They are extremely responsive, provide excellent expertise and suggestions to our group and always follow through on commitments. They are caring professionals in every regard who provide an incredible community resource. I could not be more impressed. Becky Heard

I am a current member of the Board of Governors and a past long term Board member with EMQFamiliesFirst. The passion and dedication of the staff and volunteers is unparalleled. Visit once and your heart will be with them forever.

I was closely associated with EMQFF for over 4 years as a professional dealing with all levels of management and monitoring their services to the children of Santa Clara County. I always found them very professional and anxious to provide the best possible services to children. The administration was quick to step up to the plate to develop new services to meet newly identified needs of the children. I was always impressed with the professionalism of all levels of their staff and their desire to provide quality, strength based services to all children.

We have worked with EMQ Families First for 20 years. They are true leaders in their efforts to keep California's kids safe, at home, in school and out of trouble.

My Moms group picked EMQ families first as our fundraising drive last year and we are doing it again this year with backpacks for local kids in need for school. We also adopted several families over holidays and bought for their needs. I was so impressed by the professionalism of the organization and how much impact they have here in my own community that I encouraged my company to partner with them on last years holiday party and we did a very successful fundraising effort for EMQ. It went so well that we will now have all 4 offices included this year and its great to see the work they do impact those often not in spotlight of charities and forgotten like teenagers and foster kids. The staff were wonderful, very professional and as a donor and a HR manager it is a pleasure to partner with them. They make it easy for me to do fundraising for them and sent a framed letter of thanks which went a long way to make my management staff want to do it again. Great organization

EMQ FF provides wrap around services for our son. Our wonderful Project Uplift team initially worked with us to help us identify our family's strengths, come up with a family safety plan and create a family vision statement. At our weekly Child Family Team meetings, EMQ has us begin by focusing on the positive (what’s working) rather than the negative (what’s not working). This gentle reminder encourages us to view our challenges from a completely different perspective. We can look forward with hopeful hearts. We now have a vision. THANK YOU EMQ

i volunteer with EMQ for about 5 or so years......enjoyed it and was proud to help a worthwhile cause.

EMQ is a wonderful company focusing on the well-being of some of our most underpriveleged children as well as the concern of adult children as they exit out of the system. Foster care has a special place in my heart because my Mother was a foster child. She was and still is a wonderful woman who has taught me how to be a nurturing, loving Mother to my own 3 sons. EMQ makes sure that children are placed in safe, loving homes. Their children grow and thrive in an environment where they are cared for in the way that they deserve. Most go on to be adopted by their foster families and grow to become successful, independent adults. EMQ is truly a blessing!!

I have served on the Board for over ten years and I am always impressed with the quality of the staff and the quality of the outcomes they achieve in dealing with children and families. The staff is caring and dedicated to making the lives of the children of our communities better and keeping children connected to their families.

EMQFF is one of the first agencies Cake4Kids started working with two years ago. I serve as the liason between the agency and our non-profit organization. EMQFF is very responsive to our requests and are very concerned about the welfare of the children they support. I work with many different agencies in the Bay Area and I am always impressed with EMQFF in my dealings with them. Great job!!!

I've worked with Hollygrove through the Junior League of Los Angeles and this organization truly cares about the children it helps. We participated in a fun project each month called Formal Dinner where the kids dressed up and had a fancy dinner where they learned about table manners. We created an event to emulate the Olympics where the children learned about sports, sportsmanship and the history of the Olympics. We also created a library and computer room where the kids could study and relax. The people of Hollygrove truly care about the kids they serve.

Having served on a number of non-profit and community-based organizations boards, I can categorically state that this is one of the most efficient and effective organizations…. and caring. The senior leadership team is able to find the balance between running a business and filling a vital need in the mental health community for kids and their families. They begin with the end in mind – making a difference and ask how can this best be accomplished, and then have the will to find a way! Over the years I’ve been touched by meeting the families served by EMQFF and the observing first-hand the difference their dedicated staff, and volunteers, is making. Moreover, they don’t brag but their assessment data is first-class and provides clear evidence that their services are changing lives, and communities, for the better. If you want to find a world-class organization to emulate, look no further than EMQFF.

EMQ had been great to work with as a volunteer. They do great work for the community, helping so many families. They make it easy and rewarding for our girl scout troop to adopt families during the holidays. Enjoy working with Antoinette and as a frequent volunteer with numerous organizations they are the best!

EMQ Families FIrst has helped my son immensely. They have a good mix of knowledge, common sense and compassion. The counselors care about the young adults and the curriculum and follow up fits their needs. I I feel very positive about the organization and would recommend their services.

EMQ FamiliesFirst offers innovative and groundbreaking programs to help kids in crisis - the most vulnerable members of our society. Their staff genuinely work "from the heart." And, it's not unusual for a former "client" of the agency to give back by volunteering to help more kids. Many of their programs are funded solely with donations.

What a wonderful gift for families in need. I'm thoroughly impressed with the impact and services provided by EMQ.