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Museum of Sonoma County
Now though Sept. 20: Exhibiting "From Suffrage to #MeToo"
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F.I.S.H.
Volunteers sort produce
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Burbank Housing
Providing more than homes
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Women Transforming Sonoma County Through Collective Philanthropy - June 2020
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In last month's newsletter, we announced our desire to keep our members informed, engaged, and inspired using technology and "virtual" forums ... but never did we imagine that we would Zoom out of the cannon with such velocity!
In just the past month, we held three Zoom forums for all our members -- "Spotlight on our Impact Grantees and the Change $100,000 can Make", "Spotlight on our Grantee - Food for Thought", and "Impact Grant Virtual Launch". We convened two "Cocktails & Conversations" via Zoom to introduce/recruit women to join our membership (several decided to join) and held our first Zoom "Orientation for New Members". A Zoom "ED Talk" for all members, featuring Karin Demarest from the Community Foundation of Sonoma County, is coming up later this month. Behind the scenes, most of our committees have been meeting via Zoom as well. Wow!
How did this all happen so quickly? Our amazing Marketing Committee, Ann Marie McGee, Mindi Lewis, Valorie Bader and Jan Houts; and our equally amazing Technology Committee Karen Fass, Emily Selim and Jennifer Cornell. These members spent untold hours developing a plan and schedule of events; they researched, designed, tested, and implemented the new tools to make it happen; then trained the meeting facilitators and held our hands as things went live. Inevitable bumps in the road were handled quickly and competently. Much grace and flexibility were abundant all around.
This is clear testament to our mission-focus and to our commitment to our members. Impact 100 RC is clearly unstoppable.
Stay tuned for more Zoom forums ahead by keeping your eye on the calendar found on the Impact 100 RC website. If you missed one of the past all-member Zoom sessions, they were recorded. Send an email to
impact100marketing@gmail.com
or
impact100president@gmail.com
and we'll provide you with the link to view them.
As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Jan Gilman & Suzy Marzalek, Co-Presidents
Impact 100 Redwood Circle
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Stay connected by attending these upcoming
NextGen Outreach Hour
Monday, June 22
5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Register Here
ED Talk: Topic:
Grant Making for Community
Well Being
Thursday, June 25
12:00 noon
Presenter: Karin Demerest,
Community Foundation
Register here
Cocktails and Conversation
Saturday, July11
3:00 PM
Watch for an eblast with
sign-up link
Cocktails and Conversation
Thursday, August 6
4:30 PM
Watch for an eblast with
sign-up link
Special Opportunity
Take a tour of Forget Me Not Farms Children's Services, offered on six upcoming dates.
Click here for more info.
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Membership
Please welcome the newest member of our circle:
Diane Brinson
Robin Goble
Colleen Pundyk
Sharon Ponsford
Donna Cates
Katie Kunde
Joanne Williams
JoAnn Borri
Karen Smith
Sherry Doran
Gennifer Wood
Anne Stephens
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Community Grant Winners 2020!
Information about four of our eight 2020 Community Grant recipients was shared in the May 2020 Impact 100 RC Communique. We are pleased to share an update about the additional four grantees below. Again, a BIG thanks to the 2020 Community Grants committee for all your hard work! Members included: Helen Berg, Patricia Cauvanaugh, Chris Chang Weeks (co-chair), Jennifer Cornell, Lynn Davis, Marion Dutra, Mary Farha, Jennifer Girvin, Debra Marzak, BetzMiller, Carol Newman (co-chair), Carol Orme, Mary Poe, Stephanie Poley, Mary Radu, Sandra Rennie, Robin Seltzer, Cheryl Smith, Marie (Terry) Stark, Dorothy Weicker, Marion Weinweb, Laurie White, Sharon Yacura and Christine Yaeger
Burbank Housing, Education
Giving Santa Rosa kids a summer boost!
Each summer for the past ten years, Burbank Housing and the Redwood Empire Food Bank have provided free lunches to children at many of our affordable housing communities. This year, thanks to Impact 100 RC's generous funding, we will be expanding our scope of service. Originally, this grant was going to fund an 8-week enrichment program led by the Sonoma County Library's Youth Services Department. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program is no longer available. Instead, we were able to arrange an alternate summer program in collaboration with our long-time partners, Santa Rosa Parks & Recreation. This program will be available at eight of our Santa Rosa properties and will run concurrently with the drive-through Summer Lunch program that we will be running with the Redwood Empire Food Bank.
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Children's Programs at Burbank Housing |
Adding Recreation & Parks programming at these sites will increase participation in the summer lunch program and combat summer learning loss. Summer hunger and academic loss affect many children in Sonoma County but low-income families, such as those that live in our affordable housing communities, are especially vulnerable. With schools being closed for the last three months and many parents struggling to work and provide distance learning, additional academic support is vital.
Santa Rosa Parks & Recreation will be following strict health guidelines to make sure that the program is enriching and, more importantly, safe. It will run each weekday from 8:30 to 3:30 and can serve up to 12 children at each site while still allowing for social distancing. Thank you again to Impact 100 RC for making this summer program possible. In such an uncertain time, being able to provide food and summer programming gives our families some much needed stability and support.
Follow Burbank Housing at:
F.I.S.H. (Friends in Service Here)
All-volunteer team helps the hungry
F.I.S.H. of Santa Rosa is the oldest and largest emergency food pantry in Sonoma County. Since 1972, our all-volunteer team has worked with the community to fight hunger. We give wholesome groceries to anyone needing a helping hand - struggling families, seniors, disabled, homeless, students, unemployed and working people.
Once a month, F.I.S.H. provides a vital safety net for our neighbors, distributing food to approximately 6,000 people; half of the beneficiaries are children.
Our 501c3 non-profit organization is 100% dependent on donations of food and money. We maintain our pantry with food purchased from Redwood Empire Food Bank. We also receive donations from local markets and the community at large. Every bit of your contribution supports our hungry
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F.I.S.H. Volunteers |
neighbors.
We are an all-volunteer team and we welcome your participation. There are many ways to help us fight hunger, offer compassion and serve our neighbors who are in need of a little help. To sign up, please contact us by email: volunteer@fish-of-santa-rosa.org Or call our pantry: 707-527-5151Our pantry location: 1710 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa
Follow F.I.S.H. at:
Museum of Sonoma County, Arts & Culture
Museum adapts during pandemic to celebrate groundbreaking women
On the evening of January 24, 2020, the Museum of Sonoma County's Historic Post Office galleries were filled with over 200 guests, eager to view the new exhibition, From Suffrage to #MeToo: Groundbreaking Women in Sonoma County. With stories of more than twenty trailblazing women, the exhibition celebrates the centennial of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave women the constitutional right to vote. At the opening reception, guests were invited to time travel to the turn of the 20th century, to revisit the many challenges and obstacles women overcame in the fight for equality. With a focus on the local efforts made in the Women's Rights Movement leading up to the present day, visitors learned the names and stories of influential women who made a difference in Sonoma County. The exhibition, the result of a community collaboration and slated to be on view for nine months, opened as a success.
Over the next few weeks, school children, senior groups, tourists, and locals would wander through the exhibition, putting faces to familiar names, learning untold histories, and sharin
g the stories of influential women in their own lives. To continue the conversation beyond the walls of the gallery, the Museum had also developed a slate of public programs, which ranged from panel discussions, to film screenings, to a free family day filled with activities. However, within a matter of weeks, everything came to a screeching halt.
As the coronavirus pandemic reached Sonoma County, the Museum began to prepare for a long-term closure. Objects on display in the gallery were removed or given extra protection, events and programs were canceled or postponed, and materials were gathered by staff to begin work from home. By sharing content from the exhibition online, the Museum was able to continue to engage the community and ensure that these important stories were told. Previously scheduled programs were moved online, which allowed the Museum to reach a wider audience and resulted in above-average attendance numbers. The development of an online exhibition quickly followed, which included abridged versions of the biographies and a participatory section for users to add personal stories of inspirational women. While the online version presented the essence of the exhibition content, it still lacked the immersive experience that one would have by walking through the galleries.
To the Museum's good fortune, a volunteer emerged and offered his 360-degree imaging services to help document and share the exhibition online. Within a week, photographer Steve Vargas of VargasXR captured dozens of extremely detailed images, which would allow users to virtually "walk" around the galleries and zoom in on objects, labels, and images. While the Museum still could not physically welcome visitors into the exhibition, online users could now enjoy this virtual experience from the comfort and safety of their homes.
As the Museum of Sonoma County prepares to reopen its doors to the public, it emerges with a broader notion of what it means to be accessible, inclusive, and engaging. By incorporating both online and in-person experiences, the Museum can further its reach and carry out its mission to "engage and inspire our diverse community" in a more impactful way than before. In contrast to the challenges and obstacles the women in the exhibition have faced, the difficulties the Museum overcame pale in comparison. However, in difficult times, it is the inspirational stories, such as those of the women in the exhibition, that can help uplift spirits, foster better understanding, and encourage unity among communities. From Suffrage to #MeToo was intended to celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, highlight the groundbreaking women who made incredible strides in local history, and provide a platform to discuss the ongoing fight for equality. While the exhibition has taken an unexpected form, it is in this new environment that the legacies of these trailblazing women can truly be honored, celebrated, and further propelled to inspire future generations.
Follow Museum of Sonoma County at:
Verity, Human Services
Isabel's Story........
In September of 2019 Isabel called Verity for help. Her call was like so many others Verity receives from survivors of sexual abuse. She said that she was being financially, emotionally, and sexually abused by her husband, and was ready to leave him. Isabel described how two years earlier she had entered the U.S. legally under the condition that she and her fiancée would subsequently marry. He would then file a spousal petition that would eventually result in her legal residency. They married, however, rather than file a spousal petition on her behalf, her husband held her in domestic servitude. He kept control over her every move and isolated her from everyone. He abused her sexually and emotionally on a regular basis. A year later they had a baby. Her husband still hadn't filed a spousal visa petition on her behalf as he had promised. In the meantime, Isabel cared for their baby, enduring repeated sexual abuse, and cleaned, shopped, cooked, and laundered under her husband's threats to have her deported and her baby taken away were she to refuse his demands. Isabel felt trapped and became depressed. She felt alone and missed her family. 
One of Verity's sexual assault advocates handled Isabel's call. She immediately arranged to meet Isabel, assessed her safety concerns, and assisted her in filing a sexual abuse report with law enforcement. Isabel was connected to a local safe house so that she and her child did not have to return home while law enforcement investigated her claim. Shortly afterwards Isabel secured a restraining order against her husband. The advocate then connected her to a local non-profit agency specializing in immigration legal services. As an immigrant and as a crime victim, Isabel is entitled to apply for legal residency under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
This law was passed to protect people like Isabel whose path to legal residency has been unjustly denied, in this case by the very person who chose instead to abuse and violate her. Without the protection of VAWA, Isabel would otherwise be subject to deportation. Knowing that Isabel had other needs that required attention during her journey to safety and independence, the advocate made arrangements for food and medical coverage through other local resources. Verity's trauma-informed counseling and Spanish-language support group helped Isabel overcome the devastating effects of sexual abuse. It has been a hard and difficult journey but Isabel is now safe from emotional and sexual violence. Verity is still there to help her, and her baby provides the light and inspiration she needs to continue on her road to recovery.
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Impact Grant Committee
Thank You for Nominating These 38 Nonprofits!
The 2020 Impact Grant Committee is happy to share with you the nominees for the 2020 Impact Grant. 49 members submitted a nomination. Several were duplicates and so we have 38 unique nominations. This is very similar to last year. Each of the nonprofits have been sent an email notifying them of their nomination and asking them to apply via our Letter of Intent (LOI) form. The deadline for them is July 7th.
- 10,000 Degrees Sonoma County
- 6th Street Playhouse
- Becoming Independent
- Ceres Community Project
- Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County
- Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County
- Community Matters
- Community Support Network
- Corazon Healdsburg
- COTS- Committee on the Shelterless
- Council on Aging
- Daily Acts
- Dogma Animal Rescue, Inc.
- Kashia School
- Landpaths California - CA
- Legal Aid of Sonoma County
- Luther Burbank Center
- North Bay Organizing Project
- Northern California Center for Well-Being
- Pepperwood Preserve
- Petaluma People Services Centers
- Redwood Empire Food Bank
- Restorative Resources
- Santa Rosa Community Health
- Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Auxiliary
- Sebastopol Center for the Arts
- Social Advocates for Youth
- River to Coast Children's Services
- Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
- SOS Community Counseling
- St Joseph Health Hospice Services
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Summerfield Waldorf School
- The Center for Social and Environmental Stewardship
- The Climate Center
- The Living Room Center, Inc
- West County Health Centers
- Women's Recovery Services
Vicki Groninga & Susan Milstein, Co-Chairs
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Updates From Our Impact Grant Recipients
Liaison Committee
CLICK HERE
to see a list of ways we can support our Grant recipients as they continue to serve their clients during these challenging times.
Catholic Charities
Grant Update:
- The Community Connections team added four new food distributions to the existing seven monthly food distributions across Sonoma and Lake Counties. This includes a regular drive-thru at the Airway Court office. 11,022 people have been served 102,529 lbs. of food (March 1 - 25).
- Volunteers made 4,924 daily calls to homebound seniors (March 1 - 25)
- The Homeless Services Outreach Team (HOST) moved folks into hotels and the Finley Center's Safe Distancing Program. Many people who came to Finley had been on the streets for years, afraid to engage in services. They are beginning to finally make the leap to begin their journey home.
Looking to break a sweat?
Catholic Charities is looking for food distribution volunteers willing to do some much-needed heavy lifting (40 lbs. or more)! Volunteers are needed to help package and distribute this essential food. Various days are available! If you would like to learn more, email: Emily Thiessen
Food for Thought
FFT Launches COVID-19 Healthy Nutrition Program
In addition to providing food and compassion to clients living with HIV, congestive heart failure, diabetes and those recently discharged from the hospital, Food For Thought is now offering our COVID-19 Healthy Nutrition Program to people with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, who are having difficulty accessing food while in isolation.
"As the virus began spreading in the community, we saw the need to offer a specific program for
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FFT Provides Nutrition |
people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. These individuals and those living with them really need access to nutritious food to support their immune systems." said Nina Redman FFT's client services director. For more information about the program click here.
FFT's "Our Long Table" Event Rescheduled
Food for Thought's 2nd annual "Our Long Table" event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are disappointed that we cannot celebrate in person, we hope you will join us for our first online event - Our Virtual Table!
On Sunday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m.
we will livestream our event, complete with music, a client speaker and giving opportunities. We'll also have a great online auction, full of items for you to bid on-all from the comfort of your home!
Let's all come together on August 23 to raise critical funds to feed 850 people living with HIV and other serious illnesses in Sonoma County.
Forget Me Not Farms Children's Services
 Come out to the Farm for A Tour!
For those of you feeling rather "cooped up" for the last three months, we have some good news! Forget Me Not Farm Children Services, our 2019 Impact Grant recipient, is slowly re-opening and has offered to give tours for members of Impact 100 RC. This is a rare opportunity as due to privacy issues they do not allow tours when children are present.
The tour will cover the grounds, animals and gardens. You will have an insider's view of the housing and treatment of rescued animals, and the tending of a bountiful garden that provides food for families in need. You will also learn how the children in this program benefit from interaction with the animals and planting a garden. FMNFCS is currently delivering fresh produce weekly to several agencies. Once the children return, fresh produce will be available for them to take home.
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An example of a FMNFCS that is sent to partner agencies |
Carol Rathmann, Director, will discuss those children who have recently returned and the FMNFCS' future plans and preparations to reopen to more children. Be sure to ask Carol how they are also getting ready to take their farm "on the road" to give children who are not currently able to attend the farm, the opportunity to have some animal assisted therapy.
We are limited to 12 participants in a tour, so all dates are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to note sign-up deadlines below. We would advise hats and comfortable, outdoor shoes--this is a farm!
Along with the dates and time listed below is an individual link for each session in which to sign up. You should receive a confirmation on sign up, and a reminder the day before the event. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR MORE THAN ONE EVENT.
Wednesday, June 17, 10:30am-noon-- RSVP on or before Monday, June 15. Register here
Thursday, June 18, 4-5:30pm --RSVP on or before Tuesday, June 16 Register here
Monday, June 22, 10:30am-noon--RSVP on or before Friday, June 19 Register here
Wednesday, June 24, 10:30am-noon--RSVP on or before Monday, June 22 Register here
Monday, June 29, 10:30am-noon--Sign-up deadline is Friday, June 26 Register here
Wednesday, July 1, 10:30-noon--Sign-up deadline is Monday, June 29. Register here
LOCATION: FMNFCS is located at 5345 Highway 12 West. Their offices are in the small house immediately in front of the Humane Society of Sonoma County. Park near the small house.
VOICES
VOICES is currently open Tues. - Fri. from 12 - 4pm to pick up food, hygiene supplies or get connected to benefit resources. We continue to also hold the virtual groups, wellness check in's and one on one case management. Staff have also provided drop off services such as bringing youth food or wellness bags. We are finding that youth have been needing the following: grocery gift cards, hygiene products, rental assistance, non-perishable packaged food, diapers/wipes.
Loretta Zweig & Cynthia Schmidt, Co-Chairs
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Members social-distancing at a local park
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Membership Committee Update
35 New Members Since Jan. 2020!
Our membership as of 6/9/20 is 242 active members, 42 of these are dyad members. Year-to-date, 75 renewals have been sent; 52 members have renewed; 21 did not renew; 35 NEW members joined for a net gain of 14.
Upcoming Cocktails and Conversation Zoom Meetings:
July11, Saturday, 3:00 PM
August 6, Thursday, 4:30 PM
Watch for email blasts with a link to sign up. Open to all members who want to learn more about Impact 100 RC. Members are encouraged to invite guests.
Please continue to watch for email Communiques, email blasts, and posted dates on our Website calendar, so you can stay in touch with current Impact 100 RC news and upcoming events.
Membership Committee members are continuing to make personal phone calls to membership to foster interconnection, maximize renewals, and encourage recruitment. We are interested in hearing your ideas and suggestions:
Impact100membership@gmail.com
Charlene Staples & Bev Curry, Co-Chairs
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NextGen Committee
The NextGen Committee is excited to gather more young women (under 50 years old) to join Impact 100 RC. Do you know a younger woman who would like to learn more about our growing NextGen program? We're hosting a virtual NextGen Outreach Hour on Monday, June 22 from 5:00 to 6:00 and would love to introduce them to our group. Click on this link to register or send contacts to NextGen Chair
Robin Wendler
or
call 707-889-4497.
The NextGen Committee is looking for new members. You don't need to be in the NextGen age range to join the committee. We need members who enjoy talking about Impact 100 in the community and connecting women with our group. Contact Robin if you'd like more information.
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Education Committee
Ed Talk - Grant Making for Community Well-Being
Please join us to hear Karin Demarest, Vice President for Programs, Community Foundation Sonoma County, discuss Grant Making for Community Well-being.
When: Thursday, June 25, 12:00 noon
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Karin Demarest |
Karin joined the Community Foundation in October of 2011, bringing twenty years of experience in the field of youth development and education. Her current responsibilities include strategic oversight of the Programs Department, including grant making in Health and Human Services, Education, Arts and the Environment.
Since the devastating fires of October 2017, Karin has devoted her time to supporting the long-term recovery of our community through the Sonoma County Resilience Fund. The fund focuses on Helping individuals, Healing the long-term effects of trauma and Housing solutions for our community.
Laurie Parish & Thea Hensel, Co-Chairs
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Contact our Newsletter Editor:
If you have questions or suggestions for The Impact 100 Redwood Circle Communique, please contact Editor, Jan Houts at impact100newsletter@gmail.com
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