South Bay Non-Profit Groups Participate in Volunteer Efforts for Compassion Week

Michael Reisman • October 4, 2023

College of Adaptive Arts Students Join Thousands of Other Volunteers to Spread Kindness Throughout the Community


(Saratoga, Calif.) --- On October 7 through October 14, students from the College of Adaptive Arts will participate in Compassion Week, an effort in Bay Area centered on bringing people of all ages and abilities together with the mission to build a strong, compassionate, and empathetic community.

 

In partnership with the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation, Fremont Bank, County of Santa Clara Supervisor Joe Simitian, and multiple local faith communities, Compassion Week encourages individuals, groups, and families to engage in meaningful acts of service. Since its inception in 2012, over 21,000 volunteers have participated in Compassion Week activities, supporting over 85 nonprofits.

 

College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) is a Bay Area based educational non-profit which provides collegiate education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It centers on the concept of lifelong learning and serves more than 224 adult students across 9 states.

 

CAA Student Brighid Kohl said that she and her classmates have elected to assemble CARE packages for local foster youth to help them feel less alone.

 

“There is enough sadness in the world,” said Brighid. “We are trying to make sure there is a lot of happiness too.”

 

Those who are interested in volunteering for Compassion Week can register at https://www.compassionweeklosaltos.org/. For more information on the College of Adaptive Arts, please visit https://www.collegeofadaptivearts.org/.


ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS:

College of Adaptive Arts is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing a lifelong, equitable collegiate experience to adults with special needs who historically have not had access to college education. The vision of CAA is to empower adults with special needs to creatively transform perception of disability. This is an institution of higher education where adults have opportunities to learn from a diverse and rich curriculum that will enable them to live a full and empowered life as successful, contributing members of the community. For more information, or to volunteer and/or donate visit https://www.collegeofadaptivearts.org/



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Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find: CAA Story #14: Student Samuel H.

By DeAnna Pursai • May 25, 2026
When Samuel Hinojosa first discovered his passion for videography and the performing arts, a passion he says is in his genes because he has family who are also in the arts, participating in theater productions and expressing himself through dance became a part of his daily routine. But when he turned 22, he suddenly aged out of the programs he had come to love, leaving a gap in both his routine and his creative outlet. That’s when a chance meeting completely changed his life. Samuel was in an Angels on Stage production when he just so happened to meet DeAnna Pursai and Dr. Pamela Lindsay in the audience. Realizing he was about to age out of Angels on Stage, they encouraged him to explore the opportunities available to him at CAA. Their guidance led him to finding a new beginning. At CAA, Samuel quickly found a place where he could continue to grow creatively. He enrolled in videography, acting, and dance classes, reconnecting him with his passion for performing. After taking many performing arts classes, Samuel started exploring what other classes CAA had to offer. He has joined the CAA Go Green Climate Action Class, where he did a phenomenal presentation on UNESCO and how climate change is impacting his native roots community in Mexico. Now in his second semester at CAA, Samuel has expanded his interests beyond just the stage and production lens. He’s developed an interest in bodybuilding and nutrition, exploring what those classes can teach him and how he can use that new confidence to improve his life. CAA’s supportive environment has allowed Samuel to continue exploring his passions, while also discovering new ones. It doesn’t matter if he is behind the camera, performing, or focusing on his health and fitness goals, CAA is constantly pushing Samuel to try new things and grow. For Samuel, CAA is not just a place for him to take classes, it is a community where he can express himself, try new things, and keep moving forward. — Written by Nina Pal Volunteer

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