Stories and Events
Engaging San Benito County through Philanthropy
December 23, 2022
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Events
Foundation holds ribbon-cutting to celebrate its new home
The Community Foundation for San Benito County held a ribbon-cutting event to commemorate the end of a successful year in its brand-new building. The Epicenter was made possible through the vision and generosity of Randy and Rebecca Wolf. The ribbon-cutting was the Foundation’s means of honoring the Wolfs for having donated the beautiful building and investing in the Foundation’s future. The ceremony was held on December 8 at the Community Foundation Epicenter in conjunction with the Community Foundation’s annual Christmas Party. The event itself was intimate. Because of the peak in recent illnesses, the occasion was kept private with only board members, staff, and a few special guests present. The ribbon-cutting also served as a chance to thank a few past board members that the Foundation was previously unable to formally recognize publicly due to the pandemic. The Foundation gratefully acknowledged the work of its past members Kay Filice and Bob Tiffany who were able to attend. Construction of the Epicenter took about two years, beginning in September 2020 and concluding in late February 2022, and the opening was in March 2022. The building was created in order to establish a permanent home for the Community Foundation. Before the Epicenter, the Foundation had moved three different times. Now, the Foundation has an official, everlasting space and can continue to grow, as well as provide a home for other nonprofits.
December 1, 2022
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Stories
30 Years of Philanthropy
The Community Foundation celebrates 30 Years of Philanthropy!
October 14, 2022
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Events
Women's Fund Financial Workshop Series
According to a 2019 survey by Laurel Road, a national online lending company, the lack of basic financial skills is felt more acutely by women. Only 66% of women reported having an emergency fund versus 82% of men, and women were also twice as likely as men to not have any money saved for retirement. To help provide women with the necessary tools to be in control of their financial well-being, the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation for San Benito County assembled a Financial Health and Well-Being workshop series. This was the second series that the Women’s Fund had done; the first was a successful online event in 2020. This year, a 3-day workshop was completed in person at the Community Foundation Epicenter. All guests were gifted a binder full of informational worksheets, templates, and other resources to follow along with the series and take home. Each day consisted of a different guest speaker passionate about helping women succeed in their financial journey, and covered a new financial topic. Guest speakers and their topics include: • Shannon Wilkinson, CPA, on how to budget, important documents to keep, debt management, and more. • Alexis Winder, Financial Advisor/ Edward Jones. On investing, retirement accounts, and life insurance basics. • Marla Pleyte, Estate Planning Attorney, on estate planning, family trusts, and asset protection for you and your family. Twenty-five women attended the morning or evening sessions of the workshop with a majority reporting the time spent was valuable, and all of whom said they felt the speakers were knowledgeable. The workshop series was highly recommended by all of our participants, many of whom stated it was a “good foundation” and “important information for better planning”. One remark was that it was “very helpful – [the workshop] encouraged us to think about what we have in place.” An additional budgeting-specific workshop taught in Spanish by Laura Garcilazo, CPA, was held at Youth Alliance for 19 people. “Excellent. Very professional, to the point,” “Such good information,” and “I loved the session and would have liked a longer session” are only a few of the many positive comments made about the Spanish workshop. The Women’s Fund made it a goal to provide a safe and supportive place to learn and ask questions to professionals in the financial field and help women forge a solid financial future with the new skills learned to put into practice. Financial health is essential and the information shared should be circulated more widely among women. For this purpose, each of the workshop sessions in English was recorded for anyone interested in still learning the information but didn’t get a chance to attend in person. For more information on the Women’s Fund, email Brenda at [email protected].
October 14, 2022
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Events
Food Insecurity in San Benito County
The Community Foundation for San Benito County hosted an informational meeting to bring awareness to the significant unmet need for food assistance affecting thousands of homes across San Benito County. According to a report on Food Insecurity in San Benito County by UC Santa Cruz’s Blum Center on Poverty, Social Enterprise & Participatory Governance, one in four San Benito County residents may be at risk for a food shortage. The report was written by Blum Center Director Heather Bullock and a team of graduate researchers, David Amaral, Emily Hentschke, and Eva Bertram. Data from 2016-2017 annd 2019-2020 was analyzed using a “food insecurity index” developed by the Blum Center, which at an aggregate level, estimates the number of meals being missed after considering meals purchased and food assistance provided. Leaders of food agencies and elected officials in San Benito County were invited to come together at the Community Foundation Epicenter to listen to the presentation, ask questions, and brainstorm strategies for reducing food insecurity and to start fostering some collaborative efforts. To get a current position on food insecurity impacting county agencies, Bill Lee, Executive Director of Martha’s Kitchen, and Sarah Nordwick, CEO/Executive Director of Community Food Bank of San Benito County, both gave a brief statement of their perspective on present trends in their field. Lee stated that the “demand for food has not gone down” in recent months. Nordwick added that an increase of 50 or more families a week had signed up for services at the Food Bank since January of this year. “This is our community, it’s our county, and none of us could make this better unless we all work together,” she said. The Community Foundation plans to host a follow-up meeting at the start of next year to coordinate action plans to further support nonprofits and agencies that work to combat food insecurity in San Benito County. Click on the link below for a digital copy of the report.
September 27, 2022
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Stories
Community Foundation Awards $276,664 in Grants
In partnership with our donors, the Community Foundation for San Benito County provided funding for Program Project Grants through five different funds held at the Foundation – the Community Engagement Grants Fund, Homeless Services Fund, Martin Rajkovich Children’s Fund, Sonny Paullus Fund and the Women’s Fund. After much discussion and hard work from the Grants Committee, 42 requests were recommended for funding and approved by the Board on September 19, 2022.
September 7, 2022
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Stories
San Benito County Mural Restored after 25 Years
San Benito County Mural Restored after 25 Years
August 8, 2022
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Stories
Over $2 Million Estate Gifted to 7 Local Nonprofits
It is said that time, talent, and financial support are a few ways to help nonprofits. Nonprofits depend on this support from their community in order to survive and continue their work. Bob Stratton is a tremendous example of a community member supporting local nonprofits. With his passing in May of last year, Bob generously donated a portion of his estate, of over $2 million to 7 local nonprofits. This money will be distributed to BenitoLink, Central Coast VNA & Hospice, Inc., Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, Pet Friends, San Benito County Historical Society, Small Steps, and the Community Foundation. For these nonprofits, the funds they will receive are substantial and have a huge impact on their ability to serve their mission. Small Steps Board Member, Mary Hubbell, is deeply grateful for Bob and his generosity, “Bob was a longtime supporter of Small Steps and his passion for giving was inspirational. With this gift, we will be able to continue our mission of providing warm winter coats and shoes for children in need within San Benito County. It has always been our vision to serve as many local children as we can and Bob’s gift will help us well into the future.” Bob, and his wife Bev, were champions of the nonprofit community in San Benito County. Before they moved to Hollister in the early 1980s, they planned their generous gift to be distributed to nonprofits outside of the County. Through the years they observed the dedication and passion of local nonprofits and decided to have their gift stay in San Benito County. Bob’s legacy will live on through his philanthropic work and continue to touch the lives of many in San Benito County for years to come.
July 5, 2022
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Stories
Hope Harvest Fund Grants to Young Cancer Warrior
The Hope Harvest Fund was opened just a year ago at the Community Foundation and the fund has already given out its first grant to a deserving young child and his family. Hope Harvest Fund was established to provide financial assistance to local cancer warriors. Financial assistance can be used for mortgage/rent, utilities, childcare, food, and/or gas. Ezekiel was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (cancer in the retina) when he was only 2 years old. Ezekiel has poor to no vision in his right eye and his specialists have suggested that the eye be removed this summer. His left eye is completely healthy with no cancer detected, which allows him to keep up with his family and friends. He participates in sports and does not let his compromised vision or diagnosis slow him down. He is a happy child who is full of energy and brings a smile to everyone who knows him.
June 29, 2022
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Events
Financial Education Workshop Series
Family wealth transfers sometimes fail, damaging sibling relationships and affecting the impact you want your assets to have. Join us for a seminar to learn about common mistakes to avoid. We will also discuss tools and resources to help aid the family wealth discussion and how to communicate with clarity.
June 20, 2022
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Events
Migrant Health Fair Back again for 2022
This year’s Migrant Health Fair will be on June 24th from 11 AM to 3 PM at 3235 Southside Road, Hollister, CA (at the Migrant Center)! Every year, farmers and their families migrate to the San Benito County area to do seasonal fieldwork during the summer months between May and November. San Benito County provides subsidized housing at the Migrant Housing Center in Hollister to migrant families during their temporary stay. The Migrant Health Fair has been held every summer since 2008 at the Migrant Center to offer the children living there with health screenings from various clinics that come to Hollister. The fair also lets families know of the many services and resources that can be found within Hollister and San Benito County. Early intervention in a child’s physical and mental health prevents and mitigates long-term harm and helps a child to improve themselves and their abilities. The health screenings help to detect health concerns, such as visual impairments or developmental delays, that may be hindering a child’s skills in performing well at school or socializing with their peers. In addition to the health screenings, and access to information on available local resources, there will also be free food and fun activities for children of all ages. The Community Foundation is proud to have provided the Migrant Health Fair with funding through a grant. We support the focus on preventative care that helps those in our community and wish the event lots of success. Those organizing the Migrant Health Fair would like to give a very special thanks to Cathy and Tony Alameda, Tami Erickson and family, Tracy and Thomas Taggart, R & R Labor, Jose Rodriguez, Juan Morales from Amazon Latinos, the Community Foundation for San Benito County, Super Taqueria, La Michoacana, and two anonymous donors. Your generosity has made it possible to put together this event and has been an immense help in bringing all the resources that will be at the fair. Thank you for the work, time, and contributions you have put into assisting us to build up the fair and look after the welfare of our Migrant families. Muchas gracias por todo su ayuda. ¡Esperamos verles este 24 de junio! Trae sus niños y pasen un bien tiempo a la feria de salud de migrantes. Van a tener educación y exámenes de salud, actividades divertidas por los niños, y comida gratis.