Newsletter 2025-26

We are never short on joy at The Friend Zone, but the holidays are extra special around here. We invite you to share in the spirit of the season with People with Disabilities Succeeding (PDS).

 

I founded the organization in 1990 when I was 24 and I am going to turn 60 in 2026. These are the best times ever for PDS because of our partnership with Odd Fellows Lodge, our loyal core staff, and the influx of the Tibetan community to our workforce. 

 

The Friend Zone is a diverse, harmonious community that we are all blessed to be a part of. 

 

Jacob Aranda

 

I have some bittersweet news to share. Jacob Aranda will be leaving our organization at the end of 2025. Jacob has been part of the PDS family for 10 years. He began as direct care staff, grew into a supervisor role, and most recently served as the Facilities Manager of the Friend Zone. Throughout his time with us, Jacob and his wife, Sara — both incredibly talented musicians and singers — brought so much heart and creativity to our community. Their intimate Zoom concerts during the pandemic helped keep us connected to music and to each other. We grieved alongside Jacob when he lost his beloved father, Mario Aranda, to COVID-19. In the midst of that loss, Jacob wrote the song “Get Up,” choosing to move forward in a way he knew his father would have wanted him to. 

 

Jacob inspired all of us and helped us find moments of joy and hope during a deeply sad period. Jacob has said that PDS helped him heal, but in truth, the gift went both ways. Jacob helped build the Friend Zone into what it is today, shaping many of our activities from those early Zoom days and creating a space that continues to be a meaningful creative outlet for so many. While we will miss Jacob dearly, we are truly happy for him. 

 

Jacob will be stepping into a new position as Facilities Manager at Halleck Creek Ranch in Nicasio Valley. He and Sara will be living on 180 acres, where Jacob will care for 30 horses, two goats, three cats, and their two dogs — along with the buildings and land. Halleck Creek provides people with disabilities the opportunity to live a life without barriers through Equine Assisted Services (EAS), Adaptive Horseback Riding, and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), all of which offer powerful physical and emotional benefits. This feels perfectly aligned with who Jacob is, and we couldn’t be happier for him and Sara.

 

Unfortunately, the concert on January 28th that I previously invited people to will need to be cancelled. That said, we very much plan to stay in close touch with Jacob and look forward to visiting him in his new home. I prepared a video of Jacob’s time here and will send the link to you after we view it with Jacob.

 

Kunga Lama will be stepping into Jacob’s shoes as Facilities Manager, in a slightly differently configured position. Kunga has been with PDS for about a year. He is a leader in his Tibetan community and a competent, kind, and pleasant person. Kunga has an interesting life story — he grew up with his family as nomads in Tibet until the 1980s, when they fled on foot to Nepal due to Chinese repression. He later lived in India before coming to the United States in 1997, where he has primarily studied and worked in business management. Despite facing significant adversity, Kunga maintains an incredibly positive attitude and will continue in Jacob’s footsteps by providing a sense of calm and harmony at People with Disabilities Succeeding.

 

With gratitude and well wishes for Jacob and welcome to Kunga! 

 

Meet the People at the Heart of PDS

 

These new website pages highlight the individuals whose dedication, strengths, and personalities shape daily life at PDS:

 

Staff with 10 or more years at PDS https://www.pdsmarin.org/our-staff

 

Client Profiles https://www.pdsmarin.org/our-clients

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With so much gratitude to you for being part of this beautiful community,