Santa Clara County Community Service & Support Digest

Palo Alto Renters' Association, a non-profit that formed in 2020 to support local tenants, will soon be no more. It is being absorbed by Palo Alto Forward, another housing-focused non-profit, leaders of the both organizations said.

Mountain View's Ristorante Don Giovanni served up plates of turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes on Thursday, much to the delight of patrons who lined up outside the front door to celebrate the annual tradition.

Joining a national effort to develop a cure for Type 1 diabetes, a group of five teenagers in Palo Alto has helped raise nearly $140,000 to fund research on the disease.

The traditional Veterans Day service unfolded at Santa Clara’s Veterans Memorial in Central Park, and Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor and City Council members raised the flag.

Residents of Planada and Pajaro want state aid to help alleviate debt incurred from rebuilding after January floods. Local officials want some money to go elsewhere.

Millions of people across the state struggle to pay electric bills as California regulators decide on proposed rate increases. PG&E wants a rate hike to bolster the safety and reliability of its services.

With war raging in the Middle East, the Silicon Valley chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community hosted an event called “The Israel-Palestine Crisis: Call For Peace” at the Baitul Baseer Mosque as “a live discussion on the heartbreaking situation unfolding between Israel and Palestine."

For nearly 40 years, the SETI Institute, a non-profit research organization in Mountain View, has been searching for intelligent life forms beyond Earth. A philanthropic gift of $200 million is bringing this quest closer to reality.

BeautifySJ, the city’s program tasked with tackling blight from illegal dumping, graffiti, trash and homeless encampments, saw a rise in blight eradication and volunteer participation in 2022-23, according to a report coming before the San Jose City Council.

The Milpitas Library is now the site of a pilot program launched by the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) called "The Library of Things," which offers borrowers a chance to bring home items other than books.

A vigil is set to take place in King Plaza, where community members will mourn those who have died in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and stand with those who are facing hatred.

Michael Love was hired, housed and fired by HomeFirst — one of five ex-employees who alleges the non-profit targeted them because they are Black.

“All that money that’s tied up in a vacant house is money that’s lost opportunity for us to do good in the community,” says PACE’s executive director.

For seniors, the upcoming holiday season can be fraught with the tension of conflicting emotions. Palo Alto's Avenidas recognizes the array of feelings and makes sure it offers activities for everyone, Director Tracy McCloud said.

The group UnXeptable is organizing a rally that has 44 people listed as attending and 80 people listed as interested on Facebook.

At the Santa Clara Children’s Business Fair, shoppers of all ages came out to support local youth entrepreneurs.

As students at Stanford University reach the two-week mark of a sit-in on campus calling for the university to condemn Israel’s siege on Gaza and further support Palestinian students, they’re showing no signs of stopping.

The Sunnyvale City Council is looking to pilot a guaranteed income program to support residents who are financially burdened.

State law requires community colleges to spend at least half their general fund on instructors. But administrators say they want more flexibility to pay for the growing need for student services.

Nurses and supporters are holding rallies at three Santa Clara County health facilities as part of a day of action calling on county leaders to support improved working conditions for nurses.

Setting aside concerns from city staff, the Palo Alto City Council officially endorsed an effort to create a new Joint Powers Authority that would advocate on behalf of all Santa Clara County cities and towns.

What began as a chat between a few Palo Alto neighbors evolved on Saturday into vigil that brought about 200 people of different faiths and backgrounds to Mitchell Park to support Israel and denounce Hamas.

Citing its growing stature and a legal conflict, the Cities Association of Santa Clara County is hoping to form a joint powers authority—but city officials in Palo Alto have some concerns.

A new Little Free Library was installed at the Sunnyhills Child Development Center on 356 Dixon Rd. in Milpitas. 

Tiny homes are increasingly California cities’ shelter option of choice — but how far they go in solving homelessness is a contentious question.

After years of planning a broadband system to bridge California’s digital divide, officials deprioritized some low-income areas due to unexpected costs. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s committed to funding the entire network, but advocates are skeptical.

Despite an influx of money to counter learning loss during the pandemic, English language arts and math test scores remain low.

Councilmembers Pam Foley and Omar Torres have drafted a resolution supporting LGBTQ+ students in reaction to the efforts of Informed Parents of Silicon Valley to ban LGBTQ+-themed books and encourage parents to opt out of LGBTQ+ supportive school curriculum.

With the growing use of AI, campus officials are trying to set clear guidelines for college application essays.

In a broad show of solidarity with Israel, about 2,000 residents and more than a dozen religious leaders came to Palo Alto to light candles, sing and pray for the civilians who were killed, wounded or abducted by Hamas.

The Sunnyvale City Council is slated to award a $3.9 million contract for pedestrian improvements in the Sunnyvale Neighbors of Arbor community, which includes La Linda and the San Miguel neighborhood.

The facts of climate change can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair. Some California activists are creating communities for people to talk about those feelings.