SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Tickets are available for Kids Helping Kids Sacramento’s 1st Annual Stomp Out Pediatric Cancer Raffle Event. The platinum level first-place prize includes a fine wine and dining experience for eight with a complimentary limo ride to and from Rombauer winery in Napa, CA. The gold level first-place prize includes wine tasting at Total Wine, and a dinner for six at Zocalos. First-place winners of both platinum and gold level will enjoy a personal greeting from the chef, as well as custom made gift baskets.
Kids Helping Kids is a student-run nonprofit organization made up of sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Del Campo High School. They are empowered students making a difference from the classroom to the community by investing in the lives of children in need. Kids Helping Kids believes learning is best by doing, and doing is best by serving others. Their “Stomp Out” Pediatric Cancer Event aims to raise over $33,000 in just two weeks for children with pediatric cancer.
All profits raised by the event supports children battling pediatric cancer and their families by providing financial resources during their medical treatment. Over the past 4 years, they have raised over $134,000 in allocations and have helped approximately 264 children in their fight against cancer. Most importantly, the 1st Annual “Stomp Out” event is entirely driven by teens who believe in making a difference in children’s lives both locally and globally.
Art After Lockdown a Success
SACRAMENTO AREA, CA (MPG) – Sunshine and fresh air prevailed the weekend of September 19 and 20, as friends, family members and residents from as far away as Marin County freed themselves from their six-month Covid-19 generated lockdown to relax and enjoy the weather and unique artwork of local artists at Carmichael’s Shangri-la outdoor art show.
Sue Anne Foster, sculptor and president of Valley Sculpture Artists, opened her home and property to showcase the diverse talents and pieces from local artists including kinetic sculptures by Phill Evans of Fair Oaks and, also of Fair Oaks, Janet Regan who transforms copper in all forms, and the everyday gourd, into one-of-a-kind art pieces.
As with all artists demonstrating their work, the terms ‘mixed media’ and ‘repurposing’ have been given new meaning. With so many materials available in and outside of nature, these artists, including painter Mary Ann Low and ceramic artist and sculptor Chris Thompson, both of Sacramento are always experimenting and branching out into new forms of expression.
Roaming chickens, a large coy pond, and labyrinth adorned by a large, round floating filigree ‘Art Nouveau’ style sphere, all added to the atmosphere.
The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of a 30” by 40” collage portrait of artist Anne Bradley. Created by collage portrait artist Paul Dessau for his long-time friend, the piece was made with scraps of metal and other items in honor of Bradley’s chosen medium. Bradley works with metals scavenged from Sunshine Steel in Sacramento to create her own mixed media pieces of art.
A picture is worth a thousand words. To see more of the diversity and creativity showcased at this annual open-air art show visit ‘Sue Anne Foster’ on Facebook.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Thanks to California voters who passed Proposition 10 more than 20 years ago, First 5s across the state, in each county, utilize tobacco tax dollars to fulfill the charge to nurture and support the youngest among us and their families. This funding is available every three years to eligible non-profit or government unit entities serving young children.
Over the next two months, the First 5 Sacramento Commission will be staggering the release of multiple Request for Proposals (RFPs) totaling more than $40 million in funding. Contracts will begin July 2021. Funding is for services benefiting the health and well-being of young children and will be allocated among the following areas:
Preventing African American Child Deaths; Strengthening Families/Decreasing Child Abuse and Trauma; Improving School Readiness; Building Quality Child Care Settings; Increasing Breastfeeding
For background information and the funding allocation for each area, refer to the First 5 Implementation and Systems Improvement Plan. Additional background information is also available in the First 5 Strategic Plan.
Please regularly check the First 5 Sacramento website for proposal information and mandatory dates. If you have any questions, please call 916-876-5865.
Research shows that 90% of a child’s brain develops in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a meaningful impact throughout life. Based on this research, California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, a tobacco tax, to support programs for expectant parents and children ages 0-5. In the last year, First 5 Sacramento distributed approximately $12 million in Prop 10 revenues to programs and services that meet local needs in Sacramento County. All 58 counties have a First 5 Children and Families Commission providing unique local services for that county. More information available at www.first5sacramento.net.
Commitment to Innovation Improves Connectivity for Residents and Family
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Eskaton, the leading nonprofit senior living organization in Northern California, has deployed the K4 Connect App and Amazon Alexa for all residents throughout its twelve Eskaton communities. The innovative deployment provides Eskaton residents with the highest level of control over their environment. It is the latest in a series of technological advancements by Eskaton, which began in 2018 by integrating communication and smart home technology throughout the organization.
Alexa is Amazon’s cloud-based voice service that enables natural voice experiences, which offer customers a simple, more intuitive way to interact with the technology they use every day. By integrating the K4 Connect App with Amazon Alexa, Eskaton is transforming the way residents interact with their loved ones, and one another. Eskaton is the first senior living community in California to offer voice-enabled technology to all residents, deploying over 1,500 Alexa units across twelve communities.
“These new technological enhancements to Eskaton residents provide an array of new capabilities and conveniences,” added Peifer. “By providing new services through technology such as video chat with friends and family, the ability to connect with the front desk, or getting information about the events of the day, Eskaton continues to provide industry leading, cutting edge solutions and conveniences to residents.”
Together with new features recently added by K4 Connect app such as allowing communities to share announcements, stream content, and providing additional activities, games and information resources, Eskaton has raised the bar in the already industry-leading standard for senior living. The technology offers compelling new core capabilities and conveniences that keep residents entertained and engaged while spending more time at home. Residents now have more flexibility and security than ever before.
“I love chatting with family and loved ones, playing games, and listening to music and radio stations,” said Eskaton Monroe Lodge resident, Lonnie. “I like that the K4 App makes it easy for me to stay connected with my son. I don’t use a computer or smart phone, so these new enhancements make it really easy for me to stay in touch with loved ones and the world.”
For more information on Eskaton and the Alexa integration, visit: www.eskaton.org/alexa
Eskaton has been serving older adults across northern California since 1968. As a nonprofit senior living provider, Eskaton’s mission is to enhance the lives of older adults through innovative health, housing and social services. With five decades of experience and a national reputation for innovation, Eskaton is Transforming the Aging Experience. For more information, please call 1-866-ESKATON, or visit www.eskaton.org.
K4Connect is a purpose-driven technology company that creates connected-life solutions that serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, together with the people, communities and organizations that support them. K4Connect’s solutions integrate the latest in Smart Home, Smart Wellness and Smart Living technologies into single easy-to-use solutions designed specifically for and with those they serve. The Company’s premier solution, K4Community, is currently being used by thousands of senior living residents and staff across the country. For more information, please visit www.k4connect.com.
WASHINGTON, DC (MPG) - FEMA has obligated more than $18 million in mission assignments and is processing 61 active resource requests in support of Oregon and California. FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are on the ground in California supporting survivor registrations and inquiries. Two Incident Management Assistance Teams have been deployed to Oregon and one team is deployed to California to support state operations. FEMA has also deployed Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams along with other specialized teams from federal partners to provide support, and one Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) unit is deployed to Oregon, providing communications support for command and control of federal resources in support of the Incident Support and US&R Teams.
FEMA has the following commodities staged near the areas of impact for wildfires in the West. These commodities are available to each affected state, based on need and requests to FEMA for assistance.
227,000 liters of bottled water; 208,896 meals; 54,735 blankets; 6,092 cots; Hygiene kits, commonly used shelter items and 27 generators are also staged at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington.
493 FEMA responders have been deployed in support of western wildfires. Do not wait for a disaster recovery center or other fixed location to register for assistance.
Save your receipts and take photos before you begin the clean-up process. Documentation of losses will help FEMA process your claim; Disaster assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Public safety is the No.1 priority: residents in at-risk areas should follow local officials’ instructions and be ready to take action.
For additional preparedness information on all types of disasters, visit Ready.gov and download the FEMA app.
Boeing Provides Grants to Assist Families Affected by Wildfires
CHICAGO, IL (MPG) - Boeing announced $700,000 in grants from the Boeing Charitable Trust to help local communities with the ongoing humanitarian and environmental crisis caused by wildfires burning along the West Coast of the United States. Boeing is providing $500,000 to the American Red Cross to support its fire relief efforts in Washington, Oregon and California.
"On behalf of Boeing employees across the globe, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those impacted by the West Coast wildfires," said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. "As these wildfires have ravaged the Western United States, the American Red Cross has stepped up to answer the call at this critical moment of need, and we are happy to support them in their critical work. Through our partnership with the Red Cross, we will help bring recovery and relief efforts to those who have been displaced – and whose lives have been impacted – by these destructive fires."
Additionally, Boeing is donating $200,000 to provide food assistance in these states where significant numbers of the company's employees live and work. $100,000 is being given to Northwest Harvest in Washington, and $50,000 apiece to the Oregon Food Bank and Redwood Empire Food Bank in California.
"Thousands of our families, friends and neighbors have been displaced around the west," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and the company's senior executive in the region. "We are committed to helping them through this exceptionally challenging time."
“Three years ago, we had to shut down our facility for three days due to the Creek Fire. The fire itself came within 100 yards of the facility. Many of our employees were displaced for days. In repeated instances over the past several years we have experienced devastating wildfires negatively impacting our communities. We need and must do whatever we can to help. This is our community, California is our home,” Said Boeing Executive Tony Mueller, who leads the company’s Spectrolab subsidiary in Sylmar, CA.
Boeing's grant to the Red Cross will provide shelter, food and essentials for those who have been displaced from their homes due to the wildfires. These funds will also assist in the ongoing evacuation and aid delivery response in impacted communities.
"The Red Cross is working around the clock to help hundreds of thousands of people forced to evacuate from their homes due to the California, Oregon and Washington wildfires. We have taken extra safety precautions due to the pandemic to ensure people feel safe as we support the communities impacted by the wildfires," said Don Herring, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "We are extremely grateful for Boeing's support, which allows us to provide shelter, food and comfort to help people in need."
Consistent with Boeing employee gift match programs, the company will also match qualifying employee contributions made to eligible nonprofits for wildfire relief efforts.
Immigrant Dream Cooks up Success
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - The youngest of eight kids in a Uzbekistani household, Elena Melnychuk dreamed of having a food business. What seemed impossible in the Soviet Union became doable in 1989, when her family immigrated to USA.
Graduating from Hiram Johnson High School, Elena started cooking to help friends. Eventually personal ambition prevailed and Elena’s Kitchen and Catering was born. "It's easy to start a business here," explains the 34-year-old. "It's easy to get licenses and permits. It's easy to buy beautiful, fresh ingredients and spices. In the old days in a communist country, for spices a cook had salt and pepper. That was it!"
Celebrating a 5th year in business, Elena’s Kitchen and Catering offers soups, meat and vegetable dishes and desserts oozing with all the luxuries unimaginable in her childhood. "People say my cabbage rolls taste like their mother made 50 years ago," she says. "To me, everything tastes better in America."
She employs a mostly female staff of 20 and serves up to 90 customers per day. Even during the COVID lull, there’s usually a salivating line by her Madison Avenue door at opening time; patrons range from truck drivers to American and immigrant housewives and their nostalgic grandparents. The kitchen also attracts many youngsters. "My youthful customers surprise me," she admits. "At their age all I wanted was burgers. These millennials prefer more interesting food. I guess their parents don't have time to prepare meals. Perhaps what the kids really want is home-cooking.”
Elena’s home cooking is from recipes perfected over nearly 30 years. At five years old, her first culinary effort produced a hot mess. “One day I decided to make bread like my father did,” she says. “I couldn’t find a baking tray, so I tore the cover off a book. I put my dough on it, to cook in the hot oven.” The burning result provided a first lesson in kitchen fire prevention. These days, Elena’s crusty loaves and a cheesy Georgian bread called khachapuri fly uncharred from her shelves.
Other customer favorites include her version of red Borscht soup; her chicken and mushroom-stuffed cabbage rolls; plov (a Uzbekistani pilaf); Italian tiramisu and a sinful caramel and cream-laced dessert she calls Curly Boy Cake. Food unsold at closing time is donated to the needy of her church. "We don't reheat," she explains. "We start fresh every day."
The secret to outstanding cuisine, Elena considers, is passion. "I tell my employees food tastes best when it's cooked with love. Love -- and lots of butter!"
Elena's Kitchen and Catering is currently open for takeout and home delivery. Limited patio seating is available. The kitchen is located at 6620 Madison Ave, at the Dewey corner. Learn more at www.elenas.kitchen