Filling our ‘meal gap’
Sometimes we feel embarrassed by all our daily blessings, the many comforts, natural riches and compassionate community we share here in our part of Sonoma County. All our troubles are small, where real help usually comes before we ask for it. We know we are blessed and we know better than to take it for granted. At our best, we are like farmers who pray not so much for rain or good weather, but for the strength to put in another full day’s honest work.
Does this watch make me look old?
In the film “To Kill a Mockingbird” Gregory Peck explains the legacy of pocket watches passed on from father to son, and I thought how unlikely it will be that someone inherits a smart phone inscribed, “with love to my darling Atticus.”
Commentary: Life Long Learning
In the Fall of 2002, I enrolled in a course titled "Greed and Corruption in Corporate America" through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Sonoma State University. We had recently moved to Sonoma County after I retired from practicing Pediatric Dentistry for 40-plus years in the Bay Area. The Enron scandal had just unfolded, and I wanted to better understand how capitalism works in this country and broaden my horizons in general. The course and the OLLi program changed my life. I have not looked back.
The Living Room’s new space
The Living Room is moving to a new home base in 2015! We’ve been taking care of homeless women and children for 21 years at space leased from Church of Incarnation, in downtown Santa Rosa. Sadly, due to the increase of homeless women and children in our community, we’ve seriously outgrown our space and need a new home. We are glad to announce we’ve purchased a property close by that fits our needs and will allow us to improve our program. However, in order to make it home, it needs some fixing up and improvement, including a commercial kitchen. Since we receive less than 15 percent of our funding from government sources, our existence depends on the generosity of others. In the months ahead, while preparing to move, we are reaching out for support with monetary donations and in-kind assistance to make our new home ready. WILL YOU HELP?
Commentary: The problem with Calpers
CALPERS is the pseudo government agency set up to manage the defined benefit retirement program for government employees. Their charter is to collect retirement contributions, invest these contributions to maximize return and provide defined benefits to the actual retiree. CALPERS is controlled by and largely for the benefit of the legislature and government employees.
Getting around
Today (Thursday, May 14) is the annual “Bike to Work Day,” equal parts celebration and encouragement of safe and affordable transportation that doesn’t involve driving a fossil-fuel powered vehicle.
Building sustainable health care funding
In response to the Healthcare Foundation and Healdsburg District Hospital “at odds” article, the foundation would like to emphasize that we are committed to raising funds for healthcare in Northern Sonoma County – it is our mission.
