This year is our 5th Annual Homeless Connect Event! Homeless Connect is a one-day, one-stop resource fair for homeless folks, with an emphasis on hospitality and an overarching goal to bring the community together to support the services that help end homelessness. This year, Homeless Connect will be held on June 2, from 10am - 3pm at Sacramento City College. Community volunteers assist service providers and staff in providing an amazing, welcome and heartwarming experience for our homeless neighbors. After the event, volunteers genuinely agree that the experience is a great one; some volunteers have felt their opinions around homelessness forever changed for the better! Homeless Connec

The California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (SHP) are now recruiting adults (18 or older) who are interested in volunteering this summer to help communicate the West’s fascinating heritage of railroading and the California Gold Rush. The volunteer orientation will begin on Saturday, June 23, but interested volunteers must apply and be interviewed in advance. Volunteer applications are being accepted now through Monday, June 4, and involved community members are encouraged to get involved in this worthwhile program.    Anyone who has ever visited the California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento SHP has undoubtedly crossed paths with a docent. Dressed

Every Wednesday night, a group of three dedicated women can be found teaching the During your Pregnancy course in the Parent Education program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). One of these amazing volunteers is Jane Eiferle, a retired, licensed vocational nurse with experience in obstetrics and gynecology. Jane’s easygoing and welcoming nature makes it easy for Parent Education clients to ask questions about their pregnancy and learn in a confidential and nonjudgmental atmosphere. After attending volunteer orientation in 2010, Jane volunteered at an event to help wrap holiday presents for families in need. She wanted to become more involved and that’s when she met Lorena

Looking for an alternative to the Monday workday routine? Grab your wheelbarrow and join other park lovers as we mulch the trees of McKinley Park. Why are we adding mulch to the trees? • Mulch suppresses weeds, which reduces maintenance costs by reducing the need to apply herbicides around the trees (a common practice in Sacramento area parks) • Mulch increases nutrient and water retention in the soil (which means less watering) • Mulch enhances soil structure • Mulch encourages favorable microbes and worms Ken Decio, California Integrated Waste Management Board says, “Not only does mulch keep green material out of landfills. It also controls weeds, reduces erosion, conserves water, adds

Volunteers at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) provide a wide variety of services, from sorting clothing and bagging food, to mentoring students and tutoring adults. SFBFS volunteers are vital not only to daily operations, but also become part of SFBFS’ family. SFBFS administrative volunteers work alongside program managers and staff assisting in filing, data entry, answering phones and, at times, being the first friendly face or voice that a client encounters. Kevin Price, a Parent Education volunteer at SFBFS’ Saca Community Learning Center, has dedicated over 364 hours within the past year to administrative duties and data entry. Additionally, Kevin is single- handedly c

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Jessy Wei shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.  She is the last in a series of VISTAs to share their story this week. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works". As a current VISTA at the Sacramento Food Bank & Fam

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Lamara Burgess shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at Folsom Cordova Unified School District's Parent Engagement Project. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works". Born and raised in Bronx, New York, I was exposed to many inequalities within my neighborh

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Jamie Ports shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at UC Davis Communities and Health Practitioners Together. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works". Prior to my AmeriCorps service, I was working as a Peace Corps Health Volunteer in Malawi, Africa from 20

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Courtney Jallo shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works".   My name is Courtney; I am a twenty-something female VISTA working at Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Fuele

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year.  We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities.  I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies.  Below Deborah Elliot shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at The GreenHouse. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov  or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works".   Deborah's Story: I am a middle child of seven children. Because I grew up in a large family, I didn’t grow up with a lot of things. We

While decision-makers can’t seem to agree on how to improve the economy and tackle the country’s toughest challenges, one thing even Congress can agree on is the value of service in strengthening communities. This year, during AmeriCorps Week, March 10-18th, we honor the service of AmeriCorps members and alumni in our communities. What is AmeriCorps anyway? It can be difficult to explain. Most people are content with the explanation that it’s the “domestic version of the Peace Corps”, but that doesn’t scratch the surface of the diversity of projects AmeriCorps Nation Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), and State and National members tackle during the

Are you a young person living in South Sacramento who has ever felt like your voice is not heard? Would you be interested in working with other people your own age to change your community for the better? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a youth leader? If you said yes to any of the above questions, the organizers of the Youth Voice Program at La Familia Counseling Center are looking for you. The Youth Voice Program provides young people with the opportunity to develop leadership skills through community service projects, by learning how to influence system change, taking part in educational and career opportunities, and engaging in peer mentoring so that they become sta

The Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association in Sacramento focuses its efforts on three main objectives; connecting with the community which it serves and addressing their concerns, participating in and organizing fun and healthy events within the neighborhood, and providing college scholarships for students at Hiram Johnson High School. In order to pass out those scholarships, the TPNA has to raise funds, while at the same time being creative and providing the donors with something that’s a direct benefit to them as well. The upcoming Tahoe Park Annual Bowling Tournament is expected to raise a large share of revenue for this year’s scholarships, and you can help the TPNA make a high school st

Over the past few years, the City of Sacramento has had to cut the budgets of nearly every one of its departments to deal with the fiscal woes associated with the ongoing global economic contraction. The parks department is hardly immune to these cuts, as their staffing levels have shrunk considerably due to layoffs and retirements. But the citizens of Sacramento don’t want to see their parks fall into disrepair, and several groups have formed just to ensure that they continue to be clean and safe places for families to get together and enjoy nature’s bounty. The Land Park Volunteer Corps is coming back this weekend, March 3rd, to tackle the huge task of keeping the city’s largest park lo

Fascinated by railroading history? Interested in working on a train? Enjoy working with visitors, children and school groups? The California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (SHP) are now recruiting adults (18 or older) who are interested in volunteering in early 2012 to help communicate the West’s fascinating heritage of railroading and the California Gold Rush.  The volunteer orientation will begin on Saturday, February 25, but interested volunteers must apply and be interviewed in advance. Volunteer applications are being accepted now through Monday, February 6.  Community members are encouraged to get involved in this worthwhile program that offers an opport

With Veterans Day landing on a Friday this year it was conducive for many events honoring those who have served. Somewhat under the radar, Old City Cemetery (OCC)  gave visitors a tour of a few of the grave sites of Military Medal recipients  fought in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Spanish-American War. Amongst them they were recognized with these medals:     •     2 - Medal of Honor     •     2 - Distinguished Flying Cross     •     6 - Silver Star     •    23 - Bronze Star     •     5 - Air Medal     •    44 - Purple Heart. Three volunteer tour guides took turns telling the stories of the circumstances surrounding the dead soldiers. . As we started walking we were to

Sergio Jimenez last seen at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2. He is a 17 year old student at the Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep (NP3) campus on Del Paso Road. He is 5'4", weighing 145 pounds and wears glasses. Join in the search for this missing teen tomorrow morning 11/05/11 at 9am at the NP3 Gymnasium: 3700 Del Paso Road  Sacramento. It will be a walking search, please wear warm clothes and comfortable walking shoes.   Anyone with information about Sergio Jimenez please contact Rutten (916) 826-5966 OR Sacramento Police Department (916) 264-5471.

Pat Palley was recently recognized for her longtime commitment to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Her history with SFBFS goes back over 14 years. In 1995, Pat applied to be the program manager for SFBFS’s Mother-Baby program, but declined the position due to foot surgery. Later, she volunteered working with clients in the Havens Transitional Living program. In 2001, she and her teenage daughter started volunteering in the Food program, which she continued to do until 2009. In 2005, after teaching Spanish at a Waldorf school in Placerville and having heard about SFBFS’ Adult Education program from a friend, she approached SFBFS and inquired about tutoring opportunities. She

As the sunlight crept through the thick leaves of Curtis Park Saturday morning, the sight of youth volunteers cleaning up dried leaves welcomed joggers and dog-walkers on the park. Twelve youth volunteers cleaned up Curtis Park from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of the youth programs provided by the La Familia Counseling Family Resource Center and Hmong Women's Heritage Association. Staffers of the two associations supervised the youth volunteers. "It has given us the motivation to come together and focus to work with youths at risk that are living in the same communities," La Familia youth specialist Vidal Gonzalez said about the two groups collaborating. "Why don't we go ahead have acti

It's that time again... we're nearing Thanksgiving, which means it's almost time for the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry! This event, taking place every Thanksgiving morning, is the largest fundraiser of the year for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). The event launches in front of Sac State and winds through East Sacramento, with a 5K course and a 10K course. Over 28,000 people participated in last year's event, making it the largest Thanksgiving Day race in the country. One of the ways this event is made possible is through the support of over 500 volunteers on the morning of the event as well as the days leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Not much of a runner of a walker,