46 Monterey County GIVES! 2023 mcgives.com Community & Social Services DONate online mcgives.com Big Idea: The Cachagua Fire Association supports the Cachagua Fire Protection District with a shared objective of providing wildland and structure fire suppression, as well as emergency medical services, to the rural, mountainous eastern end of Carmel Valley. They need a new Type 6 fire engine to replace the current “underpowered, overloaded, and nearly obsolete” 26-year-old model that has over 100,000 miles on it. Donations will support a new vehicle and maintenance. “I live on Sky Ranch Road, atop Tularcitos Ridge in Cachagua. When the Carmel Fire erupted a mile from my street, it happened so fast the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department couldn’t get here in time to evacuate us. The first responders—the only responders—were the volunteer women and men who belong to Cachagua Fire. These volunteers are my neighbors, whose homes were also in the fire’s path when they rushed to defend ours. In total, 17 of the 34 homes on my street were saved—including mine. The rest, sadly, were burned. Cal Fire and outside agencies eventually joined Cachagua Fire, but if Cachagua firefighters hadn’t been on the front line, many more of us would have lost our homes.” -Meredith May Canine Companions Year Founded: 1975 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 253 paid, 4,894 volunteers Budget: $4,001,597 (Northwest region) (707) 577-1700 canine.org Big Idea: You can help make a lifelong match between a service dog and their companion. Canine Companions’ dogs are expertly trained to help adults, children and veterans with disabilities retrieve dropped items like keys, open doors, and help make purchases. It takes $10,000 to fund the cost of the intensive two-week training course in which a client is matched with their own service dog. Canine Companions also provides a lifetime of ongoing support to these service dog teams. “Virginia is always keeping her eye on me. She continues to perform commands with such energy and enthusiasm that it causes me to smile and laugh, bringing more joy to my life. This mission is so needed. These dogs are truly transformative.” -Navy veteran Randy Wright, who has a spinal cord injury resulting in mobility and balance issues. His independence was enhanced with service dog Niosh “Neo” by his side for nearly a decade; when Neo began slowing down, Wright applied for a successor dog and was matched with Virginia. Carmel Public Library Foundation Year Founded: 1986 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 2 paid, 16 volunteers Budget: $896,786 624-2811 carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org Big Idea: The Carmel Public Library Foundation supports the various Big Ideas contained within the library, from offerings like free books and internet access to enriching toddlers’ minds with storytime and helping immigrants in need of language resources. In offering well-attended programming, the nonprofit strives to present an eclectic array of talents, from artists and illustrators to visual and performing artists. “The community enrichment provided to us all is not just buildings, services, and programs—but it is the people. Our amazing Carmel Public Library continues to serve as a community builder, center for learning and champion of youth. It preserves important historic artifacts, oral and digital history relevant to the community, and serves as a catalyst for addressing social issues.” -Carmel Residents Association, Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 Now I have hope that everything will be OK.” Lupita, Catholic Charities Building Healthy Communities (BHC) – Monterey County Year Founded: 1994 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 56 paid, 200 volunteers Budget: $6,245,132 783-1244 actioncouncil.org Big Idea: Do you know how to make a difference? That’s one of the central questions addressed by the work of Building Healthy Communities. This nonprofit uses innovative programs to educate and empower the next generation of leaders. Topics covered by BHC include educating youth about local government structures to help demystify the steps it takes to become a community advocate. Donors will help BHC develop Big Idea programs to prioritize social and emotional well-being for its young change-makers. “Building Healthy Communities has completely altered my life and given me an opportunity to go to college while simultaneously learning about my community and providing a rich environment for others that feel like they do not belong in the grand scheme of society. Many stories in my community, including mine, may seem like anomalies due to the many factors dictated solely by the zip code into which we were born. However, BHC stepped in and gave me a chance at life. It was through this work that I escaped the school-to-prison pipeline, and the creation story of the school-to-organizer pipeline emerged.” -Alexis Mendez spotlight
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