Paula and Susan Piligian happily recount a number of the adventures they’ve been on since moving into a California Community Opportunities home in early 2023.
“We’ve been to Monterey, Carmel and San Francisco,” says Paula. “We use the van wherever we need to go.”
The van that she’s referencing is one of the CCOs transport vehicles, which take the nonprofit’s clients living in 15 homes in the South Bay to a variety of destinations — from grocery markets and Starbucks to medical appointments and community volunteer commitments.
On this particular fall day, the two 65-year-old twin sisters — who live in a CCO home in Los Gatos — are excitedly getting ready to board the van for trips to the mall, library and Dollar Tree.
“They love to go to all kinds of places,” says Jerri Jensen, program director for CCO, an organization that supports and nurtures adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing opportunities to learn, grow and engage with the community. “Our goal is for everybody to be as independent as possible.”
The vans are a crucial part of fulfilling that goal, since they provide the means for CCO clients to leave the organization’s homes — which are also located in San Jose and Cupertino — and partake in such activities as bowling and shopping as well as the classes that the organization provides.
The significance of these vans was underscored last year during one trip that Paula and Susan took up to Jack London Square in Oakland.
“We went to an arts and crafts festival,” Susan remembers.
Yet, when they finished up at the festival, and walked back to where they parked the van, they found out that the van was missing.
It had been stolen.
A call to the CCO office quickly followed, resulting in a GPS trace being put on the vehicle. It was recovered the next day — or, more accurately, some of it was recovered.
“It was already stripped by the time they got there,” Jensen says.
Fortunately, there was another van available to pick up Susan and Paula — who might otherwise have been stranded for some time in Oakland, since legal requirements prevent CCO workers from transporting their clients in personal vehicles.
Through the Mercury News’ annual Wish Book campaign, which seeks to raise money for the most vulnerable in our communities, CCO officials are hoping to help ensure that Susan, Paula and the many other individuals that they serve will continue to have secure and reliable transportation for years to come.
They are looking to raise $60,000 to purchase one or two backup vans, which would come in handy if one of the organization’s existing vehicles break down or otherwise become out of commission.
That way people like Andrew Berndt, who lives in a CCO home in Cupertino, can feel more secure about being able to make it out to all his medical appointments, weekend trips and such.
The 64-year-old Berndt suffers from depression, and has been impacted by the death of one of his housemates. He counts on the van assigned to his home to get him to his weekly counseling sessions that help him deal and process his emotions.
It also allows him to do his regular volunteer gig, putting in roughly four hours each week working in a Salvation Army food program.
Then there’s Tamera Walker, a 63-year old woman who lives just around the corner from Paula and Susan at another one of CCO’s homes in Los Gatos.
She’s spilling over with hugs and excitement on this particular day, as she gets ready to climb on board one of CCO’s vans for a fun day trip to San Juan Bautista with her 61-year-old housemate Scott McMillan.
Both Walker and McMillan were formerly cared for at Agnews Developmental Center in Santa Clara, a fact that harkens back to the origins of CCO. The organization was established in 2005 to house people who were leaving Agnews during its lengthy closing process, which lasted until 2011.
Susan and Paula, on the other hand, lived with their parents until moving into their CCO home last year.
“My dad would take us (places),” Paula says of the transportation they received from their 97-year-old father.
On this particular day, it’s all about the van ride, which will soon take the sisters off for their round of errands and fun.
“They like to be very active in the community,” says Nelly Buie, the family teaching counselor at the home where Susan and Paula live.
Susan contemplates what it life would be like for her and her sister if they didn’t have the van.
“It would be hard to get around,” she says.
Yet with a spare van or two for backup, Susan, Paula and the rest of the CCO crew should be able to keep rolling right along for years to come.
THE WISH BOOK SERIES
Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
WISH
Donations will help California Community Opportunities purchase one or one or two backup vans, which would come in handy if one of the organization’s existing vehicles break down or otherwise become out of commission. Goal: $60,000
HOW TO GIVE
Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com/donate or mail in this form.
ONLINE EXTRA
Read other Wish Book stories, view photos and video at wishbook.mercurynews.com.
Originally Published: