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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It's difficult to pick up a newspaper or tune in to broadcast news these days without being weighted down with sorrow, anxiety, and even anger. So many are suffering around the world, and it is easy to feel hopeless, since most global events are beyond our control.
This is when I feel most grateful for the chance to work in and for my own community, serving others, and looking for ways to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors.
I am thankful for this opportunity, and for the many people who make my contribution possible: my colleagues, our County staff, our community partners, and our residents. While we may have not directly influenced the climate or housing crisis at the national level, we are making strides locally (see more below).
Gratitude and service are a way to lift the spirit. In this newsletter, we will offer some ideas for volunteer opportunities that are sure to bring you, and those you serve, joy and comfort.
As always, it is my pleasure to serve you. Please feel free to reach out to me and/or my Board Aide Yazmin Dominguez at (707) 299-1354; joelle.gallagher@countyofnapa.org; and yazmin.dominguez@countyofnapa.org with any County-related issue, concern or ideas.
I wish you all a happy day of Thanksgiving and memory-making with your loved ones.
In gratitude,
Joelle
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Community Members Appointed to Serve
Congratulations to the following community members who were recently appointed:
Napa County Mental Health Board
- Rose Sheehan
- Marion Villalba
- Etta Williams
Napa County Veteran's Commission
Thank you all for your service!
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Climate Action Committee
The Climate Action Committee received a presentation from the Napa Resource Conservation District (RCD) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) on Friday, October 27th. The presentation highlighted a joint Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring project in Napa County, the first in the nation. The project would implement state-of-the-art greenhouse gas monitoring technologies to collect data and help us to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will be the first public-private-international collaboration that promotes real time, observation-based approaches to support climate policy. You can find more information about this project at this LINK. I'm excited to collaborate with my colleagues and support this project.
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Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
Last month, I attended the California Local Agency Formation Commission Annual Conference. Napa County was honored for exceptional achievements in multiple areas, including winning three awards. 1) Agricultural preservation and excellence in public service for LAFCO actions related to Green Island Vineyard. 2) the Associate Member Achievement Award for our attorney Gary Bell with Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC (CHW). 3) the Lifetime Achievement Award for Dawn Mittleman Longoria, Napa LAFCO's Assistance Executive Officer. It's an honor to work with our amazing LAFCO staff and Commissioners! (You can find more information about the awards at this LINK.)
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Local Volunteer Opportunities
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and give thanks. What better way to give than to give back to your community. Here are some impactful volunteer opportunities to consider:
CANV Food Bank
The Community Action of Napa Valley operates the Food Bank, Meals on Wheels for Napa County, Wellness on Wheels, and two licensed pre-schools for low-income students. In accomplishing our mission, part of the Food Bank program is the Napa Food Pantry, which offers seven locations.
Volunteer LINK
Cope Family Center
The Cope Family Center's mission is to empower parents, nurture children and strengthen communities. We provide parents with the education, resources and support they need to raise children who thrive.
Volunteer LINK
Mentis
Mentis staff and clinicians educate, support and inspire people to take charge of their mental well-being. With programs ranging from prevention to treatment, we’re here to make sure our community’s mental wellness flourishes.
Volunteer LINK
ParentsCAN
ParentsCAN purpose is through our experiences and training, we provide hope and guidance for families of children with disabilities, regardless of the degree or severity of the disability.
Volunteer LINK
Puertas Abiertas
Puertas Abiertas is celebrated in the Napa community as the gateway for access to health and social services, a culturally appropriate service provider to Latino families, and a collaborator with a wide variety of community partners.
Volunteer LINK
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E&M
Calling all Napa County student singers ages
12 thru 17!
E & M Presents IDOL NV 24 beginning with free auditions taking place on Dec. 6, 13 and Jan. 7, at Lucky Penny Productions. Semis and finals take place on Jan. 20 and 21 at Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center. Prizes include: concert tickets, gift cards, cash and local specialties. For more information, visit www.eandmpresents.org or email evywar@gmail.com. Para información en Español communicate con Elba 773-709-5015.
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Napa Valley
Turkey Chase
The Napa Valley Turkey Chase is a fun family event! Race, jog or walk this fast, paved course around the Napa Valley College and the Napa River Trail and work up your Thanksgiving appetite!
Thanksgiving Morning 11/23/23
Kids 100m Turkey Dash: 7:50am
(FREE! no prior registration required)
For more information, visit this LINK.
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Christmas Tree Lighting 2023
It’s just not the holidays without the trimmings—30 feet of them, to be exact. Grab your fam, grab a friend and head right this way for hot chocolate, cookies, singing and dancing before the tree lighting.
November 22
6: 00 pm - 8: 00 pm
For more information, visit this LINK.
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November Proclamation
On Tuesday, November 7th, the Board of Supervisors recognized November 27 - December 1, 2023, as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Week. The County is fortunate to have a great Clerk team that organizes and manages the Board Meetings. Accepting the proclamation was Napa County Clerk of the Board Neha Hoskins.
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SAVE THE DATE!
I’m excited to invite you all to our first NoMa Sleighing it Celebration! Each business will have a fun, unique activity for the whole family. Visit all locations for a chance to win an opportunity drawing. All participating businesses will donate a percentage of sales to the Napa Valley COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster).
I hope to see you there!
Click HERE to download the flyer
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Serving lunch to our brave volunteer firefighters, a small way of saying
THANK YOU!
| Meeting with new Bay Area supervisors, Class of 2022 (from left: Supervisor Cottrell, Supervisor Paulding, Supervisor Frerichs, Supervisor Lucan, Supervisor Arroyo) | Attended the NVCF Wildfire Resilience Summit to learn more about wildfire prevention and preparedness (from left: Board Aide Yazmin Dominguez, Code Compliance Officer Erick Hernandez, Board Aide Leah Doyle-Stevens, Fire Marshal Jason Downs) |
Wildfire Resilience Summit
The Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) hosted the first Wildfire Resilience Summit to reflect and learn from the devastating 2020 fires. The summit included fire experts, local leaders and community members. The County of Napa has come a long way, but this is a community wide effort. It's not a matter of if, but when the next wildfire will strike. Prepare for wildfire now! Visit the Napa County Fire page to learn more about evacuation plans, defensible space, and more at this LINK.
Additionally, one of the key topics discussed was fire insurance. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced the States' newest program "Safer from Wildfires" to protect from wildfires by implementing three layers of protection — for the structure, the immediate surroundings, and the community. You can find more information about this program at this LINK.
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Napa County awarded $5 million to launch BAHFA Rental Assistant Pilot Program
Great news for Napa County, the Department of Housing and Homeless Services (DHHS) has been selected to receive a grant of up to $5 million to launch and administer the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) Rental Assistance Pilot Program. Napa County Director of Housing and Homeless Services Jennifer Palmer stated, "this funding will help us strengthen and expand those efforts across Napa County, specifically for the lowest income older adult residents struggling with rising costs and fixed incomes." This program will begin to ease the housing burden for our vulnerable seniors.
For more information, click this LINK.
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MCE receives $1 million Department of Energy grant for Eletric transportation all over Bay Area
Local electricity provider, MCE, has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a strategy for transportation electrification with local partners representing underserved communities.
MCE will collaborate with more than thirty organizations to connect with residents and organizations in Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties about investments in EV charging and clean mobility. Local residents will be invited to provide input about where to install EV charging and micro mobility options like car sharing, e-bikes, and scooters. Find more information at this LINK.
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Not Sure Which County Department to Call?
Napa County's website features a "Good Neighbor Resources" page, which offers a list of County services and contact information for the appropriate department.
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What Interests You?
Which County-related issues, departments or programs do you want to know more about? I'd love to hear from you and feature that content in an upcoming newsletter. Send us your feedback LINK.
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