Northern Valley Catholic Social Service Inc. (NVCSS)

05/22/2026

Mental health support and connection should never stop with age. ❤️

Through the Older Adult Lifeline & Mitigation Program, NVCSS helps adults ages 60+ in Butte County stay connected, supported, and prepared.

As a home visiting program, our PEARLS-certified staff work one-on-one with older adults using problem-solving techniques designed to help alleviate symptoms of depression, reduce isolation, and support more active and rewarding lives.

The program also helps older adults prepare for emergencies and disasters by providing disaster kits and helping individuals understand evacuation routes and safety planning.

Sometimes support starts with a conversation at the kitchen table. Sometimes it starts with helping someone reconnect with daily routines, community, and hope again.

📞 (530) 228-8715
📧 pearls@nvcss.org

05/21/2026

For years after the fire, Evelyn felt like life had stopped moving forward.

The home she and her husband built in the Oroville foothills was gone. In its place sat years of recovery challenges, uncertainty, and the quiet exhaustion that often lingers long after a disaster fades from the headlines.

Little by little, her world became smaller. She rarely left home and felt increasingly disconnected from the community and life she once knew.

When Evelyn connected with NVCSS Older Adult Lifeline & Mitigation program, things slowly began to change.

With encouragement and support, she started reconnecting with the activities she once loved. One day, she attended a quilting class where someone admired her work and asked if she would create a barn quilt for them.

Then came another request.

And another.

What started as a simple outing became something much bigger. A reminder that her creativity, confidence, and purpose were still there waiting for her.

Today, Evelyn is getting out more, reconnecting with others, and rediscovering joy in the small moments again.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we are reminded that healing does not always happen all at once. Sometimes it begins with one conversation, one class, and one reminder that you are not alone. 💛

40 Years of Hope. 40 Stories That Show Why.

05/15/2026

Support looks different for every person, and healing should too. 🌱

At Inspiring Hope Shasta, therapy is not treated as a one size fits all experience. For some, support may look like talking while holding a newborn. For others, it may involve art, movement, connection, or creating space for kids and teens to express themselves in ways that feel natural and safe to them.

NVCSS is rethinking what mental health support can look like by creating compassionate, flexible, and individualized approaches that meet people where they are. Because healing happens differently for everyone, and care should reflect that.

Learn more at nvcss.org

05/13/2026

A child’s behavior tells a story. Families help that story change.

What looks like challenging behavior is often a child asking for help in the only way they know how.

A family came to NVCSS for support through our Inspiring Hope Counseling program, concerned about their child’s aggressive behaviors, low stress tolerance, and difficulty regulating emotions. We soon understood these behaviors were rooted in early trauma and instability.

Through play therapy, the child began to share their story using a dollhouse, expressing feelings too big for words. Early play reflected chaos, fear, and a lack of stability.

As therapy progressed and the family engaged in the process together, something began to change.
The child’s play began to show more structure, a sense of security, and caregiving. These changes carried into everyday life. Behaviors improved, and the family developed healthier patterns of interaction and support.

This is the impact of family involvement and creating stable, supportive environments where children can heal and grow.

Learn more about Inspiring Hope Counseling at NVCSS.org

05/10/2026

To the mothers, grandmothers, aunties, caregivers, foster moms, mentors, and every woman who shows up with love and strength, Happy Mother’s Day from NVCSS. 💐

Thank you for the ways you nurture, guide, protect, and support others every day, often quietly and without recognition.

You are seen. You are appreciated. And we’re grateful for all that you do.

05/09/2026

We’re proud to see Lee representing NVCSS through Leadership Redding and continuing to build meaningful connections throughout our community. Opportunities like this strengthen collaboration, deepen partnerships, and help us continue working together to support individuals and families across the North State.

Thank you, Lee, for leading with heart, purpose, and a genuine commitment to community impact. 👏💛

Meet Lee Karp, Development Director at Northern Valley Catholic Social Service. A Redding native with deep family roots in the North State, Lee returned home with her husband and her English Bulldog Mango to build a life on family land. She's passionate about inspiring hope and uplifting our community through NVCSS programs.

05/08/2026

What is peer support?

At Six Stones Wellness Center, peer support is built on lived experience and mutual support, creating connection, understanding, and hope for individuals navigating mental health and recovery challenges.

Through compassionate, person-centered support, individuals are encouraged to build resilience, find community, and take an active role in their recovery journey.

Learn more about Six Stones and NVCSS Wellness Centers at nvcss.org/wellness-centers

Better yet, come visit one of our centers. We would love to welcome you.

05/07/2026

Sometimes coping skills are hardest to remember when we need them most.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re sharing the idea of creating a “Reset Kit,” a collection of coping tools that can help during overwhelming moments.

These kits can include:
🧠 coping reminders
🎵 pleasant distractions
🫶 grounding tools
💛 encouraging messages
🌿 self-soothing items

Mental health support looks different for everyone, and small tools can make a meaningful difference during difficult days.

At NVCSS, we believe healing starts with compassion, connection, and meeting people where they are.

This post is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice.
Resource adapted from Psychology Today:
“How to Actually Use the Coping Skills You Learn”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-a-life-worth-living/202408/how-to-actually-use-the-coping-skills-you-learn

05/05/2026

40 Stories of Hope | Story 11

Malia’s life has been shaped by resilience. She was raised with strong cultural traditions, deep family ties, and a steady work ethic. Those values carried her through many seasons of life, but profound loss eventually took its toll.

Within two years, Malia lost five family members, including her husband. As the oldest in her family, she held others together while quietly navigating her own grief. Over time, the weight of those losses began to affect her health, and after experiencing a panic attack, she knew she needed support.

The very next day, she noticed a sign for the Six Stones Wellness Center. She walked in unsure of what to expect and found something she had been missing: connection, understanding, and a place to begin again.

At this peer-led center, Malia began attending classes, building friendships, and rediscovering her confidence. What she found most was simple but powerful. She was not alone.

“During those years, I felt like I was losing my voice,” Malia shares. “At Six Stones, I found hope again.”

What started as a step toward healing became a new sense of purpose. Today, Malia works at Six Stones, helping create the same welcoming space that once supported her. She now walks alongside others navigating their own challenges, offering the same compassion and connection that changed her life.

Her story shows what’s possible when compassion, community, and consistent support come together.

05/01/2026

A Final Hoorah for our Iversen Wellness Fair

This wasn’t just another event. This was the last Iversen Wellness Fair, and it deserved every bit of the energy, connection, and heart that showed up.

We’re incredibly grateful to our NVCSS programs, Iversen Wellness & Recovery Center, CalFresh Healthy Living, Promotores, BRAVE, Butte Baby Steps, Home Visitation, and First Five Foundations Family Resource Center, along with our community partners who helped make this final fair unforgettable:

Aegis, B-Line, Butte County Public Health, Butte County Adult Services Division, Butte County Behavioral Health, Caminar Mental Health, Catalyst, Chico State Enterprises Passages Connections, Department of Rehabilitation, Disability Action Center, Dreamcatchers Employment Network, Hmong Cultural Center of Butte County, Housing Authority of the County of Butte, Legal Services of Northern California, Nation’s Finest, New Beginnings Housing Foundation, Pneumacare, Safe Space Chico, True North Housing Alliance, Victor, Wayfinder Family Services, Youth for Change 6th Street Drop-In Center.

Because of you, this space was filled with more than just resources. It was filled with connection, support, and moments that reminded people they’re not alone.

One last fair. One lasting impact.