Who We Are
An advocate for the growth of our clients,
our employees, and our community
About Us
Building Promising Futures Together
Martha J. Morrissey,
Founder
Promising Futures Inc. was founded through a personal journey of a mother navigating life with her daughter, Tiffany, who was diagnosed with autism at a time when few understood the condition. Driven by love and a determination to help her daughter thrive, she immersed herself in a journey of learning, and exploring therapies—gaining hands-on experience and building a fifty year foundation of knowledge in behavioral support and individualized care.
Over time, her work in private schools and developmental programs exposed her to both effective practices and deeply troubling care systems. As her daughter grew older, so did her urgency to create safe, nurturing living environments—especially after witnessing firsthand neglect, overmedication, and abuse often found in institutional settings and small living environments. Fueled by these painful experiences and a desire to ensure that vulnerable individuals who need protection, would find safe living environments and that model of protection is implemented throughout Promising Futures Inc. residential homes and day treatment programs.
With encouragement from mentors and guidance from her faith, she applied for and was awarded a grant to open the first Promising Futures home—despite initial doubts and the challenges of starting from scratch. A powerful moment of spiritual clarity and confirmation gave her the strength to move forward. What began as a mother’s mission has grown into a thriving organization that has served families challenged with developmental disabilities for over 40 years.
Through God’s faithfulness and inspiration, He built three homes, the last home to serve individuals her daughters age. Faithful donors, dedication of remarkable staff and the support of the community, have made it possible to provide a rich environment of learning, experience the dignity of independance and the satisfaction of a jobwell done, while maintaining safe environment with compassionate care that enriches lives and empowers people every day.
Our Mission
Empowering adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individualized person-centered services that promote independence, dignity, and meaningful community inclusion.
Our Vision
We envision a community where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live as independently as possible and are fully included, supported, and valued.
What We Stand For
Empowerment
We focus on each person’s strengths and help build the skills to bring out their full potential, cheering them on along the way.
Personalization
With a 1:3 staff-to-client ratio, we give each person the personalized support they need to thrive.
Inclusion
Everyone is welcomed and respected, with opportunities to participate in ways that feel safe and comfortable for them.
Meet Our Dedicated Team
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Gina Parra
Executive Director
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Jennifer Valencia
CIA Director
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Tanner Harvey
Art Director
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Alex Watson
CIA Program Administrator
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Makaila Jenkins
QIDP
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Johnny Lopez
Director of Finance
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Sherry Pendray
Director of Human Resources
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Ashley Gondek
Transportation Coordinator-Support Specialist
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Elizabeth Guth
Administrative Assistant
Changing Lives, One Step at a Time
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“I am externally grateful for the purpose and meaning Promising Futures provides for our daughter Sonja. Knowing that she is productive and enjoying her days brings us peace and joy and allows me to work with the knowledge she is safe and having a great day. Best ay program ever!”
Mom & Dad Reiner
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“Colin has been part of the Promising Futures family for 20+ years. Within 6 months we saw a difference in Colin, and today at 40yrs he is a productive/happy/content guy always with a smile. The personalized support, specialized teaching strategies, and patient, knowledgeable staff helped him grow in confidence and ability. A large part of his success is due to the caring and nurturing staff at both the home and day program, as well as the overlapping IEP development and consistency. Promising Futures absolutely made a difference in our journey. It was a hard decision to put our faith in Promising Futures, but it did not take long to know we made the right decision. Colin has found his niche in the world because of Promising Futures.”
The Gilley Family
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“We are incredibly grateful for the support and care provided by Promising Futures for many years now. The staff is exceptionally patient and kind and ensures that Kier is engaged and challenged in the program. He is always treated with dignity and respect. The staff knows what Kier likes and incorporates those preferences into his program, making his experiences enjoyable and fulfilling.
Our family benefits greatly from the several hours of respite most weekdays, allowing us to refresh and better care for Kier. The staff keeps Kier safe, and the training and education program for him is structured and well-executed.
Thank you for making such a positive impact on Kier and our family.”
The Williams Family
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“Promising Futures is an organization providing services for adults with various disabilities comprising of a residential and day program. Our son is fortunate to be a participant in both programs. We appreciate the daily exchange of communication between the programs. Clients are treated with dignity and taught to be independent to the best of their abilities. During our son’s time at the programs, we have seen much growth and improvement. We are relieved to have found this gem of a program. We feel at ease to travel knowing our son will be in excellent hands. This program offers hope for families looking for peace of mind.”
The Eng Family
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“Promising Futures was already started when we desperately applied to place our daughter Staci. Both Mom and I had to work in order to pay the bills and try to keep Staci in school. She was a handful, and the special ed teachers at the time, did not have the skills to deal with Staci’s rants, physical confrontations, and meltdowns. When Staci was accepted and moved out of our home and into a new home, and shared her new shelter with 5 boys, Mom and I had mixed emotions. Promising Futures changed all of our lives as it brought Staci a safe place to live with regulations put into place that brought Staci special medical attention and care, a learning place to mentally grow and deal with everyday life. Promising Futures also brought us as parents, peace of mind when it comes to Staci’s well being.”
The Wismont Family
Commonly Asked Questions
Do I have to pay for any programs?
No. We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and our programs are supported through funding from the San Diego Regional Center, as well as community donations.
Do I have to be a resident to participate in the CIA?
No, the Center for Independent Achievement (CIA) day program is open to both residents and non-residents. Participants must be a client of the San Diego Regional Center in order to partake. Many participants live at home or in other supported settings and attend CIA during the day.
Let’s Stay Connected!
Our clients recently enjoyed a meaningful lunch outing at @pizzabilities_ ! 🍕
This local and inclusive pizza shop is dedicated to serving and employing adults with developmental disabilities, making it an especially impactful place for our clients to visit and connect with. It was a …great opportunity to practice community-based skills like ordering, social interaction, and making independent choices—all while supporting a business that shares our mission.
Experiences like these go beyond just a meal—they build confidence, promote inclusion, and create real-world connections within our community. 💙🍕
Our clients recently enjoyed a meaningful lunch outing at Pizzabilities! 🍕
This local and inclusive pizza shop is dedicated to serving and employing adults with developmental disabilities, making it an especially impactful place for our clients to visit and connect with. It was a great …opportunity to practice community-based skills like ordering, social interaction, and making independent choices—all while supporting a business that shares our mission.
Experiences like these go beyond just a meal—they build confidence, promote inclusion, and create real-world connections within our community. 💙🍕
Pure joy in every paw print 🐾
Today’s visit from Love on a Leash-San Diego Central Chapter brought calm, connection, and lots of smiles to our space. Our clients loved spending time with these gentle companions—building confidence, practicing social skills, and enjoying the simple …comfort of a furry friend.
Moments like these make such a meaningful impact 🤍
We’re so excited to share that we’ll be at the Cuyamaca Spring Garden & Butterfly Festival this year! 🌿🦋
Come spend the day enjoying butterfly releases, live music, local vendors, food trucks, and so many fun activities for the whole community ☀️
We’ll be there… representing Promising Futures and showcasing the amazing creativity of our clients—come say hi and support their work!
🦋 Let’s celebrate spring together 🦋
#PromisingFutures #SanDiegoEvents #SpringFestival #CommunityInclusion #SupportLocal
We’re excited to announce that Promising Futures, Inc. will be attending the Cuyamaca Spring Garden & Butterfly Festival this year! 🌿🦋
This highly anticipated community event brings together The Water Conservation Garden, Cuyamaca College, and the Heritage of the Americas …Museum for a full day of nature, music, learning, and family fun.
With over 90 craft vendors and nonprofit partners, butterfly releases, live music, interactive activities, and even Dino Land and alpacas, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! From the largest plant sale of the year to food trucks and hands-on experiences across campus, it’s a beautiful way to celebrate spring and connect with the community.
Our team will be there representing Promising Futures and sharing the incredible creativity and impact of our programs—we’d love for you to stop by, say hello, and support our mission!
🦋 Come celebrate spring with us! 🦋
#PromisingFutures #CommunityInclusion #SpringFestival #SanDiegoEvents #CuyamacaCollege
https://facebook.com/events/s/spring-garden-butterfly-festiv/887961570609737/
Our Easter party was full of smiles, laughter, and so much fun! 🌸🐰 From an exciting egg hunt and cake walk to snow cones, cotton candy, games, dancing, and arts & crafts, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
A huge thank you to one of our amazing client families for …providing the delicious tacos—they were a hit! 🌮💛
We also want to recognize our incredible staff whose teamwork, planning, and dedication made this event such a success. Your hard work truly created a meaningful and memorable day for everyone.
Days like these remind us how special our community truly is. 💐✨
Our Easter party was full of smiles, laughter, and so much fun! 🌸🐰 From an exciting egg hunt and cake walk to snow cones, cotton candy, games, dancing, and arts & crafts, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
A huge thank you to one of our amazing client families for …providing the delicious tacos—they were a hit! 🌮💛
We also want to recognize our incredible staff whose teamwork, planning, and dedication made this event such a success. Your hard work truly created a meaningful and memorable day for everyone.
Days like these remind us how special our community truly is. 💐✨
Promising Futures, Inc. recently received a grant from the @foundationfordd and we are incredibly grateful for their support.
This funding is already making a meaningful impact by allowing us to expand sensory and music-based programming for the individuals we serve. For adults with …intellectual and developmental disabilities, access to structured sensory engagement and creative outlets is critical for regulation, communication, and overall quality of life.
Our clients have embraced these new opportunities with enthusiasm. We are seeing increased engagement, self-expression, and meaningful participation across our program.
This grant is an important step toward our long-term goal of developing a fully inclusive music and sensory therapy program at Promising Futures.
Thank you to FDD for investing in innovative, person-centered services and for supporting organizations that are working to improve outcomes for the communities we serve.
#NonprofitLeadership #IDD #AutismSupport #CommunityImpact #SanDiego #DisabilityServices
We are incredibly grateful to the Foundation for Developmental Disabilities for their generous support and grant opportunity!
This funding has allowed us to begin building something truly meaningful at Promising Futures—an inclusive music and sensory experience for the individuals we …serve. Our clients have absolutely loved the sensory room and music-based activities, and we are already seeing increased engagement, joy, and self-expression.
This is just the beginning. With support like this, we are working toward our long-term vision of a fully developed music and sensory therapy program that enhances quality of life and promotes independence for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Thank you, FDD, for believing in our mission and investing in our community. 💙
