Sunday E-dition: Got 50 bucks? Buy 10,000 mealworms
By Dave Stoneberg
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — What does $10 buy? Probably a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread and maybe some milk — or maybe you’d rather donate it to Napa Wildlife Rescue to buy three days’ worth of baby raccoon formula or two days’ worth of food for an orphaned, injured or sick hawk or owl.
Anyone can be a philanthropist if they start with a small donation. And that’s the point. For the past 10 years CanDo’s Give!Guide has raised a community of givers, particularly youngsters, to the tune of more than $5 million for 147 local nonprofits, $10 at a time. As of Friday morning, this year’s campaign has raised $55,887 for 76 local nonprofits from 219 donors, averaging $255-plus per donation.
This time of year everyone has their hands out, seeking donations for this or that nonprofit. I like CanDo’s Give!Guide because these organizations are vetted and they are all in one place. I can go to their website, here, give to different organizations and pay a lump sum, either by check or a credit card. Most importantly, CanDo gives all of the donations it receives to those organizations, less the 2.7% credit card fee. If you pay by check, 100% of your donation goes to the nonprofits.
Again, as of Friday morning, the donations received were:
-Animals (9 nonprofits), $14,150
-Creative arts (20), $2,415
-Community (3), $17,788
-Education (11), $5,400
-Environment (4), $2,679
-Health and wellness (17), $9,555
-Youth and seniors (12), $3,900
I’m going to look at four of the nonprofits. The list is random, and because of space considerations I can’t really highlight all 76, even though I’d like to.
One of the nonprofits is 10,000 Degrees, which is a group of people helping Napa Valley students from low-income backgrounds realize their college dreams to “positively impact their communities and the world.” Last year the group helped 1,600 students get to and through college with needs-based, renewable scholarships and personalized support.
A $10 donation will buy school supplies for one student; if you donate $50, the group will distribute gift cards as incentives for high school students who complete their financial aid applications.
Calistogan Citlali Montanez said, “I am a Calistoga High School alumna who now serves as their 10,000 Degrees Fellow. I take pride in being a first-gen college student and guiding other first-gen students to break generational barriers.”
Another nonprofit in the Give!Guide is Napa Wildlife Rescue, the only organization in the county that is permitted to rescue, rehabilitate and release wildlife back to their natural homes. Every year the group takes in more than 1,200 orphaned, injured or sick animals, which include songbirds, raptors, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, fawns and many other species.
They also visit elementary schools to teach about wildlife and share a “wild animal ambassador” with the students. Phillips Elementary School teacher Jen Veveiros said, “It is so great to have an outside agency come to the school and present to students. It’s one thing to read about wild animals, but it is a whole different ballgame to see one in person. You could have heard a pin drop in my room when the hawk came to visit.”
Fifty bucks would buy part of a tank of gas — or maybe you’d rather donate it to Napa Wildlife Rescue to buy 10,000 mealworms for songbirds for one day or one bag of critical-care formula for an emaciated animal.
The group’s goal is to share its members’ knowledge and skills to form a caring community for wildlife and to help enrich a biodiverse environment. If you’d rather not make a financial donation, maybe you’d like to volunteer for the group. They need help with gardening, maintenance, building animal enclosures, caring for small mammals at your home, rescue, transport, cleaning, laundry and fundraising.
Another animal group is Napa CART, whose volunteers have helped shelter and care for thousands of animals during past wildfire events. According to the description that is part of their donation request, Napa CART’s mission is threefold:
1. Educate the public on the animal component of disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
2. Assist Emergency Services in sheltering, evacuation and care of animals during a disaster.
3. Train first responders, veterinary professionals and community volunteers in animal rescue and trauma care.
Jan Lazzara, Napa CART volunteer, said, “In 2017, I evacuated my two horses to the Napa CART shelter. It was such a relief to know that the horses were safe and being cared for. I was so impressed by the organization that I’m now a volunteer.”
A donation of $10 buys a dog leash that can be used in Napa CART’s shelter or when it is evacuating animals, while a $50 donation buys one or two water or feed buckets for horses housed in their shelter during times of disaster. Seasonally, the group sets up shelter sites in partnership with Napa County Animal Shelter for large and companion animals.
St. Helenan Josie Goldfarb is an alum of Cafeteria Kids Theater and a BFA candidate in acting at Boston University. Of her experience at CKT, she said, “In every CKT show I did, I learned and grew, not only as an actor but as a human being. (Co-founders) Aimée (Guillot) and Olivia’s (Cowell) abundance of kindness and knowledge helped shape the person I am today. I am so grateful to have been a part of CKT.”
Since its founding in 2014, CKT has offered an educational theater program “to engage and enrich the lives of children in Napa Valley through the performing arts.” It has offered a full-scale musical production, in-school residencies in both public and private schools, after-school classes, acting, and holiday workshops and summer camps. Children range in age from 3 to 18, and the skills developed through theater include “collaboration, empathy, improvisation, confidence and leadership. CKT’s ultimate goal is to give kids and teens the tools they need to live in the world from a place of creativity, compassion and love.”
Ten dollars will buy art supplies for one student enrolled in an imagination drama camp, while $50 will buy five scripts for older actors in middle or high school.
These are just four of the 76 nonprofits, so you’ve got your homework: Visit the website, find a group that inspires you and make a donation. You never know, you might even become a volunteer for the group, like Jan Lazzara. Donations can be made from now until Dec. 31.
Last week
Stories included the following:
Sasha Paulsen covered the chefs and food at the Culinary Institute of America’s Worlds of Flavor.
Paul Franson helped readers pick a wine for Thanksgiving, while copyeditor Glenda Winders described how she is thankful for flawed Thanksgiving celebrations.
Tim Carl detailed the rise of flash détente in winemaking, and we also had a column from the Master Gardeners as well as our weekly roundup of entertainment and activities, The Weekender.
Dave Stoneberg is an editor and journalist who has worked for newspapers in both Lake and Napa counties. He wishes he could donate more time and money to all of the 76 nonprofits.
These are all worthy of Napa’s famous generosity. (I have a soft spot for teaching children about wildlife.)