28 Monterey County GIVES! 2024 mcgives.com Arts & Culture DONate online mcgives.com “I was very pleased with the music, and to get the chance to play in a different location and see the professional musicians. It inspired me to play more music—and more often.” -Vanessa S., student musician in the South County Strings program Friends of the Marina Library Year Founded: 1990 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 120 volunteers Budget: $97,250 682-8016 friendsofthemarinalibrary.org Big Idea: Friends of the Marina Library’s Big Idea is more like a Big Dream. Readers: use your imagination to dream alongside this all-volunteer organization as it envisions new music, history and cultural programs with a specific goal to build community. Programming goes well beyond the traditional idea of what a library offers, and includes movie nights, outdoor birdwatching classes, Biology With Berta programs for kids and last year, the inaugural Hawaiian music and hula dancing event. Donations to this nonprofit’s Big Idea will help more cultural programming like this go from a dream to reality. “I love how Friends of the Marina Library brings the community together. The Hawaiian concert in front of the library was an opportunity for folks to pull up chairs, watch hula, eat shave ice and celebrate Marina’s Hawaiian culture. Thank you for showcasing the diversity that is Marina!” -Alison Kim Healing and Reconciliation Institute Year Founded: 2017 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 5 volunteers Budget: $500,000 hricommunity.org Big Idea: The Healing and Reconciliation Institute is preparing for next summer’s Peacemaking Camp, a four-day leadership training and culture arts camp for “the young future leaders and knowledge-bearers of the Central Coast’s Native American groups and Tribes.” The Institute’s advisers and collaborators designed the camp, covering conflict transformation, traditional herbal remedies, beadwork lessons, traditional ecological practices and more. Last year’s Monterey County Gives! donors supported a twoday training for leaders; this year’s Big Idea expands to young adults ages 18 to 24. “[The City of Watsonville] engaged the Healing and Reconciliation Institute to build capacity for one of our community committees that was grounded in DEI principles. What they delivered allowed us to strengthen a small, close-knit group to allow us to grow. Not only in numbers but also along our individual life paths and relationships with one another and the land.” -Toto Vu Duc Henry Miller Library Year Founded: 1981 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 50 volunteers Budget: $352,258 667-2574 henrymiller.org Big Idea: This organization’s Big Idea implores you to “develop an interest in life as you see it,” in the immortal words of its namesake, Henry Miller. The Henry Miller Library offers a haven of music, books and art, promising a collection that “will irritate and stimulate almost everyone.” The theme continues with its provocative and alluring events, including the signature Big Sur Fashion Show, concerts, readings, talks and more. “Since the publication of Tropic of Cancer 90 years ago, the writings and legacy of Henry Miller have been a part of our culture with his major works still in print. The Miller community is passionate and widespread, including an international presence due to foreign translations of his books. The 2025 symposium ‘Henry Miller in the 21st Century’ is an opportunity to bring together an international gathering of individuals, to exchange ideas and increase their awareness of the reasons Monterey State Historic Park Association Year Founded: 1975 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 50 volunteers Budget: $157,000 649-7111 mshpa.org Big Idea: Before California became a state, the Sherman Quarters Adobe housed the future U.S. Army General William Tecumseh Sherman. This building has stories to tell, but its doors are currently closed—pending the culmination of Monterey State Historic Park Association’s Big Idea. Donors can help reopen this historic structure by helping to fund roof repairs for this adobe. With a fundraising goal of $45,000, MSHPA supporters hope to raise the money to include this historic home back on the route for Christmas in the Adobes. “My son has absolutely loved his experience at the Los Exploradores camp at the Monterey State Historic Park. Attending annual events like Christmas in the Adobes has become a cherished tradition for our family. We are so grateful to have these treasures of not just our local history but California history right in our own backyard, accessible for everyone to enjoy. The programs and events truly bring history to life in a way that is both educational and fun for all ages.” -Chiara Burr spotlight “It has been a life-changing program for our family.” -Anonymous, Palenke Arts
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