February 13, 2004

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Publication Date: Friday, February 13, 2004

Holiday Fund wrap-up

The first annual Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund was launched this past November in order to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations via a campaign in the paper. Each week, in a five-week series we highlighted the great work being done here in Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley by our designated organizations. We were joined in this campaign by generous matching donations arranged by the Tri-Valley Community Foundation and its Executive Director, David Rice. A special thank you to David and the family foundations that contributed the matching funds.

We cited three reasons for our readers to consider donating to the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund: 1. 100 percent of your gift would go to nonprofits serving people in our community. 2. Neither the Pleasanton Weekly nor the Tri-Valley Community Foundation would take any fees or expenses for administering the fund; 100 percent of donations would go to the intended grantees. 3. Because of the matching donations from the Tri-Valley Community Foundation, our reader's gifts would be doubled and thus be twice as effective.

Not surprisingly, our readers responded generously. We received 179 donations from individuals and businesses totaling $21,982, with an average contribution of $123. Contributors are listed below. Many of our largest donors requested anonymity or requested the amount of their gift not be specified. We received reader donations ranging from $2 to $2,000. With matching grants from the Tri-Valley Community Foundation we have raised a total of $43,964 to distribute to our five worthy organizations. We will soon donate almost $8,800 to each of our five designated nonprofit groups.

Just a reminder, the five organizations are: ¥ Open Heart Kitchen: As the only nonprofit free soup kitchen in the Tri-Valley area, this service provides nutritious meals for low-income people in the Pleasanton-Livermore area at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pleasanton and Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore. Visit www.openheartkitchen.org. Telephone 580-1616. ¥ Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council: An all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging an interest in all forms of art, PCAC supports the community in pursuing facilities and environments where people may pursue the arts. It also provides world-class music concerts and both recognition and outreach programs for young people in Pleasanton. Visit www.pleasantonarts.org. Telephone 461-4864. ¥ Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley: Located in the Pleasanton Senior Center, this service has 120 volunteers in its Friendly Visiting program that socialize with seniors. It also offers a registry for finding caregivers, health screening, counseling and referrals, as well as case managers to assess a senior's needs. Its goal is to keep seniors living independently. Telephone 931-5379. ¥ Tri-Valley Haven: Started 25 years ago as a network of dedicated volunteers who opened their own homes to battered women and their children, the service today provides a domestic violence shelter as well as a homeless shelter for families and a rape crisis center. Its mission is to aid those who have experienced abuse and, through education and outreach, provide opportunities to escape abusive situations. Visit www.trivalleyhaven.org. Telephone 449-5845; Hotline: (800) 884-8119. ¥ Valley Community Health Center (now Axis Community Health): Provides medical, mental health, addiction counseling and health education service to more than 20,000 patients and clients each year, regardless of their ability to pay. An estimated 70 percent of those seeking help at VCHC's medical clinic have no medical insurance or are underinsured, including some of those who have recently lost their jobs and health benefits. Telephone: 201-6017.

Our dedicated writers, Jeb Bing, Dolores Fox Ciardelli and Teresa Brown truly enjoyed bringing you the stories of these fine organizations. They did a great job, along with our production staff members, who make the stories so appealing to the eye. In fact all of our staff took great pride in producing these issues and contributing to this effort. Thank you to our Administrative Assistant, Tonya Dye, for doing much of the accounting and administrative detail. And a most special thanks to our loyal readers for their generosity in making our first Holiday Fund a wonderful success. -Bob Thomas President, Pleasanton Weekly
Thank you, holiday fund donors

179 donors contributed $21,982 to the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund. With the match, a total of $43,964 has been raised for the five 2003 beneficiaries.
INDIVIDUALS: Anonymous (59) $6,502 Terry & Dawn Abbey ** Jon & Janet Allen ** Verla R. Becker 20 Belchik & Clausen 200 Michelle Bergmark 25 Jan & Jeb Bing 100 Vickie Blakeslee ** Barbara & Kevin Brooks 100 Thomas & Mary Jane Casper 50 Herbert & Stella Chang 100 David, Roxanne & Erica Clemons 100 Bob & Mary Ann Codeglia 100 Mr. & Mrs. Joe Cortopassi 125 The Crabill Family 50 Susan Davis 200 The de Dood Family 500 Ellen, Sarah & Allison Ferlazzo 50 Nicole, Ana & Michael Fong 100 Gloria & Rich Fredette 50 Mr. & Mrs. Samuel J. Fry 50 Tucker Gitlin 105 Steve & Jori Grant 50 Bill & Jo Greves 25 Bernice Hansen ** Jan Hermann 50 Kay & Charles Huff 25 Steve & Lisa Jeffrey ** Steve & Bobby Jensen 200 Jim & Elaine Keysor 100 Gary & Mary Lazarotti 100 Jane & John Loll & Family ** Al & Lola Malatesta ** Mike & Susan Matthews 250 Rachel & Bruce McElhinney 1000 Scott & Erica McNerney 100 Karen E. Morliengo, MFT 75 John & Jan Pappas 100 John & Roxanne Plotts 25 Alan & Jean Purves 50 Garrett & Angela Ramirez Holmes 25 George Reid 50 Susan & Greg Reznick 500 Mike & Lori Rice 50 David & Martha Rice 100 The Ristow Family ** Richard & Patricia Roberts ** Mike & Mary Romanchak 100 Gerald & Charlotte Severin 100 Ted & Dee Slosek 100 Chris & Julie Snyder 25 Duane & Donna Stevens 250 Jack & Carol Sum 100 Bryn Thomas (age 11) 2 The Thomas Family 200 Jodie, Atul & Tia Vashistha ** Betty Vergara 50 Ken & Marilyn Villegas 25 Mark & Peggy Voegele ** Rick & Nancy Von Pein 250 Edward & Jennifer Wallerstein 25 Al & Carol Waugh ** Walter & Martha Wensel 40 Danny Yee 100 Randy & Emily Yim 100 Jan & John Ziagos 50
IN MEMORY: Clarence & Robert Barrett ** Anthony "Uncle T" Bianchi ** Nina Bonde 50 Dan Chen 50 Dick ** Tom & Karen Elsnab ** Mary L. Erickson 50 Danny Gabor 100 Ray & Stella Gatlin, Edward Gilbert ** Ryan H. Gordon 50 Warren Harding 50 Bernard Healy 40 Gloria Jacques 75 Grandpa Lee & Yue Tung ** Sarah Lees ** Geraldine Lingl 25 Mac ** Marie "Webel" Marzullo 100 Betty McFarland Hamilton ** Betty McGahan 100 John T. Mitchell 50 Frank & Evelyn Morgan 150 Anita Morretti 50 Caroline Perrson 25 Tina Rawlings 50 Scott Reilly 100 Elvira Revueltas ** Alfia & Angelo Romeo, Joe & Rose Nuccio ** Dr. Edward Wm. Schlies, Pleasanton's First Pediatrician 200 Agnes Simpson ** Scott & Marsha Tharp 100 Henry Varenholt 200 Jane Walsh 100 Bob Williams 40 Evelyn Wright 100
IN HONOR: A basketful of Angels ** The Aguilar Girls, Bridgett & Britney 25 Lora Bulatova ** Robert L. Campbell 50 Hazel Cortez 20 Foothill H.S.'s Teachers & Staff 100 The Homeless 10 John's 40th! ** Moms & Grand Moms 100 Open Heart Kitchen 500 The Orchard Way Orange Fund 28 Sarah Simmonds 100 The Tandowsky Family ** Erman Theodore Sr. 50 Tri-Valley National Organization for Women 100
BUSINESSES: 4725 First St., DFSP ** ABC Preschool 100 The employees at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo 795 Shotokan Karate-Do 100

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