These 6 professionals are making a difference: North Bay Gives Awards for 2022
North Bay Business Journal recognizes the following professionals for their impact on their communities in Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties.
Winners of the 2022 North Bay Gives Awards will be recognized at an event in Santa Rosa on Wednesday afternoon.
About me
“I work for a nonprofit organization and my role is to lead programs like the Farmers Market Program for people to access food. In addition, I also lead the CLS program at Puertas Abiertas (Citizenship Legal Services) which is a program that offers free services for people to naturalize.
“I also coordinate the workshops we offer relating to labor rights, housing rights and financial literacy. Lastly, the heart of the services at Puertas Abiertas is social services. It is the main umbrella for services which our community relies on for us to help and support them.”
In what ways has this philanthropic work enriched your life?
“My day to day basis is not cookie cutter. You will find me constantly on the phone talking to clients or meeting with clients in person accessing services and doing a lot of advocacy work when implementing other programs I take a lead in. I am always surrounded by the community and doing what I like to call ‘heart work.’
“Doing this type of heart work, really fulfills my soul and being. Having the privilege to be able to go to work everyday and be an advocate for the community and knowing that you are contributing for a better community collectively is rewarding and really fulfills my purpose in life.
“Coming from a humble, compassionate and empathetic upbringing that has always been embedded in me, has been a spark and inspiration for the heart work I continue to do today. There was always a sense of collective community and helping others in everything I do and how I was raised.”
About me…
“The type of philanthropic work that I do is to offer spiritual advisory to the inmates at the Main Adult Detention Facility. I do this through Catholic Restorative Justice Ministries.
“I also do community engagement through the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office as part of the Community Round Table for Equity, Engagement, and Diversity (CREED); this organization works at different local events. I recently joined the Russian River Rotary and support community events in my town.”
Is there a story or an inspiration behind your philanthropic work?
“The inspiration behind my philanthropic work is this type of work is a calling, one that isn’t for everyone but certainly is for me. Watching my mother work for years in prison industry greatly inspired me to explore the same, it was a good fit.
“As family units improved and individuals became productive in society, my inspiration grew. As I recruit new volunteers for the ministry, I am encouraged further by our successes.
“I feel most fortunate to be in a helping profession and volunteer position. Both continue to inspire me to continuously expand my belief that those in need should never be ignored but instead be offered encouragement and a helping hand.”
About me…
“Volunteering and giving back to my community are an integral part of my life and have been for 10+ years. Most notably, Food For Thought is an organization that I have volunteered with since high school and I now serve on its board of directors.
“I have volunteered with many organizations over the years with each focusing on a topic or issue that I am passionate about, including health, sustainability, and human rights.
“I have also been fortunate to incorporate community work into my job at Sonoma Clean Power. We volunteer our time to different organizations (e.g. food drives, tree planting, road clean-ups, etc.), donate to local causes, and sponsor community events. I am always looking for new groups or efforts that SCP can connect with and support.
In what ways have you seen individuals or the community benefit from your philanthropic work?
“Volunteering at Food For Thought’s food bank was always rewarding because you get to actually meet the community members who are benefiting from the services you support.