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Nick Gaffney's Pick: |
Nature Bridge brought its first students to Yosemite National Park in 1971. Forty years later, more than 30,000 K-12 students from more than 600 schools participate in our three- to five-day field science programs each year in Yosemite National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Olympic National Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and Channel Islands National Park. |
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Jamie Diaferia’s Pick: |
Our dear friend, Jennifer Jaff, the founder of Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, passed away this year after a nearly life-long battle with chronic illness. Jennifer's own struggles led her to create Advocacy so she could help other people just like her — the nearly 50% of all Americans who suffer from some type of chronic illness. Jennifer was at times the lone voice advocating thatwe must redefine the notion of disability to include invisible chronic illnesses, and she fought tirelessly for the rights of those affected. As her friend, Mike McCready of the band Pearl Jam, noted, "She LITERALLY saved people's lives. Regularly." Jennifer's legacy will live on through her organization, and we are proud to continue our support for Advocacy in the years ahead. |
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Zach Olsen's Pick: |
HomeAid has built 10 shelters for the transitionally homeless in nearly every county in the San Francisco Bay Area in collaboration with the homebuilding industry and its vendors, partners and suppliers. In addition to providing a safe, comfortable home, the shelters typically offer counseling and job training as core components of their programs – ultimately offering “a hand up, not a hand out”. |
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Steve Anderson's Pick: |
I serve as vice president of the board of directors for the Women’s Studio Workshop, an internationally-renowned arts institution in Rosendale, NY. In addition to offering the only visual arts residency program dedicated exclusively to women in the United States, the WSW is widely recognized as one of the world’s preeminent producers of artists’ books—works that combine the arts of bookmaking, printmaking and the written word. The Workshop is also extremely active in education, offering a wide range of courses that are open to all. It’s Hands-on-Art program, which provides extensive studio experience to 5th through 12th grade students, has been ranked the best visual arts education program in the state by the New York State Council on the Arts. I’ve been privileged to witness firsthand the dramatic affect the WSW has on its artists, interns, students and staff. I’m proud to support this vital organization and I hope you will join me. |
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Ritchenya Dodd’s Pick: |
“I support HomeFront, an organization in New Jersey that grew out of an effort to bring meals to families living in welfare motels. Today, HomeFront works to end homelessness and break the cycle of poverty by helping families obtain and keep their housing, and to acquire the education, job skills, childcare and support services they need to improve their lives.” |
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Rebecca Green's Pick: |
Families First Brooklyn is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families. We offer a wide variety of high-quality classes for children ages 0-7, support groups for parents, and enriching parenting workshops. Our facility also has a drop-in play space where parents, caregivers, and children can socialize and play indoors. Families First is located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, and Red Hook. |
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Sophie Cikovsky’s Pick: |
“Everyone loves puppies but we often forget about older dogs in need of adoption or care. Through associations with shelters and other animal organizations, Muttville finds senior dogs that have been given up and are not likely to find adopted homes. To date, Muttville has rescued more than a thousand dogs, and I hope my support can help them save a thousand more." |
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Jesse Dungan’s Pick: |
Reading is Fundamental motivates young children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. The organization and its hundreds of thousands of volunteers spend countless hours distributing books, staging reading motivation activities, and promoting the importance of literacy in schools, homeless shelters, rec centers and where ever else you find children. |
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Kelsey Eidbo’s Pick: |
Breast Cancer Connections offers free services and support to those touched by breast cancer, whether personally or through a family member or friend. The support they offer is crucial during a time that is so physically and emotionally draining to those affected, and their free services mean it’s really available to anyone. |
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Mike Dorsey's Pick: |
“I participated in a 5k benefitting the JF Kapnek Trust in high school, and while I had gone there to race, what I remember most about that day was being amazed by a handout with the organization’s pediatric HIV/AIDS prevention statistics. The volume of cases they prevent is astounding – more than 15,000 new instances of pediatric HIV/AIDS yearly are averted because of their work.” |
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Denise DeVore’s Pick: |
The Community Cat Coalition (CCC) was founded in 2009 in response to the need for an effective and humane solution to the growing community cat crisis in Beacon, New York. CCC is a grassroots initiative dedicated to humanely resolving the feral and stray cat overpopulation issue in the community. |
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