Marin County women will be swapping their jewelry and scarves to raise money to help less fortunate women re-enter the workplace at the first annual Style Swap this Saturday, September 17, in the parking lot next to the The Great Acorn Company located at 800 San Anselmo Avenue in downtown San Anselmo from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Sales and donations of jewelry and scarves will go to benefit Image for Success, a not-for-profit organization that provides two-week wardrobes to disenfranchised people in Marin County who are transitioning toward self-reliance. Image for Success not only provides the suit for the interview, but also clothes for everyday use – a critical need when someone is making the effort to change their life by re-entering the workplace.

How To Participate

There are three ways people can participate in this weekend’s Style Swap:

1. Bring jewelry and scarves that ‘just aren’t you’ anymore to The Great Acorn this week, or the day of the event on September 17, to redeem tickets that can be used to shop for other items at the event;

2.  Donate jewelry and scarves to receive a tax deduction;

3.  Just stop by and shop.

Additionally, Image for Success will accept other clothing donations during the Style Swap event.

“One woman’s fashion past can be another’s fabulous future,” said event co-organizer Laura Adler of Women of Inventions.  “We all have things in our wardrobes that we just don’t wear anymore.  We loved them at the time we got them.  Now, instead of collecting dust, why not pass on the love to others.”

Here’s a chance to have some tasty food while supporting a great cause. Have a meal at one of the participating restaurants on Tuesday April 12th and a percentage of your check will go to support the fantastic work of Marin County School Volunteers, a group that matches volunteer tutors with Marin school kids. The list includes popular eateries such as Jason’s in Greenbrae and Pacific Catch in Corte Madera. For a full list visit the MCSV website. And if you’re looking for a regular way to give back to the community consider volunteering as a tutor!

Reservations are suggested and be sure to mention Marin County School Volunteers to make sure your meal will be counted as part of the event.

I don’t know very many people who haven’t been impacting by the economy.  The financial crisis has significantly impacted our community and our day to day lives and spending habits.  Despite that, most people I know are fortunate to have a roof over our heads and food on our tables. Sadly, many Bay Area residents aren’t as fortunate.

In the San Francisco Bay area, there are approximately 35,000 homeless people; In San Francisco, estimates put the number between 7,000-15,000, which is the highest per capita rate of homelessness in any major American city. *  Affluent Marin County had more than 1770 homeless people living within its borders at least count in January 2009, with more than 3000 people on the verge of becoming homeless.**

Yesterday morning I was complaining about how cold it was as I had to defrost the ice on my windshield.  I can’t imagine living on the streets ever, let alone in the freezing nights of winter.

This Saturday, December 4, 2010 volunteers will be gather to make and distribute 5,000 StreetPacks to bay area homeless adults and children who live on the street.  The “StreetPacks” are backpacks filled with cold weather necesseties including gloves, hats, scarves, wool socks and rain ponchos.  5,000 Bay Area children hand write a personal holiday card to be included in the backpack. The backpacks will be distributed to 40 sites around the Bay Area, including Marin County, San Francisco, Richmond and the East Bay.

The event is run by Warm Wishes, a non-profit organization who describes it’s purpose as this:

Our purpose is for the homeless people to stay warm; perhaps to save a life. But our purpose, too, is for our volunteers to reap the rewards of looking into the eyes of a stranger, of coming closer to understanding his or her plight, and  filling with the feeling of doing good for others.

How you can you help?

• Volunteer: Join volunteers on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Unity of Marin in Novato, 600 Palm Drive.  8am.  Volunteers will assemble the backpacks and then go out into the community to personally deliver the StreetPacks to Bay Area homeless. Volunteers are asked to donate $10.00 or more to offset the cost of the backpack items.
• Donate: Donations can be made online at WarmWishes.org.

Sources

* Philanthropedia.org
**Marin’s Homeless Report

Tavern at Lark Creek, Larkspur, California

Supporting the event is easy.  Simply dine at one of the participating restaurants and twenty percent of your bill will be donated to Homeward Bound of Marin.  The restaurant list has some of my favorite local restaurants as well.

Participating Marin Restaurants

Corte Madera Restaurant Partners

• Brick & Bottle
• Il Fornaio
• Pacific Catch

Larkspur Restaurant Partner

• The Tavern at Lark Creek

Mill Valley Restaurant Partners

• Piatti Ristorante & Bar
• Pizza Antica

Novato Restaurant Partner

• Rickey’s Restaurant

Point Reyes Station Restaurant Partner

• Station House Cafe

San Anselmo Restaurant Partners:

• Insalata’s
• Marinitas
• Dream Farm

San Rafael Restaurant Partner

• Vin Antico

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:

1. Expand basic services and support of food, clothing, financial assistance for housing and employment, including important case management.
2. Increase current Health Clinic hours and capacity to provide better care and assistance for the under-served, under-insured or uninsured.
3. Begin the process of finding the “Future Home” for Ritter Center when the lease ends in the next 5 years.
4. 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

• 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

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

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:

• Compass Community Services – JLSF Signature Program
• International Rescue Committee
• San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center
• Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

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!