At just four months old, little Ivy has endured three surgeries to repair Gastroschisis, a congenital condition where there is incomplete formation of the abdominal wall so that the contents protrude outside the body.   This birth defect affects about 2 of 10,000 babies in the United States. Ivy’s family lives in Fairfield and even though this is the third time Ivy was scheduled for surgery at Sutter Memorial Hospital, her parents Jacqueline and James Wilkins never knew about the Sacramento Ronald McDonald House, until one day, when they were deciding who was going to stay with Ivy, their social worker mentioned the Ronald McDonald House. “It was such a sight of relief knowing that we cou

The Sacramento Public Library invites you to our Summer Reading Kickoff Party at the Central Library on Sunday, June 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 828 I St., Sacramento. This year’s theme is Reading is so Delicious! We’ll have lots of activities for families and kids, including face-painting, jugglers, balloons, crafts, henna tattoos and more. The event also features Musical Robot, a drum and ukulele duo who combine songs, storytelling, puppetry, dancing, audience participation, and lots of “really bad robot jokes.” The kickoff will also benefit the Sacramento Food Bank. This excellent organization provides food, clothing, educational opportunities and senior services to thousands of local re

Sacramento Public Library’s Summer Reading Food Drive is underway. We will be collecting non-perishable food items at all 28 locations from June 1 until August 31. This is your chance to help out your fellow Sacramentans—without making an extra trip. Just bring non-perishable food items when you visit your local library and look for the marked collection barrel or box. If you can’t find one, please ask a librarian to direct you. Our local effort is part of the California Library Association’s “Acquire a Taste for Giving” statewide food drive. We’re encouraging people to make a special effort to bring food donations when they attend any of the 1,500 events our locations are hosting all su

A plate of food nourishes the body and warms the spirit. But a plate of food can do so much more. It can help a woman escape a violent relationship, shelter her children and help her learn how to survive on her own. It can break the cycle of violence and provide hope for the homeless women and children of Sacramento County. Plates Café and Catering is doing just that, helping young, homeless women get back on their feet. Plates Café is one of three employment-training programs for the residents of St. John’s Shelter Program for Women and Children “The concept of Plates came about as we looked at how we, as an organization, can truly help break the cycle of homelessness and poverty,” Mich

Imagine a world without words. Signs that hold no meaning, stories that cannot be read.This is a stark reality for thousands of illiterate adults in Sacramento County. Illiteracy is the inability to read or write. According to the Sacramento Public Library an estimated 230,000 adults have a difficult time reading and writing. It is estimated that one in every five Americans reads at, or below, a fourth grade-reading level. But the library is doing everything possible to help those who cannot read by providing tutors and resources. They also promote early intervention with their summer reading program. “The Sacramento Public Library has promoted summer reading for years now to help preve

On Thursday, April 11th at 7pm, Forest Vance Training, located in beautiful Land Park, is hosting a charity boot camp benefiting The Muscular Dystrophy Association. About the MDA MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. The Association’s comprehensive services program includes diagnostic and follow-up medical consultations, flu shots, support groups, MDA summer camps for youngsters, a national medical equipment program, assistance with equipment repairs and modifications,

The face of homelessness is changing. It has shifted from individuals and adults to families with multiple children with nowhere to go. Families that become shell shocked when they lose their job, their car, their home.   “A lot of people have no reserve or family to fall back on, they are 30 days away from homelessness and don’t even recognize it,” said Debie Baranchulk, Francis House Center Interim Executive Director.  Francis House Center provides resources for the chronic and newly homeless, such as job development skills, acquiring proper identification, hygiene items and more. On April 24 the center will be hosting its largest fundraiser of the year – Feast for the Street – a fundr

The bowl is a visual symbol of the empty bowls in the community, a reminder of the hunger those less fortunate face on a daily basis. Each month more than 5,000 people receive food from the River City Food Bank, which is seeing a surge in elderly clients, according to its executive director.    “Seniors have to choose between medications and simple everyday costs of utilities and rent, and food is that one area you can kind of squeeze,” RCFB Executive Director Eileen Thomas said. “If you can use some of your food budget to make sure your rent gets paid then you would do that.”   To help fill those empty bowls, the food bank is holding its annual fundraising event, Empty Bowls Luncheon,

After moving to the United States from Zambia, Africa in 1999 to pursue a career in non-profit work, Elitas Schmidling was anxious to dive head-first into her community. As a Human Services major at the University of Phoenix and founder of the Mazzy Flow Foundation (which is still in its infancy), Elitas was hoping to gain insight into effectively operating and managing non-profit organizations. Seeking internship opportunities, Elitas discovered Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ (SFBFS) Parent Education program at the Saca Community Learning Center (Saca CLC). Learning more about SFBFS and the Parent Education program, Elitas was shocked when she discovered the sheer number of vol

From humble beginnings with only two Spanish speaking staff members working out of a rented garage over a decade ago, Language World Services (LWS) has grown into one of the most comprehensive interpretation companies based in the Sacramento region with services spanning to the Bay Area and as far south as Fresno. Now equipped with a staff of 160, 140 of which are interpreters, LWS provides on-site, over-the-phone and video-conference interpretation services for over 50 languages in an array of settings including government organizations, various private businesses and most notably, health care. Recently, LWS has also created a staffing service which is able to match businesses with avail

There’s a lot of buzz going around in response to a plastic bag ban proposed by Sacramento City Council Members Steve Cohn and Kevin McCarty. If the ban is passed, Sacramento will be the first city in the central valley to prohibit plastic bags. Full disclosure: I work for a nonprofit organization focused on “greening” the Sacramento region. However, we are not in a position to make a public statement about banning plastic bags, the hazards bags pose to wildlife and creeks, or the amount of jobs that may be lost in response to a ban. That being said, I am personally in support of a plastic bag ban. My husband and I are often spotted toting reusable bags from various retailers while contr

Things are warming up in the Oak Park area. The Salvation Army officially opened the “Hot Spot” drop-in center at its Ray Robinson Oak Park Community Center on February 1. Every Friday night, from 7 to 11 pm, the “Hot Spot” will provide teens, ages 13-19, an opportunity to utilize the multiple activities—like basketball, board games, art projects, video games and a computer lab—at the community center. Snacks are also given to the teenage attendees. “People can come down and play instead of being on the streets,” said Oshe, a 17-year-old high school student who came to the opening night of the drop-in center to play basketball. “You always hear about kids getting shot, but this is a plac

Early registration suggested since event will cap at 3,000 runners The 10th annual “Run Rocklin” will be held Sunday, April 7 at Johnson-Springview Park in Rocklin. Since 2004, Run Rocklin has provided a top-notch running event for Rocklin and the surrounding communities. The event has benefited the Matt Redding Foundation and Rocklin’s local schools since 2007. Run Rocklin includes: • Kids Fun Run: 7:45 a.m. • 12K Run: 8 a.m. • 5K Run/Walk: 8:20 a.m. • Kids 1-mile Run: 9:30 a.m. Adults can pre-register for $34 prior to race day and the cost increases to $39 on the day of the run. Ages 18-under can pre-register for $20; cost is $25 on race day. Both the Kids Fun Run and the Kids 1-mil

Multiple basketball teams took part in the Hoops for the Hunger event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Natomas Charter School. Teams consisted of ten players and each participating player brought two canned goods for the single-game elimination tournament. Event organizer Carl Gayle discusses the tournament and future plans in the following video: Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

As a transplant to Sacramento, Matt Shields was looking for a way to build a relationship with his new community. A recent graduate with his Master’s Degree in Communication from Oregon State University, Matt held previous volunteer experience with radio stations and public events, but was looking for something more long-term. Perusing the programs on a Web site called Volunteer Connect, Matt found a listing asking for Adult Education tutors at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Unfamiliar with the organization, but eager to get involved, he decided to give it a try. A year later, Matt could be found working closely with adults studying to complete their GED at SFBFS. From w

Who doesn’t love a situation where everybody wins? Through a four-way team effort between the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), United Way and the Sheet Metal Workers Union: Local 104 (SMWIA), future AmeriCorps NCCC teams who serve at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) will have a warm house to call home, while members of the Sheet Metal Workers Union Apprenticeship Program will gain valuable labor skills. Greg Larkins, the Community Services Liasion with AFL-CIO/United Way along with Randy Young, Business Representative with SMWIA and Mark Paavola Apprenticeship Director of SMWIA, recruited members of SMWIA’s apprenticeship progr

Who: Sheet Metal Workers Union Apprentice Program, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, AFL-CIO Community Services & the IRS’s VITA/EITC program. What: Installing a heating unit in a facility to house AmeriCorps volunteers Where: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, 3333 Third Street, Sacramento, 95817 When: Thursday, January 3, 2013 9 a.m.   On Thursday, January 3rd the Sheet Metal Workers Union Apprenticeship program will be donating their time and expertice in an on-the-job training exercise, by installing a heating unit system donated by their contractors. They will be updating an aging Victorian home that Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services will use to house volunteers of

Put your game face on and play your way into the new year with a game of Drag Queen Bingo at Hamburger Patties in support of The Front Street Animal Shelter. It’s bingo like you’ve never seen it before. Save the lives of Sacramento’s homeless pets and keep them warm during this very cold winter. The Front Street Animal Shelter depends on the support and donations of locals to help with the medical bills of abused animals that find their way to the shelter.  Gina E. Knepp, Animal Care Services Manager, says that without the donation fund, countless animals would otherwise be euthanized. The cats, dogs, chickens, rabbits and occasional pigs at the Front Street Shelter thank you. For $15 a

Typically it’s an apple that keeps the doctor away, but for the month of December, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is extending that saying to include all fruits and vegetables. And, more importantly, how to prepare them. Aprons in Action, The Home Depot Foundation’s monthly Facebook voting program, recently nominated SFBFS for December's competition. Only one of four selected charities, SFBFS has the opportunity to win a $25,000 gift card to Home Depot to finish the outdoor kitchen in the Demonstration Garden. SFBFS’ Demonstration Garden began growing fresh fruits and vegetables in February 2012 and continues to provide fresh produce year-round. Items grown in the garden

5hundy Social Club, XOSO Sports, and Blue Cue are teaming up to co-sponsor a holiday fundraiser for a local non-profit called Angels for Hearts, this Friday, December 14, 2012, from 7 to 10 p.m. Anyone in the community can visit Blue Cue Friday evening and help make a difference. From 7 to 10 p.m. 20 percent of all food and drink sales will be donated to Angeles for Hearts, along with 100 percent of all Raffle tickets sales. Angels for Hearts is a Sacramento-based organization founded with the mission of making sure pediatric heart patients maintain a sense of normalcy of being a kid while having medical issues and growing up in hospital settings. The organization strives to help these c