CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Supplies are dwindling as schools across the Bay Area continue to offer online or in-person instruction during the pandemic.
The Fremont Bank Foundation responded to this ongoing crisis by donating nearly $100,000 to five Contra Costa County school districts. Acalanes Union High, Brentwood Elementary, Danville/San Ramon Valley Unified, Liberty Union High and Walnut Creek school districts plan to use the funds to buy disinfectants, personal protective equipment, handwashing stations, hotspots, tablets, software, specialized technology equipment and more. The resources also will be applied toward materials to support mental and behavioral health needs.
“The donation will help these school districts get the supplies they need now to keep educators, students and staff safe and healthy,” said Brian Hughes, the Fremont Bank Foundation’s executive director. “Fremont Bank and our foundation are committed to empowering youth to become productive adults. That promise remains steadfast in this pandemic. We support education always.”
In total, Fremont Bank Foundation donated nearly $600,000 to school districts in five Bay Area counties.
— Fremont Bank Foundation
Free help available with 2021 Medicare enrollment
The Contra Costa County Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), a part of the county’s Aging and Adult Services Department, is here to help you figure out how recent changes affect your coverage in 2021, so that you can make informed decisions during the open enrollment period going on now till Dec. 7.
The program’s website, cchicap.org, has information on how to register for FREE one-on-one counseling, online talks, and updated Medicare plan information. For more details, call 925-602-4163
— Contra Costa County HICAP
CONCORD
Center providing Thanksgiving dinner to families in need
Monument Crisis Center (MCC), at 1990 Market St. in Concord, will provide 1,000 local families a Thanksgiving dinner for the holiday, and they need your help “setting the table.” Thanks to generous financial contributions towards turkeys from individual donors, Wells Fargo Foundation and Mount Diablo Resource Recovery, MCC hopes to complete the meal with all the trimmings.
The “trimmings bag” that each family will receive includes cans of cranberries, vegetables, gravy and mashed potatoes, stuffing, cornbread and cake mix. Together with a frozen turkey this will provide a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner for a local family. The center is accepting food donations for the “trimmings bag” at the center from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 16-19 with extra hours Nov. 18-19 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Make a donation online at monumentcrisiscenter.org, mail a check to PO Box 23973, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 or simply text to Donate MCC to 41-444. For more information, please contact Alexa Gambero at [email protected] or Danny Scherer at [email protected].
— Monument Crisis Center
WALNUT CREEK
‘High School Notes’ a cappella concert online Nov. 20
Kaiser Permanente’s “High School Notes” digital a cappella concert will premiere online Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The concert will feature music by students from eight high schools in the Diablo Valley. It will be emceed and directed by Deke Sharon, who produced NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and arranged, directed and produced of the three “Pitch Perfect” movies.
To keep social distance, the students submitted separate tracks that were then mixed. “High School Notes” is produced by the Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA), and the concert will premiere on their Facebook and YouTube pages, go.draa.org/HSNfacebook and go.draa.org/HSNyoutube. The audio will also be streamed on Acaville Radio. The full performance will remain available online to be viewed any time. Visit draa.org/presents/hsn online for details.
— DRAA
Leftovers Thrift Shop sale Nov. 27 to benefit crisis center
Given the recent success of the last sale at Leftovers Thrift Shop, everything in the store will be half-off Nov. 27. This will be a good time to pick up Christmas decorations that have been collected over the last year as well as jewelry, books, household items, clothing, etc. As always, proceeds from this all-volunteer program will help fund the Contra Costa Crisis Center and other community services.The shop at 2281 Olympic Blvd. in Walnut Creek (next to Il Pavone restaurant) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
— Leftovers Thrift Shop
BRENTWOOD
Golf club on Veterans Day honors those who have served
On Nov. 11, the Brentwood Golf Club gave more than 30 veterans a round of free golf to thank them for their service. The 30 golfers competed for a Callaway Epic Driver valued at $499. The winner, Al Bella of Brentwood, won the the driver with a score of 65.5 (including his 11.5 handicap). Bella thanked the golf course for the recognition and was “happy to win the fabulous prize.”
“I wanted to do something special for the men and women who sacrifice so much for our country,” said Rex Choe, the club’s chief operating officer and himself an Air Force veteran.
— Brentwood Golf Club
Help women, children at Shepherd’s Gate this Christmas
Shepherd’s Gate is a local long-term shelter recovery program with locations in Brentwood and Livermore to care for women and children who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, addiction and domestic violence. Each Christmas season, individuals and companies join together to grant Christmas wishes to the women and children at Shepherd’s Gate.
This holiday, check out the program’s webpage at shepherdsgate.org/christmas to see how you can become a Christmas angel to those in need. Gifts will need to be delivered by Dec. 17 to either the Brentwood campus at 605 Sycamore Ave. or the Livermore campus at 1660 Portola Ave.
— Shepherd’s Gate
PITTSBURG
Catch Black Diamond Ballet’s ‘Crafting the Nutcracker’
Black Diamond Ballet will present “Crafting the Nutcracker,” a 12-part virtual interactive series Dec. 1-20 with performances and a behind-the-scenes look into how the timeless holiday classic gets made.
Because of the pandemic, Black Diamond Ballet will bring the magic of “The Nutcracker” safely into your home for the first time this holiday season. “Crafting the Nutcracker” is an experience for all ages with a special “NutCrafter Craftivity” box that includes 12 days of craft projects curated by company members, which complements their virtual interactive series, showcasing how they hone their craft.
“Crafting the Nutcracker” offers two options, with prices ranging from $25 to $75. Information is available at CraftingtheNutcracker.com or BlackDiamondBallet.org.
— Judith Prieve, staff
MORAGA
Cycle Recycle returns for 23rd year through November
For the 23rd year, Bobbie and Tom Preston will hold the Cycle Recycle, collecting repairable bikes to be refurbished and given to charitable groups. To date, more than 3,600 bikes have been collected. Deliver new or used working or repairable bikes and useable bike parts to the side driveway of 1307 Larch Ave. in Moraga from now through November only. No skateboards, trikes or plastic bikes, please.
This year the recipient organizations include Oakland International High School’s Earn-A-Bike program, The Bike Charity Institute of Alamo, Keeping our Promise (supporting Afghan immigrants who helped the U.S. government in Afghanistan), Waterside Workshops (providing bikes, bike mechanic training and outdoor recreation for more than 250 youth low-income and disconnected youth throughout the East Bay), and the Lake Merritt Community Cabins (which provides transitional housing for previously homeless adults while permanent housing is arranged). For more details, call 925-376-8474.
— Tom and Bobbie Preston
Apply for director seat on Rescue One Foundation board
The Rescue One Foundation is looking for applicants to fill a vacancy on its Board of Directors. The Rescue One Foundation has served as the community support organization for the Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s lifesaving paramedic services for more than 43 years.
The foundation’s mission is to receive and administer donations to enhance public safety by providing advanced medical equipment, supplies and educational services to the community. Residents living within the Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s service area are eligible to apply. Submit letters of interest no later than Dec. 15, 2020, and addressed to:
Gordon Nathan
Rescue One Foundation
c/o Moraga-Orinda Fire District
1280 Moraga Way, Moraga, CA 94556
For further information about this position, call 925-376-4639.
— Rescue One Foundation
ANTIOCH
Sports Legends museum, program to host online auction
The Antioch Sports Legends museum and program will host an online auction event Nov. 19-22. The auction with more than 150 items will have something for everyone, organizers say. They have collected several one-of-a-kind pieces of Antioch sports memorabilia, along with home goods, electronics, national and international trips, sports memorabilia, lifetime experiences and so much more.
All proceeds will benefit the Antioch Sports Legends museum and program to cover its overhead with the Antioch Historical Society Museum and for displays, apparel, website cost, office supplies and administrative expenses and to set up the organization for future success and projects. Register for the auction online at yourcharityauction.com/ASL.
— Antioch Sports Legends Museum
WALNUT CREEK
St. Paul’s to hold drive-through donation drive Nov. 21
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, at 1924 Trinity Ave. in Walnut Creek, from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 21 in its parking lot will hold a drive-through donation drive with three ways to give back to the community.
There will be a food drive (for Monument Crisis Center in Concord), a school drive (for Meadow Homes Elementary School in Concord) and a benefit for Angel Tree (gift cards and checks for First Baptist Head Start in Pittsburgh). Simply pull into the St. Paul’s parking lot, pop open your trunk, and volunteers will unload your items or collect your gift card/check. For more details, including items needed, visit stpaulswc.org/news-events online or call 925-934-2324.
— St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
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