We're grateful of all we have accomplished in 2024, and we're especially grateful for our compassionate and dedicated staff. We’re honored to highlight two special staff members who represent true success stories, both in their personal and professional lives. Gavriel and Chris received services from Encompass in the past while on their recover journeys, and have now chosen to help others as Encompass employees. We are proud of the example they set for our community every day. Read more about their inspiring stories.

Gavriel S., Encompass Head Start Maintenance Team

Gavriel’s journey to recovery begins and ends with his son. In 2020, Gavriel was struggling with addiction when his son was born. The mother was also suffering from addiction, so CPS took custody of the child. It was then that Gavriel entered one of Encompass’ sober living environments and vowed to get sober to regain custody of his son. And that’s exactly what he did. He established a strong relationship with his son’s foster parents, visited as much as he could, maintained his sobriety, and won his son back. When his case was officially dismissed and he had full custody, he likened the experience to the movie “Three Men and a Baby” because he truly had to learn everything to be a father. His social worker helped him secure a car seat and diapers, and he was connected with the children’s center at Cabrillo College to help with childcare while he found work. Months later, he discovered Encompass’ Head Start early education program and was inspired by the interactions his son had with the teachers and staff there. He credits the teachers with helping him learn to be a parent (“it takes a village”) and with the incredible impact they made on his son’s development. It was because of the Head Start staff’s level of commitment to the children in the program and inclusive atmosphere with families that made Gavriel want to be a part of the team. Today, he serves as a maintenance team member at our Encompass Head Start locations supporting our staff and the children they impact every day.

 

Chris B., Encompass Substance Use Disorder Peer Specialist

Ten years ago, Chris Brown was living on the streets of downtown Santa Cruz and suffering from a methamphetamine addiction. A case worker found him a bed at one of Encompass’ residential facilities, Santa Cruz Residential Recovery (SCRR), and he has been sober ever since. He just celebrated 10 years of sobriety on September 11, 2024! Chris credits his recovery to the house setting with rules that are respected, staff that “give a damn”, and the incredible support of peers living their recovery journeys with you. He also credits SCRR’s open door policy of being a safe place for program alumni to visit when they are struggling to receive support), or when they are strong (to offer support to others). Chris is now a Peer Support Specialist at Encompass and has dedicated his life to helping others recover from substance use addiction. He drives clients to appointments, helps them find jobs or discover new careers, and organizes meet-ups to help clients find new hobbies for enjoyment – like riding bikes, boogie boarding, and other sober activities. He’s currently taking classes at Cabrillo College to get his CHW Community Health Worker certificate and also taking classes towards a degree in Communications. We are so proud to have him on our Encompass staff.

If you're considering a monetary donation to a charitable organization this year, we hope you'll consider supporting Encompass. Whether it's a one-time donation or a recurring contribution, every dollar counts. Your generosity fuels our mission and empowers our community. Join us in creating a healthier, more equitable Santa Cruz County. Together, we can make a difference. Make your tax-deductible donation today.