Villa Esperanza opens new office




WORKFORCE SUPPORT- Westlake Village Mayor Sue McSweeney presents a proclamation to Robert  Efford,  Villa  Esperanza  Services  director  of  employment  and  transition  services.  Villa Esperanza recently opened an office in Westlake Village to house its employment program.

WORKFORCE SUPPORT- Westlake Village Mayor Sue McSweeney presents a proclamation to Robert Efford, Villa Esperanza Services director of employment and transition services. Villa Esperanza recently opened an office in Westlake Village to house its employment program.


Villa Esperanza Services celebrated the opening of their Westlake Village Program Offices on Nov. 19.The offices support Villa’s Employment Program for individuals with disabilities.

Cynthia Scott, representing Zev Yaroslavsky of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, attended the event and presented a proclamation to Villa for its work in the community.

Mayor Sue McSweeney made a personal visit to the new offices the week before to congratulate and present the city of Westlake Village proclamation.

Villa Esperanza Services Employment Program serves more than 100 individuals with disabilities, including autism and Down syndrome, in community employment placements. The goal is to match work and career goals of individuals with disabilities with community employers.

Ryan Rose is one of the individuals in the employment program. A member of the Villa family for more than five years, Rose works in the equestrian department at PetSmart in Westlake Village/Thousand Oaks, with the support of a job coach to assist as needed.

After three years of increasing responsibilities at PetSmart, the regional director promoted Rose to manager. Rose completed Petsmart’s management training program. He is not only a valuable employee but a confident individual who is socially and economically connected with his community.

“Individuals like Ryan are breaking barriers daily. It’s about education and allowing people a chance to contribute,” said Robert Efford, director of Villa’s employment services.

The organization has been serving the needs of the developmentally disabled and their families in the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village area for more than 28 years with adult residential and independent living programs and care management services. Villa’s employment services offer group supported employment and individual placements throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

Villa Esperanza Services was founded in 1961 by a group of parents that believed their developmentally disabled children deserved quality care and education. Today, Villa serves more than 1,050 individuals with disabilities and their families.

Sponsors include Nature Watch, Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, City of Westlake Village, American Landscape Management, City of Calabasas, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, City of Thousand Oaks, United Methodist Church School of Westlake Village, Calvary Community Church, and many local businesses.

For more information, call (805) 446-1939, ext. 13, or visit www.VillaEsperanzaServices.org.

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