Enrollment at Saratoga’s College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) has doubled in the past five years, but there is no reliable funding stream in place to support its programs, which serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To that end, the CAA is hosting its annual Gala Benefit Fundraiser Sept. 14.at Mission College in Santa Clara.
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“This fundraiser is so important to our organization because we do not have a steady stream of state or federal funding, aside from a small reimbursement from our regional center partners,” said CAA Executive Director Nicole Kim. “We rely heavily on our donors to help keep our programs running so that we can continue to offer equitable lifelong education for adults with IDD.”
The CAA was founded in 2009 by Dr. Pamela Lindsay and DeAnna Pursai in San Jose. In July 2020 the West Valley Mission Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to bring the CAA to West Valley College in Saratoga.
The fundraiser will feature an auction and raffle with trips, gift certificates, wine, art and more. Congressman Sam Liccardo will give the keynote speech, and students Rowan Timmerman and Victoria Rivera will speak about the impact the college has on their lives and community.
Rivera is an apprentice at the college and is helping emcee the fundraiser. She said the college helped her discover new tools, both for her studies and in the workplace.
“The workforce development program has showed me a lot of opportunities and opened new doors for me,” said Rivera in a press release.
The workforce development program combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training, which gives students the ability to gain experience in different career pathways that aren’t usually accessible to adults with disabilities.
The money raised at the Sept. 14 event will be diverted to many different programs, including expanding the CAA’s workforce development and apprenticeship programs, providing financial aid for tuition, acquiring and upgrading technology and class materials and building out a nationwide expansion plan.
“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are extremely capable of critical thinking, problem solving and social-emotional awareness, which are all skills needed in higher education and also the workplace,” said Kim. “When we give them the tools to succeed, we as an entire community succeed.”
The event will run from 2-4 p.m. For tickets, visit https://auctria.events/2025CAAGala.
