By Eric Johnson
Published Dec 02, 2024

Giving Locally Tuesday

ICYMI: It goes: Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday. Brilliant branding, all around. And here we are.

"Today, Giving Tuesday is a year-round global generosity movement made up of thousands of leaders, and millions and millions of people, who are working to transform their communities and their world—one small act at a time."

That’s Asha Curran, the current CEO of the organization she co-founded. And while we're glad that this movement has gone global since being launched just 12 years ago, we want, today (and tomorrow) to bring it home.

I want to urge you to put some of your generosity to work in the places you know and love. A number of our friends and colleagues are launching giving campaigns this week, and I want to take this opportunity to let you know about them. And wherever you live in CALocal’s ten-county service area, I’m sure there are similar campaigns near you.

Below are links to a handful of campaigns, each of which benefit multiple charities. I promise you, they deserve your support.

Santa Cruz Gives

“Local nonprofits work incredibly hard to improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz County, from cleaning our beaches and monitoring our drinking water quality to mentoring our children and providing informative local news.”

Monterey County Gives!

“In last year’s campaign, Monterey County Gives! raised over $11.9 million in six weeks, thanks to more than 8,000 donors. That’s impactful. Since its inception, the program has raised and donated over $68 million to approximately 500 local nonprofits.”

Give Back Tahoe

“The Give Back Tahoe Giving Season is an end-of-year fundraising campaign that raises awareness about our local nonprofits and all they do to support this community. In 2023, 1,026 people donated over $627,206 for 70+ participating nonprofits!”

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

“These trusted nonprofits are helping to meet our communities’ most vital needs while also striving to make our region a more equitable place for all its residents.”

Community Foundation for San Benito County

The Community Foundation is running three fundraisers during Giving Tuesday—for the Latino Generations Endowment Fund, the Women’s Fund, and the Community Foundation itself.

Philanthropic Megafauna, Part II

Last week we introduced you to The Elks—an old-school philanthropic organization that you've probably heard about, even if you were unaware of the spcicific good that they do in your community. This week, meet The Lions, another venerable institution that is doing more good in your town—and in the world—than you might know.

Doing Good: Lions Clubs International

Lions Club International is made up of more than a million individuals and operates across the globe, including in Quezon City, Philippines.

In the wake of the First World War, a group of business leaders built an international organization of more than 1,000 local service clubs in less than a decade. It has grown to be one of the biggest philanthropic organizations in the world.

Recipe of the Week

Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.

See more recipes in their Taste Fall! cookbook.

Citrus-packed mandarin muffins can brighten a winter morning

The first citrus fruit of the season flavors this bright muffin.

New! Bakery-style mandarin muffins with raisins

Recent Statewide News

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• California Democrats Plan to Crack Down on Cities That Block Abortion Clinics

California Democrats have passed two dozen laws to protect abortion access since the Supreme Court in 2021 overturned Roe vs. Wade. New bills are on the table.

(12/02/2024) → CalMatters

• 5,000 Bills Is Too Many. California Legislature Sets New Max on Legislation.

Reflecting concern about too many bills, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas lowered the number legislators are allowed to introduce.

(12/02/2024) → CalMatters

• California Birth Centers Are Shutting Down. A Lawmaker Has a New Plan to Help Them

Birth centers are midwife-run facilities that deliver babies outside of hospitals. They have struggled to stay in business in part because of strict state licensing requirements.

(12/02/2024) → CalMatters

• Landlords Are Using AI to Raise Rents — And California Cities Are Leading the Pushback

California and federal prosecutors have accused software company RealPage of enriching itself ”at the expense of renters who pay inflated prices.”

(12/01/2024) → CalMatters

• Unstoppable Invasion: How Did Mussels Sneak Into California, Despite Decades of State Shipping Rules?

Most ships discharging ballast water into California waters are inspected, but state officials have tested the water of only 16 ships. Experts say invaders like mussels are inevitable under current rules and enforcement.

(11/25/2024) → CalMatters

• The Price Tag on Project 2025’s Abortion Plan: $300 Million Cut to Medi-Cal

Gov. Gavin Newsom is urgently preparing to protect reproductive rights from the incoming Trump administration—and the looming possibility of Project 2025-inspired policies.

(11/25/2024) → CalMatters

• Busing People Out of Homelessness: How California’s Relocation Programs Really Work

Many California cities offer their homeless residents one-way bus tickets to other places.

(11/25/2024) → CalMatters

• California Dairies Ignore Bird Flu Threat

Learn how health officials and California dairies are responding, or not, to the explosive spread of bird flu through dairy herds across the state.

(11/25/2024) → Los Angeles Times

Government Announcements

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	United States (12/01/2024) Russ Davis Wholesale Recalls Multiple Products Due to Potential Salmonella Risk
Russ Davis Wholesale of Wadena, MN, is recalling multiple products out of an abundance of caution because they contain recalled cucumbers from Baloian Farms which have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young childr

	United States (11/28/2024) Gracie's Kitchen's Inc. Recalls Read-To-Eat Products Manufactured Between 11/4 and 11/13/24 Because of Possible Health Risk
Gracie's Kitchens of New Haven, CT is recalling all ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable products manufactured at the facility from 11/4-11/13/24, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young c

	United States (11/27/2024) Handsome Brook Farms Issues Recall of Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs Because of Possible Health Risk
Handsome Brook Farms is voluntarily recalling 10,800 retail units of the Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature brand name because these eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in

	United States (11/27/2024) 4Earth Farms, LLC. Recalls Organic and Conventional Vegetable Medleys and Organic Whole Carrots, Containing Grimmway Farms Carrots, Because of Possible Health Risk
4Earth Farms of Commerce, California, is recalling multiple brands of Organic Vegetable Medley, Conventional Vegetable Medley, and Organic Whole Carrots because it may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19.

	United States (11/27/2024) Sunfed Produce, LLC Recalls Whole Fresh American Cucumbers Because of Possible Health Risks Due to Salmonella
SunFed Produce, LLC (SunFed) is recalling all sizes of whole fresh American cucumbers packaged in bulk cardboard containers labeled with the "SunFed" label or in a generic white box or black plastic crate with a sticker that provides the implicated grower's name, "Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.," (photos b

	United States (11/25/2024) Correction Notice: Canadian Food Inspection Agency Laboratory Error Incorrectly Resulted in Recall of Church Brothers Farms Green Onions - Recall Rescinded-
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has determined that a laboratory error incorrectly caused the October 18, 2024 recall announcement concerning Church Brothers Farms' Green Onions. The products from Church Brothers did not contain Salmonella and the recall has been rescinded.

	United States (11/22/2024) Sugar Foods Recalls Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips Santa Fe Style 3.5 Ounce Pouch Due to Undeclared Wheat
Sugar Foods is recalling 3.5 ounce pouches of Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips Santa Fe Style with UPC Code 7 87359 17504 6 and Best By Date June 20, 2025 due to a contamination of undeclared wheat allergen.

	United States (11/22/2024) FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ineligible Beef Tallow Products Imported From Mexico
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for beef tallow products that were illegally imported...

	United States (11/21/2024) Yu Shang Food, Inc. Recalls Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2024 - Yu Shang Food, Inc., a Spartanburg, SC, establishment, is recalling approximately 72,240 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products within their shelf life that...

	United States (11/20/2024) Grimmway Farms Expands Recall to Include Additional Bag Sizes Due to Potential E. coli Contamination
Grimmway Farms announced the addition of four bag sizes of organic whole carrots to its November 16, 2024, recall. All dates associated with the recall remain unchanged.