Happy New Year from the Pleasanton Weekly

Besides wishing all of our readers a Happy New Year, I want to remind everyone that it’s not too late to donate to the 2017 Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund.

We passed the $55,000 mark as 2017 came to a close, and there’s still time for those who haven’t contributed to send in their donation before the current campaign closes Jan. 12.

The past year has seen public contributions to charities and nonprofits stretched to the limit across the country with many added fundraisers for hurricane victims in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico and fire relief for those whose homes have been destroyed by fires in Northern and Southern California.

That makes your contributions to this local campaign all that more important. Please join the hundreds of Holiday Fund donors who have given $25, $100, $500, $1,500, and more, including one donation of $5,000 and another of $10,000 from an individual who prefers to remain anonymous.

Your donation to the Holiday Fund during this season of giving will help the Fund’s 12 local nonprofits that so desperately need our help to meet their financial needs in the coming year.

Again this year, the Weekly is partnering with Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which is handling all finances related to the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund.

Donations will be split between two tiers among our 12 recipients.

In Tier 1, recipients will share equally in 50% of total 2017 Holiday Fund receipts. They are:

* Axis Community Health

* Pleasanton Partnerships in Education (PPIE) Foundation

* Valley Humane Society

* ValleyCare Charitable Foundation

Tier 2 recipients will share equally in 50% of total 2017 Holiday Fund receipts. They are:

* Agape Villages Foster Family Agency

* Hope Hospice

* Open Heart Kitchen

* REACH for Special Adults of the Tri-Valley

* Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation

* Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley

* Sunflower Hill

* Tri-Valley YMCA

Axis Community Health, for one, is a Pleasanton-based community health center that serves more than 14,000 Tri-Valley residents with primary medical care for all ages, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC). More than 20% of Axis patients are now children under the age of 18.

“Holiday Fund support is a vital part of Axis’ budget,” said Sue Compton, Axis CEO.

Another beneficiary — the Tri-Valley YMCA, also based in Pleasanton — offers programs that include before- and after-school childcare, preschool, summer day camp, a statewide Youth & Government Program with more than 3,000 high school delegates, Adventure Guides for fathers and their children, service learning projects and a variety of mental and behavioral health care services.

“The funds from the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund will be used to expand the mental health and case management services that are run out of our Family Wellness Center at the Y’s Pleasanton facility,” said Kenny Altenburg, branch operations director.

For more information on the 2017 Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund, including how to contribute, check out our Holiday Fund donation listing at http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/