Pictured Above (L to R): Tim Kensinger (AgWest Farm Credit), Becky Gray (Must! Charities), Austin Hope (Hope Family Wines), Pete Dakin (RE/MAX Parkside Real Estate), Chuck Hope (Hope Family Wines), and Christopher Hilligoss (Veritiv - All American Containers).

2024 Austin Hope Charity Golf Tournament raises over $150K!!!

A huge shoutout to Austin Hope and Hope Family Wines for putting on this tournament and giving us a day to gather as a community, let loose, and have some fun and shenanigans, all while giving back!

On behalf of Team Must!, we are so grateful for the opportunity this tournament gives us to further our mission in this region! Not gonna lie, we are grateful we're given a day to think creatively outside the box and celebrate our golfers/donors in a way that is not the norm.

For those who don’t know, The Austin Hope Golf Tournament is a long-standing Thursday event that kicks off the Paso Wine Festival Weekend held every May. What began decades ago as a fun community camaraderie day on the course, over time, simply fizzled out... that is, until Austin Hope himself had the desire to revive this annual event with a cause, benefitting Must!. Austin Hope and his team have created an incredible event, and we are honored and proud to be a part of it. We are already planning for 2025!

Shout out to our Must! Charities hole #7 partners this year, who really came through and made our hole the best EVER!! The Sign Place, Paso Bamboo, Scout Rental Co, Hazy Hauss DJs, and Central Coast Jeep Adventures.

MUST! CHARITIES YOUTH BOARD

It was a record year!!! 27 high schoolers joined the 2023/2024 Must! Youth Board (our largest number of applicants yet!). What was typically a group of 12-15 has grown immensely, and we were STOKED!!! And also knew we had to pivot and make some changes in order to create the same learning experience for the group.

New this year, we created two cohorts: one for 10th and one for 11th/12th-graders.

10th-grade members focused on using their time and talents. They learned about philanthropy and the Must! Model. They volunteered at Coats for Kids and were inspired to run their own coat drives through their schools, neighborhoods, friends, and families so that next year's Coats for Kids Distribution was supplied with even more coats.

11th/12th grade members focused on time, talents, and leveraging treasures. They learned more about local nonprofits and how to get involved as a volunteer. They then volunteered at nonprofits throughout the county and came together, using the Must! model of philanthropy, and as a group, had to figure out what investment they could make that would make a big, collective impact. This year, they chose to raise funds for a new computer lab with Chromebooks, rolling tables, and a storage/ charging cabinet that would have a positive and lasting impact on the kids who attend the Flamson Boys & Girls Club Teen Center.

Click HERE to learn more about the Must! Charities Youth Board!

OUR MOST RECENT DONOR GATHERING

We love getting together with our donors...

Last month, we had the privilege of gathering at the MFN (My Favorite Neighbor) Tasting Room to hear from four of our Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Recipients. We are so proud to be a part of this project. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful setting, listening to the hearts of these notable scholars. What a privilege and honor to witness the testimonial stories. We had the bookends of students, from a graduating senior to a soon-to-be freshman. We walked away inspired and enlightened.

See our upcoming Donor Gathering Event dates HERE, or reach out to erika@mustcharities.org to get involved!