[Photo left to right: Carla Taylor & Feeve Wells -Technical Support; Chanterria McGilbra, Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals;  and Charlotte Kobayashi, CVI]

This event, “Enlighten”,  was held in honor of Women’s History Month on March 21^st, 2015 in Marin County, California, where 50 women and 50 young women of high school age, gathered to discuss potential career paths and to network with experienced female professionals.

Felecia Gaston, Executive Director of Performing Stars, an enrichment program for low-income, multicultural children in Marin County, was the primary organizer. [The Performing Stars group were the recipients of the 40 bicycles Corporate Visions donated at CVI January 2015 Napa Kick-Off and at the February 14^th Valentine’s Day in Marin City.]

The young women sat at round tables having lunch with their experienced mentors and listened to stories, poems, and music that focused on the importance of empowering young women to succeed in their personal lives as well as in work.

One of the three keynote panelist was Samantha Ealy, Human Resources Technical Coordinator for Google. She said the pathways to success includes education and the process of discovering your interest.  Three points Ealy emphasized that worked for her to become the best professional in the workforce is to learn from making mistakes – don’t be afraid to make them, follow your passion, and have a network of advisors.

“Your passion should keep you up at night. Start noticing what you spend all your time thinking about,” Ealy said. “We want to help you figure out what’s going to be best for you.”

For keynote speaker Nina Dace, an engineer with Parker Hannifin Corporation’s Veriflo Division in Richmond, California said, “It took time to figure out what career she wanted to pursue.”

“It’s really important to know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at,” Dace said.

After receiving a degree in chemical and bio-molecular engineering, she had a handful of internships and jobs she hated. Dace finally found a job that gives her the ability to be innovative.

“I’m doing everything that I want to be doing,” Dace said. “Stay the course when it gets tough.”

A few other speakers included, KGO-TV news anchor Cheryl Jennings; senior private equity fund manager Joyce Johnson-Miller; and actress Marjorie Crump-Shears, who read the poem “Hey, Black Child” by African American poet Countee Cullen; Deborah Santana, author, philanthropist, advocate for peace and justice; and Chanterria McGilbra of Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals, as the Mistress of Ceremony

For further details, see article in Marin Independent Journal:

http://www.marinij.com/general-news/20150321/marin-city-event-matches-girls-with-women-career-mentors

[By Charlotte Kobayashi]

On March 12th, three staff members from the Larkspur Corporate Visions’ office volunteered at Bayside Martin Luther King cafeteria once again.  This second team, Preston Kawaguchi, Francisco Ramirez and Charlotte Kobayashi,  helped serve fresh fruit [chopped kiwi and strawberries], fresh salad greens topped with steamed broccoli, pasta with hamburger and special sauce,  garlic bread, and milk.  The meals are freshly prepared [no packaged produce] for students from pre-school through 8th grade.

[Above: Francisco in kitchen with Chef Shaun and Greg]

[Above: Preston preparing parsley]

 

[Above: Lunch served for younger elementary children.]

 

[Above: Lunch served for upper grades and middle school.]

Chef Shaun was very impressed with how efficiently the CVI team worked and would welcome our services again anytime!

And, we witnessed a few of the bikes we gave away at the Napa Kick-Off and the February 14th Valentines Day event, parked at the entry way of the school. See photo below:

[By Charlotte Kobayashi]

 

LUNAFest was established in 2000 by LUNA, makers of the whole nutrition bar for women. This unique film festival includes eight short films by women filmmakers. Incredibly diverse in style and content, LUNAFEST is united by a common thread of exceptional storytelling – by, for and about women.

Nicci and Jim Hammerel attended this event on March 7, 2015, at the Olympic Village in Squaw Valley.  Nicci received the cool hat she is wearing in photo above, after sponsoring a girl for the program.  It was a successful night for everyone!

For more information, please check out their website:

http://www.girlsontherunsierras.org/get-involved/lunafest

{Nicci Hammerel]

On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, Diane Frate and Lisa Slen, [photo above- left to right], spent the morning volunteering at Person2Person in Darien, CT. Their time was devoted to sorting through bags and bins of clothing donated from area families/businesses.

 Once the items were separated by size/gender, they were hung and placed in the proper area for easy access. Worn clothing was placed in bins that are sent to third world countries. Every item that comes to P2P is used, nothing is wasted.

Lisa and Diane had the opportunity to see how the operation is run first hand.  Four clients at a time are allowed in to shop for their families.  They are allotted 30 minutes. The volunteers keep track of the time and announce when their time is up for the next group. Items that go very quickly are the children’s clothing, blankets, and household supplies. 

In 2014, through the generosity of all who made a contribution of time or treasure – more than 1,600 individuals, businesses, foundations, schools, congregations and community organizations – they were able to provide financial assistance, food, clothing and housing assistance to 23,888 men, women. In addition, 50,731 bags of free clothing were provided to 12,819 people in the surrounding communities.

 Lisa and Diane were a part of this amazing shift and impactful contribution by many others in the community. They also made new friends and worked side-by-side with volunteers who devoted their time for 20 years! Both enjoyed volunteering and upon leaving were asked “Will you be back next Wednesday”?  They both plan on returning in the very near future.

[By Diane Frate]

On Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Francisco Ramirez and his lovely wife, Yesenia, volunteered to cook for the homeless at Stone Soup Kitchen in Novato, California [20 minutes north of CVI Larkspur Office].

Our menu consisted of Italian meatloaf, baked vegetables, kale greens cooked in a broth and Bundt cakes!

 

 

Francisco and Yesenia started off with the task of chopping many onions and helping in chopping / dicing garlic for all the needed cooking. Francisco then moved to searing the vegetables, while Yesenia helped on the baking side making Bundt cakes.

They both had a great time cooking up this home-cooked meal with other volunteers. They also had a chance to taste the dishes and were pleased to know that the meals prepared will be served to those in need.
[By Francisco Ramirez]

The Hula Group, called Hula Mai, in Sonoma led by Betty Ann Bruno, former Channel 2 news anchor woman, hosted a Sonoma Kanikapila [ukulele jamming and hula dancing] in the heart of downtown Sonoma on Saturday, February 28th.

Meghan Peddicord , who lives in Sonoma, saw it advertised in their local paper and came to join Charlotte Kobayashi to sing and play a few ukulele chords [C, F, G7, A7, G, EM] by simply watching and just giving it her all! We shook the roof and large balls of hail came crashing down mid-stream of the jam-session for at least five minutes! [Obviously loved our singing/playing]

Songs included Buckets of Rain, Koke’e, Blue Hawaii, Ulupalakua, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Hanalei Moon, Na maka Eha, Noho Pai Pai, Somewhere Over the Rainbow [Izzie style], Hawaii Aloha and many more. The place was jam packed and the fire marshalls had to turn several people away due to fire code regulations.

[By Charlotte Kobayashi]

In 2003, staff from Conscious Kitchen approached schools in the county with the idea of providing pure, yet kid friendly meals at lunchtime. Today, they are happy to provide hot organic school lunch options to 1,300 kids a day at 14 schools in Marin County, CA. (nine private and five public).
Good Earth makes kid-friendly foods from scratch each day, and avoids using individual packaging – instead, they use stainless steel serving pans. Four of the schools currently receiving this service have achieved zero lunch waste – that is 94% diversion from landfill.

Bayside Martin Luther King School [where we gave bikes/helmets away to 40 children]
In the Fall of 2013, Good Earth helped to launch “The Conscious Kitchen”; a project of Teens Turning Green, transforming the lunches offered to children at Bayside Martin Luther King School, in Marin City. The Marin City Schools, like many schools, had been heating and serving pre-packaged food in throw away containers to students (95% on free and reduced meals).

The Conscious Kitchen, a fresh, local, organic seasonal, sustainable and non-GMO school food program, is now on the campus of Bayside Martin Luther King Jr. School in Marin City. They are serving healthy, hot, organic school lunches to a 120 students. [See lunches in photo]

[Lexin Chen and Charlotte Kobayashi taking a break from serving food] ]\

It is their hope that the success of this project will continue and bring awareness to other schools in this county as well as to other school districts in other counties.
[By Charlotte Kobayashi]

I love wine, chocolate, building websites and doing some good. That’s why I feel so blessed to have been asked to to build the website for the David and Nancy Presti Foundation’s annual charity event, Taste For Life.

This event, in honor of David Presti, combines David’s passion for enjoying great wine shared with loved ones and giving back to the community. Guests will enjoy wine and craft beer tastings, delicious paired foods, fine artisan chocolates, live entertainment, raffles and a silent auction. If you’re planning to be in the Doylestown, PA area on April 12, 2015, I hope you’ll consider getting a ticket to attend this special day at the beautiful Aldie Mansion.

All proceeds are donated to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s, Abramson Cancer Center. The donation will fund a specific research program titled, 2-PREVENT Translational Center for Excellence, a research program dedicated to finding ways to prevent breast cancer recurrence.

To check out the new site or learn more about the event visit http://www.davidtasteforlife.org/
[By Jen Smith]

[Photo: left to right -Felecia Gaston, Executive Director of Performing Stars of Marin; Joe Terry, Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Visions; Marin County Sheriff Lt. Scott Anderson; and Lewis Jordan, Marin Housing Authority]

 

This story began in Napa, on January 28, 2015 when Robyn Bartkowski, Project Manager of Turning Wheels asked us to work in teams of 3, to create 40 teams to assemble the bicycles. First was a scavenger hunt of a 100 items to qualify receiving a tool kit to put the bikes together. Many of us had never put a bike together which made it an interesting adventure. In less than an hour, the teams put 40 bikes together.

Forty boxes of bicycles to be assembled by 40 teams:

Here is one team, clockwise: Steve Harris, Michelina Jones and Lisa Cummings, wracking their brains, arms, hands, fingers and collaborating to build the bikes:

Later in the afternoon, at 4 pm, we were asked to gather in the main courtyard of the hotel to wait for a visitor – we speculated it would be a motivational guest speaker. We waited, waited and waited.

Joe Terry, looking at his watch saying, “Almost here – just a few more minutes.”

Finally, a group of 9 children, ages 9-10 year old, walked into the courtyard with their leader, Felecia Gaston, Executive Director for Performing Stars of Marin. These 9 children were from Bayside Martin Luther King School of Marin City. They were selected to represent all the other 31 children who would be receiving bikes and helmets based on good conduct, good achievement and a letter each one had written explaining why he or she deserved to receive a bike.

[See photo below of the 125 CVI staff, Turning Wheels of San Jose, Shelley Walker, Event Planner, and 9 proud happy students from Bayside Martin Luther King school.]

What about the remaining 30 bicycles? February 14, 2015 was another huge day. The remaining bicycles and helmets were given out at Bayside Martin Luther King School in Marin City where Joe Terry, CEO of Corporate Visions, Lynn Zambrano, and Charlotte Kobayashi attended. Additionally, the Principal of the MLK, Jonnette Newton, Marin County Sheriff, the Marin Housing Authority, Robyn Bartkowski, from Turning Wheels, and parents with their children came to receive bikes, helmets, locks plus, safety training.

Let the photos tell the rest of the story…

Helmets must be fastened!

Bike Safety training…

It takes more than a village; it takes communities united in purpose and vision. Thank you to everyone who took part in making this happen!

Sponsors:

[By Charlotte Kobayashi]

Melissa Hereford and her 10 year old Simon volunteered at the Mill Street Center on February 11, 2015 in San Rafael, serving a homemade meal. The Mill Street Center is one of two shelter programs run by Homeward Bound of Marin. “The Mill Street Center is the “front door” of their Adult Services Program, the 55-bed shelter is the county’s only night-to-night emergency shelter for homeless individuals. It serves both men and women in separate dormitory-style rooms. A network of volunteers from three dozen churches and community groups shares a monthly rotation to provide a home-cooked hot meal to Mill Street residents. This significant gift has endured since the center opened more than 25 years ago.

As space becomes available, committed residents “graduate” to New Beginnings Center, where they can stay up to six months.”

The adults in the shelter really enjoy chatting with the volunteers who serve dinners there. Melissa and Simon have served food several times, and they especially seem to like chatting with Simon. He has commented every time that he can’t believe some of these people are homeless because “they look like you and me. You’d never know that they were homeless by looking at them.” This connection to the real homeless people in our own community has sparked some interesting conversations and reflections of gratitude for the fortunate lives we lead.

[Simon admiring the entrée he helped prepare…]
[By Melissa Hereford]