Futures Explored

TONIGHT!
Join us for a night of fun, laughter, and community! 🌈✨

Mango’s at K St. is hosting Drag Bingo on October 1st at 6:00 PM, and Futures Explored is proud to be the beneficiary of half the proceeds of this exciting event! Come out for an inclusive and entertaining evening filled with fabulous drag, bingo, and great company — all while supporting an organization that helps make a difference in our community.

We will also be raffling off some amazing prizes-- including a 3 night Tahoe stay!!

Grab your lucky cards! We can’t wait to see you there!

Image Description: A flier advertising the Drag Queen Bingo event at Mango's. 1930 K St. $20 to play!

Join us tomorrow for Drag Queen Bingo and an exciting raffle! 🎉

We’ve got some amazing prizes up for grabs — including a 3-night stay in Tahoe! 🏔️✨ One lucky winner will enjoy an all-expenses-paid, three-night getaway in beautiful Tahoe, generously provided by Abco Labs!

Come out, play some Bingo, enter the raffle, and most importantly, support Futures Explored — an organization making a meaningful difference in our community.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Location:
Mango's Sacramento 1930 K St., Sacramento, CA

Date & Time:
October 1st, 2026
6pm – 9pm

$20 Per Play!

This Thursday! Start October off with a night of fun, laughter, and community! 🌈✨

Mango’s at K St. is hosting Drag Bingo on October 1st at 6:00 PM, and Futures Explored is proud to be the beneficiary of half the proceeds of this exciting event! Come out for an inclusive and entertaining evening filled with fabulous drag, bingo, and great company — all while supporting an organization that helps make a difference in our community.

We will also be raffling off some amazing prizes-- including a 3 night Tahoe stay!!

Grab your lucky cards! We can’t wait to see you there!

Image Description: A flier advertising the Drag Queen Bingo event at Mango's. 1930 K St. $20 to play!

🎬 Meet Austin! 🦖

Austin has been part of the Film & Media Studios program in Stockton since 2021, and we love seeing his passion for cinematography and dinosaurs come together in this epic stop-motion short film! We can’t wait to check it out someday soon!

At our Art & Media programs, we empower participants to express their creativity, develop valuable skills, and apply what they’ve learned toward meaningful career opportunities.

Want to be part of any of our Futures Explored programs? Visit our official website at www.futures-explored.org or contact your regional center for more information.

Image Description: Austin rearranged a couple of dinosaur figurines on a table set. The table set is decorated with dinosaur toys, a jeep & trees. Two lights shine onto the set.

This Thursday! Start October off with a night of fun, laughter, and community! 🌈✨

Mango’s at K St. is hosting Drag Bingo on October 1st at 6:00 PM, and Futures Explored is proud to be the beneficiary of half the proceeds of this exciting event! Come out for an inclusive and entertaining evening filled with fabulous drag, bingo, and great company — all while supporting an organization that helps make a difference in our community.

We will also be raffling off some amazing prizes-- including a 3 night Tahoe stay!!

Grab your lucky cards! We can’t wait to see you there!

Image Description: A flier advertising the Drag Queen Bingo event at Mango's. 1930 K St. $20 to play!

DSP Elizabeth gathers frequently with participants of Futures Explored's Connections Central to brush up on their ASL(American Sign Language)! 🤟 Learning ASL is not only fun—it’s a meaningful and helpful way to strengthen communication and connection in all aspects of life.

Learning, connecting, and growing together—one sign at a time!

Image 1: Elizabeth and the group are gathered around a table. Laminated ASL basics are displayed in front of them individually as they practice. "Left hand with two fingers swinging back and forth while hovering over their right hand."

Image 2: A continuation of the practice, "both hands up by their face, fingers pinched together as they both swivel."

Image 3: Bruce, showing the sign of "learning", placing his pinched fingers on his forehead.

Image 4: Bruce telling us everything is "O. K".

Last week, various Futures Explored programs gathered at Baldwin Park for a special end-of-summer celebration! The participants came together and had a wonderful time socializing, playing games & rekindling relationships. It was fun all around and we are look forward to making this an annual event.

Want to be part of any of our Futures Explored programs? Visit our official website at www.futures-explored.org or contact your regional center for more information.

Image 1: GARDEN, Futures ALIVE, ALIVE East, Connections Central & East programs are all present in this group photo. They gathered on the grass as they smile to the camera.

Image 2: Mother & Son, Becca & Alex, are Thing 1 and Thing 2 respectively. They both are wearing hats, sunglasses & the Dr. Seuss inspired shirts.

Image 3: A group of participants playing with a parachute filled with colorful balls. They raise the parachute up and down sporadically as the balls bounce around.

Image 4: ALIVE East's Tyler sharing his artwork of the earth to the camera.

Image 5: Miguel smiling for the camera!

Get ready for a night of fun, laughter, and community! 🌈✨

Mango’s at K St. is hosting Drag Bingo on October 1st at 6:00 PM, and Futures Explored is proud to be the beneficiary of half the proceeds of this exciting event! Come out for an inclusive and entertaining evening filled with fabulous drag, bingo, and great company — all while supporting an organization that helps make a difference in our community.

We will also be raffling off some amazing prizes-- including a 3 night Tahoe stay!!

Grab your lucky cards! We can’t wait to see you there!

Image Description: A flier advertising the Drag Queen Bingo event at Mango's. 1930 K St. $20 to play!

Your Voice Matters – and DDS needs to hear it!

The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is asking people with disabilities, families, friends, and service providers to help decide what outcomes should be used to measure the quality and effectiveness of services.

We need more voices at the table, especially the voices of people who receive services.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share what you think matters most. The measures DDS chooses should reflect outcomes that are actually meaningful to the people receiving services.

✅ Take the survey: https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ofh4ndfNaPPolo

Please share this post and help us get the word out!

Image Description: Connection East's Kelly, Tara & Resunda walking through a hallway full of stained glass. A graphic above states "Your Voice Matters" overlayed with multicolor abstract patterns.

This week, we’re taking time to celebrate the people who show up every day for our folks, our programs, and our community.
Today, we’re honored to recognize Jerry, who has been a valued member of the Futures Explored family for 19 years at Employment Program at Concord.

Angie Lee, Program Coordinator at ALIVE East, had some great words for Jerry,

"Jerry's dedication on a daily basis is nothing short of notable. He wins over those he serves with trust allowing them to feel the confidence many of them need to know themselves, to know who they truly are and what they are capable of accomplishing. His way of interacting and finding that same excitement for others surely has not gone unnoticed by those who have had the pleasure of working with him. I truly hope that with this honor of a nomination he knows just how much of an impact he has made in the lives of others.

Jerry, you are such a wonderful person in both a professional and personal way. You are genuine in having such a caring heart for anyone you come across and it makes me so proud to see how you bring joy to others. You are truly one of a kind and a wonderful human being. You are who we need more of to make this a beautiful world."

Thank you, Jerry, for your dedication, compassion, and commitment.
Our participants thank you, our team appreciates you,
and our community is stronger because of the difference you make every day.

Happy Direct Support Professional Recognition Week!

Image Description: Jerry taking a photo with Gabriel who was formerly part of the employment program and is now a commissioned artist.