Five members of the Healdsburg community will be in a Burbank studio audience for a special taping of the “Ellen” talk show this week — an episode devoted to charity, kindness and those who do good in the world.
The two-part show, which celebrates host Ellen DeGeneres’ 60th birthday and includes a visit from Michelle Obama, airs on local NBC affiliates Feb. 1 and 2 at 4 p.m.
All five local women — Ariel Kelley, Lisa Meisner, Elena Halvorsen, Stephanie Coventry and Emily Peterson — have strong ties to the Healdsburg Free Store, a philanthropic endeavor that popped up after the October wildfires to coordinate the free transfer of donated goods to fire victims. The store was underwritten and run by Corazón Healdsburg, a local nonprofit. It operated from mid-October through the end of November out of a warehouse on Foss Creek Circle donated by Bob Fraser of Redwood Moving & Storage.
Two of the women — Coventry and Peterson — are kindergarten teachers at the Healdsburg Charter School who worked with their students to organize a drive for kids’ socks, shoes and undergarments. The clothing items were donated to the free store and distributed there.
“This whole opportunity came out of simply doing good for the community,” said Kelley, who ran the free store and also serves as board chair of Corazón. “The theme of the episode is people who do good in the world. For [Ellen’s] birthday she wanted to fill the audience with people who are ‘doing good acts.’”
Added Meisner: “I think it’s amazing that Ellen is using her birthday show to thank people for doing good things for their communities, and I’m thrilled and honored she’s invited us to be part of the fun.”
The women’s opportunity to experience a live taping of “Ellen” didn’t happen by coincidence; technically, the quintet sought it out. Right after the free store started, Meisner, who owns a local travel agency and sits on the board of directors of the Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, wrote letters to companies and celebrities asking for donations to the free store. DeGeneres was one of the celebs she wrote.
For a while, the group heard nothing. They were so busy, they forgot they’d reached out. Then, last week, one of DeGeneres’ audience managers sent a full response in the form of an email.
The missive invited Meisner and Kelley to come and celebrate DeGeneres’ birthday in the studio audience. The invitation outlined the theme of the show. It also said the Healdsburg contingent could bring other key members of the team — so long as they’d never been to a taping before.
Excited at the opportunity, Meisner and Kelley first tabbed Halvorsen, who volunteered tirelessly and secured truckloads of donations from friends and businesses all over the Bay Area. Then they invited Coventry and Peterson, who in addition to organizing the clothing drive, tasked their students to put together a video about kindness and philanthropy. The video was titled, “Helping Hands.”
Fittingly, Peterson received Kelley’s invitation while she and Coventry were at Healdsburg City Hall for the school board meeting last week. The teachers were there with Healdsburg Charter School Principal Stephanie Feith and two kinder students to present the video to board members and receive an award for their work.
“I’m thrilled to teach my students you can help your community at any age, and even the smallest acts of kindness do not go unnoticed,” Coventry said. “I’ve been a fan of Ellen for years and just love her positivity and willingness to always help.”
Peterson agreed. “I adore Ellen’s closing line, ‘Be kind to one another,’” she said. “I teach kindness on a daily basis in my class.”
Of course the Healdsburg contingent did not roll into DeGeneres’ birthday party empty-handed. At press time, the teachers and Halvorsen were ready to fly down for the day from Oakland with a variety of #SonomaStrong items, including a t-shirt from the Healdsburg Running Company and a pendant made by Healdsburg resident Dannelle Jenkins. Kelley and Meisner were flying down for the day from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and brought with them a magnum of wine from a Bennett Valley vineyard that burned in the fires.
Even without these gifts, even before “Ellen,” these five women — and the community generosity they represent — have done this community proud.
The 60th birthday episode of “Ellen” airs at 4 p.m. Friday on local NBC affiliates. Be sure to check local listings for channel information.
