Sonoma County Nurseries and Gardener's Guide 2010

This is our 7th Annual Guide to Gardening in Sonoma County… including gardening resources located from Sonoma to the Coast and from Cloverdale to Tomales. Articles written by landscaping professionals educate you on why purchasing plant materials from local sources is important, tree care, intensive farming, invasive imported pants and native species, and more.

This self-guided tour is designed to entice gardeners to explore Sonoma County’s locally owned nurseries and to do business with local professionals.

By purchasing plant material that has been propagated locally, we know these plants will thrive in our eco-system. By supporting local nurseries and garden related businesses, we support our home communities.

Please go to www.sonomacountynurseries.com for the complete nursery, landscape materials and landscapers list. If you see something missing, e-mail Vesta at vesta@sonic.net and we'll add it to the web site list. The list includes businesses who responded to our inquiries for information, so if there is a business not on our list, we were simply unable to confirm their information.

Please refer to the Nurseries page for addresses and info, and the map to guide you to their locations. And just for fun: enjoy the ride along the way. We live in our very one paradise!

Thank You & Happy Gardening! - Vesta Copestakes

The Real Value In Buying Locally Grown Plants

By Michael Skurtun, Healdsburg Nursery

In today’s economy it seems that every dollar becomes harder to hang on to or to spend efficiently. I find myself thinking through and weighing some of the most seemingly simple and inexpensive purchases.

What I hope to learn in the process is not to jump at price without thoroughly examining the product. To me, this is where real value is determined. I don’t want to be caught in that cliché of being “penny wise and dollar foolish.”

This especially applies to buying plants because they are living entities. Starting with a healthy plant, regardless of its size, is one of the keys to successful gardening. Although not all varieties are locally available, buying plants that were propagated or grown in Sonoma County from a very young age is a good way to get started.

For the most part, locally grown plants are acclimated to our climate. As a result they generally do well here and are in sync with our seasons.

Buying too soon…
A classic example of purchasing plants by price is going to a “Big Box” center that sells nursery stock. It’s early March and we are experiencing a classic Sonoma County “false spring”. The sun is out, it’s 60+ degrees and we have a touch of cabin fever so we go out to look at plants. It feels like gardening season has arrived and we’re anxious to get started. The “Big Box” Center has a Bougainvillea in full bloom. There are perennials, annuals and even vegetable starts that look ready to plant so we spend a nice chunk of that ever-so-valuable dollar, load our vehicle and head home in anticipation.

Little do we know that these fresh looking, beautiful plants have recently arrived from a completely different climate that is much milder than ours, most likely somewhere in Southern California, and have only been out of the greenhouse for a matter of days.

Sooner or later we get back to our normal weather pattern. It starts to rain again, temperatures dip and guess what happens to those fresh, beautiful looking plants from out of our area?

Unfortunately, they either die or suffer so much that they never fully recover. Yes, the “Big Box” has a policy to replace your dead plants, but they can’t replace your time and labor, and they can’t make up for your disappointment. To make matters worse, ahead lies considerably more work in removing and disposing of these fatalities just to get back to your original starting point.

Foreign invaders…
Another and even greater issue is that of pest control. In the State of California, virtually every County, including Sonoma, (you and I, the tax payers), spend millions of dollars annually in attempting to control the interstate transportation of pests such as the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter and the Light Brown Apple Moth. These pests pose a serious threat to Sonoma County’s number-one industry, agriculture.

Both of these pests, as well as numerous others, have been introduced to Sonoma County from other regions of the State. The most common form of transportation is via nursery stock. All plants that are to be transported outside of their region of origin are inspected upon leaving and upon arrival in Sonoma County. As outstanding a job as our County inspectors do, pests in one form or another continue to slip through the cracks and land here safely.

And it’s not just insects. Diseases also travel on plants from molds and fungus on leaves and in potting soil. Once you import these into your yard, you’ve introduced the potential of putting your existing plants and future new introductions at risk as well.

The local advantage…
Not all plants can be obtained that were locally grown, but the next best thing is to buy from local nurseries that grow at least a potion of their own stock and buy the vast majority of remaining nursery stock from within Sonoma County. Plants that are raised and grown locally are naturally adapted to our weather patterns, and any pests or diseases they may carry are more readily controlled with minimal use of pesticides. This protects our environment and allows you to nurture your plants with minimum or no chemicals. Locally grown plants also don’t have to travel far from growers to nurseries, so they don’t suffer from shock, drastically different light conditions or temperature variations.

Keeping your hard-earned money within our home community also helps in every way, and you may be getting tired of hearing it, but it’s worth repeating. Taking care of our home from the environment to the economy is part of maintaining what we all treasure…Sonoma County.

Finding local resources….
The Nursery Tour & Gardener’s Resource Guide provided in the center of this publication is a valuable tool to help you achieve the multiple goals of protecting our environment, getting plants in season and adapted to our climate, as well as supporting our local economy. From plant resources to landscape materials and landscapers/gardeners, it’s easy for you to garden with Sonoma County resources.

------
Michael Skurtun has been a Licensed Landscape Contractor in Sonoma County since 1974. He specialized in custom residential landscapes including design, plant installation as well as all phases of “hardscaping”. After almost 25 years of landscaping, Michael opened Healdsburg Nursery in 1991. He sometimes misses the variety of the many different facets of landscaping but continues to enjoy working with customers, and of course plants. Because Healdsburg Nursery offers a free landscape consultation service with the understanding that the clients will purchase the plants from his nursery, Michael continues to stay active in the landscaping field.

Read article »

In Search of Soup - Sonoma County Restaurants

By Vesta Copestakes
There’s nothing like a cold, cloudy winter day to make you feel like seeking out the comfort of a hot bowl of soup. You want to feel nurtured by that special combination of ingredients that makes each soup unique. Add a hunk of soft, warm bread or crispy crackers and there’s little else needed to bring a deep sigh to your heart.

Alan (my guy) and I took to the streets of Sonoma County and did as much soup tasting as we had time. I sought advice through e-mails and Facebook as we headed out. I also asked a few chefs to write about their inspirations which you’ll find following this article. By no means is this a complete list of places to get good soups. That would probably take a lifetime here in Sonoma County!

Let’s start in our home town since it’s where we began…

Mosaic in Forestville came as a suggestion from many. One traveler even commented that they were staying up in Healdsburg and asked around for suggestions and many people told them to go to Forestville. Tai Olesky, owner/creator/chef, grew up here so his heart is right at home in the center of our little town. This is not humble down-home fare, this is food created with taste, nourishment and sensuality all mixed in together. The soup we enjoyed was a rich, creamy Roasted Winter Squash – Coconut Curry Bisque. Wow! Talk about sliding across your tongue exciting taste buds along the way! A bowl of soup and a salad made a full meal. OK, we indulged in dessert. Mosaic is an adventure in eating, not just a place to fill your belly.

Actually, I’ll stay in Forestville for a bit since there are several places here for good soup! My absolute favorite is Front Street Coffee. Coleen is the kind of cook whose mission is to nourish your soul as well as your body. She uses fresh ingredients from local gardens, and you can watch her cook while getting your morning cup of energy, savoring her exceptional scones and chatting with friends. Coleen is just good people and her soups reflect her soul. She wrote a little piece I’ll include below so you can get the inside scoop. When the timing is right, I get soup to-go for later. I recommend it.

Just about next door is Aioli Deli and I asked Autumn Opitz to cook up an especially colorful soup to photograph so she came through with a delightful combination of orange (Roasted Red Pepper) and green (Creamy Fennel). It’s the cover photo. I’m one of those people, who enjoys watching people prepare food and here you can sit at the counter to eat while Autumn or Nicholas create meals for customers. Lots of people take food to go. Check out the sandwiches you can have with your soup! We took soup home one day and I indulged in a side of golden beets with goat cheese. Be still my heart! I was told by countless people to go to Aioli, so I’ll pass that advice along. And Autumn wrote about her inspirations – see below. Good people…good food.

I’d tasted Elizabeth Wade’s appetizers at a Chamber of Commerce Mixer so I was curious what else she could create. Alan and I stopped by where she cooks at Cork’s at Russian River Vineyards on a chilly, misty day and sat near a warm heater to imbibe our soup. He chose a French Onion and I chose Carrot Ginger. We kept passing the bowls back and forth until each was gone. The French Onion was wonderfully traditional with lots of onions, flavorful broth with a slice of toasted cheese-covered bread dipped into the soup. My carrot soup was light, not heavy with cream, so it sat comfortably in my belly, which I appreciated immensely!

Down Hwy 116 toward Graton and Sebastopol is Henweigh Café and I asked Dennis to write about his pride and joy…Clam Chowdah – so I’ll send you to his essay below and tell you a bit about our adventures with Clam Chowder as long as we’re on the subject!

This particular soup has a following and people will tell you where to get the best, what makes it the best and it’s all very personal! I come from New England – as does Dennis, so of course we feel justified in our passions and opinions about this worthy soup. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that the tomato Manhattan version simply isn’t clam chowder no matter how much they claim it is. If it’s not milky or creamy, loaded with potatoes and clams, it’s not the real deal.

And I’ll tell you right here that my absolute favorite version of this soup can’t be found in a restaurant. Alan makes it exactly the way I like it – brothy, not thick, with more clams than potatoes, just a touch of vegetable in chives and herbs. He puts other things in there but I don’t ask – I just savor! And we both agree that Spud Point Crab Company on Bodega Bay comes in next (they sell a little recipe book so you can take home the secret), then Café Aquatica in Jenner just behind – but that’s the way WE like our Chowdah! There are just as many others who want it so thick you can stand your spoon up in it and loaded with bits of bacon. This subject is personal!

I think I’ll digress into French Onion Soup here since that’s just as personal and seems to carry the weight of varied opinions. We didn’t get back down to Petaluma to try De Schmire’s French Onion – but we did taste their winter squash soup when we had dinner there last month. Carolyn Horan had reviewed the restaurant in our December edition so we dropped by some copies and stayed for dinner. You HAVE to go here! We heard from just about everyone that this is the place for French Onion soup, so it’s on our list and we recommend that you put it on yours as well.

OK, we’re in Petaluma now so we’ll take you to Graffiti because we were told this is the place to get the “Flight of Three”, which are three different soups served in cups on a plate. They change daily and the day we went for lunch the soups were Chili, Tomato and Poblano Cream beautifully presented to our corner table in the bar surrounded by large windows bringing the outdoors in to us.

This restaurant felt very relaxed and easy, our Caesar salad was excellent and they served flash fried Calamari…one of those foods by which I judge restaurants. As readers know, my favorite Calamari is at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay – not fried. I have to say that Graffiti’s offerings were excellent and make me want to go back to try more of their food.

I’m all over the map here and want very badly too take you into Santa Rosa for soup, but we never got there. Alan’s vacation time coincided with my production time unfortunately, so we’ll wait for another day. That’s the joy of life – there’s so much in front of you to experience!

So I’ll take you with us as we searched out traditional Italian Minestrone at Giorgio’s in Healdsburg. I had never been there but a reader suggested we go, so we did! My mother’s side of the family is Italian and my Nana used to own both an Italian grocery as well as restaurant, so I grew up on these flavors. There are a whole collection of these Family-style Italian restaurants in Sonoma County and Alan and I have sampled a few. They bring me down Memory Lane.

Giorgio’s fits right into the genre with the big porches, checkered table clothes, and families lined up a large tables. This is good stuff! The Minestrone had all the vegetables, beans and broth you expect. If you love this kind of food I’d like to suggest Dinucci’s in Valley Ford, The Union Hotel and Negri’s in Occidental as well. Each has its own version of your favorites to it’s fun to go from one to the next and taste them all.

Alan and I were running out of time by now so we took another culinary direction by going to Windsor for Oriental. We had recommendations for Truc Linh Vietnamese but they were closed, so we took the next on our list, Chinois Asian Bistro. Wow! That was spectacular! I used to duck in here with copies of my paper when delivering to Windsor and always noted how good it smelled. Debbie, the owner, also owns Ume Japanese Bistro on the east side of Windsor which we have enjoyed numerous times. She’s one busy and talented woman! When we asked what soup was their signature on the menu both Debbie and our waitress enthusiastically recommended “Laksa” Spicy Coconut Seafood Noodle Soup. This soup is alive with flavor!!! Shrimp, clams and scallops float around in the spicy and sweet broth and it’s just plain pretty to look at. Alan got excited so we also ordered the Spicy Taiwanese Short Rib noodle soup in honor of his days working at a Chinese restaurant in Sacramento. They never had short ribs on the menu but the cooks prepared them for staff. This soup inspired stories as we ate our way right through dessert. What a total delight this place is!

And even though we didn’t get by there this time around, in the past we have feasted on Mediterranean Fish Stew at Terrapin Creek Café in Bodega Bay so we want to encourage you to do the same. Carolyn Horan wrote a full review in our December 2008 issue so you can find it in the Restaurant Review archives on our web site at GazExtra! Andrew and Liya Truong have created a healthy, clean menu of options to enjoy, and this fish stew is right at the top for satisfying soups on a cold winter day.

I’d love to take you out to more places but I’m out of space and time. What I would like is your suggestions since Sonoma County is famous for our food as much as for our wines. Our little foray in search of soup is but a mere taste of all that is available. Please send your suggestions to vesta@sonic.net and I’ll add them on the web version of this article. Most of all…have fun while you’re out exploring for soups! We are all blessed to live in paradise!

Mosaic
6675 Front Street, Forestville
(707) 887-7503
mosaiceats.com

Front Street Coffee
6544 Front Street, Forestville
(707) 887-9647

Aioli – a Gourmet Delicatessen
6536 Front Street, Forestville
(707) 887-2476

Henweigh Café
4550 Gravenstein Highway South, Sebastopol
(707) 829-7500
henweighcafe.com

Cafe Aquatica
10439 Highway 1, Jenner
707-865-2251

Spud Point Crab Company
1860 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay
707-875-9472

DeSchmire
304 Bodega Avenue, Petaluma
(707) 762-1901
deschmirerestaurant.com

Graffiti
101 2nd Street, Petaluma
707-765-4567
graffitipetaluma.com

Lucas Wharf
595 S Highway 1
Bodega Bay, CA 94923-9783
(707) 875-3522

Giorgio’s Restaurant
25 Grant Ave, Healdsburg
(707) 433-1106

Negri’s Original Italian Restaurant
3700 Bohemian Highway, Occidental
(707) 823-5301
negrisrestaurant.com

Union Hotel
3731 Main Street, Occidental
(707)- 874-3444
unionhotel.com
1007 West College Avenue, Santa Rosa
(707)-544-3444
280 Mission Blvd, Santa Rosa

Dinucci’s Italian Dinners
(707)-538-6000
14485 Valley Ford Rd Valley Ford, CA 94972
(707) 876-3260

Chinois Asian Bistro
186 Windsor River Road, Windsor
(707) 838-4667
http://www.olddowntownwindsor.com/splash_pages/chinois.html

Terrapin Creek Café
1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay
(707) 875-2700
terrapincreekcafe.com

Below are suggestions from readers on their favorite places to get soup!

Pat's Restaurant
16236 Main Street, Guerneville
(707) 869-9904
pats-restaurant.com
Holly Robinson says that Richard Hines makes a different soup every day and every one of them is wonderful - tastey, healthy and just plain good. As she listed each one she started to get the glow of wanting a bowl and finally decided that she simply had to go there for dinner that night.

Pho Vietnam
711 Stony Point Rd, Santa Rosa
(707) 571-7687
This is one of Betsy's favorites - she likes clean, fresh food. One of the reviews on the internet says "This place has amazingly flavorful soup, fast no-nonsense service...” so check it out! Betsy also recommends...

My Ha - Vietnamese
385 Aviation Boulevard, Santa Rosa
(707) 527-8882
...as someone else says - Vietnamese at its best. They are close to the Tierra Vegetable Farm so you might want to go grocery shopping for farm-fresh veggies while over there.

Willowood Market Café
9020 Graton Road, Graton
(707) 823-0233
willowoodgraton.com
...this restaurant gets high marks from many people. Their soups are always excellent no matter what kind they are making that day. Quite honestly - everything the create is excellent!

Mombo's Pizza
560 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol
(707) 823-7492
mombospizza.com
I admit this came as a complete surprise as a soup suggestion. It never occurred to me to go there for soup! I guess I'm just going to have to try it!

French Garden
8050 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol
(707) 824-2030
frenchgardenrestaurant.com
This place gets highly recommended from many people so it's on my list to check out for myself.

Pizza Gourmet
1415 Fulton Rd, Santa Rosa
(707) 575-1677
pizza-gourmet.com
I've eaten here MANY times and find it consistently good so when my friend Sylvia raved about her experience here, I knew I wanted it on the list. The salads are my favorite food, but everything is created with care and the people are delightful.

Costeaux French Bakery
417 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg
(707) 433-1913
costeaux.com
As reader Dan says Tres Bonne! So I'd say we BOTH need to find out what he's talking about!

Jimtown Store
6706 Hwy 128, Healdsburg
(707) 433-1212
jimtown.com
Dan also recommended Jimtown and I double that! he says their Butternut Squash Apple Soup is exceptional and whether I've had that one or not - everything I've eaten there has been wonderful...and I don't think it's because I enjoyed the ride out there so much that I was in a really good mood! Find out for yourself!

Thai Orchid
1005 Vine St, Healdsburg
(707) 433-0515
Dan recommends the Chicken Coconut Soup so let's go find out!

Truc Linh
810 McClelland Drive, Windsor
(707) 838-6746
truclinh-restaurant.com
They were closed when we went by and that's how we ended up at Chinois - but I have to say that every time I went in there when delivering my newspaper, the woman who owns the place was remarkably friendly. She even gave me bottled water to drink on a hot day. I was touched! That kind if warmth scores big with me - her food must be good!

Bodega General Store
17190 Bodega Highway, Bodega
707-377-4056
bodegastore.com
Elizabeth down the road at The Casino has told me numerous times to go get soup from Mathew & Mike and I have yet to do it - then when Aleta called she got the same story. We didn't make it for this article, but we will. Bodega is often on our motorcycle ride out to the coast and back, so there are many opportunities!

That's it for now - please feel free to send more suggestions (vesta@sonic.net) and we'll add them over time:

Read article »

Money Movement to Support Local Banks

Keep your Money in Sonoma County
where it supports our Community!

We keep talking about it, writing articles about using CASH instead of CREDIT and it's becoming a movement. Remember “We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more?” The more people are aware of how greedy people steal from every person who earns a living, the more we have a chance to fight back and support the people who support us. It's all about aligning ourselves with people and institutions who share our values systems.

Check out the latest movement to take your money OUT of greedy banks and put it INTO local banks and credit unions. Put your MONEY where your value systems are supported - where your money goes to support your home community.

In Sonoma County we have credit unions and banks (see list and links below) who keep their money here - and the web site below was developed to help people find a local bank for their money.

http://moveyourmoney.info/

But don't just take their word for it - do a little research of your own to find out how these banks USE your money. “The devil is in the details!”

Here are some SUGGESTIONS from Reader Magi Discoe and SCG Author Alan Joseph:

Hi Vesta,
The Huffington Post had an article yesterday entitled "A New Year's Resolution" ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html ) that suggested we, as citizens, take our money out of the giant banks and place our money into community banks. It sounded like a great idea to me, but I am not sure which banks are "community banks" and which are just fronts for the ultra large banks. I think it would be a great service for the Gazette to encourage this theme and list real community banks.

This seems to be an idea gaining momentum and as background I would recommend the latest issue of Mother Jones (February).
Magi Discoe

Thanks Magi,
As you know - we've run two articles so far on keeping our money at home - it's becoming a movement which I support!!! Thank you! Here’s a more detailed response from Alan Joseph who wrote those two articles on keeping our money in Sonoma County.
- Vesta

Hi Magi,
Vesta, told me about your interest in local banks. I've been on this path for some time. As Vesta noted, she has published two articles....I wrote them both. The point I made in those two articles was to pay with cash as much as possible.....avoiding the 3% merchant fees and finance charges flying money out of the county....to the sum of millions of dollars every year.

More to your point, I have also made it a personal mission to place my business and personal money in local banks and have some recommendations:

1. Community First Credit Union was started as the Sonoma County Teacher's Credit Union. This is truly a home grown venture with money put right back into our community. www.comfirstcu.org

2. Luther Burbank Savings was founded by the Trioni family....privately held, serving their community instead of their share holders. www.lutherburbanksavings.com

3. Circle Bank is a fairly new venture but noteworthy because it was started and run by women.....www.circlebank.com Their Santa Rosa offices have a childrens' play area and they bake cookies for their waiting room twice a day.....a refreshing approach.

4. Exchange Bank is the oldest local bank in the area. Founded by Frank Doyle, they have a long local history. I know lots of people who swear by them, but I have to say that in the last year or so, they have been in the headlines waaaay too much surrounding real estate loan losses in the Sacramento Valley. I pulled a substantial sum of money out of their bank this last year because of that, but will keep an ear and eye out to see what they do in the future.

I hope this helps with your quest.....and thank you very much for caring. - Alan Joseph

Just one more comment (their's) on two more LOCAL MONEY INSTITUTIONS:

Redwood Credit Union (RCU) is a full-service financial cooperative, assisting local consumers and small business owners with achieving their financial goals and dreams since 1950. As a Member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, our focus is simply to provide our Members and communities with trusted financial services, friendly personal service and free financial education. www.redwoodcu.org, or call (707) 545-4000.

Summit State Bank - opened its doors in 1984. Headquartered in Santa Rosa, we serve Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area with branches in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Rohnert Park and Petaluma. As a community bank, we are committed to giving back to our community. We offer a generous Nonprofit Partnership Program, and support the local organizations and programs that serve Sonoma County.
http://www.summitstatebank.com/


Here's a BOOK SUGGESTION from our Ask EcoGirl columnist, Patricia Dines:

The book Agenda for a New Economy is amazingly hard-hitting, fact-based, and constructive. The author David Korten has been writing on these issues for decades and brings such a great perspective to this, laying out distinctions and a model that instantly make sense and finally for me give words to what we're trying to say - about what we don't want, what we do, how to frame the difference, and how to create the latter. I don't agree with everything, but he gives the conversation a much-needed shove in the right direction. Something I'm not seeing even in radical books let alone, of course, the mainstream conversation. I had the idea of everyone sending this book to Obama, that's how on-point I feel it is.

David Korten Biography

In addition to an active schedule of writing and speaking on global issues, I serve as president of the People-Centered Development Forum, chair the board of YES! Magazine (yesmagazine.org), serve on the board of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. (living economies .org), and co-chair the New Economy Working Group. For more information and periodic updates, visit my website davidkorten.org. You can also follow me on twitter.com/dkorten and facebook.com. The Great Turning has an active facebook.com group.

AND - just in from a Gazette reader:

The Huffington Post had an article yesterday entitled "A New Year's Resolution" ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html ) that suggested we, as citizens, take our money out of the giant banks and place our money into community banks. It sounded like a great idea to me, but I am not sure which banks are "community banks" and which are just fronts for the ultra large banks. I think it would be a great service for the Gazette to encourage this theme and list real community banks. This seems to be an idea gaining momentum and as background I would recommend the latest issue of Mother Jones (February). - Magi

AND...You'll also find this other web site interesting with videos on senate hearings about our financial institution crisis

http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=Senate+hearings+on+AIG&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=2C49S5L_GJCIswOQiJTWAw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCAQqwQwAw#

Read article »

Sonoma County - The Green Jobs Epicenter?

A Report on Green Jobs and Training
with Resources for Green Jobs (below)

by Woody Hastings

“350 Day”, a day of international actions focused on raising public awareness of the urgency of taking action on climate change, refers to what climate scientists tell us is the maximum concentration of carbon dioxide Earth’s atmosphere can safely sustain - 350 parts per million (ppm). Unfortunately, we passed that mark in the early 1990s. We are currently at about 390 ppm and rising at about 2 ppm per year. 350.org estimates that about 5200 events took place in October in about 181 countries to focus our attention on this environmental dilemma and what we can do to change our course of action. Creating jobs in Green Technology is part of the solution.

Evelina Molina of the North Bay Institute of Green Technology, produced Action Fair, an all-day event in Santa Rosa that featured a diverse line-up of people and organizations involved in a wide variety of green career projects and programs. The bottom line is that many opportunities exist for employment and training in the rapidly developing field of “green” jobs and careers. “We want to make sure that green jobs are truly green in the sense that they provide opportunities for under-served, under-represented, low-income communities of color with barriers to employment. The jobs should provide wage-earners a family living wage, health benefits, and career pathways to prosperity. If the emerging green jobs economy does not create a fair and just opportunity for all, then it is not ‘green’ and will not create the sustainable socio-economic infrastructure that is needed to pull us out of this economic slump,” said Molina.

“It is going to require an army of people to do all the energy efficiency building retrofits, weather-stripping, and renewable energy installations that will be needed to reach the greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets that must be met to avert global disaster,” said Chris Cone of Solar Sonoma. She reminded the audience that Sonoma County has the most aggressive climate action plan in the nation, committing the county to carbon dioxide emissions reductions of 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. “The things that constitute the crisis - climate change and the recession, are the drivers that present the opportunity - a transition to a green economy fueled in part by the federal stimulus funds for green jobs,” she went on to explain.

That point was underscored by a speaker who followed, John Richau, Regional Director of the Community Alliance of Career Training and Utility Solutions who anticipates a veritable “boom” in jobs in home retrofitting over the next few years due to the fact that the California Public Utilities Commission is funneling $3.1 billion in federal stimulus money over the next three years to communities throughout California for that purpose.

Other private sector opportunities are emerging without federal assistance. GreenRay Technologies, an LED lighting start-up based in Santa Rosa, is opening a new manufacturing plant in Sonoma County and is currently hiring. “For years and years you’ve seen jobs like these moved overseas to Asia and other places. GreenRay is reversing that trend and will be employing people and manufacturing right here at home,” said Gene Quisisem, Western Regional Director for the firm. LED lights are even more energy efficient than compact fluorescents and do not contain any hazardous materials.

Many renewable energy projects and other green projects are being proposed in the Bay Area, including the North Bay. Some of them are large and offer the possibility of significant number of green jobs. One of the struggles is to ensure that the communities in which the projects are located are not left out of the employment opportunity. Multi-stakeholder agreements that address this concern are known as “community workforce agreements.”

A textbook example was provided by Joshua Arce of the Brightline Defense Project (brightlinedefense.org). Joshua recounted the recent story of a 5 megawatt solar project planned to be installed on top of the huge cap covering the Sunset Reservoir in San Francisco. No jobs from the chronically underemployed and unemployed districts of San Francisco were planned. Brightline organized a coalition of communities and succeeded in stopping the project with the demand that at least 30% of the workforce be hired from local underserved communities. The demand was met and the project was approved. Arce highlighted five key stakeholders that must be included in a successful project: 1) Industry; 2) Labor; 3) Elected Officials; 4) The local Workforce Investment Board; and last but not least 5) Community and Environmental Organizations.

The most compelling personal story of the day came from Edgardo Tafoya, a young man transformed by the career opportunities that unfolded for him via the North Bay Institute of Green Technology. Edgardo had spent many years incarcerated since some regrettable “mistakes made” during his teen years. “It was impossible to get a job just by filling out an application. I needed someone who was going to take a chance on me and believe that I have something to offer,” he said. Edgardo is now gainfully employed in the rapidly emerging “green collar” field of home energy efficiency retrofitting.

Many more opportunities are emerging in this field all the time. See the short list (below) for just a few of them.

Woody Hastings is a freelance environmental writer based in Sonoma County. Contact him at whastings@earthlink.net

Green Careers & Jobs - Sonoma County Resources*
Listed Alphabetically

Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County / YouthBuild Santa Rosa

YouthBuild Santa Rosa provides mentoring, educational & vocational training and skill development in leadership, communication, problem-solving and goal-setting to low-income youth in Sonoma County.

www.capsonoma.org/youthbuild

707-578-2034



Community Alliance of Career Training and Utility Solutions

Fresno-based organization that offers training and nationally recognized certification on a wide variety of green technologies. Sonoma County courses offered.

www.greencactus.org

559-960-7899



Eco Workforce

San Jose-based green collar workforce staffing agency focusing on energy efficiency and solar installations

www.eco-workforce.com

408-277-3114



Global Exchange

San Francisco-based organization offers a wide variety of programs including a green careers training program.

www.globalexchange.org

415- 255-7296



Green Ray

Sonoma County-based commercial and residential LED lighting start-up. Hiring for its new manufacturing plant in Santa Rosa.

www.greenraytechnology.com



Green Sonoma County

Sonoma County-based start-up that offers residential and commercial energy audits by certified technicians. Positions available for independent referral representatives and salespersons

www.greensonomacounty.org

707-623-6757



North Bay Institute of Green Technology

Provides training, job placement, and retention of low-income, unemployed, or underemployed persons for careers in green collar jobs.

www.nbigt.org



Santa Rosa Junior College

“Local instruction leading to global solutions.” Many practical course offerings under the rubric of sustainability.

www.santarosa.edu

707-527-4011



Solar Sonoma

Promoting Solar Energy Development Countywide

www.solarsonomacounty.org

707-829-9191



Sonoma State University Center for Sustainable Communities

Provides training on sustainability topics such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, green building, land use planning and public health - for local governments and other organizations.

www.sonoma.edu/etc/home/sustainable_communities

707-664-2577


*Note: this is not a comprehensive list. It reflects the organizations that were featured at the 350 Action Fair for Green Jobs & Training on October 24th 2009

IF YOU KNOW OF MORE GREEN JOB RESOURCES - please e-mail them to: vesta@sonic.net

Read article »

The Art of Giving - Tips, Toy Drives, Non-Profits & Thrift Stores

The Art of Giving
& Receiving

By Vesta Copestakes
Many years ago I was offered a rather extravagant gift and felt unprepared to receive such generosity. It’s so easy to give and so challenging to receive some times! I was asked to stand on the other side of that gift and feel the joy this generous heart was feeling as he handed the package to me. He wanted me to receive graciously and just assume he saw me as worthy of such a fine object.

In the Season of Giving, it helps to step across the line to the receiving side and feel what it’s like from the recipient’s perspective. Do they feel joy? Do they feel overwhelmed by the gift. Do they feel obligated by the expectations attached to their response? Do they get the impression that you know who they are…their needs and desires?

At this time of year many people feel more pressure than joy, so it helps to remember that this process of giving is supposed to be about happiness, joy, generosity and personal connection. With that in mind, I’d like to lead you through my collections of the many ways we can give to others.

I’ll start with my tips for people who just haven’t managed to get motivated yet – and move to the many ways we can be generous to those we cherish as well as to perfect strangers. Many of these are suggestions submitted by readers – thank you so much!

Toy Drives of Sonoma County: This information has been up for some time in our BENEFITS CATEGORY - please go to - http://www.sonomacountygazette.com/blog/2009/11/holiday-toy-drives-of-sonoma-county.html - there's still time to help our children!

Procrastinators Shopping Tips

By now it’s mid-December and while some people have their presents purchased, wrapped and even shipped to distant family and friends – others haven’t even begun the process.

Last month’s Gazette featured my annual Small Shops of Sonoma County shopping tour where I take you town by town throughout Sonoma County and introduce you to shop owners and their wares. The full version is in the CATEGORY on the right at Small Shops of Sonoma County. It includes towns that didn’t make it to the print edition…the communities of Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor and Petaluma. Over time we’ll even flesh out some of the stores we left out this year because they are worthy of your attention!

The Shopping Tour will eventually make it to it’s own web site – but in the mean time we have links to the web sites of everyone mentioned and contact information for all advertisers.

The following tips are not town-oriented…they are more about objects you can purchase and actions you can take that become valuable gifts.

Park Passes: This is giving the great Outdoors to someone you love that allows them FREE access to local and State parks all year long. It’s enjoyment of nature and fresh air – and – keeps our parks open for all to enjoy. Your purchase of a Pass helps provide funds for trails and facilities, habitat protection and public access. Keep one of these in your wallet and you can park for free at any park in Sonoma County or even California!

Sonoma County Regional Parks:
2300 County Center Drive 120A, Santa Rosa, (707) 565 – 2041,
www.sonoma-county.org/parks/p_pkpass.htm
You can also get a pass at any of the Regional parks where there is a gate keeper – such as Doran Beach Park out on the Coast.

California State Parks: There are two ways to benefit our state parks and give a gift at the same time. One is a proposed statewide ballot measure to try to put the State Park Access Pass on the ballot in November 2010. Go to: http://www.calparks.org/ to help with this one – then in the mean time – get a Park Pass as a present – for yourself as well as a friend! And of course – they offer Gift Certificates! http://calparks.org/join/giftmembership.html It’s not as easy as walking into an office in Santa Rosa, but you can e-mail members@calparks.org for help or call (415) 262-4400 to find a local state park where you can purchase a pass while out for a stroll on the beach – or whatever!

Gift Certificates: Now this may seem like a lazy way out ,but it’s actually a really good gift. Many people would rather choose their own gift and if you have neither the time nor personal information to get an appropriate gift – this solves the problem. I’m suggesting people get gift certificates to dog groomers for their pets, bottles of wine, dinners, you name it. If a business has a gift certificate available – let the recipient choose their own gift!

Candles: These are small gifts that come in a rainbow of colors, sizes from tiny tea-lites to long beeswax tapers. Some are made of soy and are smokeless – some are molded into shapes and decorated. What they all have in common is that they are both functional as well as decorative. Whether it’s an elegant dinner or light for when the electricity goes out, candles are useful gifts that bring both warmth and soft light. But the best part is that they make a room feel special – like something wonderful is happening. Just be careful and leave them flaming only when you are physically present – and make sure they are set on non-flammable surfaces. Accidents do happen and that tends to take the joy out of the experience!

Chocolates: There are only a few people on this planet who don’t delight in chocolate – not the candy bar kind – but the hand-made truffles, crèmes, etc. that you find in a real chocolate shop. I got so many recommendations for Viva Cocolat in Petaluma that I must send you to this spectacular shop! Jude, my printer sales rep and I enjoy visiting Lynn Wong’s shop when I distribute papers in Petaluma. One day we set our plate with chocolates named after women – just for fun! On a cold day, make sure you try Lynn’s hot cocoa! 110 Petaluma Blvd N - www.vivacocolat.com I don’t want to leave anyone out and I know there are many chocolate shops in Sonoma County. I just don’t know them all – but I have tasted David Gambill’s award-winning truffles at Sonoma Chocolatiers in Sebastopol. Superb! These are top-of-the-line taste experiences – but I have to say that a Dove bar fulfills the need when the chocolate urge strikes. No matter what chocolate you buy, just make sure you know a person’s tastes – dark and bitter to light and creamy – these things count to chocolate lovers.

Holiday Tree Ornaments: The wonderful thing about many ornaments is that they are not just for holidays. You can buy Austrian crystals that move to a window after the tree comes down. Tiny brass bells shine on a tree then move to the front door to announce guests. I have friends who love to exchange ornaments over the holidays because it’s the kind of gift that adds up over they years. Each ornament represents another year of friendship that builds history on a decorated tree. At this time of year several shops have displays of vintage ornaments. Right now you can go to the Annex of Legacy in Sebastopol (see their ad) and get vintage ornaments that help finance the Sebastopol Senior Center. Vintage always has charm! And so many of the gift shops around decorate their stores with ornaments that not only bring a festive atmosphere to the shop, but are also items to purchase. Most don’t cost much so you get a meaningful gift with very little cash! One of my favorite stores for this is Rose and Thorn just 3 miles west of Sebastopol along Bodega Hwy. Carole loves to decorate so her store is filled with ornaments most shops don’t; carry. Besides – she’s just a wonderful person and sells an amazing array of small items you can stuff in a stocking. Visit the chickens and goats while you are there!

Wine Glasses & Mugs: These are items that tend to break so people always need them! Believe it or not, one of the best places to get coffee mugs are thrift stores! A good mug can set you back $10 but not in a thrift store – maybe 50¢! Ok – they aren’t stellar quality but they can be quite amusing! For top quality go to a store that sells ceramic mugs and find ones that are small works of art for your hot coffee or soup. I’m especially fond of soup mugs! And wine glasses – talk about breakables! I never knew how important which shaped glass is for what wine until James Haug of Wine Emporium in Sebastopol demonstrated the subtle shift in taste that occur when you drink the same win fro a different glass. Rather impressive! Most of our wine shops have glasses to sell as well as wines, so visit one, taste a bit of we and buy some glasses! A gift for you as well as your friend!

Lunch or Dinner with a Friend: This gift comes in a card so find a good one to “wrap” the gift in. The very best card shops are actually art galleries! Many artists see the value in hand-made cards or reproductions of their art on paper. Find an image that your friend will love to keep and write a note offering time to share and enjoy each other’s company over a meal. Make sure you actually make the date when you exchange the gift because months and sometimes years can go by without this kind of intimate sharing of time and experience. Sonoma County has more opportunities to share a meal than most places and just about everyone of them is exceptional. I’m expecting lunch with Alan very soon to celebrate our anniversary when we had lunch at Cape Fear Café in Duncans Mills and decided to cross over the line from friends to lovers. Precious memories at lunch! Worth repeating!

Time & Experience: There is nothing more valuable in any of our loves than time. We have only so much of it – once we use it it’s gone forever and we never get more. Spending time with anyone is precious. Whether you volunteer your time for a good cause (see our Volunteer calendar) or take the time to be with someone you care about – you’ve just given someone a piece of your life. Shared experiences live in our hearts and minds…sometimes forever. They may not take up much room under a Christmas tree, but they hold more value over the long run than any object.

Whether it’s something you purchase or create, gifts are expression of our love and appreciation for each other. The most important aspect of any gift is that it expresses your knowledge of the recipient. You may feel pressured by time running out by now – but if the gift doesn’t feel special, it’s not worth giving at all. You may just need to write a note and tell someone that you want to go out together to find a gift that they cherish rather than one that fills a box.

Happy Gift-Giving & Receiving!

Shopping
for a Good Cause

By Vesta Copestakes
There are two reasons we are concentrating on good causes this holiday season – one is simply because our world is being economically challenged, so need is more rampant than in the past. And another is because it’s the time of year when people tend to look beyond their own needs toward the needs of others. That’s a good thing any time of year, but we’ll take advantage of the current generosity of spirit right now.

Our list of readers’ favorite non-profits is a great opportunity to make a donation to a good cause and get a tax deduction in the process. For people who need to give less to the IRS and more to something they believe in, this is a good time.

The following is more a list than a shopping experience, but the bottom line is that you can shop, come out with things you need – even gifts for the holidays, and the money you spend goes to support a homeless shelter, food for the hungry, care for the sick – it goes on and on. Whether you know the good cause or even care which one it is, try shopping at a thrift store and come away with treasures for very little money. The only difference between shopping here and a retailer that has new goods is that these are used. It’s called recycling!!!

Love Your Neighbor Thrift
2150 Bell Dr. off Piner, Santa Rosa, 707-542-0446
This huge warehouse has many rooms, each divided into categories from clothing to china, lots of picture frames – small appliances, a library room and children’s rooms. They provide support services for individuals in great need and who are not taken care of by other organizations – the people who fall through the cracks as they say!

Sutter VNA Thrift Stores – Donation Center & Store
Volunteers sort and sell everything from clothing to furniture, antiques, jewelry, collectibles, etc.
OPEN: Mon – Sat 10am to 5:30 pm
1620 Piner Rd, Santa Rosa - 707-523-1775
510 Lewis St., Santa Rosa 707-528-9310
6350 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park 707-588-8015
748 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol 707-824-4712
Provides compassionate care to Hospice patients and their families. Has bereavement support groups, grief counseling and crisis intervention. Provides skilled nursing and therapy to frail elderly.

Assistance League
5 West Sixth St, Santa Rosa, 707-546-9484
Clothing to household items. This is a good place to find high quality work clothes!
All-volunteer foundation provides community projects to serve unmet needs in Sonoma County for children through adults.

Sacks Thrift Stores
116 Fourth Street, Railroad Square, Santa Rosa, 707-541-7227
128 Liberty Street, Petaluma – 707-765-2228
Mon – Saturday 10 to 5 and Sunday 9 – 2
“Upscale Retail” shop specializes in gently used household items, linens, jewelry, furniture, artwork – you name it. Check out their holiday window display. These volunteers make an art form out of donated treasures. Benefits Face to Face, Memorial Hospice & Petaluma Hospice

Pick of the Litter Thrift & Gift Shop – www.forgottenfelines.com
1701-A Piner Rd., Santa Rosa 707-570-2590
Monday- Saturday 10 -5 for donations & shopping
Recycled items help Sonoma County’s feral cat population through spay/neutering and veterinary care. Shop for gently used items in all categories they have a great book section – and you may even find a cat to fall in love with through their adoption program

Welfare League!
126 Fourth St, Railroad Square, Santa Rosa 707-542-7480
Mon – Sat 10 – 4 – Everything you need for home and life under one roof – except food!!
An all-volunteer womens’ organization specializing in serving the needs of families. This unique organization works with parents to provide items they need in a supportive environment from clothing to bike helmets and child safety seats. They work with Catholic Charities, Social Services, Childrens’ Shelter, United Against Sexual Assault and the Police Chaplaincy Program.

Redwood Gospel Mission - www.srmission.org
1821 Piner Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 707-528-7285
This vast warehouse has everything from clothes to furniture and toys. They even carry car seats and refrigerators! At one end of the building you purchase items to help the mission and at the other end they are giving away food and support.

Goodwill Industries – gire.org
3535 Industrial Dr., Santa Rosa 707-545-2492
680 Sebastopol Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-570-2392
10000 Lakeville St, Petaluma 707-778-7485
513 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg 707-431-8408
4 Padres Ctr. Parkway, Rohnert Park, 707-585-0300
792 S. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale 707-894-5200
A broad range of items from clothing to furniture and everything in between. Their stores are especially good for men’s items – which is rare! Donations support job training and services for people with disabilities and other employment barriers.

Food for Thought Antiques & Treasures – www.fftfoodbank.org
2701 Gravenstein Hwy. South, Sebastopol, 707-823-3101
Open 11 to 5 daily
Mostly volunteer operated – FFT, along with 10 vendors, run this large shop filled with treasures of all kinds both old and used from rolls of fabrics and shelves of books to wrought iron fencing in the garden section. They specialize in estate liquidations so the items fall under a broad spectrum from antiques to just old stuff! FFT operates a food bank that serves people with HIV/AIDS .

The Legacy
781 Gravenstein Hwy So, Sebastopol 707-823-7520
This shop specializes in sewing, knitting and crochet supplies – for the most part! Now for the holidays they also have the Annex next door that is selling vintage holiday decorations! All proceeds support the Sebastopol senior Center. His is a treasure house for crafters!

If you know any more, please e-mail me at vesta@sonic.net and I’ll add them to this list!

Good Causes
Who Could use Some Help!

Maybe you need an end-of-year tax deduction, or you have spare time and are looking for something to do. If either of these apply to you, our readers have suggestions! We’re putting these up on our web site so if you’d like to add your own - e-mail them to vesta@sonic.net and we’ll add them to our list.

Habitat for Humanity: ReStore
The Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County ReStore needs your donations of doors, windows, cabinets and working appliances (7 years or less). Nearly any building or remodeling material in good shape can be recycled through ReStore, saving you dumping costs and providing a tax deduction as well. More importantly, your donations will go back into the community to help people who are upgrading their homes.

By recycling your old car through the Humanity’s Cars for Homes car donation program, you help save energy and natural resources with the added benefit of supporting the effort to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness within your community.

All operating profits from ReStore sales go into Habitat’s building programs. Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County is working to provide affordable housing for all Sonoma County families.

Contact Info:
(707)568-3228 to schedule a drop-off, a pick-up
24 10th Street in Santa Rosa
Tue 10am-4pm; Wed, Thu, Fr 9am-5pm; Sat 9am-4pm
www.sonomacountyhabitat.org

Forgotten Felines
Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County is dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of feral cats through local spay/neuter programs, placement services, community outreach and nationwide education. They offer low-cost spay/neuter services for feral and tame stray cats. They operate solely on private donations and not funded by any city or county funds, income is received primarily through the Pick of the Litter Thrift & Gift, located at 1701 Piner Rd in Santa Rosa. Visit www.forgottenfelines.com for information on adoptable cats, volunteer opportunities, and a wish list of items they are in need of.

Contact Info:
Forgotten Felines:
Adoption Facility located inside the Rohnert Park Adoption Facility
301 J. Rogers Lane. Rohnert Park
PO Box 6672
Santa Rosa, CA 95406
707-576-7999

Pick of the Litter Thrift & Gift:
Pick of the Litter gratefully accepts merchandise donations between 9:30 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday at our donation door.
1701-A Piner Rd., Santa Rosa
707-570-2590

SAY - Social Advocates for Youth believes that it takes a village to raise a child. That is why they are building the village that Sonoma County youth deserve. SAY is a community leader in providing support, opportunities, and hope to children, youth and families.

The Coffee House Teen Shelter is the only 24/7 emergency youth shelter in Sonoma County. It provides safe, short-term housing, food, clothing, and counseling for runaway and homeless teens age 12/17, and for families needing a safe harbor for their teens during times of crisis. The Drop-In center serves three hot meals a day. Crisis intervention, counseling, and family reunification services are available.

The Tamayo House is a supportive housing program for former foster care recipients, as well as street youth, and youth living with serious mental disorders. Residents 18-24 years old achieve successful autonomy and independence through a range of housing, education, and case management services.

How to Help:
Donate money on their secure website www.socialadvocatesforyouth.org
Volunteer – become a mentor, help at the Coffee House, help plan an event
Donate items such as cars, furniture, clothing, etc.

Contact Info:
Coffee House
1243 Ripley St., Santa Rosa
707-544-3229
Street Outreach Program: 707-522-2263
Tamayo House
1700 Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa
707-528-7500

Ceres Community Project
The Ceres Project provides organic, local and nutrient-dense meals to individuals and families who are dealing with serious illness. Their goal is to restore food to its place as primary medicine for healing and healthy communities by training young people how to cook and eat organic, and educating all sectors of our community about the relationship between what we eat and the health of our bodies.

On Jan 9th, the Ceres Community Project presents Back to Basics with Healing Broths. Taught by Nutrition Director JoEllen DeNicola, the course offers hands-on experience preparing Ceres’ healing Immune Broth and bone broths. The class takes place at Capers and Co., 330 Main St in Sebastopol, from 9-11 am. Visit www.ceresproject.org or call 707-829-5833 x3 for more information or to register for the class. Event fee is $30.

How to Help:
Purchase Ceres’ new cookbook, Nourishing Connections: the Healing Power of Food and Community, online at www.ceresproject.org or at Copperfield’s Bookstore in Sebastopol.
Volunteer by harvesting produce and picking up donations, preparing meals and delivering them to our clients, tabling at the farmer’s market, helping with office work, and meeting with and supporting clients.

Financial donations can be made through PayPal, mailing a check, or by phone with credit card.
Purchase their food products online and pick them up at 330 S. Main Street in Sebastopol Tue-Thurs.

Contact Info:
330 S. Main Street
PO Box 1562
Sebastopol CA 95472
707·829·5833
www.ceresproject.org
info@ceresproject.org

Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
The Sisters are a 21st Century order of nuns. Their mission is to spread joy and goodwill through charitable acts and fundraising, with consideration of the special needs of the Russian River area. They host monthly Bingo Tournaments to raise money for various organizations within our community that are in need. “We believe in creating a hate-free zone in our community by reaching out to all peoples regardless of sex, religion, sexual orientation and political beliefs.”

How to Help:
Attend a monthly bingo charity event, the second Saturday of every month at the Odd Fellows Hall in Guerneville at 7pm, but arrive early. Cards are $15 each or 2 for $20 and all proceeds benefit a different organization each month.

Become an RR sister and attend their General meetings held the 3th Thursday of each month. For more info & meeting location email info@rrsisters.org

Donate funds online at www.rrsisters.org through their PayPal account and designate which charity you would like the donation to benefit.

Contact Info:
Russian River Sisters, Inc.
Post Office Box 771
Guerneville, CA 95446
info@rrsisters.org

West County Health Centers
West County Health Centers provides comprehensive primary medical care, dental services, mental health services, and confidential teen services at five sites throughout western Sonoma County. Medical services are available to all members of the community including those with Medicare, Medi-Cal, CMSP and most major insurances. For those who are uninsured, they offer a sliding scale and programs that provide free services.

Make a donation in a loved one’s name to West County Health Centers and give the gift of health care to your community. Your donation to West County Health Centers enables our professional staff to deliver the right care to anyone in need... regardless of their financial means. Visit www.wchealth.org to make a secure online donation.

Contact Info:
(707) 869-2849 16319, 3rd Street
P.O. Box 226
Guerneville, CA 95446
www.wchealth.org

Russian River Watershed Protection Committee
The Russian River Watershed Protection Committee is dedicated to the care and preservation of our beautiful Russian River. Primarily through the tireless work of Director, Brenda Adelman, they strive to educate and inform their members about the seemingly endless threats to this beautiful natural resource.

How to Help:
Mail your donation check to:
RRWPC
P.O. Box 501
Guerneville, CA 95446
Make a secure online donation at www.rrwpc.org

Contact Info:
www.rrwpc.org
Brenda@rrwpc.org
P.O. Box 501
Guerneville, CA 95446

Climate Protection Campaign
Their mission is to create a positive future for our children and all life by inspiring action in response to the climate crisis. CPC advance practical, science-based solutions for achieving significant greenhouse gas reductions.

How to Help:
Mail donation check to:
P.O. Box 3785
Santa Rosa CA 95404
Call 707-525-1665 to make donation over-the-phone
Donate online by credit card at www.climateprotectioncampaign.org

Contact Info:
P.O. Box 3785
900 College Avenue, Santa Rosa CA 95404
Ann Hancock, Executive Director
ann@climateprotectioncampaign.org
707-525-1665


Sonoma County Animal Shelter
The Sonoma County Animal Shelter is committed to serving the public in the care and well-being of animals, both domestic and livestock, throughout the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County, the City of Santa Rosa, and the Town of Windsor. Visit www.theanimalshelter.org for information on adoptable animals and volunteer opportunities.

For those unable to adopt at this time but wishing to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals throughout the year, SCACC is now accepting tax-deductible donations. Contributions payable to “Sonoma County Animal Care and Control” can be made in person or via mail at the address below.

Contact Info:
Sonoma County Animal Shelter:
1247 Century Court
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-565-7100

Hours:Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.;
Wednesday 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.


We can add to this list at any time - so please send us your suggestions: vesta@sonic.net

Read article »

Food Banks & Pantries of Sonoma County

I compiled this list off of what I could find online. But it can always be added on to, so if you know of a great food bank/pantry in your area, please email as much info as you can find to aletataylor@hotmail.com, or call me at 707-669-0321. Also email any benefits and charity dinners occurring in Dec. I would love to keep this list going through the end of the year, since now is the time when people find themselves more in need than ever. All of these organizations do wonderful things and need as much support as they can get this year. Whether you can donate food, money, or just some time, every little bit helps.

One thing I would like to mention is that, with the coming of winter, comes the harvesting of citrus. Every time I go for a walk, I see several houses with orange, lemon, and lime trees overflowing with ripening citrus. I can't imagine that those families will eat all that fruit! So if you have a neighbor or friend with surplus citrus this season, please give them this list. And to make it easy on them, I recommend the Farm To Pantry organization, where volunteer come to the home and harvest the produce themselves, then distribute it to local food banks.

This is, after all, the season to give. And sometimes the best giving doesn't come from buying gifts for friends and family, but donating your time to the community and those in need. Happy Holidays!

- Aleta Taylor

Redwood Empire Food Bank
The REFB is the largest food bank serving the North Coast of California from Petaluma to Oregon. Working with 146 other hunger relief agencies that operate 230 programs throughout the county, the REFB provides food to 70,000 Sonoma County residents each month. That number is 10,000 more a month than a year ago, the result of the economic recession’s impact on Sonoma County residents.
Recipients of REFB’s programs include 10,400 seniors, 30,000 children, and thousands of working families, the disabled, unemployed and the homeless. The REFB also is a primary resource for food pantries and other hunger relief agencies in Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

How to Help:
Online at www.refb.com, pay by credit card
Schedule a monthly giving through an automatic withdrawal from your checking account or credit card
Organize AND HOST your own food/funds drive with help and supplies from REFB
Organize donations at your workplace by contacting Connie Petty at cpetty@refb.org or 707.523.7900 ext. 35

Contact Info:
3320 Industrial Dr
Santa Rosa California 95403
Phone 707.523.7900
Fax 707.523.7901
www.refb.com
Office Hours & WIC Store Hours:
Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Guerneville Community Church
Also supported in part by the Catholic Church, the MCC and Salvation Army. Food pantry open the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at 9 am.

Contact Info:
14520 Armstrong Woods Rd
Guerneville, CA 95446
(707) 869-2514
guernevillecommunitychurch@yahoo.com
guernevillecommunitychurch.org

COTS – Committee on the Shelterless
COTS offers help and hope to homeless persons in Sonoma County by providing safe shelter and housing, helping people develop steady incomes and helping them get back under a roof of their own. We help homeless families become stable and break the cycle of homelessness by teaching homeless parents to make their children's needs a high priority and to provide a safe, loving and secure home for their children.

How to Help:
Donate online by credit card at www.cots-homeless.org
Donate food or goods listed on their Wish List
Read about their many different volunteer opportunities, download a Volunteer Application, then fax or mail it in.

Contact Info:
P.O. Box 2744
Petaluma, California 94953
1500 Petaluma Blvd. S, #B
Petaluma Blvd, CA 94952
707-765-6530
Fax 707-765-9043
info@cots-homeless.com
www.cots-homeless.com

West County Community Services
WCCS works to strengthen families in western Sonoma County. We provide opportunities, support and resources that touch the lives of youths, adults and seniors. By strengthening families we build stronger communities. WCCS operates five critical social services departments serving thousands of youth, adults, and seniors every year. The program departments include: Counseling and Prevention, Adult and Youth Employment, Russian River Senior Resource Center, After School Programs and Emergency Food & Housing Services. A unique and vibrant organization, WCCS is the only multi-services agency in the entire western Sonoma County area and we continually strive to provide focused, quality assistance that meets the needs of our local community.

How to Help:

Mail a donation check to:

West County Community Services
P. O. Box 325
Guerneville, CA 95446
Attention: Finance Department
Sign up for eScrip.com, COMMUNITYsmart card, and Albertson's Community Partners. When using these methods at participating stores, the merchants will donate a portion of their proceeds to the organization.
Volunteer with either food box preparation or reception by downloading the online application and emailing it to: volunteer@westcountyservices.org.

Contact Info:
P. O. Box 325
Guerneville, CA 95446
(707) 829-5717 voice
(707) 823-1642 fax
www.westcountyservices.com

Saint Andrews Church
St. Andrew’s food program offers a food pantry every Tuesday 5-7pm, and a hot dinner on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month 5-7pm.

Contact Info:
20329 Highway 116
PO Box 721
Monte Rio, California 95472
Tel: (707) 865-0834
Fax: (707) 632-6042
revml@incarnation-sr.org
www.standrews-redwoods.org

Sebastopol Community Church
On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009 join us in Memorial Hall as we help host the 9th Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Call the church office at 823-2484 to sign up to work a 4 hour shift on either Wednesday, November 25 or Thursday, November 26. We need prep work, cooking, serving and cleanup. If you are not available to work on either of those days, another big help to the Community Thanksgiving Dinner is to donate food items or cash. Non-perishable food items can be brought to church on Sunday, November 11 & 18 (potatoes, onions, canned goods, etc.) Checks can be made out to the Community Church with a notation in the memo line: Thanksgiving Dinner.

Contact Info:
Office (707) 823-2484
Fax (707) 823-9597
office@uccseb.org
1000 Gravenstein Hwy. North
P.O. Box 579
Sebastopol, CA 95473

Forestville United Methodist Church - Food Closet
The UMC sponsored the origination of the successful Victory Gardens Project in Forestville.
Contact name is Katherine Best-Smith, Phone, 523-0252 and email, kbsmith@sonic.net.

Harvest for the Hungry
Relying exclusively on volunteer labor, the Harvest for the Hungry Garden delivers organically grown produce each week to four local hunger programs: FISH of Santa Rosa; The Living Room, a drop-in center for homeless women and children; Elisha's Pantry, and Food For Thought AIDS Food Bank. Each year we harvest approximately 10,000 lbs of fresh produce (tomatoes, carrots, beets, squash, fruit, lettuce, greens, onions and garlic) all grown on a 3/4 acre lot behind Christ Church United Methodist.

How to Help:
To donate gardening supplies, organic seed, building materials, tools, or soil amendment, please call Martin at
707.579.2584.
To make a cash donation, please call
Katie at 707.575.8250.
Volunteer hours are from 9 AM to 12 noon Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
during spring, summer, and fall. Our schedule changes seasonally, so please call before you come by, or stroll through the Garden anytime. We're open until sunset seven days a week.

Contact Info:
1717 Yulupa Avenue (Behind Christ Church United Methodist)
Santa Rosa, CA
707.566.7937
harvestgarden@journeyhome.com
www.harvestgarden.org

Ceres Community Project
During 2008, more than 70 teens from a dozen area schools spent 2,250 hours in the Ceres Community Project kitchen. Working together, these remarkable young people prepared 17,300 meals for individuals and their families who are dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses. Nearly 100 adults helped harvest food, deliver meals, mentor our teen chefs and support our clients.

How to Help:
Order their products online, then pick them up at their kitchen on 330 S. Main Street in Sebastopol.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Margaret Howe at volunteer@ceresproject.org or by calling 707·829·5833 extension 2. The next volunteer orientation will be on December 15th 5:30-6:30pm.
Financial donations can be made by sending a check to
PO Box 1562
Sebastopol CA 95473
by using the PayPal link at www.ceresproject.org/donate.html or by calling 707·829·5833.

Contact Info:
330 S. Main Street
Sebastopol CA 95472
707·829·5833
info@ceresproject.org
www.ceresproject.org

Interchurch Food Pantry
The Interchurch Food Pantry is located at the head of the St. Stephen's parking lot. The Pantry is open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to Noon. Please call ahead to arrange to pick up a food box.
The Pantry serves local families and individuals who may receive one box per month.

Contact Info:
500 Robinson Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 823-3281
Pantry:707- 823-2483

Farm to Pantry
Farm to Pantry is a community of volunteers dedicated to providing fresh, healthy and affordable food to everyone. We live and glean in Sonoma County, California, where there is a growing community of farmers, gardeners, and residents dedicated to ensuring fresh and healthy food for everyone.
Garden to Pantry – Plant a garden and offer to donate any portion of your harvest to a local food pantry, shelter or soup kitchen and we will provide you with guidance, advice, and gleaning help should you need it.
Market to Pantry – At the end of the day at the Farmers’ Market, we collect unsold, surplus produce and deliver it to the local food pantry. We also happily accept donations of fresh produce --- purchased at the Farmers’ Market or home-grown.

How to Help:
Join our Gleaning Team. We glean wherever there is healthy, fresh produce to be harvested in Sonoma County. Volunteers receive an email from us when there is a gleaning opportunity in their area, typically once a week for two to three hours
Volunteer your farm, garden, orchard, or tree to be gleaned. Let us know as soon as possible that you expect to have extra fruit or vegetables and we will schedule a time for our volunteers to come to you, pick the surplus produce and then deliver it to a local food pantry for distribution to families in need.

Contact Info:
gleaning@farmtopantry.org to volunteer
Melita Love - Volunteer and Founder: melita@farmtopantry.org
Rosemary Rasori - Volunteer and Project Leader: rosemary@farmtopantry.org
Cathy Wilson - Volunteer and Gleaning: cathy@farmtopantry.org

Read article »