Respect

Lasting Connections

Chris Essary earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Stanislaus, and began his Aspiranet career in 1987 as an Excell Center House Parent. During his three decades at Aspiranet, he has served in a variety of roles including Regional Director, Group Home Administrator, Director of Operations, House Manager, and Activities Director. Today, he is the Director of Aspiranet’s Residential Division. “We joke that if you work here two years, you’re going to…

Courage

A Beautiful Friendship

The day Alondra first met the team from Aspiranet’s Intensive Home-Based Services Wraparound program, she wasn’t up for visitors. It happened to be her 16th birthday, and the team arrived at the motel room where she was staying with her parents and offered a cake and present. “I was like: I don’t want that;” Alondra recalls. “I don’t want a bunch of new strangers in my house wanting to know about me.” She softened a…

Integrity

A Miracle Out of Nowhere

Veronica Morales, a housing specialist with Aspiranet’s Transitional Aged Youth programs, knows first-hand what’s it’s like to live on the streets. She spent much of her youth in foster care, and then when she became pregnant at 18, she moved out of her foster home and ended up living in her car with her infant son. “It was just survival every day,” she said. “That makes me think about every youth that I work with…

Integrity

Aspiranet’s New Look

We are fortunate to sit in a special seat as Aspiranet staff. Every day we’re thankful for the amazing children, youth and families that we reach and for supporters like you who back our work. For 2017, we thought it was vital to share their stories on a platform as vibrant and dynamic as our families. Through this website we hope to show our heart, determination, cares and dreams. The Aspiranet story develops every day…