Community Briefs

Food For Thought drive-thru food drive at Redwood Marketplace in Sebastopol on Thursday, June 11
Food For Thought will be holding a drive-thru food drive at the Redwood Marketplace in Sebastopol on Thursday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. When ordering or shopping for weekly groceries, pick up something for the food drive. They are particularly looking for hearty canned soups, peanut butter and olive oil. (Please, no items with expired dates.) The food items can be dropped off with the Food For Thought team in the parking lot of Redwood Marketplace, 788 Gravenstein Highway N. Just put your donations in a bag in your trunk, pop the trunk and the Food for Thought team will take them off your hands.  
Scholarship for youth pursuing trades or technical education due June 12
North Bay Credit Union’s Youth Scholarship program offers awards of $1,000 each to qualified applicants who are pursuing trade or technical skills. To qualify, you must be a resident of the North Bay; have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50; be under 23 years of age; be a member of North Bay Credit Union (join here); currently attending or planning to attend any post-high school accredited trade or technical school, university, college or educational course of study. Download 2020 Scholarship information here. Applications are due by June 12.
Park Side School hosts Redwood Empire Food Bank Food Drive, June 18
Park Side Elementary is hosting a Redwood Empire Food Bank Donation Station on Thursday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Park Side Elementary in Sebastopol. Donation stations encourage folks to drive through and drop off food and funds to help neighbors in need, all from the safety of your own vehicle. Most needed items: tuna and canned meat, peanut butter, canned soups and stews, rice and dried beans, cereal, canned fruit and veggies, and protein bars. It’s as simple as placing bags of food in the trunk, driving through the parking lot, popping the trunk, and having properly gloved and masked volunteers retrieve the donated food and funds. 
Academy Awards recognizes Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival
The Academy Awards has just recognized the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (SDFF) as an Academy Award qualifying festival. This means that recipients of the SDFF Jury Award for Short Subject and Jury Award for Mini-Doc are now eligible for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Academy Awards.
Russian River water level changes
Guerneville area seasonal summer dams at Johnson’s Beach and Vacation Beach will start impounding water this week. Locations up-river from these dams will experience a rise in river water levels, so plan accordingly. At Johnson’s Beach, they will start impounding water at the site on Monday, June 15. Complete filling on Tuesday, June 16. At Vacation Beach, they will start impounding water on Wednesday, June 17. Complete filling by Saturday, June 20.
Ceres gets $10,000 donation from insurance companies
Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance announce a $10,000 donation to Ceres Community Project — nominated by Tony Schmoll of North Bay Insurance Brokers — as part of an Emergency Community Support Grant to help independent insurance agents give back to their local community during the COVID-19 crisis. The Ceres Community Project is a nonprofit organization that creates health for people, communities and the planet through love, healing food and empowering the next generation.