ESNorCal’s Kaleidoscope Program Dines with the BHPN

At ESNorCal, keeping our clients at the forefront of our work is a value we’re committed to. The BHPN’s Operations team shared that value with a generous pizza party for our Kaleidoscope Community Adult Program at their headquarters. We are a proud member of the BHPN and always enjoy getting to celebrate our shared values of inclusion, acceptance, and fun. We’re proud to have such dedicated colleagues who keep the mission close to their hearts and celebrate inclusion.

After the pizza party, we had the opportunity to talk to Simon Knight, BHPN Senior Operations Manager and host of the pizza party. We learned about his experience working for the BHPN, fundraising for people with disabilities, and how he stays connected to the BHPN’s mission.

What is your favorite part of working for the BHPN?

SK: My favorite part of working for the BHPN is knowing that everything I do contributes to a larger part of the whole and the whole is not really defined right now. What we’re doing is building the groundwork for not just future legislation or medical rights for certain communities, but best practices, ethics, and standards — on a global scale for a very underserved population of people that were kind of left out, forgotten, or pushed to the side. Working for the BHPN, I feel like I’m doing something bigger than myself – we’re doing something that will hopefully change life for people across the globe.

How do you stay connected to the mission?

SK: I stay connected to the mission through interfacing with teams that provide direct services and events where those of us in the office can interact with participants. But I also stay connected to the mission in everything I do during my daily work – whether it’s emails, processes, or overviews. Whatever we’re doing, we know that it has a direct impact on those who serve the people we are working for.

What motivates you to participate in fundraisers for people with disabilities?

SK: To tell you the truth, I don’t think I do fundraisers for people with disabilities. I do fundraisers for the people in my community that need support, and it’s one of those fields that I was not very aware of until I came to work at the BHPN. In terms of fundraising, I really think of raising awareness—not funds; the funds seem to come with the awareness that we bring when we tell people our mission, the needs, and the ways in which their support will benefit the community around them. It’s really driving awareness and making sure people understand why it is we are excited to be where we are, working every day.

Interested in working with people like Simon at the BHPN? Check out our open positions and follow the BHPN on LinkedIn!