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Rana Sampson
ORGANIZATION
Name: Rana Sampson
Title: Director of development
Organization: San Diego Center for Children
Mission of organization: Helping children thrive who struggle with behavioral problems stemming from trauma, emotional challenges or mental illness.
Telephone: 858-569-2124.
Web site: centerforchildren.org.
Founded: 1887.
Milestone: In business for 122 years.
Annual income: $17 million budget.
Expense allocation: Same.
Corporate support: Sempra Energy, Cox Communications Inc., Hunter Industries Inc., Carleton Management Inc., Wawanesa Insurance, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, San Diego National Bank, Wells Fargo Bank.
Corporate supporters: We would welcome more!
Board chair: Barbara Malone.
Board members: Stephen Gosselin, Jim Hancock, Ellen James, Ollie Landsman, Peter Kane, Craig Kishaba, Jean Pohl, Morton Shaevitz, Steven Sparta, Keith Wilson, and CEO Dave McCaslin.
Employees: 300.
Volunteers: More than 50.
Events: Annual Dinner Gala, Walk for Kids, Tee Up for Kids Golf.
Wish list: An RV we can take to communities across the county so we can conduct early assessments of children to ensure early referrals. Assessments are often done late in a child’s life, losing opportunity for immediate help. We very much need five eight-passenger vans to transport the children to outings and children’s services — our vans are more than 10 years old.
OFFICE ISSUES
Recent challenge: State budget cuts each year, including this year, which affects our ability to serve children because our operating funds are, in large part, supported by the state.
Measures of success: Reuniting healthier children with their families or guardians.
Smartest move: Hiring Sundiata Kata 40 years ago. He still provides music programming for many of the children we serve, in addition to core therapeutic counseling services.
Missed opportunity: Not asking comedian Jerry Lewis to support our charitable organization before he was asked to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Misconception: The biggest misconception is that the center has but one location. We have nine countywide, and also operate an accredited school for children with significant behavioral challenges. We help with foster care placement, particularly for children who have behavioral challenges, and we help parents and children experiencing difficulty in bonding so that healthy relationships build. In other words, we run programs that address the gamut of behavioral challenges across the pre-teen and teenage years.
PROFESSIONAL INSIGHTS
Personal path to nonprofit work: I have always been involved in the helping professions and while working full time I volunteered at the center. You can’t help but love the kids here and respect and admire the work done here to help children’s lives turn around.
Toughest aspect: The children who have been traumatized and abused or suffer mental illness have experienced a great deal of pain in their short lives and your heart goes out to them.
Most surprising aspect: The main campus in Kearny Mesa is beautiful and the children experience it as a sanctuary.
Biggest pain: Raising money!
Greatest pleasure: Raising money!
INTROSPECTIONS
Best recent moment: Hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim with my husband!
Worst recent moment: Hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim with my husband!
Dream for another life: This life is great. I’m not greedy.
Downtime: Do people have downtime?
Causes: San Diego Center for Children, San Diego Museum of Art and Balboa Park.
Most like to meet: My husband. We often rely on going to events to see each other. Only kidding.
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