Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)

. . . caring, serving, supporting
 
Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)
Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)  

 

 

 

Our Mission

 

 

Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS) provides unique, Christ-centered support and services to persons with developmental disabilities enabling them to live in a community while striving to meet their personal, family, and social goals in a holistic manner.

 

 

 

 

Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)

 



Our Organization


CCMRS is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, administered by a volunteer Board of Directors and a salaried Executive Director.




Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)





Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)

Central California Mennonite Residential Services ...caring...serving...supporting



. . . caring,

  serving,

supporting

 

 


Central California Mennonite Residential Services (CCMRS)

 

 






















Committed Staff

 

. . . It is the passion for helping those who need support, so evident in our dedicated staff, that truly defines who we are.
































Leadership with
Conviction

 

"I firmly believe our dream for the future must be equally grounded in the lessons from our past as well as the realities of our present."

Elaine Clymer
 
 

 

Who Is CCMRS?

 

 

 
Central California Mennonite Residential Services- Residents Central California Mennonite Residential Services- Residents Central California Mennonite Residential Services- Residents Central California Mennonite Residential Services- Residents

Central California Mennonite Residential Services- Residents

Central California Mennonite Residential Services Residents

 

 

 

 

We currently have twenty residents in our Supportive Living Program who reside in Hampton Way or Hampton Gate apartments.


In our Residential Services Program we currently serve eight residents who need 24-hour care. Two live in the Hampton Gate apartments and six at Huntington House, our licensed care facility.


What type of person is eligible to become part of the CCMRS family?


We will evaluate and consider for residency, any person with mild to moderate developmental disabilities who fits these general guidelines:


 CCMRS Residents enjoy a group walk.

Residents prepare for a group walk
through the neighborhood.
  • A resident must be willing to live in harmony with the mission and purpose of CCMRS, and the Mennonite / Anabaptist faith tradition and belief system.
  • Our residents are sociable, friendly, and enjoy taking part in group activities.
  • Residents are encouraged (and expected) to live as independently as they are able. While in our programs they will learn and practice independent living skills.
  • Residents living in our Supportive Living Program are able to do their own laundry, clean their apartments, get up in the morning, make breakfast, and pack a lunch for the day. They also help with cooking the evening meals and cleaning the common eating areas.
  • Typically, residents in the SLP will need help with:
    • personal banking; managing money
    • grocery shopping
    • medications — understanding dosage and schedule
    • getting to doctor appointments
  • Persons in our Residential Services Program who need 24-hour care are also encouraged to live independently. As they are able, they too, have opportunities to go to programs and outings, and participate in group activities.



 

 

 

At CCMRS we believe our staff persons are the pulse of the organization. It is the passion for helping those who need support, so evident in our dedicated staff, that truly defines who we are. As you observe our staff in action, you too, will notice the smiles and feel the love and caring as they interact with residents.


Our staff persons are all professing Christians (We specifically ask that question in every job interview.) They have all agreed to uphold the CCMRS mission and purpose statements, and accept a work environment where the Anabaptist / Mennonite faith tradition and belief system is the norm.


In addition to the Executive Director, the administrative staff at CCMRS consists of three full-time persons and one part-time person. Eleven part-time employees complete the workforce.


The fact that most part-time shifts are scheduled in the afternoon and evening hours, makes working at CCMRS particularly suitable for college students. Also, working with DD individuals offers a very practical field experience for seminary students, and those pursuing careers in social work or counseling.


 CCMRS Staff, Jen Foster

CCMRS Program Coordinator
Jen Foster
CCMRS Residents with staff person, Mike Callahan

Huntington House Administrator, Mike Callahan
enjoys chatting with two residents.

  All staff persons:

  • Receive CPR and First Aid training and are required to keep all certifications current. CCMRS pays all training and certification fees.
  • Because Huntington House is a state licensed care facility all HH staff employees must pass additional state-mandated screenings. For example, they must take a TB test and agree to be finger printed. After one year of employment every HH staff person must pass a state certification examination.
  • Typical staff assistance to residents:
    • Assist with grocery shopping; shop for clothes
    • Balance checkbooks, pay bills
    • Provide guidance for taking medication; follow through with doctor appointments
    • Accompany and assist with group activities









Elaine came to CCMRS with a strong background in education and public administration. She received a BA from Goshen College (IN) and a MA in Education from Western Michigan University. In 1997 she earned an administrative credential from CSUF. Her career in education began in 1967 as a home economics teacher at a Mennonite high school in Indiana, and ended, when in 2006 she retired from her position as Vice-Principal at the Fresno Adult School, part of the Fresno Unified School District.


Elaine spent much of her tenure with FUSD in an administrative capacity. During her early years at Edison High School she not only taught at-risk kids, but she also directed the PACE (Parent and Child Education) Center. This was a program focused on keeping teen moms in school and teaching them parenting skills.
Executive Director, Elaine Clymer with Residents

 

"Elaine is a proven leader who brings a rare combination of administrative gifts and a passion for ministry."CCMRS,CCMRS,CCMRS Dan Ray, Board Chair

Elaine is a committed Christian with a strong passion for reaching out to those who need support. With her decision to leave the public sector and return to a private, Christian organization, her 40-year career path has come full circle. She is delighted to again be serving with a church-based organization whose mission and goals so closely coincide with her own values and belief system. Over the years Elaine often expressed her desire to again serve with a Mennonite agency. CCMRS was just that opportunity!


Even though the decision to leave the world of education was difficult, Elaine is confident and believes it was God's leading that led her to CCMRS. She looks forward to her continuing role as Executive Director — building relationships with the Board, staff and residents, and to promoting CCMRS to the community and constituency.








From the beginning, our board members have been heavily involved with the formation and development of this organization. In fact, every member of the very first board of directors (1985) was already part of the "planning group." You may recall, this was the group of visionaries who recognized a need and began the dialog with West Coast Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), hoping to find a way to provide better resources for area families who were raising children with developmental disabilities (DD).


This pattern of "hands on" leadership so evident in our early board members has continued through the years. Many who have served on the board, past and present, are either parents of, or have extended family members with DD. This real world experience brings a practical reality to board decision-making.


In the years since the first board convened in 1985, there have been 31 individuals, including 6 Executive Directors, who have served on our board. Remarkably, 4 of those members served a total of 10 or more years!


Our current board chair, Dan Ray, received a B.S. from California State University in Fresno, and earned his Certified Financial Planner designation from the Denver College of Financial Planning. He brings to our board eleven years of professional investment experience. In addition to serving as our board chair, he is also a member of the Board of Directors of Mennonite Brethren Foundation, serving since July, 2000.


Board at Work Board at Work

 

Board members hard at work.


Current Board members include: Dan Ray (Chair), Mike Mast (Vice-Chair), Linda Bowman (Treasurer), Dennis Becker (Secretary), Sarah Friesen, Nancy Klassen, Tim Schellenberg, and Chuck Spencer.

 Board at Work








We are aware, many visitors to this site won't be interested in reading about our history. However, this is an important part of who we are today, so we will take this brief moment to simply acknowledge the contributions of the visionaries whose work eventually led to the formation of CCMRS.


For those interested in reading more of our history we provide the following link:






 

 

 



• Quotable Quotes!


From one of our philosophical residents: “You have to be a little crazy to survive in this world or you’ll go nuts.”


Resident to Staff: “You are a nice person. Just keep it that way.”


Resident:  “B-R-S-T-Y. Do you know what that spells?”
Staff:     “No . . . What does it spell?”
Resident:  “It spells ‘Have a great day!’”



 

 

 

 

 

 

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