California Fostering Connections Coalition is working tirelessly to support AB12 and putting a full court press on Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign by the 9/30/10 deadline. Please help us get this critical law passed.

Here at Sunny Hills Services, the concept of social media and “networked nonprofits” (borrowed from Beth Kanter and Allison Fine - thank you!) is a bit scary.

Like many organizations that began as orphanages, and that continue great work with at-risk children and youth, we have a nice group of long-time donors and service organizations that support us. We have lovely colorful newsletters and brochures and we hold golf tournaments and gala events at pleasant venues to help raise funds. And, like so many other similar agencies, we have been challenged to  adjust to the changes in public funding, the changes in clinical best practices and we’ve had become very flexible in how we deliver our services in order to stay in existence. This we are good at. These are known challenges.

And, we will do whatever we must to stay around. The kids aren’t going away. They will always need us (and agencies like us) and the incredible work of our amazing team of clinicians, counselors, parent-partners, behavioral specialists and community workers (to name a few).

Now we have to try something new again. And this time, the challenges are not as well known, not as familiar. We need to become more accessible to our communities. We need to share the work we’re doing beyond the walls of our clinical circle. We need to inform a vibrant new generation of passionate people about our work and the kids we help. For an organization that has, for over 115 years, worked very very hard to protect our kids and their privacy, this is a scary prospect.

So we’re jumping in. Social media, here we come!

Just one more thing! Please follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, check out our websites, www.sunnyhillsservices.org, www.baycyouth.org, www.sonomakinship.org