CONTRA COSTA FOOD BANK: Because of the economic mess the past four years, there are many more families that are on the edge collapse.  The Food Bank has good from serving 70,000 meals a month to 120,000 a month!  Their resources are stretched to the maximum, sometimes going day to day.  Amazingly, the most important food they distribute to families is Peanut Butter – the #1 source of protein for many families!  What they most need are checks.  Because of their relationship with the grocery store industry, they are able to purchase $6.00 of food for every $1.00 that is donated.  WOW!  What an impact a $50 donation can make in the lives of those who need food.

We have food collection barrels in the lobby of our Danville office just waiting for you to stop by and drop off your donations.  I will even send you a letter that we staple to a Trader Joe’s grocery bag and drop off on the front porches of our neighborhood.  ( Trader Joe’s donates as many grocery bags as you will need as part of their support of the local Food Banks in the Bay Area.)  And, the need for meals doesn’t take a vacation in the Summer time, either.  It is when kids are out of school and the only meals some of the get are from the Food Bank.  Contact me if you want to participate in this important community project.

ONE WARM COAT PROJECT: This project supports the Family Services organizations in our local communities.  There are so many families at risk that need the vary basics of warm clothing this Winter.  And, it is not just coats that are needed.  Any warm clothing is what is needed:  coats; sweaters; socks; gloves, and more.  The group that we support with this project is Shelter, Inc. based in the Tri-Valley.  This group is the safe house for women and children who are escaping from abusive relationships.

The benefit of this project is that all it takes is cleaning out our closets and dresser drawers.  All of us have slightly used warm clothing that we haven’t worn in the past year.  In fact, my rule is that if I have not worn specific clothing in the past 12 months, it needs to be donated to someone who can use it.  So, check out your closet and look at all of your clothing with this rule in mind.  Again, contact me if you want a copy of the letter we attach to garbage bags that are dropped off to the front porch of our neighborhood.

So, it is that easy.  It does take a bit of effort, but not much.  And, the effort  that you invest on one or both of these ‘giving back’ projects makes a world of difference in the lives of the families who are in need.  CONTACT me today to see how you can get involved.  Enjoy every moment of your Holiday Season.  Until next time…Jim Walberg

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The “Wine & Equine Event” is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Sonrise Equestrian Foundation, a non-profit 501(C)(3) community program. They need your help to make this event a success and to continue to provide these children with help and hope through the Sonrise community. Click on this link for ticket information. This important annual event provides about half of their yearly operating budget and enables SonRise Equestrian to put children with social, emotional and physical handicaps together with gentle therapy horses at no cost to the families. Their participants learn that they can overcome fears, build relationships, and ultimately discover their full potential. At SonRise they believe that strong, loving relationships are a necessary ingredient of a contented heart. They see time and time again, children thrive simply by receiving the unconditional love of a concerned mentor and a special horse. They believe in the necessity of belonging to a nurturing community.

Here are some of the programs that SonRise Equestrian provides kids between the ages of 8 and 18.

• In the Saddle—a one-on-one horseback riding program that teams up one child, one mentor, and one horse 100% of the time. This ensures no hurting child gets lost in a crowd, and keeps our program extremely safe.
• Team Rehab—a working ranch program where children work in teams doing ranch chores and caring for horses in need of rehabilitation.
• Traveling Tails—a miniature horse hospice program which brings minis to children’s hospice care homes to visit children who are near the end of life.
• HorsePlay Day— In addition to our three main programs, we also offer HorsePlay Days quarterly, where children from our program and waiting list are invited to the ranch for a day of group fun. In these four hours children participate in horse related games, crafts and activities ranging from roping to bareback riding to red/light green/light on horseback.

SonRise Equestrian also is a safe harbor of unwanted horses.  When these special horses in need arrive the SonRise staff immediately begins a careful rehabilitation process, which addresses the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of these equine companions, with the intent of having each horse become an “equine angel” that joins the SonRise Equestrian team as a partner for the in-need and at-risk children enrolled in the horsemanship program.  They are also looking for volunteers to work with the kids and the horses.  Please consider adding this amazing organization to your community service list.  Until next time…Jim Walberg

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So, today I received an email from Lorrie asking if I would help spread the word about a hike they are hosting on July 24^th at Oak Hill Park, in Danville which starts at 9AM and ends at noon.  It is a fund raiser for the Best Buddies – Team Maria event. The hike’s donation is $45 a person or $150 for a family of five. To RSVP send an email to bjibby@deweysquare.com. It will a fun morning of hiking with friends and neighbors as you get the latest updates of what Sully and Lorrie have been doing since he became the “Hero Of The Hudson”. Until next time…I remain on duty as your lifestyle detective in the Bay Area.

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“SonRise Equestrian Foundation is a non-profit organization making a positive difference for children and youth living with social, emotional, or physical challenges including terminal illness. Participating children develop confidence, integrity and responsibility through mentoring and peer relationships centered around the care and enjoyment of horses.”I first met Melanie at our Rotary Club’s Tuesday morning weekly breakfast meeting.  She was our presenter that morning and all of us were moved by her story and what the results her program is getting.  That morning we learned that causes of the struggles in some cases of these kids are organic and in others environmental. Regardless of the cause they are helping these kids to transform their lives and to become productive citizens within our community. All of their services to kids is free and funded by donations from people who share their commitment to address the needs of these special kids. Our Rotary Club is now part of their funding team.

At SonRise we believe that strong, loving relationships are a necessary ingredient of a contented heart. We see time and time again, children thrive simply by receiving the unconditional love of a concerned mentor and a special horse. We believe in the necessity of belonging to a nurturing community.

SonRise Equestrian Foundation offers four distinct programs:

• In the Saddle—a one-on-one horseback riding program that teams up one child, one mentor, and one horse 100% of the time. This ensures no hurting child gets lost in a crowd, and keeps our program extremely safe.
• Team Rehab—a working ranch program where children work in teams doing ranch chores and caring for horses in need of rehabilitation.
• Traveling Tails—a miniature horse hospice program which brings minis to children’s hospice care homes to visit children who are near the end of life.
• HorsePlay Day— they offer HorsePlay Days quarterly, where children from their program and those on the waiting list are invited to the ranch for a day of group fun. In these four hours children participate in horse related games, crafts and activities ranging from roping to bareback riding to red/light green/light on horseback.

SonRise also has a program for unwanted or abused horse. When one of these horses is taken in the SonRise staff immediately begins a careful rehabilitation process, which addresses the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of their equine companions. During the rehabilitation period which can last from as little as one month to as long as a year or more, each horse is tested to see if their temperament will allow them to become an “equine angel” that joins the SonRise team as a partner for the in-need and at-risk children enrolled in the horsemanship program.

Finally, SonRise Equestrian Foundation believes that the joy and the love of horses shouldn’t just be for children who can afford them. All children should have the privilege of the healing love that comes from horses.  CONTACT ME for more information on this important project in our East Bay Community.

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An example of how the Bay Area has lead the way from the very beginning of this movement is Save The Bay. Save The Bay was founded in 1961, as “Save San Francisco Bay Association” by three East Bay women who were watching the Bay disappear before their eyes.  Kay Kerr, Sylvia McLaughlin and Esther Gulick set out to stop the City of Berkeley’s plan to double in size by filling in the shallow Bay off-shore. They mobilized thousands of members to stop the project, and their resounding victory was repeated on Bay fill projects around the region.

This first modern grassroots environmental movement in the Bay Area won a revolutionary change – tens of thousands of Save The Bay members forced the State of California to acknowledge that the Bay belonged to the public. Save The Bay won a legislative moratorium against placing fill in the Bay in 1965, the McAteer-Petris Act. The Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) was established by the State to plan protection of the Bay, regulate shoreline development, and ensure public access, which at the time was almost non-existent.  (Check out the State Of The Planet report from the United Nations to get an even better awareness of the importance of Earth Day.)

In the East Bay there are two groups that walk the talk of the principles of Earth Day.  Sustainable Lafayette is a network of residents and organizations located in Lafayette, California, about 20 miles east of San Francisco, who are actively sharing ideas and solutions for how to make their homes, businesses, and community more sustainable. Many cities, towns, and counties across the country have created citizen groups to pursue sustainability.  Lafayette’s approach is unique–to grow a “network” of residents who are focused on sharing real world success stories and best practices that will contribute to our community’s sustainability.

“Sustainable” means to live in a way that can be continued indefinitely without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The essence of this is a stable relationship between human activities and the natural world, which does not diminish the prospects for our children and their children to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own. This requires that we take no more from the environment then it can replenish, and give no more then it can absorb. In other words, adopting lifestyles that respect and work within the earth’s natural limits and maintain the health of the eco-system that we all depend on.

In Danville two sisters with successful first careers decided to get into the environmental space of fashion – A Lot To Say! PLEASE check out what they have created! Their thought was that for people to spread the eco word with apparel, there had to be something that was hip, interesting, fashionable and wearable.

They came up with a concept for a green t-shirt line that utilized the power of the written word. The message on the apparel was informative and empowered people to do more, even if it were only one small thing a day. They believed this kind of “in me, on me , around me” approach would be successful in educating people on the green space to embrace a new awareness about sustainability and responsibility to the planet.  It was an immediate hit and snagged placement in the gift bags at the Grammys, Sundance and The Image Awards.

They have evolved into the pioneers of the ultimate sustainable, environmental shirt that is an amazingly comfortable fabric made entirely of RECYCLED BOTTLES.  They next discovered a sustainable alternative method of dying other than using water based dyes – these methods is AirDye® technology from Colorep®, a forward thinking company that pioneered this technology that uses NO WATER in the application of color to fabric. That meant almost no water would need to be destroyed in coloring our shirts, thus helping to preserve precious water supplies. ALL of their shirts are made in the USA as part of their mission to keep people in our country working.  All of us can make a difference in our homes, communities and the world.  It just takes a commitment to DO IT!  Let me know the actions you are taking each day to create a sustainable world.

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The San Ramon Valley Little League program was founded in Danville in 1958 by a group of men belonging to a Dad’s club. The league started out with only four teams and its players had to be a minimum of nine years of age to participate.  The San Ramon Valley Little League’s original baseball field was located on Love Lane in Danville that was part of San Ramon High’s athletic field.   The league’s “founding dads” were Claude Artero, Bill Davies, Jim Dietrich, Rod Fraser, John Hatcher, Rod McMillan, Bill Moreland and George Olson. And, George Olson was the first President of SRVLL.

In 1970, due to its increasing numbers, the league was split to form two leagues, San Ramon Valley Little League and South Danville Little League. Later, South Danville Little League split off to form the Canyon Creek Little League, covering the area south of Danville. This south Danville League is now known as Danville Little League.  In 1992, San Ramon Valley Little league and Danville Little League split yet again due to their increasing sizes to form Tassajara Valley Little League, located from Scenic Drive along Camino Tassajara through the Blackhawk area.

The mission of the combined San Ramon Valley Little League programs is, “To build character through good sportsmanship and to emphasize athletic and academic excellence among participants through competition in the sport of baseball for kids of all ages.  This is done in a SAFE environment that balances integrity, respect, competition, fun and fair play.”

Since 1978 this amazing little league program has produced more championship teams than most leagues dream about.  Here are some of the highlights of their achievements over the past 32 years of building skills, team play, character, and sense of true accomplish – all within the sport of baseball’s little league program in the San Ramon Valley.

Little League U.S. National Champions
Senior World Series Runner-up
Senior Western Region Champions
Senior California State Champions
Junior California State Champions
Senior United States Champion

Congratulations to the athletes and parents who support this important and memorable experience for our youth.  We are very proud to be on this year’s corporate sponsors.  Play Ball!

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Our State Department has set up a method for each of us to do our part by texting the number 90999 and put in the message the word Haiti. That small act of compassion will immediately send $10 to the Red Cross – 100% of it will get to the Red Cross.  Please take a moment and do this NOW!  You will then get a text back from the Red Cross thanking you for your contribution.  Again, please do this NOW.  The monetary donations will be used to purchase emergency relief supplies and equipment that will be delivered to the local people and their economy.  As of today there has been close to $20 million raised with just $10 at a time from around the country.  (Your cell phone providers are waiving any text messaging fees so you can help today.)   The East Bay real estate community has also mobilized with the collection of funds, goods and services.  It has been very inspiring as to how our community has mobilized in actions that are serving this unimaginable disaster.

Every service imaginable is being addressed by the disaster-management teams that have been arriving from around the world.   Field hospitals have been set up in the middle of streets.  The airport is being managed by the U.S. Air Force air traffic controllers from a truck.  The airport is clogged with relief goods while attempting to get them to those in need through a maze of roads that have been destroyed.  All of the work is being done to deliver what is needed to the primary relief areas, where food, water, temporary shelter and emotional support is being provided in a war zone environment.

In addition, Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, Red Cross, C.A.R.E. and Rotary International have all provided relief.  “Rotary is working on an efficient way for people to make donations, which we hope to unveil in the next 24 hours,” said Roger White, who is part of Rotary International’s District 7020 Haiti task force.  “We are looking to find out what the priority of needs is and looking at logistics,” said David Edgecombe, special assistant to the USVI governor for external affairs. “We want to avoid getting relief items and then have no way of getting them there without knowing the best routing. The needs are clearly great … it is going to take a little while for us to get the lines of communication open and accurate data as to how best to get goods to people in Haiti.” “The Red Cross is specifically telling those who want to help to send money at this time,” Edgecombe said.

Click on each of the following links for additional ways to be of help to this world crisis; Haiti Community Support;  American Red Cross of the Virgin Islands;  Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands;  Rotary – St. Thomas;  C.A.R.E.-Haiti.   Please act now!

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Within the first few months of opening Forward Motion, Marty had an idea of creating a time each week when local runners could share a workout?  He spread the word that anyone who wanted run together could meet at Forward Motion at 6:30PM every Wednesday night.  This was just a fun idea Marty had that he never dreamed would become a fixture of the running community.  What unfolded is now called The Wednesday Night Run. Today if you are driving or walking downtown Danville on Wednesday evenings you will discover up to 50 or more runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities leaving Forward Motion for a community run.  Rain or shine, 52-weeks a year people show up on Wednesday nights for a run of a couple of miles or up to ten miles, depending on a person’s interest and pace.  In the Spring and Summer they use the Ironhorse Trail as their route.  In the Fall and Winter they wind through the streets and neighborhoods of Danville.  If you live in Danville, I promise you have seen the Wednesday Night Run gang.

The Wednesday Night Run has taken on such a life of it’s own.  Marty decided to put some structure to it.  Anyone who wants to log-in each week into the Forward Motion computer, puts in the distance they are going to run that night.  Marty created the 100 Mile Club t-shirt.  So many people have earned one of them that he added the 200 Mile Club.  He now has members of Wednesday Night Run who are a part of the 400 and 500 Mile Club.  It has become an amazing community of people who are now dear friends.  Every Wednesday evening it is as if a “family reunion” is taking place in front of his store.

Marty has even created the Forward Motion Race Club.  This special group of athletes makes up the leading organization for recreational runners, cyclists, swimmers and triathletes in the East Bay.  The membership includes people of all levels of interest and abilities – from people training for their first 5K,  to Ironman triathletes,  and even former Olympians. The Forward Motion Race Club is even registered with USA Track and Field, USA Triathlon and the Road Runners Club of America.

Are you getting the “picture” of a community of people committed to being healthy, banning together as a community which supports and encourages each other?  Well, there is much more to the story.  Marty and his fellow runners are also giving back to East Bay community needs in very significant ways.  They have used there love of running, biking and swimming to raise thousands of dollars to support such needs as the families of the Oakland police officers who were killed in action, the Organ Donation programs, ALS Find-A-Cure, and many more.

Marty Breen is a man committed to making our community and our world a better place.  The legacy that has been created by him because of Forward Motion Sports will never fully be known.  However, some of the legacy will include lifelong friendships that have been made possible, opportunities for a healthier lifestyle, and even creating an eco-consciousness by promoting running events that contribute to green projects within our community and our world.  Marty Breen is making a difference in our community.  Stop by some time and say hello to him and his dog, Buddy.  You will be glad you did.  Until next time…your East Bay lifestyle reporter remains on duty!

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The idea for The Dictionary Project began in 1992 when Annie Plummer of Savannah, Georgia, gave 50 dictionaries to children who attended a school close to her home. Each year she continued to give this gift, raising money to help give more and more books so that in her lifetime she raised enough money to buy 17,000 dictionaries for children in Savannah. Early on, her project attracted the attention of Bonnie Beeferman of Hilton Head, S.C., who began a project of raising money by selling crafts to buy dictionaries for the schoolchildren of Hilton Head and the surrounding communities.

By 1995, Bonnie was getting so many requests from local teachers to be included in the project that she wrote a letter to the editor of the Charleston, S. C., newspaper explaining the project and asking for someone to help meet the requests from the Charleston area. Mary French, who was already an active school volunteer even though her two children were still of preschool age, read the letter and decided this was a project for her. Starting with a few schools in Charleston and Summerville, she realized quickly that providing dictionaries to all the students in Charleston was going to require serious fundraising. She and her husband Arno French formed a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit Association in 1995, along with a Board of Directors. Arno served as president, Mary became the director of the association, and The Dictionary Project was born.

Since 1995, over 11,668,293 children have received a dictionary thanks to the generosity of sponsors like our Rotary Club, who have participated in the Dictionary Project.  We have chosen to focus on all the 3^rd- graders in our local school district so they can enjoy the benefits of a large vocabulary.  In 2008, alone, there were 2,417,994 dictionaries given to students as gifts from organizations like Rotary and my local real estate agents. The goal of this program is to assist all students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionary.

Most children do not own a dictionary, nor do they have access to one in their home. We selected the third graders as the group to provide them to each year since there are at the age at which dictionary skills are usually taught.  It is a challenge for a student to do their best work without a dictionary. By providing this tool we are helping teachers as they are helping all their students become active readers, good writers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners.

The Dictionary Project is now in 15 countries.  If dictionaries are not being distributed to the 3^rd – graders in your community you may want to consider organizing a way for it to happen.  Until next time…your East Bay lifestyle detective remains on duty!  CLICK HERE if you would like information on any real estate services.

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