16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com MC GIVES Over 20 years ago, a group of moms wanted to give the next generation tools to empower themselves and succeed, inside and outside the classroom. They were fueled by an increasing teen pregnancy rate and a lack of resources at school. “[These women] really wanted to make a difference in the lives of other young women,” says Elizabeth Contreras, now the deputy director of what became Girls Inc. They launched the all-volunteer effort with about a dozen girls at Alisal High School in 1999. In 2003, they formalized the project as a member of Girls, Inc., an international organization since 1864. Little by little it expanded to other regions of Monterey County and beyond, into Watsonville and Hollister. Now, Girls Inc. of the Central Coast serves over 1,200 girls, ages 8 to 18, in 40 schools in the region. “We are not here to tell them what’s right and what’s wrong,” Contreras says. The emphasis is instead on providing information so they can make their own choices. Programs are still focused on the original organizing principles of empowering girls to chart their own future, focusing on an array of topics from mental and physical health to handling stress, career path planning, resume writing and more. At the Friendly PEERsuasion program during the summer, participants learn communication skills, decision-making and how to handle peer pressure. A parent-daughter program invites elders—older siblings, parents, grandparents or other adult caregivers—to a communication workshop. Contreras has been with Girls Inc. since 2002 and has seen firsthand how girls involved in the program have flourished. Roxana Javier, a Girls Inc. program facilitator who participated in the programs herself, says she found her voice when she started attending. “I was super, super shy,” she says, but she found confidence in public speaking and networking. Contreras says the work they do provides girls with skills they can use to build their future—starting with dreaming about what is possible, a skill that is especially important to share with girls from under-resourced communities. “If you don’t know how to get somewhere, then you’re not going to get where you want to go,” she says. DANIEL DREIFUSS Girl Power Nonprofit Girls Inc. envisions a generation of women who started shaping their own futures as kids. By Celia Jiménez Participants in an ice-breaker activity at an after-school program with Girls Inc. at Everett Alvarez High in Salinas, before hearing from a speaker on college opportunities. How to Donate Go to www.mcgives.com and click the Donate button. Bay Area Guest Artists 2 Shows: SAT DEC 17 7:00 PM SUN DEC 18 2:00 PM Performed at Santa Catalina School Performing Arts Center Tickets Adults - $18 Senior/Military/Student - $15 Children 12 & under - $12 Special kids rate : 2 for $12.00 Available At: Bookmark - 307 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove Thinker Toys - 480 Del Monte Shopping Center, Monterey (cash or checks at these venues only) Tickets also available online at www.balletfantasque.org General Info: 372-0388 A Non-Profit Co. This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Arts Council for Monterey County through funding from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Yellow Brick Road and the Microsoft Match Giving Program. Performed at Santa Catalina School Performing Arts Center Tickets Now On Sale at Bookmark Music - 307 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove (Cash or check only at this venue) Tickets also online at www.balletfantasque.org General Info: 831-372-0388 A NoN-ProFIT Co. This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Microsoft Matching Gifts Program, local businesses and individual donors. Bay Area Guest Artists 2 Shows Sat. Dec 16 7pm Sun. Dec 17 2pm Tickets Adults $18 Senior/Military/Student $15 Children 12 & under $12 Special Kids Rate 2 for $12 The current agreement for Ambulance Services between the County of Monterey and American Medical Response is set to expire June 30, 2025. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency is developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for ambulance service for the County of Monterey Exclusive Operating Area (EOA) to begin on July 1, 2025. The EMS Agency is seeking feedback from members of the community, city and county officials, and the EMS system as a whole on the Draft RFP Scope of Work (SOW). The draft of the RFP SOW and a form to submit feedback are available via the EMS Agency’s website at www.mocoems.org. A public meeting is being held to provide an opportunity to hear from our community. This meeting will take place on: Friday November 17, 2023, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Community Room, Marina Library, 190 Seaside Cir., Marina, CA 93933 Or via Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/dywmcr6z Passcode: 588333 The public comment period closes on Friday, November 17, 2023. The EMS Agency looks forward to hearing from you. RELEASE OF DRAFT RFP SCOPE OF WORK (SOW) FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
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