The Valley Pregnancy Center, which has served women for more than 25 years, is continue to expand its effects to reach more women dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
Three years ago, the board responded to a challenge by banquet speaker Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, to double the number of women who are reached by developing an advertising and marketing campaign.
That challenge launched a plan with radio spots on KKIQ, kiosk banners in Stoneridge Mall and new web sites. The next phase, which started in August, includes bus ads, BART station ads and targeted cable TV spots.
The outreach is critical because the clientele for the center has changed dramatically over the years so only 12 percent were between 15-19 years of age. In the last month, 46 percent of the clients were married and between 30 and 42 years of age. The center served more than 1,100 women last year.
The center will hold its annual Celebration of Life event on Oct. 3 at Casa Real in Pleasanton.
That will be the third event in a busy banquet season for my favorite non-profits and ministries. Teen Esteem, which has been serving young people and their parents with timely and accurate information about the challenges of adolescent years, will celebrate its 20th anniversary Sept. 27 at the Blackhawk Country Club. Teen Esteem's message is simple: understand the consequences of decisions and make them based upon respect for yourself and others.
Shepherd's Gate will celebrate its 30 years of serving homeless and battered women and children at its annual banquet on Sept. 18 at the Blackhawk Auto Museum. Over the years, more than 10,000 women and children have been served by the Christ-focused shelter in Livermore and Brentwood.
The Taylor Family Foundation's annual huge fundraiser, Day in the Park, was missing two familiar faces on Aug. 24.
Co-founder Barry Taylor died of a heart attack last November and, as his bride Elaine Taylor said, he knew he had established a rock solid organization and would expect the team to carry that. Carry on they did.
The event drew about 900 people to the Camp Arroyo outside of Livermore. Those folks contributed about $1.2 million to fund the foundation's programs that sent 3,000 kids with life-threating or chronic diseases to camp last year.
Incidentally, the other missing face was KGO News Anchor Cheryl Jennings, who has been a fixture at the event for years after KGO TV management caught the Taylors' vision and actively supported both the fundraiser and the foundation. The Napa earthquake had Cheryl sitting behind the anchor desk instead of mixing with guests at Camp Arroyo.
Las Positas College appropriately honored its late basketball coach Tony Costello when it named its court in his honor. Costello lost a battle with cancer last year and died prematurely.
Costello led the basketball programs at both Chabot College and Las Positas, winning 350 games over 20 seasons and being honored a number of times as coach of the year. Personally, I have known Tony and his family since his days at Amador Valley. In his senior year, he was a key member of the Dons team that went undefeated in league under Coach Skip Mohatt.
