Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On Monday, January 20, 2014, as most of the country observed Martin Luther King Day with a day off, our dedicated CalSERVES AmeriCorps members had a Day ON. They participated in giving back to the community - cleaning up parks, planting gardens, and making a difference in the community around the schools where our programs are.

Read more about the activities of the day here in this Press Democrat article.

Making a Difference: Sonoma County

This is the final post in a series of 4 in which we will be highlighting the amazing efforts of CalSERVES Programs in their Make a Difference Day projects. Each project involved a host of AmeriCorps members and volunteers and provided needed services to the communities in which are programs are hosted.

October 26th was Make a Difference Day, and CalSERVES AmeriCorps members throughout Sonoma County enthusiastically joined together to create a change in their local communities. In projects that ranged from renovating school gardens to supporting a local charity, our members volunteered their time, their energy, and their resources.

The morning and early afternoon was busy and productive for all CalSERVES AmeriCorps members, but we weren’t done for the day. Instead, we joined forces with the Santa Rosa YMCA to help support a Halloween carnival that evening, where thirteen of our members from all over the county, welcoming local families to celebrate the holiday in a safe and fun way.

Some members manned the haunted house, where they could scare gigging children, or helped set up squishy spaghetti guts, gooey grape eyeballs, or spooky skeletons. Some kept a close eye on the silliness that was flying off the walls, ceiling, and floor of the bouncy house. Others designed bright and colorful posters, or artfully organized and restocked a crafts table. Even more spent the evening helping the multitude of game booths, setting them up so families could knock ‘em down! Our members were invited to dress up while volunteering, but in an embarrassing coincidence, they all wore the same costume: an eager and committed AmeriCorps member. Next year we’ll have to make sure we coordinate our costumes more efficiently!

 Two weeks later, Bellevue Elementary got to have a slightly delayed Make a Difference Day! Team Leader Vicente Sosa said:

Make a Difference Day at Bellevue was by far one of the most successful and rewarding experiences I have ever encountered in my service with CalSERVES. The most inspiring aspect of Beautify Bellevue was having Bellevue teachers and staff, along with Stony Point Academy Students, join our vision. One of the other CalSERVES sites, Kawana Elementary, even came to pitch in! We worked in sync and attacked every part of our school site in teams, from painting murals and repainting playground guidelines to weeding and planting our garden. The laughs, smiles and hearts of our community came together on Saturday, November 9th to help our school site.

 We would like to thank a few organizations and individuals that donated to helping us succeed on our many Make a Difference Day projects: Sherwin-Williams, Kelly Moore, Café des Croissants, Cavalier Bakery, and Clara Crews. It takes a whole community to make a difference, and we're grateful to have joined them in that effort.

By Elizabeth Sheffer, Sonoma County AmeriCorps Regional Leader

CalSERVES Makes a Difference: Taylor Mountain

This is the third post in a series of 4 in which we will be highlighting the amazing efforts of CalSERVES Programs in their Make a Difference Day projects. Each project involved a host of AmeriCorps members and volunteers and provided needed services to the communities in which are programs are hosted.

With only a small team on Make a Difference Day, Taylor Mountain had the challenge of accomplishing some big projects! We all worked really hard together and had great communication and spirit. We never lost sight of our goal that day, to get the garden ready for new planting. We worked while laughing, talking and sometimes just quietly getting the job done. We took out most of the weeds that were around our classrooms, as well as pruning the rose bush that the principal had requested. Because of the much-needed trim, we found a fire hydrant and memorial plaque!

 
We also cleared all of the unruly plants and bushes that were growing next to our classroom and the back area near our shed. This area was so out of control that we accumulated ten whole garbage bags of weeds and overgrown plants! The garden area was shaped up and cleared, making way for the plants and harvest. In the end, Taylor Mountain looked more presentable and clean. A couple teachers who were working in their classrooms encouraged us as we were working; it was really nice to hear. We ended the day proud of the work that we accomplished, and left with a tired but happy attitude –we knew that we made a difference that day.

By Yesenia Garcia,  Taylor Mountain AmeriCorps Team Leader

CalSERVES Makes a Difference:

This is the second post in a series of 4 in which we will be highlighting the amazing efforts of CalSERVES Programs in their Make a Difference Day projects. Each project involved a host of AmeriCorps members and volunteers and provided needed services to the communities in which are programs are hosted.

As the sun rose over sleepy Wright Charter School, it found AmeriCorps members rising too- to the occasion that is! They stood shivering in their sweatshirts and coffee mugs staring over a patch – nay, a boundless field – of weeds that needed to be disposed of. It wouldn’t be an easy job, nor a clean one, but the members knew it was up to them to do it…for America.

Fueled on by the inspiring lyrics of TLC and the Spice girls, the sun watched as KC Balagey, Rebecca Stewart, Augustine Stav, Emily Thiebold, and Megan Waring battled against the weeds that threatened the beauty of their beloved tutoring site. Their fearless leader, Taylor Ford, fought through a torn ACL to weed, rake, and hoe alongside them. Throughout the day, AmeriCorps Leads, Elizabeth Sheffer and Chris Rogers, stopped by to journalize the event. When their arms began to feel weak and no one wanted to see another dandelion again, CalSERVES Counselor, Clare McGuire, joined them-working her hands to shreds. Lauren Loeffler, Site Supervisor of Kawana, appeared picking up her own shovel. Alongside her was Wally, the faithful dog, who lifted everyone’s morale to continue the grueling work of beautifying a forgotten plot.

The hero of the day would have to be Auggie Stav, who worked tirelessly to clear more then his share of stubborn weeds. His hard work and dedication to the project was extremely appreciated and it is doubtful it would have been half as successful without him. 

At the end of the day of service, everyone was sweaty, covered in dirt, and sore. However, twelve wheelbarrows full of weeds had been exported to compost piles. The place looked tidier, healthier, and significantly emptier- ready for new seedlings to grow.

 
The day was an overall success with the only causalities being exhaustion and slight sunburn. Wright (and America) was left having taken a slight step forward to becoming their best selves and making a difference for this school on this day.

Also, we saw a mouse.

By Megan Waring, Wright Charter AmeriCorps Team Leader

Volunteer Success with AmeriCorps

A team of CalSERVES AmeriCorps members from across the After School, VIP, and CalPREP programs teamed up on Make A Difference Day, and partook in an eagerly anticipated milestone for one of our local nonprofit partners.

 On this day, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa held the grand opening of ReStyle Marketplace, a new thrift store. ReStyle Marketplace is Catholic Charities’ first-ever social enterprise, and is run almost entirely by volunteers. All revenue made from the store will directly pour into all of Catholic Charities programs, from feeding the hungry to caring for the homeless and more. Customers can shop, knowing whatever money they spent, would directly go to help those who are in need.

The AmeriCorps members each helped to ensure this event was a success. Members helped in all aspects of the event, from helping organize volunteers, to helping store customers, to outreaching to the community, and even leading the Hub Bub Club (a live band!) throughout local shops and the event. The parking lot overflowed with vehicles, the store’s lines went out the doors, and customers were nearly shoulder to shoulder outside and inside of the store.

Our AmeriCorps members worked hard while being animated and focused. Over 1300 people stepped into ReStyle Marketplace that day. But let’s push the numbers aside for a bit. THE most important success of this day was that AmeriCorps members helped implement Catholic Charities’ vision of the store by exemplifying to over 1300 people that a group of volunteers, regardless of backgrounds or ages, can get together and work purely for the success of a good cause.

By Shemea Hammond,
AmeriCorps VIP Fellow at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa

2013 Cesar Chavez Heatlh Fair a Success!

AmeriCorps members get in the spirit of health!

On Saturday, April 6, AmeriCorps members gathered early in the morning to prepare for the 13th Annual Cesar Chavez Health Fair. 70 AmeriCorps members serving with the CalSERVES programs were there to help families access help and resources for dental health and nutrition, and to help families have a good time.

Partnering with organizations in the community like First 5 Sonoma County, St. Joseph's Health Care System of Sonoma County, Kaiser Permanente, and many others, CalSERVES created a family event where kids could receive free dental exams, families could sample healthy recipes and learn about resources in the community, and kids could play and have a fun time with physical activities.

Over 500 people in the community came down to celebrate with us. And those amazing AmeriCorps members made a big project run smoothly. When AmeriCorps members come together, there isn't anything they can't get done!

Volunteer dentists provided free exams for kids.

2013 Cesar Chavez Health Fair

Join us at the Cesar Chavez Health Fair!
Saturday, April 6, 2013 10am - 2pm
Cook Middle School, 2480 Sebastopol Rd. in Santa Rosa 

It's Springtime, and at CalSERVES that means we're gearing up for the annual Cesar Chavez Health Fair. We've been hosting the Health Fair every year since 2000, and there is a lot of time and energy poured into this event by our dedicated staff and AmeriCorps members!

In 2000, California declared March 31st as Cesar Chavez Day, and AmeriCorps programs throughout the state were invited to create a day of service around this new holiday. Chavez was known for his championing of those that are under-served, and so the folks at CalSERVES decided one of the best ways to honor him would be to bring health services to those who needed it the most.

This year, our event is focused on Dental Health and Nutrition. Tooth decay is the #1 childhood disease, 4 times more common than asthma. And many children don't have insurance and access to dental care. With a partnership with St. Joseph's Health Care System of Sonoma County, our fair will provide screenings and treatments for children ages 0-18, including follow up care where needed.

In addition to vising the dentist, families at our fair can learn how nutrition plays a role in healthy teeth and healthy bodies, accessing information from organizations throughout the county.

All services are offered free of charge, and the event includes free samples of healthy snacks and drinks, fun and games for children, and much more!

Join us at the Fair!
Saturday, April 6, 2013 10am - 2pm
Cook Middle School, 2480 Sebastopol Rd. in Santa Rosa

For more information, please visit the CalSERVES website: www.calserves.org

A big THANK YOU to the sponsors of the Cesar Chavez Health Fair!
First 5 Sonoma County
St. Joseph's Health Care System of Sonoma County
Network for a Healthy California

by Emily Mann, Health Fair Coordinator

Martin Luther King Jr. Day On, Not Off 2013

 “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What Are You Doing for Others?’”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

On Monday morning, AmeriCorps members all gathered in the main building of Catholic Charities. Everyone was eager to get to work due to the amount of work that needed to be done. With the sun brightly shining, the members got right to work on a variety of projects that were all physically demanding.

There were a lot of members who worked on cleaning up the community garden, which meant there was lots of pulling of weeds from the garden beds, shoveling up weeds from the ground, and raking out the extra leaves. Other members were hard at work cutting down rose bushes and cleaning up the excess amount of shrubs around the buildings.

Another group of members cleaned out the front area of the drop-in building, which is very busy throughout the week. A few members also helped out inside the buildings by answering phones, cleaning, and making sandwiches for the residents. AmeriCorps member Lavonne Toso said of her experience: "I really enjoyed talking to the different people that were living there or using the resources given by Catholic Charities."

 Other members moved furniture out of rooms so that they could be painted. The work didn’t just stop at Catholic Charities because there was another group who went to Julliard Park to landscape, plant, and cleanup the area. AmeriCorps member Alex Rowan said of the work at Julliard Park: "From weeding to planting ferns around the park, we all felt great getting our hands dirty and giving back to the community."

 During this rewarding time of service, there were smiles, laughter, and joyous conversations happening everywhere. The CalSERVES AmeriCorps team really came together to get things done for America and to follow through with the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. AmeriCorps member Ashley Schalich noted: "I really enjoyed seeing how much our group accomplished in such a short amount of time - everyone worked together to make a noticeable, significant change for our local community."

 Working together for a greater cause is not unusual for this team and after seeing the difference that their services provided on this day, it’s clear that these members continually serve their community straight from their heart.

 Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” 

by Sandra Hwang, CalSERVES AmeriCorps Leader

A Day On, Not a Day Off for CalSERVES

On January 21,2013, CalSERVES will be partnering with Catholic Charities and the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County to provide service for the community.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and
should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

With Dr. King’s words in mind, AmeriCorps members will be assisting several projects including:

• Painting the dining room, scrubbing and reorganizing the kitchen, creating intake packets, shredding items, and garden maintenance at the family support center; 
• Providing landscaping work for Julliard Park and Catholic Charities’ complex; 
• Clearing bushes, weeds, and cigarette butts at a homeless service center.

For this group of dedicated AmeriCorps members, it will truly be a
Martin Luther King Day On, Not a Day Off.

Make a Difference Day Part 3: RL Stevens and Wright Schools

Make a Difference Day, October 27th, 2012, saw some amazing projects around the CalSERVES school sites as AmeriCorps members joined together to provide a day of service. What follows is the third post in series of 3 outlining the projects competed by CalSERVES AmeriCorps members. Each post is written by a Team Leader who worked on that specific project.

In my twenty-four years, I have been lucky enough to travel. I've seen the world. Indeed only a tiny fraction, but I've toured Europe, hitting the highlights: Italy, France, Switzerland, Ireland, etc... And let's not forget that for the past two years, I have been hiding from my frosty Minnesota home in Sunny California, which is where this story takes place.

As I mentioned, I've seen the world. Most importantly for this blog, I have become cultured in those countries: Donatello, Rafael, and Leonardo are more than just Ninja Turtles. They are brilliant artists. And I have seen work from each of them. After Make a Difference Day though, the Renaissance has nothing on Wright Charter or RL Stevens.

The Wright District Dream Team was together at Wright Charter School to work on a beautification project. We had the lofty goal of repainting benches, weeding out the garden, adding a map of the USA onto the blacktop, and oh yeah, painting a mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in our main hall.

AmeriCorps member David Ortiz puts on the finishing touches of the newly painted benches in front of the school.

When the ideas were conceived I knew how necessary it was to spruce up our old school, but I didn't know how realistic the goal was. Were a handful of AmeriCorps members going to have the capacity or, not to mention the resources to pull this off?

What we didn't consider is that we work with some of the most thoughtful, caring, engaged, and responsible kids, teachers, parents, and staff in the world. That is, several students, a handful of teachers, and representatives from Wright's PTC all showed up to shine up our old classrooms. Last, with a generous donation from Kelly Moore Paint, we made our goals a reality.

Students at Wright came out to help with projects at their school.

 No cartographer could have stenciled the United States like the RL Stevens team did. Our newly weeded garden is practically Zen-like now that our middle schoolers tore into it. 15 hours later, a cadre of CalSERVians, 2 Wright Mentor Teachers, and of course a dozen of our finest 7th and 8th grade artists immortalized Ellen Nanni's rendering of MLK.

AmeriCorps members were working hard on tracing out the 50 states and painting them in.

Like I said, in my short twenty-four years, I've seen a few things. I've been around. But it wasn't until this Saturday that I've witnessed a community come together more seamlessly than this one did. The school, especially the mural, is, thanks to hard work, and most importantly, extra hands a masterpiece. I'll even go out on a limb and say that Wright is on its way to becoming the new Sistine Chapel. Eat your heart out, Michelangelo!

Classroom Leader at Wright, Ellen Nanni, puts the finishing touches on the MLK Jr. mural.

-By: Lauren Loeffler, Team Leader at Wright Charter

Make a Difference Day Part 2: Kawana, Taylor Mountain, and Meadow View Schools

Make a Difference Day, October 27th, 2012, saw some amazing projects around the CalSERVES school sites as AmeriCorps members joined together to provide a day of service. What follows is the second post in series of 3 outlining the projects competed by CalSERVES AmeriCorps members. Each post is written by a Team Leader who worked on that specific project.

There were three different projects that were completed at Kawana Elementary School. AmeriCorps members and volunteers broke up into different groups to complete a given task. Based on the different project, one could immediately see the various talents of the group.

The first project was to turn the boring, grey-colored “Wall Ball” courts into something more dynamic and visually stimulating. Unfortunately, Kawana has been plagued with graffiti and “tagging”, so emphasis was placed on painting images that could be easily fixed, if such an event were to occur. This project attracted the more creative, artistically gifted.

Classroom Leader at Taylor Mountain, Crystal Ruiz, shows off her artistic skills by painting abstract art
on the wallball walls at Kawana.

The second project was the construction of a tire obstacle course, such as might be seen on a football field. This project involved laying mulch for a solid foundation, drilling holes into each tire, bolting them together and painting the tires. This project was an attraction for those more skilled at construction, and also unafraid of manual labor. Shoveling mulch in the sun is no easy task!

AmeriCorps members from Kawana and MeadowView Elementary take some time from painting the
obstacle course to flash the camera a pretty smile!

 The last project was perhaps the least savory: removing invasive, prickly, Himalayan Blackberry bushes from the Kawana garden. For the task, we were given heavy-duty gloves, loppers, trimmers and shovels, in an effort to eradicate the thorny nuisance. This project was an attraction for all of the gardeners, and similar to the construction crew, individuals not afraid of a little manual labor.

AmeriCorps members stand with pride behind the immense amount of blackberry bushes they tackled.

Although the weather was perhaps a little warm, it was nevertheless a wonderful day to be outside and serve the community. Nearly everyone agreed that the time flew by rather quickly. One of the supervisors of the project, Kristen Mowers, noted how “This is a project where everyone worked the entire time!” The work was very rewarding and the results were stunning. This project is yet another testament to the positive and beneficial works undertaken by CalSERVES and AmeriCorps members in the Santa Rosa and Sonoma County community.

By: NightSnow Vogt, Team Leader at Meadow View Elementary

Make a Difference Day Part 1: Bellevue School

Make a Difference Day, October 27th, 2012, saw some amazing projects around the CalSERVES school sites as AmeriCorps members joined together to provide a day of service. What follows is the first post in series of 3 outlining the projects competed by CalSERVES AmeriCorps members. Each post is written by a Team Leader who worked on that specific project.

I consider Bellevue to be my home away from home and getting the opportunity to add some color and zest to it definitely sparked my interest. This being my second Make a Difference Day, my first being last year, I had high expectations for yet another exciting, fun, energetic, and rewarding service day, and let me tell you something... I was not disappointed!

 I had such an amazing day at Bellevue and was lucky to be able to work with such a diverse group of people. We had the honor of having Community Action Partnership (CAP) AmeriCorps members come to Bellevue to experience what it's like to be a BV Bulldog and we were to excited to have had both our Literacy content leader, Jacky, and our STEM content leader, Katie here as support! It was amazing to look around our school site to see all the members elbow deep in paint, tape stuck everywhere from their backs, sneakers, elbows, etc, and every person had a huge smile on their face.

Caption: Ms. C, the 1st grade Classroom Leader at Bellevue, focuses as she paints the boundaries for recess lines.

With the faint sound of 90's pop in the background, each member was divided into four projects: painting a map of the United States, creating new lines as boundaries for recess, creating and painting a mural for the wall ball courts, and adding classroom numbers on the blacktop for fire drills. Everyone took the projects head on and went right to work! I checked in with each project and there was nothing but the exchanging of smiles and boisterous laughs heard through out the Bellevue Elementary campus.

Laura Sanchez, AmeriCorps member at South Park Community Center, works hard in the sun to help beautify Bellevue.

 I found myself grinning from ear to ear while looking around at everyone giving back to Bellevue and realizing that each and every single member really is making a difference, whether they realize it or not. I am so excited that our Make A Difference Day went off without a hitch and the most rewarding part of the day was coming into school Monday morning and seeing the kids playing games on the newly painted United States and practicing with their classmates lining up at their classroom number painted on the blacktop. I think I can speak for all of the people that were here at Bellevue that we really made a difference at Bellevue on Saturday!

Team Leader at Bellevue, Sara Craige, does her best to paint in the east coast states.

By: Sara Craige, Team Leader at Bellevue Elementary

Getting Geared up for Make a Difference Day

 After a successful day Bellevue team takes a moment to document and capture the day.

 With the help of CalSERVES's Classroom Leaders, AmeriCorps Service Scholars and staff, students and families at Bellevue Elementary are getting ready to make a difference on October, 27th. For the past several days, CalSERVES Classroom Leaders and AmeriCorps Service Scholars have been working together to promote this important day and make a positive impact at our school site! Last Friday, all the students in our After School Program got together outside of our school black-top to create and decorate more than 30 colorful posters!

 These are the supplies that were set-up for all the students to get creative!

Bellevue 3rd grade students work together as a team as they follow the four Tribe agreements.

Our 5th and 6th grade students are adding finishing touches.  As  part of their "COOL School Student Council" commitment, they've been working hard to promote this day during regular school hours.

From kindergarten to 6th grade, all of the students in our After School Program at Bellevue have worked together to make this year's "Make A Difference Day", on October 27th, the best service day that students and families from Bellevue have ever seen and attended! Our AmeriCorps volunteers, alumni, Classroom Leaders, staff, students and parents will be working on beautifying Bellevue's playground structure, re-painting recess border lines, and painting four mini murals on wall-balls. There is no doubt that the students and CalSERVES staff from Bellevue Elementary are dedicated to making a positive difference in several weeks!!!

 Our Kinder class takes a pose for the camera.

Ms. G. our 4th grade Classroom Leaders engages with her students as they finish up their
Make A Difference Day posters.

Human Race Follow Up

Consider this blog post an off-brand Hallmark thank you card. It’s a “we appreciate you,” a “we value you,” a “we-couldn’t-do-this-without-you” kind of card to each CalSERVES mentor and staff member who spent the past two months raising money for our 1,500+ students involved in the CalSERVES after-school program. More importantly, this little paragraph is a GIGANTIC nod to the generous donors who shelled out dough that will keep our kids’ noses in books instead of in trouble over the summer.

As of Monday, May 7 CalSERVES has received donations from over 700 people and has raised nearly $19,000. These numbers are remarkable considering that, in an economy bleaker than it has been in decades, we have not only met, but we have exceeded our goal of $15,000! CalSERVES has not seen this kind of success in a couple years. These numbers are humbling. What was an even bigger reality check, though, was the walk itself.

As someone who has never participated in the Sonoma County Human Race, I remained blissfully in my CalSERVES bubble. Before Saturday, my only concern was my kids at my school. Sure, I considered that since the Human Race is the largest fundraising event for Sonoma County non-profits that several other groups—maybe even several dozen more groups—from the area would drop by this event. What I saw upon arrival at the walk, however, jolted me from my 7a.m. stupor. Floods of people gathered on Sonoma Avenue in Santa Rosa, each showing support for the organizations that do so much for this northern California community. 

In true CalSERVES form, members elevated the energy by arriving in themed costumes specific to their sites. Bellevue represented the “nerd” population proudly, Kawana looked colorful in their shorts and tube socks, Wright personified #thefarm with plaid shirts and farmer hats, Meadow View kept it cool in their dark shades, Taylor Mountain and R.L. were ready to run! The office? Well, eat your heart out, Olivia Newton-John. They rocked 80s off-the-shoulder shirts and leg warmers. Each site came with its own motivation. Where did we find it at such an early hour? It wasn’t from a tall cup of coffee or a bowl of Special K cereal. It was from the notion that in only three kilometers we, and those who contributed, could change the lives of thousands of families.

Again, thank you to all who have participated in and donated to the Human Race. 

Lauren Loeffler

Wright Charter VIP

To view pictures from the Human Race, please visit here.

Global Youth Service Day 2012

This past Saturday, Meadow View teamed up to tackle trash in sunny Spring Lake Park in honor of Global Youth Service Day. Everyone was excited to be off-site and doing something different for the day, especially in a location as beautiful as Spring Lake. We knew the weather would be sunny and hot, a welcome change after what seemed like eons of cold and rain. As it turns out, picking up trash is quite the entertaining task, especially when your teammates are as hilarious as the mentors and TL’s at Meadow View. There were definitely a lot of jokes and a lot of laughter to be had which made the day seem like nothing more than a walk in the park, literally.

Spring Lake is actually a very clean space compared to other heavily-trafficked parks in Santa Rosa. We all felt that although this made our job quite simple, the park-goers who put their trash into one of the park’s multiple trash cans deserve some major kudos for taking care of the environment. Even though there wasn’t a ton of trash, we still got a lot accomplished and walked about three miles in the sun. Nobody minded the heat, though, we were all just happy to be out of the house and getting some exercise on such a lovely day. Everyone enjoyed seeing the other groups who dedicated their Saturday to making a difference such as the March of Dimers and the Boy Scouts. Many park-goers thanked us for what were doing. It really felt like we were all in it together, and that even though had our weekends to be getting to, the day turned out to be productive and a great team-building experience for all who attended.  

2012 Cesar Chavez Health Fair

Tomorrow is our annual Cesar Chavez Health Fair. It will be amazing, so come on down and join us!

Meadow View Elementary School

2665 Dutton Meadow Ave, Santa Rosa, CA. 95407

Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 10am - 2pm

The day will be filled with entertainment, games and activities for the whole family, free food, and many services offered to the community free of charge. These services include:

• Free Dental Screenings for Children
• Blood Pressure Checks
• Blood Sugar Checks
• Cholesterol Screenings
• HIV Testing
• Personal Health Records
• Body Mass Index Screenings and Referrals
• Opportunities to ask Doctor's your Health Questions
• Over 5,000 pounds of free food donated by the Redwood Food Bank
• Free Healthy Snacks
• Free Hair Cuts 
• Over 60 organizations with information about services in the area
• Bike Rodeo for kids, including safety checks and helmets

Day On, Not a Day Off at VOICES!

Getting things done! 

Wright Charter spent their Martin Luther King Day working with the organization, VOICES. VOICES provides support for youth coming out the foster care system. They are involved with other organizations in the Sonoma area and are a stellar example of how much we can accomplish when we come together as a community to help our fellow community members. VOICES helps teens and young adults get on their feet through their in and out of house resources as well as having a warm, loving environment to which they can come.

Time to Move.

VOICES decided to move from their original location on College Avenue to a building just two blocks down on Mendocino Avenue! The new building has significantly more space to better accommodate all who come through their doors. In order to make this transition smoother, CalSERVES AmeriCorps members from Wright Charter and CalSERVES staff members were there to help on moving day! Everywhere you looked there were people packing, cleaning, fixing up rooms, moving furniture and overall just getting things done! Both VOICES locations were well staffed and made big moves!

Home Depot Volunteers

 Everyone did a fantastic job and helped VOICES transfer their workplace in one go! A special thank you to the volunteers from Home Depot that came and made beautiful planter boxes for the new VOICES building. There is nothing more satisfying than coming together as a community to support local organizations and our specialty – helping youth!

By Jenna Rafalow, AmeriCorps Team Leader at Wright Charter