News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California
Join us this Saturday to celebrate WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD at the East County First 5 Center. We have an entire morning of events planned to celebrate families with young children – arts and crafts, story time, face painting, and a wildlife presentation.
Bring the whole family!
See you Saturday!
By Kristi Jourdan, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media
Ballet Folklórico Netzahualcoyotl dancers will perform accompanied by Mariachi Monumental. Photo: Contra Costa County
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will honor César E. Chávez in a celebration recognizing his commitment to social justice and respect for human dignity. The 29th Annual César E. Chávez Commemorative Celebration will be 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 4, in Board Chambers at 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez. Community members can also join the event live on Contra Costa Television channels and the County’s website.
“We honor César E. Chávez and recognize his legacy of fighting injustice and improving the lives of farmworkers, their families, and their communities. We are inspired to commit ourselves to service to others,” said Board Chair Supervisor John Gioia. “We also recognize our 2023 Youth Hall of Fame awardees whose commitment to service and community are to be applauded and are the force moving forward Cesar Chavez’s legacy.”
The theme for this year’s celebration is Hope and Healing – Esperanza y Bienestar. The festival will feature keynote speaker Genoveva Garcia Calloway, community leader and former City of San Pablo Mayor and behavioral health professional, who will share her perspective on César E. Chávez’s legacy.
The event will include presentation of the 2023 Youth Hall of Fame Awards to students who make outstanding community contributions, live performances by Mariachi Monumental and Ballet Folklórico Netzahualcoyotl, and celebratory remarks from members of the Board of Supervisors.
Following are the County’s 2023 Youth Hall of Fame Awards winners:
High School Awardees:
Volunteerism: Frances Kellman-Lima, El Cerrito High School, 12th grade
Teamwork: Prisha Purohit, San Ramon Valley High School, 11th grade
Perseverance: Anayely Arreola Caldera, Liberty High School, 12th grade
Leadership & Civic Engagement: Anay Pant, Athenian School, 11th grade
Good Samaritan: Aria Capelli, Athenian School, 11th grade
Middle School Rising Stars:
Volunteerism Rising Star: Makenzie Lee-Foster, Visions in Education, 6th grade
Teamwork: Zihan Cherry Chou, Adams Middle School, 8th grade
Perseverance: Jered E. Clark, Black Diamond Middle School, 8th grade
Leadership & Civic Engagement Rising Star: Carter Considine, Head Royce, 9th grade
Good Samaritan: Gianna Baglieri, Rio Vista Elementary School, 3rd grade
The annual celebration honors the diversity and richness of our community. To learn more about the César E. Chávez Ceremony, visit https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/6039 on the Contra Costa County website. The community can also watch the event live online at www.contracosta.ca.gov/6086 or www.contracostatv.org. The celebration will broadcast live on Contra Costa Television channels: Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse 99, and Astound 32 and 1027.
Photos: City of Dublin
Dublin’s 39th St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will be held Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, 2023. The festival activities and entertainment will run 10am-5pm both days and is held rain or shine.
The 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Festival’s visitors will enjoy a variety of events such as:
Green pancakes anyone? Enjoy a delicious hot pancake and sausage breakfast served fresh off the griddle by the firefighters from Local 55. The cost is only $5.00 per person and the funds are used to support charitable efforts funded by Local 55. It’s a perfect way to start the morning before finding a seat for the parade or heading over to the festival!
After a hearty breakfast at the Firefighters’ Local 55 Pancake Breakfast, residents and guests can find a spot in Downtown Dublin to watch the Dublin Lions Club St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which begins Saturday, March 18 at 9:30 a.m. The parade kicks-off at Dublin Boulevard and Amador Plaza Road, traveling east on Dublin Boulevard, north on Village Parkway, and west on Amador Valley Boulevard, ending near the Dublin Senior Center. Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets to watch from along the parade route. The parade features more than 80 entries, including festive marching bands and floats, Irish bagpipes, local dance troupes, equestrians, and more.
This is a rain or shine event, so be prepared with rain gear in case of foul weather!
Join in the fun and festivities of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration by participating in the Shamrock 5k Fun Run and Walk. Lace up those running shores, put on your favorite green, and head out to run or walk.
The Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk is part of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration which features three stages of Irish music and dancing; over 250 festival booths; and plenty of Irish food and drink!
For more information on the Fun Run including route map, parking and directions, and how to register, please visit the Event Registration Page. For questions, please contact Anthony Calvo at anthony.calvo@dublin.ca.gov.
You’ll find everything from traditional Irish folk music to Celtic Rock and bagpipes performing throughout Saturday and Sunday on two stages. And don’t miss the Irish Dancers performing continuously on the Dance Stage.
An expanded Irish menu will feature corned beef sliders; Irish bangers and mash; Guinness-marinated tri-tip on Irish soda bread; boxty; and, of course, fish and chips! Traditional festival favorites like kettle corn and corn dogs, along with international choices, such as teriyaki chicken and beef kabobs, will also be served.
The Irish Marketplace will feature unique Celtic artwork, Irish tartans, hand knit wool sweaters, shawls, beautiful Celtic jewelry, and more! Other vendors will include arts and crafts booths, commercial vendors, non-profits groups, and sponsors.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Enjoy lively Irish music along with a steaming cup of Irish tea, served with delicious shortbread and scones. Open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For the festival’s program, directions and parking, parade route and more details visit the festival’s website at www.DublinStPats.com.
The San Ramon Community Chorus is performing a free St. Patrick‘s Day Concert on Friday, March 17 start at 7:00pm at the Alcosta Senior & Community Center at 9300 Alcosta Blvd. This annual show will also feature performances by the McBride School of Irish Dance. We hope to see you there!
Source: YouTube video screenshot
Source: McBride School of Irish Dance
The Community Chorus is open to those who enjoy recreational singing in a friendly, stress-free atmosphere. We sing familiar tunes from Broadway classics and folk. No experience or auditions are required. Sessions end with a performance (optional participation).
By Chantel Tieman
Hold Your Horses Livestock Emergency Evacuation Response Team & Rescue is a local non-profit evacuation team and rescue based out of East Contra Costa County.
We are deployed by operations of emergency services, Calfire and local fire agencies and Animal Services. We not only rescue during disasters but whenever there are calls for neglect and abuse etc. For more information visit www.holdyourhorsesevac.com or our Facebook page.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84535737114?pwd=dlhiQXhCaW56cWhIMGozK1NFMTFhUT09
The Bay Point Community All-N-One will once again be hosting one of our biggest events, “The Unity In The Community” event on Saturday, June 24th, 2023 from 10am – 2pm. This is a Health & Wellness program for the community to be held at the Ambrose Community Center, 3105 Willow Pass Road, Bay Point, CA 94565.
To be a SPONSOR for the Unity in the Community Event please call contact us.
To REGISTER your organization to participate or for a table at the Unity in the Community event, please download and complete the registration form and submit it to us before April 17, 2023. Unity in the Community Table Res
For questions, please call Mr. Delano Johnson at (925) 812-2939, Irving Joe at (925) 858-2675 or Lovetta Tugbeh (925) 727-8291.
Please save the date & be on the lookout for more details to come in the near future.
Mary Turner (left), a graduate of the WFD program at St. Vincent de Paul, hugs her mentor Gail F. (right) outside of her newly purchased home in Stockton, California. Photo: St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa
A new session of the Workforce Development Program at St. Vincent de Paul is gearing up to help people in need find gainful and meaningful employment. Participants from past sessions note that the program has transformed their lives – given them the training and confidence to enter the workplace. With introductory sessions in Pittsburg, Brentwood, and Pleasant Hill – the WFD program at St. Vincent de Paul is aiming to help the most vulnerable in Contra Costa County develop the personal tools they will need to find and keep a good job. Interested participants are asked to attend 2 introductory sessions, which will take place in:
The WFD program at St. Vincent de Paul is a job-training program which pairs paid on the job training at one of SVdP’s 3 thrift stores with transformative classroom instruction & 1-on-1 mentorship with dedicated community mentors to help people with barriers to employment find and maintain a good job. Compassionate community volunteers lead participants through paid classroom instruction geared toward helping them develop the interpersonal tools needed to navigate today’s working world and offer transformative 1-on-1 mentorship to help participants overcome the obstacles between them and meaningful employment. Many of the WFD program’s participants have overcome the barriers of homelessness, a criminal record, or the uncertainty of being a refugee in a foreign country.
Afghan refugee and WFD program graduate Ajmal Aria now works as the Director of Operations at Opening Doors, a Sacramento based non-profit that helps refugees acclimate to their new home.
“We were living in a small apartment in Concord, two bedrooms for the seven of us. I have a degree, but I had to support my family, so I was working for DoorDash and Uber to do what I could to feed my family,” Ajmal said. “The WFD program at SVdP gave me the breathing room I needed while making sure my family survives. The volunteers at SVdP helped me adjust to this country and find a job that truly utilizes my training and skills – and lets me provide a good income for my family.”
Today, WFD program graduate James Neitte works as a Shipping and Receiving Specialist for Lowe’s Home Improvement. A former construction worker, James found the WFD program after falling into a life of crime. At age 49 and facing multiple felony charges, he could not foresee a happy ending for himself.
“I was convinced I was going to jail for at least 10 year, I thought my story was over,” James said. “It was just so powerful to be surrounded by people who genuinely cared about seeing me succeed. No one in the program cared that I had a past, they just wanted to help me have a future. It taught me a lot. I’m really thankful for the volunteers at SVdP and for the WFD program.”
A senior citizen, Mary Turner was living in her car when she learned about the WFD program at SVdP. Dependent upon a fixed income between SSI and disability, Mary could not keep up with her rising rent. Today, a graduate from the WFD program, Mary not only works as an Advanced Medical Care Specialist with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, helping the county veterans, Mary was able to purchase her first home, and is no longer living in her car.
“I’ve lived a fairly hard life,” Mary said. “There were just certain things I never learned, because when I was young you just didn’t need to know those things to find a job. At SVdP they showed me how to do things I’ve never had to do before, like build a resume. It was a lot of hard work, but I was determined to turn my life around and they were there to help me.”
St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County has provided safety-net services in the county for over 58 years, serving 100,000 people annually and distributing over $1.7 million in direct financial assistance and over $2.3 million of in-kind aid. Over 700 SVdP volunteers and a small staff lead operations in Contra Costa including the SVdP Family Resource Center in Pittsburg, 28 branches, and 3 Thrift Stores. One of the largest charitable organizations in the world, St. Vincent de Paul is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of more than 800,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in 155 countries on five continents.
Applicants are required to attend both a Part 1 and Part 2 session, at the location most convenient for them. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. To learn more and download an application, visit svdp-cc.org. To RSVP for a session call (925) 439-5060 or email info@svdp-cc.org
Pajamas are sorted and ready to be packaged for the 2022 giveaway. Photo: IORF
BRENTWOOD, CA – The International Orphan Relief Foundation of Brentwood held their 16th annual children’s pajamas, toy and grocery gift card giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. Led by organizers former Councilwoman Claudette and her husband Johnny Staton, they partnered with Toys for Tots by the U.S. Marines and helped about 150 families, this year.
The families signed up for the giveaway through three organizations, Sisters of Immaculate Heart, Delta Community Services and Village Community Resource Center of Brentwood. The giveaway was held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Brentwood.
“It was heartfelt to see people, especially the children with smiles on their faces and so grateful to receive the gifts,” Johnny shared.
“We want to thank Fremont Bank branch in Brentwood, specifically branch manager Deborah Willis and Community Outreach Manager Julie Moore who supported us throughout the years as well as McNally Insurance Company, as they are our major donors.”
“We also want to thank all those who donated toys and pajamas, Toys for Tots, Got Kicks and Tammy Young of the Streets of Brentwood, the volunteers, JoAnn Klement, Surah and Shaddin Abukishk, Dawn Bass, mother Gloria and daughter Gloria Pantoja, Claudia Rodriguez, Allen Payton, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and Carol Ilch-Rojo,” Claudette said.
Organizers Johnny and Claudette Staton were joined by several volunteers for the 2022 giveaway event. Photo: IORF
The Statons also thanked last year’s donors including Dub 4 Kids and past volunteers Jilda Fairhurst, Roy and Elma Richards, Villa Millan Serrano, for helping on distribution day, as well as all the past volunteers over the years including Glen Combs.
Finally, they thanked their legal counsel, Hon. Elihu Harris, former Mayor of Oakland, and Dr. Sheila Wells.
Johnny said, “I also want to thank my wife, Claudette for being such caring person.”
“We do it all for the praise and glory of God,” he added.
For more information and to donate to IORF visit International Orphan Relief Foundation (www. iorf.org).
The Gye Nyame Kwanzaa set includes a candleholder, candles, unity cup, corn and mat. Source: officialkwanzaawebsite.org
By Allen D. Payton
Kwanzaa, the annual, seven-day African American and pan-African celebration of family, community, history, heritage and culture, was created in the 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of the department of Africana Studies at Cal State University, Long Beach. Each year it begins the day after Christmas on December 26th and continues through January 1st.
According to edarabia.com, “The term ‘Kwanzaa’ originates from the Swahili expression ‘matunda ya kwanza’, which means ‘first fruits of the harvest’.
During the holiday, families and communities gather to honor and remember The Seven Principles of Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. Participants celebrate with the lighting of seven candles, feasts, music, dance, poetry and narratives. It ends with a day of reflection and recommitment to The Seven Principles.
According to hearinnh.org, “Kwanzaa is celebrated by people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, but it is particularly popular among African-Americans. The holiday is observed in all 50 states, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. It’s difficult to say precisely how many people celebrate Kwanzaa, as there is no official census data on the subject. However, estimates suggest that around 1.5 to 2 million Americans observe Kwanzaa each year.”
This year’s theme is “Kwanzaa, Culture and the Practice of Freedom: A Message and Model for Our Times”.
According to the Official Kwanzaa Website, “The Holiday Kwanzaa is a product of creative cultural synthesis. That is to say, it is the product of critical selection and judicious mixture on several levels. First, Kwanzaa is a synthesis of both Continental African and Diasporan African cultural elements. This means that it is rooted in both the cultural values and practice of Africans on the Continent and in the U.S. with strict attention to cultural authenticity and values for a meaningful, principled and productive life.
Secondly, the Continental African components of Kwanzaa are a synthesis of various cultural values and practices from different Continental African peoples. In a word, the values and practices of Kwanzaa are selected from peoples from all parts of Africa, south and north, west and east, in a true spirit of Pan-Africanism.
And finally, Kwanzaa is a synthesis in the sense that it is based, in both conception and self-conscious commitment, on tradition and reason. Kawaida, the philosophy out of which Kwanzaa is created, teaches that all we think and do should be based on tradition and reason which are in turn rooted in practice. Tradition is our grounding, our cultural anchor and therefore, our starting point. It is also cultural authority for any claims to cultural authenticity for anything we do and think as an African people. And reason is necessary critical thought about our tradition which enables us to select, preserve and build on the best of what we have achieved and produced, in the light of our knowledge and our needs born of experience. Through reason rooted in experience or practice, then, we keep our tradition as an African people from becoming stagnant, sterile convention or empty historical reference. Instead, our tradition becomes and remains a lived, living and constantly expanded and enriched experience.” From: “Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture – by Maulana Karenga / pp 15-16 / Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press (2008)