San Lorenzo Valley Water District Appoints Two Public Members to Its Budget & Finance Committee

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District has appointed two members of the public to its Budget & Finance standing committee.

Boulder Creek, CA, August 12, 2020 — he San Lorenzo Valley Water District has appointed two members of the public to its Budget & Finance standing committee.

Boulder Creek residents Rivka Lund and Stephanie Winegarden were appointed to the committee by the Board of Directors at its Aug. 6, 2020, meeting.

Committee member Steve Architzel resigned as a public member of the committee on June 25, 2020, and the District advertised the opening from July 13-20. The Budget and Finance Committee is responsible for the review of District finances, including rates, fees, charges, and other sources of revenue; budget and reserves; audits; insurance; and other financial matters.

Rivka is currently the Program Manager for Devices & Services, Business Intelligence and Automation for Google, LLC, and has experience in budget building/tracking. She is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in business economics. She was previously head of Finance & Administration at Noon Home, Inc.

Winegarden, who has lived in Boulder Creek for 14 years, has a background in banking, including eight years as Vice President of Operations at Santa Cruz Community Credit Union. She has also worked with Wells Fargo Bank In Santa Cruz, LaSalle Bank and National City Bank, both in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has a degree in business management from Davenport University in Grand Rapids.

The Budget and Finance Committee Meeting meets the first Tuesday of the Month. Join September’s meeting on Tuesday, 9/1. Agendas are published the week prior to the meeting. View the District’s calendar for all meeting dates & details here.

For more information, call (831) 338-2153, or go to www.slvwd.com.

About the District
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District was established in 1941 as an independent special district. The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, elected at-large from within the District’s service area. A special district is a local government agency formed by voters to perform a needed service, such as water or sewer. The District’s boundaries comprise approximately 60 square miles and 190 miles of pipeline. The District currently provides service to approximately 7,900 residential, commercial, and institutional connections. The District relies on both surface water and groundwater resources, including nine currently active stream diversions, one groundwater spring, and eight active groundwater wells. The District owns, operates, and maintains two water systems from separate water sources. These sources are derived solely from rainfall within the San Lorenzo River watershed.

The District owns, operates, and maintains a wastewater system in Boulder Creek’s Bear Creek Estates, which serves approximately 56 homes.

Website: slvwd.com
Phone: (831) 338-2153
Fax: (831) 338-7986

Emergency Numbers:
After-hour emergencies: (831) 338-2153

Address:
San Lorenzo Valley Water District
13060 Hwy 9
Boulder Creek, CA 95006

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.slvwd.com

Kindness Monterey Campaign to Stream First of Live Care-A-Thon Online Concerts on Aug. 23, On Facebook

Campaign Helps Restaurants and Those In Need Due to COVID-19 Emergency.

Monterey, CA, August 10, 2020 — Kindness Monterey, a campaign initiated to help individuals in need and restaurants that have been challenged as the result of the coronavirus emergency, will present its first online Care-A-Thon live concerts on Aug. 23 on Facebook.

The first online Care-A-Thon concert is produced by musician and promoter Kiki Wow and hosted and produced by Destination 831, and will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. The concert will feature 10 local musicians, short video interviews with local restaurant owners, and a call-out to donate to the gofundme campaign. The link to the concert will be available on the website after its initial streaming.

Musicians confirmed include: Alisa Fineman & Kimball Hurd, Kenny Stahl & Bob Burnett, Lee Durley, Robert Turner, Dave Holodiloff Trio, Kiki & Wowettes, Haley Jane, Mira Malcom & Michael Martinez, and Richard Bryant & Kyle Kovalik.

The concert will be streamed on the Kindness Monterey Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kindnessmonterey. Another concert will be held in September.

Kindness Monterey, which was launched on July 8, 2020, has expanded its campaign to include a gofundme page, new partners working to get sponsors and donations, and assistance to restaurants wanting to set up gift cards on their websites.

Kindness Monterey is encouraging local restaurants to join their campaign. KM is making a concerted effort to reach out to all restaurants by in-person visits, email, mail, phone to have them sign on so that they can be listed on the website. Many restaurants that provide gift cards do not have the ability to order them online as a digital gift card, which makes it difficult for the person wanting to

send a friend or co-worker a gift card, which is the message of the campaign — to buy a gift card and send it to someone who needs a lift. Sign up at: https://www.kindnessmonterey.com/sign-up/ and read about the benefits of being on the kindnessmonterey website and offering digital cards.

With that in mind, KM is partnering with a CSUMB initiative called GetVirtual.org. GetVirtual gives local businesses affected by COVID-19 the tools to adapt to the virtual landscape and extend their businesses online. Their program pairs local businesses such as restaurants, who need help with online tools like gift cards, with college students who are tech-savvy and want business experience. It's a win-win. Restaurants get help for free and the students get college credit.

KindnessMonterey.org is partnering with GetVirtual’s CSU Monterey Bay chapter starting in September when students are back in school. Maren Elwood, (co-founder of KindnessMonterey.com), will work with Brad Barbaeu (GetVirtual CSUMB Program Director) and Kenneth Olsen (CSUMB GetVirtual Program Manager) to pull together a team of students who will assist our local restaurants to offer an online gift card option on their website. Meanwhile Maren Elwood, the co-founder of Kindness Monterey, is currently working to sign up restaurants now.

Kindness Monterey has teamed up with The American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF), Monterey Bay Chapter (https://www.aiwfmb.org/), which has agreed to be the campaign’s 501(c)3 non-profit fiscal sponsor. Kindness Monterey can now accept donations of $250 or more from corporate sponsors or individuals through their fiscal sponsor — AIWF-Monterey Bay Chapter, and those donating at that level or higher will then be able to get a tax write off. Chef/caterer and cookbook author Mary Chamberlin, Emeritus Chapter Chair/National Vice Chair of AIWF – Monterey Bay Chapter, has been instrumental in making this happen.

Kindness Monterey has also set up a GoFundMe page at: https://www.Gofundme.com/manage/kindness-monterey. You can also access the page with the “Donate” button on the Kindness Monterey website (kindnessmonterey.com) or Facebook page (facebook.com/kindnessmonterey).

The GoFundMe page was set up primarily for individuals to give smaller donations to help fund the campaign. It will enable the Kindness Monterey team to spread the word about this important program that benefits so many local community members through print advertising and social media. The advertising will urge everyone in the community to go to the KindnessMonterey.com website https://www.kindnessmonterey.com/ and purchase restaurant gift cards. Please note that any donation under $250 is not tax-deductible.

For individuals or businesses who do not have a specific person in mind and would still like to make a donation to the Kindness Monterey program, these GoFundMe funds will be used to purchase gift cards for the Food Bank For Monterey County, to support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County and other worthy local community members in need.

Kindness Monterey has also teamed up with marketing and PR professional, Wendy Brickman (https://www.brickmanmarketing.com), who will reach out to local businesses and individuals to secure sponsorships to help fund the campaign. The campaign needs the support to be able to continue and every donation makes it possible to bring the community together to support our restaurants.

Sponsorships will allow Kindness Monterey to accomplish five important goals:

1. Fund its campaign enabling Kindness Monterey to do widespread marketing through social media, print advertising, Constant Contact and various Chamber of Commerce email blasts.

2. Allow Kindness Monterey to buy restaurant gift cards and distribute them to organizations such as the Food Bank For Monterey County, Chambers of Commerce, small business owners whose companies are being challenged by COVID-19, first responders, musicians, displaced hospitality workers, including those working in the restaurants, field workers, etc.

3. Provide matching funds to offer 2-for-1 deals to generate additional sales for gift card promotions.

4. Allow Kindness Monterey to donate six grab-and-go weekend meals to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County for every $1,000 raised through sponsorships and GoFundMe.

5. Fund the two online Care-A-Thon concerts as well as other fundraising events.

The Kindness Monterey campaign was created by local businesswomen Annee Martin and Maren Elwood, and the website, www.kindnessmonterey.com was launched on July 8, 2020.

The pay-it-forward gift card campaign to help Monterey Peninsula restaurants encourages generosity from the community by purchasing these gift cards to give to family, friends, neighbors, musicians, service providers, small business owners, field workers, frontline medical personnel and first responders. Martin believes that not only are you helping restaurants stay alive and letting them know they are loved and supported by their community, but by paying it forward, you are lifting the spirits and hopes of our entire community.

Kindness Monterey will continue to provide as long as there is a need in our community. For more information, go to: info@kindnessmonterey.com, like Kindness Monterey on its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/kindnessmonterey, or call Annee Martin at 831-236-5618; Maren Elwood at 831-238-5503; or Kiki Wow at 831-235-7662. Or, go to the website at: kindnessmonterey.com.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.kindnessmonterey.com

Goodwill Central Coast Opens New Donation Sites in Carmel Valley, Los Osos and Santa Cruz

Goodwill Central Coast has opened three new donation sites in Carmel Valley, Los Osos and Santa Cruz.

Salinas, CA, August 10, 2020 — Goodwill Central Coast has opened three new donation sites in Carmel Valley, Los Osos and Santa Cruz.

Here are the three new sites and their hours:

>Donation trailer at the Mid-Valley Shopping Center (next to Safeway store), 312 Mid Valley Center, Carmel Valley. Open daily 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

> Donation center at 1014 Los Osos Road, Los Osos. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

> Donation center (formerly the Bookstore), at 815 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. Open daily 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

When you donate second-hand items to Goodwill Industries you’re not just cleaning house, you’re supporting job training programs in your community and protecting the planet through reuse and recycling.

Last year, Goodwill Central Coast received more than 587,000 donations, totaling more than 23 million pounds of clothing and household items. Of those donations Goodwill was able to divert 7,600 tons from landfills and the money raised helped fund programs that put over 13,000 people back to work.

Goodwill’s impact wouldn’t be nearly as great without the generosity of the community.

For more information, call (831) 423-8611 or go to: https://www.ccgoodwill.org.

About Goodwill Central Coast
Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs over 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 13,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

Goodwill Central Coast
1566 Moffet Street
Salinas, CA 93905
(831) 423-8611
https://www.ccgoodwill.org

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://www.ccgoodwill.org

GBA Coach Joey Ramos

A good coach can inspire a child for life, and no one believes that more than Joey Ramos.

Salinas, CA, August 05, 2020 - Born in Lapaz, in the Philippines, Ramos came to Soledad with his parents and three siblings when he was just 6 months old. “My parents wanted to give their children a better life with more opportunities,” he said.

An extremely shy child, Ramos discovered basketball in the fourth grade. “Our coach, Mr. Godoy, would coach us from his kind heart,” he said. “We practiced after school three days a week and he personally would drive us to Salinas to play on Saturdays.”

The experience had a huge impact on Ramos, who today lives in Salinas and coaches two GBA select girls teams.

“Playing with a team made me open up and feel comfortable with other people, and has made me become the person I am today,” he said. “It helped with my social skills. To this day, I’m always happy and excited to meet new people.”

In 2002 Ramos was asked to help as an assistant coach for his niece’s basketball team. “That’s where it opened up a new adventure for me to coach basketball,” he said. “It was what I needed to share my love of the game and help other kids that loved the game, too.”

In 2011 he coached his nephew’s team for Steinbeck Elementary in Salinas. Aside from his GBA work, Ramos currently coaches the 7th and 8th grade girls teams at Gavilan View Middle School.

His experience with GBA began nine years ago when he was introduced to GBA co-founder Jose Gil.

“Coach Gil opened up new experiences,” Ramos said. “I could not imagine working with large groups of kids, ranging from kindergarten to high school. It opened up new competitive experiences with GBA select travel teams. It’s all had an impact on how I coach.”

For Ramos, the most rewarding aspects of coaching have happened off the court.

“It’s all about preparing them for the next level of their game, sure, but also in life,” he said. “To use the same elements of respect, commitment, dedication, passion, and the hunger to learn more in everything you set your mind to.”

Ramos is grateful he’s able to support his community, and help open doors for a better future. “Their growth in becoming young adults earns them the same respect, commitment, dedication and the passion they have experienced learning the game and becoming leaders themselves,” he said.

In the end, it’s all about the love of a game that brings to participants many bonuses.

“The excitement I see in our youth, learning together, meeting new friends, having fun, has been the most rewarding,” he said. “Their big smiles are what fuels me!”

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://gilbasketballacademy.com/

Nonprofit Partnership for Children earns $3,000 grant from Northern Monterey County Foundation

Since 2007, Partnership for Children has provided transportation and financial assistance for children on the Central Coast who require access to compassionate care.

Salinas, CA, August 04, 2020 — Since 2007, Partnership for Children has provided transportation and financial assistance for children on the Central Coast who require access to compassionate care.

These efforts received a financial boost last week when the nonprofit earned a $3,000 grant from the Northern Monterey County Foundation.

The grant will support safe, reliable transportation to medical treatment for children living with serious illnesses in North Monterey County, along with financial and practical support for their families.

Partnership for Children qualified for the grant in light of its long history of advocating for children and families, providing both transportation and support services for children with life-threatening conditions living in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.

For children living with serious illness, access to medical care is essential. Partnership for Children helps by providing safe, free and reliable rides to medical appointments, as well as gas-card subsidies to ease financial burdens. PFC also provides financial subsidies to help pay for basic living expenses such as rent or utilities, and coordinate with hospital social workers as well as community partners to determine family needs.

Find out more at www.partnerforkids.org.

The Northern Monterey County Foundation is an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC), which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Founded in 1945 as “the Monterey Foundation” with a focus on historic preservation of the adobes, it expanded its scope to open space preservation and then broad charitable purposes and building endowment in the 1970s. Today it partners with individuals, families, nonprofits and businesses to create charitable funds and make grants towards a vision of healthy, safe, vibrant communities. Find out more at www.cfmco.org.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.partnerforkids.org

Kindness Monterey Campaign to Help Restaurants and Those in Need Due to COVID-19 Emergency Expanding Its Campaign

Kindness Monterey, a campaign initiated to help individuals in need and restaurants that have been challenged as the result of the coronavirus emergency

Monterey, CA, August 03, 2020 — Kindness Monterey, a campaign initiated to help individuals in need and restaurants that have been challenged as the result of the coronavirus emergency, is expanding its campaign to include a gofundme page, new partners working to get sponsors and donations, assistance to restaurants wanting to set up gift cards on their websites and organizing two streaming concerts to raise funds.

KindnessMonterey.com is excited to announce that we have partnered with a CSUMB initiative called GetVirtual.org. GetVirtual gives local businesses affected by COVID-19 the tools to adapt to the virtual landscape and extend their businesses online. Their program pairs local businesses, who need help with online tools like gift cards, with college students who are tech savvy and want business experience. It's a win-win. Businesses get help for free and the students get college credit.

KindnessMonterey.org will partner with GetVirtual’s CSU Monterey Bay chapter starting the week of July 20, 2020. Maren Elwood, (co-founder of KindnessMonterey.com), will work with Brad Barbaeu (GetVirtual CSUMB Program Director) and Kenneth Olsen (CSUMB GetVirtual Program Manager) to pull together a team of students who will assist our local restaurants to offer an online gift card option on their website.

Kindness Monterey has teamed up with The American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF), Monterey Bay Chapter (https://www.aiwfmb.org/), which has agreed to be the campaign’s 501(c)3 non-profit fiscal sponsor. Kindness Monterey can now accept donations of $250 or more from corporate sponsors or individuals through their fiscal sponsor — AIWF-Monterey Bay Chapter, and those donating at that level or higher will then be able to get a tax write off. Chef/caterer and cookbook author, Mary Chamberlin, Emeritus Chapter Chair/National Vice Chair of AIWF – Monterey Bay Chapter, has been instrumental in making this happen.

Kindness Monterey has also set up a GoFundMe page at: https://www.Gofundme.com/manage/kindness-monterey. You can also access the page with the “Donate” button on the Kindness Monterey website (kindnessmonterey.com) or Facebook page (facebook.com/kindnessmonterey).

The GoFundMe page was set up primarily for individuals to give smaller donations to help fund the campaign. It will enable the Kindness Monterey team to spread the word about this important program that benefits so many local community members through print advertising and social media. The advertising will urge everyone in the community to go the KindnessMonterey.com website and purchase restaurant gift cards. Please note that any donation under $250 is not tax-deductible.

For individuals or businesses who do not have a specific person in mind and would still like to make a donation to the Kindness Monterey program, these GoFundMe funds will be used to purchase gift cards for the Food Bank For Monterey County, to support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County and other worthy local community members in need.

Kindness Monterey has also teamed up with marketing and PR professional, Wendy Brickman (https://www.brickmanmarketing.com), who will reach out to local businesses and individuals to secure sponsorships to help fund the campaign.

Sponsorships will allow Kindness Monterey to accomplish five important goals:

1. Fund its campaign enabling Kindness Monterey to do widespread marketing through social media, print advertising, Constant Contact and various Chamber of Commerce email blasts.

2. Allow Kindness Monterey to buy restaurant gift cards and distribute them to organizations such as the Food Bank For Monterey County, Chambers of Commerce, small business owners whose companies are being challenged by COVID-19, first responders, musicians, displaced hospitality workers, including those working in the restaurants, field workers, etc.

3. Provide matching funds to offer 2-for-1 deals to generate additional sales for gift card promotions.

4. Allow Kindness Monterey to donate six grab-and-go weekend meals to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County for every $1,000 raised through sponsorships and GoFundMe.

5. Fund the two online Music Care-A-Thon concerts produced by musician and promoter, Kiki Wow, on Aug. 23rd and another date in the fall to be determined, as well as other fundraising events.

Online Care-A-Thon
The first online Music Care-A-Thon concert produced by musician and promoter Kiki Wow will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. This concert will feature nine to 12 local musicians, short video interviews with local restaurant owners, and a call-out to donate to the gofundme campaign. The link to the concert will be available on the website 24 hours after its initial airing as well as their kindness Monterey facebook page.

Musicians confirmed so far include: Alisa Fineman & Kimball, Kenny Stahl & Bob Burnett, Lee Durley, Robert Turner, Dave Holodiloff Trio, Dennis Murphy, Kiki & Wowettes, Hayley Jane, Mira Malcom and Michael Martinez, Richard Bryant & Kyle Kovalik, and Roger Eddy & Bruce Forman. KRML community radio will also be doing interviews during the livestream and on-air.

The concert will be aired on the Kindness Monterey Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kindnessmonterey.

Kindness Monterey will continue to provide as long as there is a need in our community. For more information, go to: info@kindnessmonterey.com, like Kindness Monterey on its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/kindnessmonterey, or call Annee Martin at 831-236-5618; Maren Elwood at 831-238-5503; or Kiki Wow at 831-235-7662. Or, go to the website at: kindnessmonterey.com.

The Kindness Monterey campaign was created by local businesswomen Annee Martin and Maren Elwood, and the website, www.kindnessmonterey.com launched on July 8, 2020.

The pay-it-forward gift card campaign to help Monterey Peninsula restaurants encourages generosity from the community by purchasing these gift cards to give to family, friends, neighbors, musicians, service providers, small business owners, field workers, frontline medical personnel and first responders. Martin believes that not only are you helping restaurants stay alive and letting them know they are loved and supported by their community, but by paying it forward, you are lifting the spirits and hopes of our entire community.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.kindnessmonterey.com

Governor Closes most Schools for Fall, But Goodwill has you Covered for All Back-to-Homeschool items

Goodwill Central Coast believes every child deserves an education in a safe and secure environment.

Salinas, CA, August 03, 2020 - Goodwill Central Coast believes every child deserves an education in a safe and secure environment. No one can predict what a “new normal” looks like, but Goodwill stands by to help its neighbors ease into it.

Now that 33 out of California’s 58 counties — about 90 percent of school children — do not comply with the state’s coronavirus infection benchmarks, most of our children will attend classes at home.

Goodwill’s 16 retail locations and two outlet stores throughout Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties are stocked and ready. One visit will reveal Goodwill to be the perfect “back to home-schooling” headquarters for kids and young adults alike.

Whether you’re supplementing a school’s distance-learning curriculum, or taking on full home-schooling responsibilities, Goodwill has you covered.

From books and media, to paper, notebooks, art supplies and clothing, we can outfit your home school — for less. And every purchase helps Goodwill in its mission to strengthen lives, families and communities by removing barriers to employment through education, training and employment services. And each purchase keeps items out of landfills, helping to protect the environment. Lesson No. 1 on the first day of homeschool!

The time is now to begin stockpiling supplies. You’ll have your most-used homeschool items on hand when you need them, and by purchasing them at a bargain, your homeschool budget won’t take a hit several months into the year due to restocking.

So what can back-to-school shoppers find at Goodwill? In a word — everything. And for every niche, too. Here are some popular items you will find during a socially distanced stroll your local Goodwill store.

● Notebooks and loose-leaf paper: Sure, it’s a digital age, but you can never have enough old-school paper. Writing by hand will never go out of style.
● Art supplies: With numerous departments brimming with possibilities, a creative student can find everything (from paints to crayons to fiber arts) that they need for school projects and hobbies.
● Pencils: Nothing can grow legs and walk off faster than a pencil. Give yourself a fighting chance by stocking up on several packs of your favorite pencils (and pens) at Goodwill.
● Sharpies: Homeschool families use Sharpies for many things during the course of a school year, so stockpile them now.
● Athletic attire and equipment: You need to keep your students moving, and these are always available at great prices at Goodwill.
Storage containers: Teach children of all ages the art of organizing by having storage for everything.
Toddler box items: It’s important to occupy younger kids while the older ones do their school work. Pick up some inexpensive puzzles, play dough, or other appropriate activities and put them in his/her own special box, only available to him at school time.
Books, games and puzzles: Goodwill is great for finding these treasures. You just have to dig around a bit, which is all part of the treasure hunt.
Finally, don’t forget clothing. Remember, fashion is important to kids of any age. Even though they will attend school at home, they still must get dressed in the morning! At Goodwill, students can find just what they need to update their wardrobe without spending a fortune.

Younger kids can grow quickly, so second-hand goods are the perfect way to save money, be prepared, and minimize your family’s environmental impact. Older kids are more aware of trends and brands, and Goodwill has you covered here as well. Dressing for success — for less. What a concept!

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://www.ccgoodwill.org/