Opportunities to Work and Prosper
9/4/2015
If you go into any community in Mendocino County and ask people what’s needed, chances are they will tell you about the need for good jobs and economic growth. That is what the Community Foundation learned when it conducted focus groups in five different communities last summer. People clearly felt that a lack of economic opportunity leads to many of the problems faced by individuals, families and communities.
Small Acts Add Up
8/21/2015
I read an article recently about the decline of the middle class in a small town in Georgia. It seemed like the usual suspects were to blame: the lingering effects of the 2008 recession, declining housing prices, and the international outsourcing of manufacturing jobs. It was sort of depressing to be honest. The economy may be better in some senses, but many people still have trouble making ends meet. I wonder how often a small act of assistance or advice along the way could have made helped prevent a crisis. At the Community Foundation, we appreciate the value of those small steps, which is why we make grants through the Angel Fund and why we are endorsing the United Way’s efforts to bring the FDIC Money Smart curriculum to Mendocino County
Community Foundation Fund Honors Memories of Eva Dunnebeck and Beverly Morby
8/6/2015
Pete Dunnebeck was a Ukiah businessman who started ACME Rigging in 1957 when five rigging shops went out of business on the northern California Coast. Initially Pete was the sole employee of the company – he took orders, performed the assembly, and delivered the final product to customers. The business grew and he became an important person in the community, known for his business acumen, his thoughtfulness, and his fondness for friends and outdoor activities.
Libraries are for Everyone
7/4/2015
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the children’s room at the Ukiah library with my new foster children. They love playing with the bead toy in the corner, doing the hokey pokey with Judith the children’s librarian at story hour, and looking at the fish swim in the fish tank. With temperatures soaring, it is so wonderful to have a cool, fun place to hang out with my little guys. And I appreciate the opportunity to meet all sorts of different people while I am there.
Exploring Possibilities
6/18/2015
The world is a big and exciting place to Daniel Angulo of Boonville, and he credits his college experience for making it so. That is why he is now on a mission to encourage other Anderson Valley youth to set their sights on college.
Daniel graduated from Anderson Valley High School in 2008 and was the recipient of the Community Foundation’s Mendocino Agricultural Families’ Scholarship, a four-year scholarship supported by local individuals and organizations involved in agriculture. Their investment paid off. Daniel used his college experience at CSU Sacramento to the fullest: while earning a Bachelor’s degree in government, he also ran for student government and studied abroad in Spain. “College definitely changed my perspective,” he told me. “I learned there was a lot more out there than I could imagine.”
Joining the Team
6/4/2015
The end of the school year has arrived with a flurry of activity. The Community Foundation is not immune from the end of school excitement. For us, it means the conclusion of scholarship season. The process begins in February with presentations to the schools, applications in March, and then interviews, followed by awards. In talking with students this year, what is most striking is how strategic they are in choosing their future professions and in their plans to pay for college.
Job Shadow Day Highlights Opportunities in the Community
5/15/2015
I was let in on a secret the other day, and it is worth sharing. It has to do with jobs in Mendocino County – they are out there. This was made real when I participated in a job shadow day coordinated by Junior Achievement of Northern California (JA) and supported by John and Sandy Mayfield, and Jim and Babbie Mayfield, through their donor advised funds at the Community Foundation.
The Film Festival Reflects the County
4/30/2015
Some people like action films or films that make them laugh. Others want to learn about the world, or about the interior world of emotions. Film is a powerful medium that can do all of these things. Now the Mendocino Film Festival is showing us that film is also be a way to build community and give back to local organizations.
“I feel like a traveling salesman, that’s how big our county is,” says Michael Fox, executive director of the Festival. Michael has been traveling to communities throughout the county, both building audiences for the Festival and using the Festival to help other community organizations.
Reflections from a New Program Officer
4/16/2015
As the new Program Officer at the Community Foundation, I had the privilege of administrating the Community Enrichment Grants this year. While I have written many grants, it was my first opportunity to look at the process from the other side of the table. I knew it was my job to ensure the Community Foundation’s values were met – which means being transparent, fair, and good stewards of the gifts that make these grants possible. All the while, our goal is to fund grants that offer maximum community benefit throughout the county.
Farmers’ Markets are a “Win Win”
4/3/2015
“Health” is a word that is used in many contexts. This is demonstrated beautifully by the Famers’ Market Food Stamp matching program which addresses physical health, social/community health and economic health. It is no wonder that the program has earned support from the Community Foundation over the years.
The program offers up to $15 in tokens to match food stamps dollars spent at the Farmers’ Market in Ukiah. The Community Foundation was one of the first funders of the program in 2011 and has renewed its support because it is a “win-win” – participants make healthier eating choices, farmers have more customers, and the community of people interacting with each other at the market expands.
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