Santa Clara County Community Service & Support Digest

To carry on a son's legacy, the Tone Yao Lee scholarships will support mental health educators, psychologists and research.

An estimated 200-300 protesters converged at the Mountain View Caltrain station and marched down Castro Street, chanting and making their way to all four corners of Castro and El Camino Real.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley has bought a prime site in north San Jose’s Alviso district where the charitable agency aims to consolidate its head offices along with food handling operations.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian immigrants call California home, and many of them are still processing the shock they’ve felt at the Russian invasion into Ukraine. For those hoping to help, these groups are providing aid to affected Ukranians.

The Cupertino City Council made new appointments to fill vacancies during its Jan. 24 and Feb. 1 meetings. New commissioners will hold their position for a four-year term, ending Jan. 30, 2026.

For many years, Jewish organizations have thrived in the Midpeninsula. Now, Mountain View residents will be getting their own Chabad Jewish Center. "We cater to all the needs of the Jewish community —religious and social needs. We're here to provide classes, services and holiday events," Rabbi Ber Rosenblat said.

When an equestrian coach was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a minor, the story was familiar to Woodside resident Carrie Kehring. Her own daughter had been groomed and abused by a different instructor.

Kiyoshi Taylor and Kenan Moos, co-founders of the Los Altos-based racial justice organization Justice Vanguard, have created an educational resource titled “100 Years of Black History.”

About two months after the Chabad House–Almaden Valley was destroyed by a fire, the synagogue community has gotten help from the Azerbaijani government. A spokesman said the act “is in line with Azerbaijan’s longstanding policy of supporting interfaith harmony.”

Created in 2020, Hope for the Unhoused is running full steam as an official nonprofit, which has opened the door to funds, including a $15,000 grant from Santa Clara County. Its purpose: to find a way to end homelessness in Milpitas.

After their 12-year-old son was swept away by a sneaker wave, Sharmistha Chakraborty and Tarun Pruthi have used their grief to power change. New life rescuing stations are now installed at three local beaches.

Canopy, a Palo-Alto based nonprofit, recently expanded its reach by planting trees out of town.

The Bay Area nonprofit Family Giving Tree recently served its two millionth recipient over the most recent holiday season.

The Knight Foundation has donated $1 million to help boost and improve downtown San Jose. The goal is to create a more vibrant city center for residents and tourists.

Tri Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant who has worked for San Jose City Hall, has been named the new Asian Community Liaison by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. He is working to expand education and outreach efforts to the city’s diverse Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Between earthquakes and floods over the past several decades, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Community Emergency Response Team likes to be prepared. Members will hold a drive-through water distribution practice drill on Nov. 3.

Presentation High School senior Shrobana Sengupta has raised enough money to provide 72 Chromebooks to low-income students, and she did it all through baking macarons in her parents' kitchen.

With a historic storm landing in the Bay Area this week, many residents have experienced damage to their homes and vehicles. In preparation for future storms, several locations throughout the Peninsula are offering free sandbags to residents.

Years in the making, the Vietnamese Service Center is finally opening near San Jose’s Little Saigon area. It will provide health and human services to the more than 140,000 Vietnamese residents of the region.

San Jose is celebrating the reopening of Lincoln Glen Park, the second all-inclusive park in the city. The park includes play equipment for children on the autism spectrum disorder, along with those with physical disabilities and medical fragility.

The Hidden Halloween is the brainchild of a Baskin-Robbins franchise owner, and is becoming a popular destination in Palo Alto. What was once an empty field is now a charming pumpkin patch with activities for kids and families.

Recent antisemitic grafitti in Los Gatos has led to a collaboration between the Town of Los Gatos, Jewish Silicon Valley and other groups. Their activities will coincide with a national effort convened by Not In Our Town, a national anti-hate organization.

Mark Zuckerberg, known for giving financially to the Jewish community, recently gifted funding to local organizations—including $200,000 to the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto.

CalFresh benefits will be permanently increased by 22 percent, which is higher than they ever were pre-pandemic. This is great news for Santa Clara County beneficiaries, where living expenses are extremely high.

A $3.9 million grant will go toward assisting victims of the 2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting. It will provide counseling services to survivors through October 2022.

Since October of 1921, the Garden Club of Palo Alto has kept the city green, tending to trees and gardens at libraries, schools and other public spaces.

Riyani Patel has already authored two books about the negative effects of bullying, and now she will head up an event in Morgan Hill to support National Bullying Prevention Month.

She lost the science fair, but Nishi Dharia of Presentation High School has moved on. She is the founder of a nonprofit that is now saving the lives of premature babies in India.

Lowe’s employees volunteered at Gilroy Center for the Arts on Sept. 14 to help transform the space inside and out. The center was one of 100 recipients of Lowe’s 100 Hometowns grant.

When Morgan Hill local Ellie Mae Fisher started at Texas Tech University in 2018, she was shocked that there was no National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter there.

The city of Morgan Hill will soon disburse up to $100,000 in federal “rescue” funds to local nonprofits, with a priority on organizations that were affected by COVID-19 or have a track record of supporting those who suffered due to the pandemic.

Gabriela Chavez-Lopez becomes the first director of the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, and looks forward to making a difference in her community.