The Cheerful Helpers Courier - January 2026
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A Cheerful Reunion
Arizona Lovell, Cheerful Helpers Alumni 2014
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| Annual Report
Sam Zarate, MSW
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In 2014 there were three graduates at Cheerful Helpers. They didn’t wear caps or gowns, but they had the biggest smiles on their faces and they were part of a larger community of friends. I was one of them. The other two were Andrew and Jack.
I have known Jack since I was 2 years old, when we were at Step by Step and then Echo Horizon, together. We then found each other again in between the echoing church walls of the small classroom led by Rebeca and Shetal. I first met Andrew at Ms. Aneeta’s occupational therapy gym in Santa Monica, a place where I jumped into ball pits and let my toddler self run rampant.
Our moms have kept in touch throughout the years and Jack, Andrew and I have also seen each other, on occasion. More recently, I was able to watch Andrew run in a track meet for his school (University High) at an area track meet hosted by my school
(Hamilton High), as I was already there to cheer on my best friend who was competing for her school, Venice High. I also got to have sushi with Jack and his mama Kerrie, close to their home in West Hollywood. We got to catch up about life.
The other day, the 3 of us and our Moms, including Andrew’s father Ike, reunited for a social hang at Andrew’s house in Brentwood. We reminisced on memories, specifically about Ellen Pearlman and classmate Gregory as well as our kindergarten antics.
During our visit, we got to chase Andrew’s skittish black cat, Sylvia, around the house, had pizza, each pie being accommodated to our diets (GF, Vegan, etc). I watched as Jack and Andrew playfully competed against each other in games of Candyland and Chutes & Ladders. And we laughed out loud at a video that Jack showed us of a little boy writing something inappropriate on his dad’s head. It was hilarious!
Back when we were young and students at Cheerful Helpers, one memory I have is disagreeing with Andrew on what to play, which led to some squeezing time for me in Ellen Pearlman’s arms, which definitely did not amuse me. Being the naughty kid I was, finding it funny when others got in trouble, I would laugh as Ellen Pearlman caught Jack as he ran away (as if it were a game of cat and mouse) or when Shetal and Mary had to
hold Andrew like a bridge in order for him to calm his body.
I feel grateful for my lifelong friends, Jack and Andrew. Stay tuned for future updates!
How it started! Graduation Day, July 2014
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How it's going! December 2025
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For a third consecutive year, it brings me immense joy to be able to share with the Cheerful Helpers community this year’s latest Annual Report. The 2024-2025 Annual Report takes a look back at the academic year and all that we have accomplished. This report is one of the ways that Cheerful Helpers, like most non-profit organizations, can stay transparent and hold open communication between our agency and the people we serve.
We hope that in reading this report, our community will have a better understanding of the meaningful work done at Cheerful Helpers. The goal of the report is not only to reflect on our year in numbers and figures, but also to highlight the accomplishments and the people we worked with as a team.
Working alongside our Master of Social Work students, Annthonet, Arleen, Bianca, and Lilian, the Annual Report is truly a labor of love. Many drafts, emails, check-ins, and later we have arrived at the final product!
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Thank you to everyone who donated in response to our end of year fundraising campaign. Donations totaled over $64,005! Your support helps us provide: scholarships, family counseling, play therapy and social skills services.
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Rebeca's Class - is learning about sound-letter correspondence for letters J, K and L (beginning/middle/end sounds) Students are learning about the parts of a book; author, illustrator, pages, spine, front cover, and back cover.
Maria’s Class - is learning final letter blends including, LK, MP, FT and LF. In math, students are adding and subtracting double digit numbers up to 40.
First Grade - is learning about New Year's resolutions and talking about what goals they have for this year. In literacy, students are practicing writing in upper and lowercase letters.
A small sample of books we read this month:
* The Kindess Machine
* The Lorax
* Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
* Angry Arthur?
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In this month's video, Janet sits down with Taryn to learn about social stories. Taryn explains how they are used as a tool to support our students. |
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Saturday February 7: Alumni Support Group (LINK), 9 am - 10 am
- Monday February 16: No School / Presidents' Day
- Sunday February 22: Read - a - Long, Sing - a - Long, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
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Announcements or additions for the Courier? Use this LINK!
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