#726 | MAY 12, 2026

Pick, Donate, Repeat: CanDo's Gleaners Are Fighting Food Insecurity One Tree at a Time

You may have recently noticed so many loaded orange, grapefruit and lemon trees while traveling around beautiful Napa County. We at the Napa Valley CanDo Gleaning Project have had an amazing start to 2026. Thanks to our kind repeat donors, many new donors and our dedicated and loyal volunteers, so far this year, we have already collected over 24,000 pounds of citrus fruit! All of this fruit has been donated to our CANV Napa Food Bank. Our yield for 2025 was 28,415 total pounds of produce so I predict we will be achieving a new record for 2026. 

We couldn’t do this without both our donors and our volunteers! Our dear friends at La Siesta Village have teamed up with us again as donors this year and made a huge difference in food insecurity. Our gleaners harvested over 5,100 pounds of citrus when we visited 25 homes in their park. La Siesta Village plus other repeat donors who contact us each year and our newly added donors have given us so much success this year. 

Speaking of volunteers! Our gleaners are really the best! Watch for our new sign that was created by one of our own volunteers, Amy Cartwright. She captured the feeling we have when we harvest with her happy, whimsical fruit. Now, if we are working in your neighborhood and you see our sign, please come by and say hello! Everyone will know that the fruit or vegetables being harvested are heading for the CANV Food Bank. 

As a coordinator, I can tell you that having a list of volunteers doesn’t mean your project will be successful. Having the fun, dedicated, loyal, selfless volunteers that are on my gleaning project list does! Those gleaners who check in to make sure we have enough help are priceless. The significant other who accepts the time devoted to gleaning is priceless. The gleaner who volunteered recently for the very first time after receiving our email requests for the past two years is priceless. Our gleaners who are on the injured reserve are priceless. We have lots of fun, make a difference in our community and would welcome you if you would like to join us. 

Thank you to our donors who are thinking of others when they contact us to arrange a date to harvest their fruit or vegetables. It is very easy to join our rewarding project and I cannot wait to meet you! 

If you would like to volunteer as a gleaner or donate excess produce, please contact us at gleaners@nvcando.org.

~ Debbie Giorsetto, Gleaning Team Coordinator

Be Part of the 2026 Give!Guide Napa Valley

The annual Give!Guide campaign brings together nonprofits, donors, businesses, and community partners to support organizations serving Napa County.

For Nonprofits

Applications for the 2026 Give!Guide open May 28. Now is the perfect time to review eligibility and begin preparing.

Nonprofits selected for the Give!Guide gain:

• Increased community visibility
• New donor connections
• Marketing and promotional support
• A platform to amplify their mission

Interested in participating?

Email us: GiveGuide@NVCando.org

More info: Nonprofit Eligibility & 2026 Timeline 

For Sponsors

Partner with the Give!Guide to support local nonprofits while connecting your business with thousands of engaged community donors.



Interested in sponsoring?

Email us: GiveGuide@NVCando.org

More info: Sponsor the 2026 Campaign

Inspiring Inclusion

May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. You might ask, how could we lump together these vastly different cultures? And why did it take so long to honor them? 

In 1976, that last question was asked by Jeanie Jew, a Chinese American staffer on Capitol Hill, who was frustrated that the US Bicentennial Celebration did not include Asian Americans.

She spoke to Representatives Horton and Mineta who took action and, in 1978, a week in May was set aside as Asian American Heritage Week. May was chosen because the first Japanese immigrants arrived on May 7, 1843, and the Transcontinental Railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. In 1992,

President H.W. Bush extended the recognition of Asian American Heritage to a full month and in 2009, Pacific Islanders were included.

Jeanie Jew, initiator of Asian American Heritage Month in 1976.



Her grandfather H.M. Lee worked on the Transcontinental Railroad and was murdered during an anti-Asian uprising in the late 1880’s.

Consider the contributions of those early immigrants. The Japanese brought with them sophisticated techniques for farming and demonstrated how land previously considered unusable could be irrigated, drained, and fertilized. Chinese laborers were the primary workforce on the western part of the Transcontinental and Central Pacific Railroad. The work was grueling and extremely dangerous. At least 1,000 workers died from explosions, rockslides, disease and freezing winter. Later treatment of both these groups was harsh. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 made it clear the Chinese were no longer welcome after their work was done and in 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR authorized the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese, 2/3 of whom were U.S. citizens.

Despite this maltreatment, today there are approximately 20-24 million Asian Americans in the US. According to the 2020 census, they are the fastest growing demographic in the country. Their rich contributions in science, art, and technology abound and, of course, there are the culinary delights.  

Maybe one of their most significant contributions is the Asian approach to medicine. How appropriate that May is also Mental Health Month, since ancient Eastern wisdom has revolutionized our concept of wellness, teaching us the value of mindfulness and meditation. In the 21st century, meditation in America has grown to a $2.4 billion industry with roughly 36 million practitioners, driven by rising demand for stress relief and now supported with apps on our phones. This fairly new desire to stay “centered” has also led to the benefits of yoga, tai chi and qigong. And if you are looking for an acupuncture treatment, there are nine local clinics that offer it. As a side note, our new awareness can be in large part traced back to the Beatles who introduced Hindu-oriented meditation practices back in the 60’s. Imagine.

36 million Americans now practice meditation

Asian influences have reached all corners of American life. Think about it as you enjoy your next Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or Vietnamese dinner, all available right here in Napa.

More Opportunities to Support Our Community

Volunteer Opportunities & Events to Support Local Nonprofit Groups

Tell 'em you heard about it through CanDo!

If you represent a local nonprofit, you may submit a COMMUNITY EVENT or VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY by completing our online form.

Your event will be posted to the CanDo website upon receipt and will be published in the next monthly newsletter. Newsletter 2026 publication schedule

Flyer or image is required and must be sent as a jpg or png (NOT PDF). 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 6PM on the Sunday prior to the publication day. 

Looking for Local Volunteer Opportunities?

Highlights from CanDo's Community Calendar, May 12 - June 16

May 12: Monthly Wetlands Slow Stroll - American Canyon, Wetlands Edge

May 12: Sons In Retirement (Branch 65) Luncheon & Meeting - Napa Elks Lodge, Napa. Info: sirinc2.org/branch/65; 408-828-3486

May 14: Bike to Work and School Day - Napa County

May 16: Yountville Art, Sip & Stroll - Juried Art Show & Wine Tasting

May 16: Geek Out Napa Valley Comic-Con - Napa County Library - FREE

May 17: Climate-Friendly Garden Tour 

May 18, 25, June 1, 8, 15: Napa County Health and Human Services Bus - Be Well Mobile Services, every Monday

May 19: Napa Food Project Orientation for new Neighborhood Coordinators, 6 PM. More info

May 20: Napa County Historical Society Book Club, Goodman Library

May 20: Community Singing Circle - Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists

May 22 - 24: Bottlerock

May 29: Mental Health Resource Fair - Napa Library, 707-253-4241

May 29 - June 14: The Drowsy Chaperone, Lucky Penny Productions

May 30 - 31: ‘Shrek: The Musical, JR.,’ NV Performing Arts Center

June 2: Election Day More info

June 4 - 6: Auction Napa Valley

June 6: Silverado Handweavers and Spinners Guild meeting

June 6: It's a Grand Night for Singing: special tribute concert honoring the life and legacy of longtime host, pianist, and composer, Richard B. Evans, 7 PM

June 7: ‘Country Chorale’, First Presbyterian Church, Napa

June 7 - 20: Napa Pride 2026: Love Out Loud

June 9: CanDo's Pro-Inclusion Napa meeting More info

June 14: Art and Nature Hike, Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art

Election Reminder

ELECTION DAY 2026 Timeline: Less than a week left to register to vote!

On Election Day, June 2nd, polling locations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Any voter in line by 8:00 p.m. has the right to cast a ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven days to be counted. Voters can also track their ballot status and confirm receipt through state and county systems.

May 4: Ballots mailed, drop boxes open, early voting begins

May 18: Last day to register to vote and receive a ballot by maill

May 26: The last day to mail a ballot to a voter 

June 2: Election Day, last day to vote. All ballots must be returned by 8:00PM and postmarked by June 2.

More info and Napa County Election Dept. resources:

• Check your registration status here
• Learn about Same-Day Voter Registration here
• Sign up for automatic ballot tracking here
• See who's running here
• Preview the State Voter Guide here
• Lost your ballot? Get a replacement ballot here
• Made a mistake? It might be ok, call us at 707-253-4321 or email us at elections@countyofnapa.org
• Overseas? Find out about voting options here.
• Find out where to return your ballot here.
• Find out where to vote in person here.
• Find an official ballot drop box here.
• Looking for a drive thru? Find one here.
• Forgot to register? You can still vote, but you must appear in person. Find a location here.

Random Ramblings

CanDo's President, Camille Gentry Kaijankoski, kindly shares some of her favorite online discoveries in this space.

Why pursuing happiness makes you... less happy

Emily Esfahani Smith

TED Talks Daily

Drawing on clinical research and psychological studies, writer and psychotherapist Emily Esfahani Smith shows why pursuing meaning — the experience of connecting to something beyond yourself — creates a deeper sense of well-being than comes from chasing happiness. Learn about the steps you can take to move from feeling stuck to living with intention. (no paywall)

Bits & Pieces

Napa’s Joss House and Its Altar

An altar that was a sacred fixture in the Joss House (temple) of Napa’s old and picturesque Chinatown is now a permanent and historically valued museum piece on exhibition at the headquarters of the Chinese Historical Society in San Francisco, thanks to Shuck Chan.

The altar was originally brought to America by Shuck Chan’s father from Canton, China in 1860. When the First Street Bridge was replaced with a wider one, the plaque was moved to the center of the span of the new bridge.

Learn more here.

Photographed by Loren Wilson, August 18, 1978

Plaque Dedication - 1978

Chuck Chan with his wife and daughter at the dedication.

Words Matter

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

~ The Dalai Lama

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