Executive Director Retires from Pasadena Children’s Charity

April 7, 2010 - PRLog -- (PASADENA, CA)--After nearly forty years of service to Hillsides, John Hitchcock retired as executive director of the foster care children’s charity in Pasadena.  More than 200 guests attended the farewell tribute, “Fair Winds and Following Seas,” at the San Gabriel Country Club.
Close friends, colleagues and family members paid an amazing tribute that included a rendition of “The Ballad of High Noon” and a poem written by Hitchcock’s granddaughter, Kate Hitchcock, to anecdotes of Hitchcock attending Los Angeles County department meetings. Two musical pieces were selected, “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Sailing,” and performed by John Mahon, a longtime Hillsides supporter, singer/songwriter, and member of Elton John’s Band.
The charity’s board chair, Deborah L.S. Booth, emceed the event, guiding guests through informative tidbits of ships and sailing, a theme that was carefully selected to depict Hitchcock’s affinity for the ocean and what will soon be his pastime.
“John, may the wind always be at your back and if it must come from ahead, may your sails be well shaped and trimmed in tight. We all wish you well and thank you for all you have done to make hillsides what it is today,” said Booth.
Former resident of Hillsides, Clifford Cisneros, presented Hitchcock with an oar inscripted by Hillsides’ current residents. Cisneros lived at the children’s charity since he was five and was emancipated upon graduating from high school. “Little things were done to make my life better,” he told guests. “John is a great man. He has done so much for me and, fortunately, I stay afloat fairly well. I’m thankful for him.”
“We can tell you thank you all night long and its’ still not enough for what you’ve done for us,” Cisneros told Hitchcock. Cisneros represented the children that kept Hitchcock at Hillsides.
Throughout Hitchcock’s leadership, the foster care children’s charity expanded its building and operations. Hillsides’ “park like” campus includes 14 buildings and five modern cottages, in addition to programs that are designed to treat severe emotional disturbances of the children it serves.  Hitchcock also oversaw three group homes in the community besides the 49-unit apartment complex which houses an emancipation program that helps former foster youth attain independence.  The children’s charity also has a growing outreach program in three major communities in Los Angeles, treating children in crisis in 15 schools, working with parents, and providing academic instruction at its non-public, private school for children with learning disabilities and severe emotional disturbances.
As executive director of the foster care charity, Hitchcock took an active role in advocating for children and families, identifying a number of systemic changes that he felt were important. Hitchcock recalls how appalled he was at the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services’ method for placing children in residential facilities like the foster care children’s charity, and now how far they have come in caring for the needs of vulnerable children.
“To begin with, when a child was determined to be battered, abused or neglected, they would be removed from their home.  No attempt was made to correct the situation at home because there was no funding to give that assistance.  We knew that most parents wanted to do the right thing by their child; many times the personal situations prevented them from accomplishing this.
“We were able to demonstrate this concept in a State sponsored pilot program.  By going into homes and working with parents, we could turn things around for children and their families, preventing the need to remove them from their homes,” said Hitchcock.
Hitchcock served as the children’s charity’s designated representative as the liaison to State and County organizations and actively participates in several associations.  He was the past chairperson of the Coalition for a Non-violent City in Pasadena, past Vice Chair of Camp Wrightwood, the past Chairperson of Planned Parenthood of Pasadena, past Chair of the Pasadena Unified School Partners in Education Advisory Board and past member of the Gooden Center Board of Directors (a drug and alcohol treatment center for young men).
“I have met many wonderful people over the years. I am in awe of those individuals who gladly donate generously to help these children. I am appreciative of the many dedicated Board Members who give freely of their time and talents and treasures,” said Hitchcock, adding that he is also amazed at the talented and dedicated staff who continue to accept modest wages because they believe in the mission of the agency. “I am also particularly pleased to see some of the children we have served come back who are happy, productive citizens with children of their own. I will miss these relationships; for I know that it took all of us working together to make Hillsides what it is today.  I am grateful and humbled by their contributions to my success and the success of Hillsides.”
The Pasadena charity has renamed one of its buildings in honor of Hitchcock. The South Annex which housed Hitchcock as the executive director has been changed to John M. Hitchcock South Annex, a permanent mark on the campus of which he gave his heart and soul to.
To learn more about the foster care children’s charity, visit www.Hillsides.org and www.HillsidesEducationCenter.org.

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Pasadena charity founded in 1913, Hillsides creates safe places for children in foster care living in its residential and community treatment centers preventing the cycle of abuse for children at risk and their families. Visit www.hillsides.org