Archive for the ‘Giving Back’ Category
By now you probably have seen these doll house sized homes scattered in public spots around Marin. The homes were created as part of Ritter Center’s Art Houses of Marin project designed to channel the dedication of local arts and culture into an awareness of homelessness in Marin County. The scale model homes were designed and decorated by local artists. They have been displayed around Marin for the last two months and will be auctioned off on Saturday.
There are approximately 1770 homeless people living in Marin on any given day according to a 2009 Marin County Point-in-time count of homeless persons. The homeless problem in Marin has increased because of the economic down turn in the last year.
The Art Houses will be auctioned off on Saturday night at the 2010 Art Houses of Marin Gala Auction taking place at Villa di Santa, the private hilltop residence of the Woodland Market owners.
- What: 2010 Art Houses of Marin Gala Auction
- When: Saturday, May 1, 2010
- Where: Villa di Santa, Kent Woodlands
- Purchase Tickets
- More Info
Proceeds from the project will go to Ritter Center, a non-profit organization that has been providing free assistance to Marin’s low income and homeless population for 28 years. How they plan to use the money:
- Expand basic services and support of food, clothing, financial assistance for housing and employment, including important case management.
- Increase current Health Clinic hours and capacity to provide better care and assistance for the under-served, under-insured or uninsured.
- Begin the process of finding the “Future Home” for Ritter Center when the lease ends in the next 5 years.
- Actively address fiscally responsible solutions and humanitarian outcomes by collaborating with community leaders and partners to end homelessness.
If you would like to donate directly to the project, click here.
~Ginger
Image courtesy of Andy Kaufman
Planning ahead for next weekend? The Larkspur Library Foundation is hosting a Wine Tasting & Auction to benefit the Larkspur Library on Saturday, May 1st. The event will feature tastings of fine wines and appetizers by Stacy Scott. I have used Stacy Scott for my own events and she always does a stellar job. Some of the featured auction wines include including a magnum of 1976 Lafite Rochschild, Caymus Reserves, Duckhorn, Diamond Creek, Forman, and more. Sounds like a fun event to support a great local library!
- What: Wine Tasting & Auction Benefiting the Larkspur Library Foundation
- When: Saturday, May 5:30 to 8:30 pm
- Where: American Legion Post 313, 12 Ward Street, in Larkspur
- Admission: $50. Tickets can be purchased in advance by mailing a check (yes, I said a check!) to The Larkspur Library Foundation, P O Box 5263, Larkspur CA 94977-5263
- More Information: Larkspur Library Foundation
~Ginger
Looking for a fun evening out that benefits a great cause? Check out the Turning Wine into Water event benefiting Haiti relief efforts. The event will feature a live performance from local favorite Dgiin, gypsy flamenco with a twist.
- What: Turning Wine into Water, benefiting Haiti relief efforts
- When: Friday, February 26, 2010
- Where: Sleeping Lady, 23 Broadway, Fairfax, California
- Tickets: $15 cover, order your tickets
- More info or phone 415-485-1182
It is that time of year again when the Marin Food Bank does its annual food drive. Sadly, Marin food pantries have seen increases as high as 70% in the number of people who need food over the same month last year. Recent surveys show more than 16% of Marin’s children live in poverty and more than 35% of households live below the basic self-sufficiency income for a family of three- one parent and two children ($68,880). This means it would take four full-time minimum wage jobs to reach self-sufficiency.
Over the last year, the Marin Food Bank has distributed over 1.5 million meals. Food collected in the annual drive will be distributed in Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas boxes and next year to low-income seniors on the Brown BagProgram, severely ill individuals served by the Compassion in Action Program and the following Emergency Food Pantries:
- Canal Community Alliance
- San Geronimo Valley Community Center
- The Salvation Army
- Southern Marin Food Pantry
- Novato Human Needs Center
- West Marin Community Resource Center
What they need:
- Canned Proteins (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter)
- Canned Fruits in Own Juices or Light Syrup (fruit cocktail)
- Macaroni & Cheese
- 100% Fruit Juices (All sizes including juice boxes)
- Grains (pasta, whole wheat pasta, rice, brown rice, macaroni and cheese)
- Condiments (tomato based sauces, light soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, light salad dressings)
- Low Sodium/ No Salt Added Canned Vegetables (mixed, green beans, corn)
- Soups (beef stew, chili, chicken noodle, turkey rice)
- Multigrain Cereal (cheerios, cornflakes, grapenuts, raisin bran)
- Ensure and other nutritional drinks
- Alternative Food: wheat-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan
Where to drop food donations off?
- Alain Pinel 101 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera
- Bon Air Center in Greenbrae- CDS Pharmacy, Molly Stones, Peet’s Coffee, The Ranch of Bon Air, and all banking institutions located at the center.
- The Great Turkey at Corte Madera Town Center
- Most Marin Safeway locations
It is that time of year again- The Junior League of San Francisco Home Tour! I look forward to this event all year long. I might be slighly biased- I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to chair the event in 2006 (The Give My Regards to Broadway Tour) but if you haven’t been, you shouldn’t miss this tour. Think stunning homes, great architecture and fabulous interior design. The tour is features private San Francisco residences most people never have the opportunity to explore.
Now celebrating its 15th year, the Tour has been recognized by national media such as the Wall Street Journal as one of the nation’s premiere residential tours. This year the event will take place on October 2 and 3 in the Gold Coast of Pacific Heights – an exclusive section of Pacific Avenue between Divisadero and Lyon.
I have put together a slide show with a sneak peak at some of the homes’ interiors. I can’t show you the exteriors because the addresses are not able to be released until you arrive at the tour, but let’s just say- this tour is off the charts!
Photos courtesy of Kira Stackhouse of Nuena Photography. Video features sound. If you are unable to see this video in your reader, click here
The Evening Home Tour + Preview Party takes place on Friday, October 2 at the Hamlin School from 5:30 – 10:00 pm. This event provides an intimate setting in which guests can view the homes before they open to the public, with door-to-door service and an exclusive cocktail reception. Tickets are $165/person.
The Home Tour takes place on Saturday, October 3 takes place from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and enables members of the public to walk through some of San Francisco’s most architecturally distinct residences. VIP tickets are $115 and include door-to-door service, viewing of a museum-quality art collection, and tasting of culinary delicacies from Bay Area restaurant chefs. General admission tickets are $65.
Highlights include:
* A 5,000 square foot home built in 1918 with some innovative “green” elements – such as a sustainable garden that naturally recycles water via a hydroponic system to a koi pond, and a garage partly made of recycled milk gallon containers.
* A former three-unit apartment complex built in 1936 that has been transformed into a spectacular, brand new home with 10,000 square feet on four levels, plus a 2,500 square foot roof terrace with city and bay views.
* An Edwardian residence designed in 1910 which has recently undergone a significant renovation, taking great care to keep the integrity of the original home while adding in modern inconveniences.
I have seen a LOT of home tours. The Junior League of San Francisco’s is NOT to be missed.
About The Junior League of San Francisco
The Junior League of San Francisco, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Since its inception in 1911, the Junior League of San Francisco, Inc. (JLSF) has provided the community with an estimated 6 million volunteer hours and more than $22 million through direct community grants, advocacy, and membership training and development.
As a problem surfaces within the community, the JLSF is frequently the first organization to recognize and address the issue, providing volunteer energy, financial assistance and public support. Often in collaboration with other community groups and/or the public sector, the JLSF designs and launches a program, then works to achieve community impact and measurable results. For the period 2007-2012, the JLSF focus area is to Support and Strengthen Families in Need. This focus is defined as supporting Bay Area families in need via direct service, advocacy and grantmaking. Volunteers participate in programs that promote comprehensive services focused on meeting life’s basic needs and strengthening all generations within the community with community partners such as:
My blog is a little quiet this week as I have been very busy prepping for The Junior League of San Francisco’s 83 Annual Fashion Show. I will be strutting my stuff on the catwalk at the Fairmont Hotel on Saturday for the big event. Yes, I am modeling!
The JLSF Fashion Show is the longest-running event of its kind in the nation and a premier fundraising event in San Francisco. In its 83 year history, the Show has raised many millions of dollars for Bay Area Community Programs. The JLSF runway fashion show is a breathtaking production filled with drama and elegance with clothing by Macy’s. This year will feature two show options: a champagne luncheon and a black-tie gala dinner dance at the Fairmont Hotel. Each show will also include a silent and live auction.
The video below was done for corporate sponsors, but it gives a great overview of the event.
- What: 83rd Annual Junior League of San Francisco Fashion Show Gala
- Where: The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California
- When: Saturday, March 14, 2009
- Champagne Luncheon ~~Cocktail Silent Auction Reception from 10:30 am to 12:15 pm, Grand Ballroom doors open at 12:00 pm; Live Auction and Fashion Show program begins at 12:30 pm
- Evening Black-tie Gala~~Cocktail Silent Auction Reception 5:30-7:15 pm, Grand Ballroom Doors open at 7:00 pm; Live Auction and Fashion Show program begins 7:30pm
- JLSF Fashion Show Information
- Tickets:
- Luncheon: $125
- Dinner/Gala: $225
- Purchase tickets
This is a fabulous event for a worthwhile cause. Hope to see you there!
Despite our affluent community, homelessness is still a problem in Marin County. Project Homeless Connect is an initiative that was created by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, other government agencies, the private sector and community non-profits and individuals. The program helps the homeless with access to key services such as dental services, DMV IDs, Family Services and more. This program has been brought to Marin and will be held for the fourth time on January 29. You can help out by volunteering for Project Homeless Connect!
- When: January 29, 2009
- Where: First Presbyterian Church- 1510 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael
- Hours: 10 AM until 3PM (Doors close at 2PM)
- Volunteer check-in: 8:45 am
- How to volunteer: Download complete volunteer information or contact Marin Link at 415-472-0211.
It is hard to imagine that families in Marin are going hungry, but they are. We have begun hearing that the Marin Food Bank now has more than double the number of families needing their support this year. I have been told that in June of this year, the Marin Food Bank was providing food for approximately 1,200 people – three meals a day. By October, that number had risen to nearly 3,000 people. In response, Pacific Union’s Greenbrae office has kicked off a Peanut Butter and Jelly drive. When I first heard about it, I can honestly say I was a little skeptical. PB&J? How will that help the hungry?
Over the last week, I have heard stories from a few of my coworkers who, as kids, went to school hungry and had to use the services of a food bank or a “soup kitchen”. They have said that even if all they had had was a P&J sandwich to split between breakfast and lunch, going to school would have been so much easier than going to school so hungry. The food provided at places like Marin Food Bank literally changes peoples lives.
Favorite foods of the children are macaroni and cheese, green beans, peanut butter, jelly, canned chili – - easy-to-prepare, nutritious foods that the little ones will eat. The food bank is also in need of paper bags with handles and egg cartons. The paper bags are used to distribute food. Egg donations come in bulk. The egg cartons provide a safe and easy way to distribute the eggs.
My office attempting to get as much PB&J to the Marin Food Bank as possible. This year is a challenging year for many of us, but most of us don’t ever have to worry about having actual food on the table. For about six dollars, a large jar of peanut butter and a large jar of grape jelly can be purchased at Costco (we will be buying in bulk). If you have a few dollars to spare, please make a contribution to our drive. You can drop off PB&J, a check or other canned goods (non-perishable) at the Greenbrae office at 189 Sir Francis Drake in Greenbrae or contact me and I can arrange pick up. Don’t forget to drop off your paper bags with handles as well!
Additionally, you can also donate food directly by dropping canned goods at the Big Turkey display at the Town Center Mall in Corte Madera, or at food donation boxes in West America Banks and Safeway stores. Cash contributions can also be made online with the Marin Food Bank.
Every little contribution, even six dollars, makes a significant difference to people living in our community.
Today is Blog Action Day, where bloggers around the country focus on a single cause. This year, bloggers around the country are writing about poverty in an effort to raise global awareness about this very important issue.
Poverty is a huge issue in the bay area with huge disparities between the affluent and the poor. Did you know that there nearly 600 homeless teenagers in Marin County alone? That number is staggering and heart wrenching.
Under the direction of MarinLink, the first ever Project Homeless Connect was held in San Rafael last year and repeated in April. The program is modeled after San Francisco’s tremendously successful Project Homeless Connect where volunteers come together to help those in need get the services that are critical to their health and well-being with resources such as medical and dental care, mental and substance abuse counseling, shelter and public assistance information.
If you are thinking about getting involved to help fight poverty there are many Marin organizations that I know would love your money and/or time! Here are just a few to get you thinking:
If you have children, you have probably heard about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For the second year, I am honored to sit on the event committee for Miracles on the Bay, a benefit for St. Jude. When I tell people I am involved with St. Jude, I often get looks of confusion.
“The hospital is in Tennessee, right?”
Yes, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is located in Memphis Tennessee, but many Bay Area children are treated by the hospital, and all families benefit from the incredible research developed at this hospital.
St. Jude is the world’s leading research center for pediatric cancer and catastrophic disease. The hospital treats children from the Bay Area, across the U.S. and from more than 70 countries around the world at no cost to their families. All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard for the families ability to pay. Research developed at St. Jude is shared freely worldwide with anyone who can benefit from it and since 1962, that research has been a driving force behind raising childhood cancer survival rates from less than twenty percent to more than seventy percent overall.
Miracles on the Bay will feature tastings from more than fifteen top San Francisco Bay Area restaurants and chefs including Dry Creek Kitchen, Il Fornaio, Lark Creek Inn, Masa’s, Orson, Fish & Farm, and more.
- What: Second Annual Miracles on the Bay benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- When: Thursday, May 1, 2008 , 6 p.m.
- Where: Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center
- Tickets: $125 in advance. Purchase Tickets
This event was phenomenal last year, and is set to be even better this year. Join me for a fun and fabulous event, but more importantly- join me in saving the lives of children in the Bay Area, in California, and throughout the world.