Thanks for your patience while the Meristem Monitor continues with a relaunch process after a summer hiatus. For those new to the Monitor, this is a volunteer effort , with lots of support from staff, to keep members of the Meristem community updated on events, programs, and schedules. Any comments or questions can be directed to news@meristem.pro.

We’re honored to be in the running for the Nonprofit of the Year award with the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce — and we need your support now. Nominations close on November 16, 2025 at 11 PM.

Cast Your Vote for Meristem

Two annual winter events shouldn’t be missed, one a gala fundraising dinner and the other our community open house, winter faire, and wreath walk.

FEAST OF WREATHS sponsorships and individual tickets are available. Development staff Zoe and Gavin are hard at work with final sponsorship sales for the annual Feast of Wreaths fundraising dinner. This year’s special event is being held Friday, December 5, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on campus. This is a gala dinner featuring a notable chef, auctions, cocktails and other events. This will be the fourth year and it has sold out every year. Feast of Wreaths is an important fundraiser for the program and sponsorships are available. Any help that you can give, volunteering, donating items for auction, or purchasing sponsorships and bringing potential donors to the event is appreciated. Individual tickets recently became available at $250 per person.

For more information on sponsorships, contact Zoe Fishman, Development Director, zoef@meristem.pro; for contributions to the auction contact Gavin Sellers, Development Coordinator, gavins@meristem.pro; for volunteering contact Twyla Teitzel, twylat@meristem.pro. More information is available on the Meristem website.

WINTER FAIRE. The annual Winter Faire craft event and open house will follow on Saturday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s event will also include an evening Wreath Walk from 5 to 8 p.m. This is such a wonderful event, open to the public and free to all, that celebrates the creativity that is part of Meristem and community. Staff and student artists sell their hand-made wares as well as those from the community. Many sold out last year. The event also includes luncheon options and baked goods prepared by Meristem’s culinary program, live entertainment, and activities. Purchases all benefit Meristem’s students. Organizers says there is still time to sponsor the event or to rent a table to sell wares at the event.

RVSP to attend here https://secure.qgiv.com/for/meristem/event/winterfaire/. Or consider becoming a sponsor: Main Stage $3,000; Artisan Market $1,500; Craft Activity $750. Sponsorships are also available for the wreath walk: Corporate Wreath Sponsor $500 and Community Wreath Sponsor $250.

Work Skills Students Participate in MIND Institute Pilot Program. As we mentioned in the last Monitor, work skills has a new focus this year. There are 19 students, several of them former Day Program or ILS students, who now spend three days a week working one-on-one with staff on transitioning to school or work. Several of these students have enrolled in a pilot program with UC Davis’ MIND Institute. This program is called Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) for Autism Research Study. The study is designed to learn more about how supported programs assist autistic adults in finding and keeping competitive employment. Meristem’s Work Skills staff serve as supporters for Work Skills students who agree to participate in the program for one year. They complete online assessments four times and are paid with a $100 gift card after each assessment, totaling $400 for the year. For more information about Work Skills or the study, contact Eric Steward (eric@meristem.pro) or Marissa Way (mw@meristem.pro).

Executive Director Erin Schirm holds monthly Zoom meetings with parents and family members on the third Wednesday of each month. The next parent Zoom meeting is Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. Links are provided, and tape recordings available after the meeting. Contact: Salina, Salinas@meristem.pro

We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Resource Center, featuring comprehensive guides designed to support autistic young adults and their families on the journey to independence. Our first collection focuses on the skills, strategies, and realistic timelines for building true autonomy—from mastering essential life skills to navigating the path to residential independence. Each article is grounded in our student experiences and the proven Meristem Method, offering practical, actionable guidance you can use today. Whether you’re wondering where to start, how to assess your young adult’s readiness, or what realistic independence looks like, these resources will light the way. Explore the Resource Center.

Chef Josh reports that the cafe’s new expanded public hours are up and running drawing more guests to Meristem for delicious healthy luncheon fare. The cafe is now open to the public Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is providing more work for cafe staff, which includes four Meristem student interns, former Meristem students who are now cafe staff, and a professional staff of six, including Josh. The cafe work is in addition to the staff’s work serving meals to ILS and day students as well as catered events. Let’s run the new seasonal menu again, noting that everything is made from scratch and many of the ingredients come from the Meristem garden. Here are some of those items:

• Chef Randy’s Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Soup (add Italian sausage)
• Caroline’s Beet Salad with dried apricots, blueberries, seeds, and greens (optional add grilled chicken)
• Meristem Burger made from beef chuck, brisket and short rib, with all the fixings (add bacon)
• The Meristem Club, a delicious layered sandwich on gluten free bread with pesto aioli (add avocado smash)
• Gnocchi (gluten-free) with heirloom tomatoes sugo and basil puree (add Italian sausage or grilled chicken)
• Street Tacos prepared with shredded beef barbacoa, consommé and house pickled red onion

And, the cafe also features plenty of baked goods, including Ethan’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. Make reservations at reservations@meristem.pro. Download a menu here.

Note, the cafe’s will be closed to the public during Thanksgiving break, November 24-28, and during the first week of December, December 3, 4, and 5, the week of Feast of Wreaths

Unboxing the autumn Meristem Herbal Arts Gift Box. (From a parent of a Meristem student who subscribes to Meristem’s Herbal Arts Gift Box program.)

“I support this program because it is a self-supporting business enterprise that employs our student interns and offers delightful tastes and smells of the campus. I give these items as precious gifts that are always appreciated. The boxes, delivered four times a year, is filled with small-batch, handcrafted teas, bath and body products, and herbal spice blends created by students under the direction of professional herbalist Amy Branum. I’m including here photographs of the October box, which includes hand-made , organic items for skin health including confetti fun soap made of olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter; a facial clay mask made with various types of clay, calendula, and lavender oil; and floral facial oil. And there is more not listed here.“

There is one more box that can be purchased on the Meristem website for the year (boxes can be subscribed to annually – 4 per year – or purchased separately). This project directly supports Meristem students as they develop vocational skills and creativity through hands-on learning.

Order your box today

• Family Zoom meeting with Erin Wednesday, November 19
• Thanksgiving vacation runs November 23-30, campus is closed & Cafe is closed
• Move-in day for ILS students is Sunday November 30
• Parent support group with Shelby continue Dec. 4, 6-7 p.m.; Dec. 18, 6-7 p.m.
• Feast of Wreaths dinner is Friday, December 5
• Winter Faire is Saturday, December 6, 10-3
• Winter Break runs December 21-January 1, campus is closed & Cafe is closed
• Staff training January 2 & 3
• ILS students move in for Spring semester Sunday January 5
• Spring semester classes begin Monday January 6, 2026