Joyfully sponsored by local Lafayette Realtor The Dana Green Team and Branagh Development, who together have sponsored the environmentally-friendly downtown Lafayette twinkle lights for the 2020 Holiday Season. Learn more at lafayettechamber.org/lights.

The Lafayette Chamber has made it easy for you, check out our Holiday Gift Guide featuring Lafayette Chamber members. Keep checking back because the guide will continue to grow as we add new gifts daily!

⇒ Lafayette Chamber’s Instagram page

⇒ “We are Lafayette, California Strong” Facebook page!

Become a lifetime Friend of the Chamber

A Friend of the Chamber membership provides a way for community members to support the efforts of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. We are 73 years strong and our mission continues “To promote and maintain a healthy business climate and to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Lafayette.” 

All aspects that make up a community are important to us: schools, residents, churches and synagogues, community organizations, activities, and the city government. Chamber members work with representatives of all these groups for the betterment of our community. A lifetime Friend of the Chamber membership is $150 per family. Learn more here>>

A Brighter Day was created to help teens and young adults recognize and access resources to cope with the risks of stress and depression.

We do this by promoting mental health education through our website and community-building events. Learn more at https://abrighterday.info.

Giving Tuesday is Dec. 1 and is one of the biggest days of generosity. To make your giving go further, the Alzheimer's Association is partnering with Thrivent. For every $2 you give Thrivent will match $1. Don’t let this opportunity to amplify your gift slip by! Click on this link to learn more about the work of the Alzheimer's Association and to make a donation.

Join us for our special virtual event, A Dignified Diagnosis for All

Wednesday, December 2, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Register online: tinyurl.com/AlzEquity

What if every Californian at risk of Alzheimer’s and all dementia had the benefit of early detection and timely diagnosis, with equal access to a plan of care?

The local branch of the AAUW has launched a cost-free series of STEM4Girls zoom sessions for middle school and high school aged girls.

Speakers include successful, engaging young women--a climate change engineer, astronomer, physician, mechanical operations engineer at Chevron, a construction manager, NASA aerospace engineer, global product manager for Dupont, and a University of Oxford doctoral student specializing in ecosystems policy. Join us—these Sunday, hour- long webinars, scheduled over several months, do not disappoint! Learn more and register here: https://oml-ca.aauw.net/girls4stem-webinars.

Since 1999, Assistance League^® of Diablo Valley’s Scholarships program has provided financial and emotional support to high school, community college, university students and returnees to the academic community. YOU COULD BE ONE OF THEM.

To learn more, just visit this website: assistanceleague.org/diablo-valley. Click on Scholarships Applications link in the gray menu bar.

The Lafayette Youth Commission is collecting toys from November 2nd to December 11th to donate to Toys for Tots. Toys should be new, in original packaging, and can be dropped off at the Lafayette Community Center at 500 St. Mary’s Road from 9am to 5pm Monday thru Friday. The many families you are helping and the Lafayette Youth Commission thank you for your donation. For any questions, please call 925-284-2232 or email [email protected].

Did you know that you can use Zoom from a landline phone, iPad, tablet, smart phone or computer? Did you know that Lafayette Senior Services offers FREE one-on-one Zoom support to help you learn how to use zoom to connect with friends and family, and to access their classes and lectures?

Enjoy a safe holiday season with friends and family. Lafayette Senior Services is here to help. Call (925)284-5050 or email [email protected] to set up your appointment.

CASA is serving more foster children than ever before, which has been especially important during the pandemic. Children need a familiar person that they could rely on to even when it must be over video chat, or a telephone call. The CASA Therapy Project is providing tele-therapy to a growing number of foster youths. This program has been especially valuable for foster youth during the pandemic as anxiety levels increased and in-person therapy halted. This year CASA will serve at least 245 foster children ensuring they are successful in school and have the physical and emotional care they need to thrive. Please take a moment to help CASA serve the most vulnerable children in our community. Donate now!

Beginning December 7th, Diablo Ballet School introduces this special class combining both music and movement to create a refreshing, and stimulating atmosphere full of love targeting Parkinson’s concerns such as: coordination, balance, flexibility, isolation and depression. Music alone can do wonders for the body and brain signals so grab your partner, child or friend and join us on zoom for an hour full of classical tunes, dancing and fun! Absolutely no dance experience required. This class will be taught by Danielle Troyano who is a certified instructor and professional dancer with Diablo Ballet. The class will meet via Zoom on Mondays from 9 - 10 am and the cost per class is $10. For more information, please visit: https://diabloballet.org/school/adult-classes/

Diablo Regional Arts Association, the nonprofit partner of the Lesher Center for the Arts, is inviting all community members who love and treasure the Lesher Center to help Pave the Way! Pave the Way features multiple levels of participation and naming opportunities, including custom, laser-engraved pavers prominently located on the new Rudney Plaza outside of the Lesher Center. Funds raised through Pave the Way will support innovative artistic programming and provide access to the arts for all.

Flexible and creative ways to give: Give with a group • Donate stock or IRA • Set up pay installments • Corporate matching gifts

Double Your Impact: The Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation is generously matching the first $150,000 raised through Pave the Way!

Information and order forms are available at https://www.draa.org/pave or DRAA can be contacted at (925) 457-2000.

Friends Corner Book Shop exists to supports programs, collections, and services of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. Like many businesses, we were closed for a long while and are now open for curbside pickup for specific book requests only, and accepting book donations on a very limited basis to customers buying books.

If you’d like to support the Friends so we can continue to support the library, please include us in your Giving Tuesday plans. You can send a check made out to FLLLC (Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center) to 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 107, Lafayette, CA 94549. https://www.lllcf.org/friends-book-shop

Our audience is special to us - thank you for being an important part of the Gold Coast family! After 20 years of live concerts, our online series, Bach Shorts, provided a way for us to continue to support musicians who offered collaborations with professors, composers, and students from around the globe. Our Main Stage series continues in January 2021 with musicians eager to share their talents with you. The power of music and our sense of community purpose has never been stronger.

As we reimagine how to continue bringing these concerts to you, we encounter new opportunities for creative growth. These new directions are rife with possibilities, but they are not without cost.

When you donate to a small organization like Gold Coast, you make a real impact on our creative programs and on our ability to navigate these challenging times. We ask you to consider giving as generously as you are able.

Music can inspire, soothe, and transport us particularly during difficult times. Please help us to continue contributing to the richness of our community. Make your gift online at GCCPmusic.com or by mail at PO Box 271, Lafayette, CA 94549.

Hope Solutions, formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, is committed to healing the effects of homelessness by providing permanent housing solutions and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals like you. With COVID-19 cases expected to rise, helping and supporting each other through these times is more critical than ever.

We are in need of new bedding donations, such as mattresses, pillows, blankets and sheets, as we believe that a warm bed to sleep in is a comfort that every person deserves.

If you would like to help by donating new bedding items please contact Suzanne Martin at [email protected]. Your support means the world to us!

Thank you for supporting quality, community-based hospice care! Your support allows us to achieve our mission of comforting people and their loved ones through the final stages of life. All contributions to Hospice East Bay are tax-deductible, our Tax ID number is 94-2515405. https://www.hospiceeastbay.org/development/donations

Hospice East Bay operates six Thrift Shoppes throughout Contra Costa County, featuring a wide range of vintage items, clothing, fine and costume jewelry, collectibles, furniture, household items, art work, books, CDs and DVDs—all donated by members of our community. Check out our new online shoppe at www.hospiceeastbay.org/onlineshoppe.

Thank you for always being there with your support when we need you!

3470 Buskirk Avenue, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, (925) 887-5678,

In December we are going to offer a premiere of an Argentinian film The Weasels Tale for FREE to celebrate 10 years of the International Film Showcase in the Bay Area. This offer will begin on 12/11/20 and anyone wishing to see the film will have to send a request by email to [email protected]. We will respond with a promo code good for 48 hours and single virtual screening of the film at their home.

The Weasel's Tale comes from the director of the Oscar Award-winning The Secret in Their Eyes. It is a comedic thriller starring a bumper crop of well-known older Latin American actors. This recent Audience Award Winner at the AFI Latin American and Chicago Latino Film Festivals tells the story of a group of four old friends, including a used-to-be-famous actress, her now disabled husband the writer and the director of her greatest hits. They are retired from the business, forming an unusual family in a decaying mansion in the countryside surrounding Buenos Aires. Their coexistence is menaced by a young couple who insinuate themselves into their lives, and the game of cat and weasel begins.

Director: Juan José Campanella  Cast: Graciela Borges, Oscar Martínez & Luis Brandoni

Country: Argentina  Language: Spanish with English subtitles  Festivals & Awards: Audience Awards at AFI Latin American and Chicago Latino Film Festivals; and Four Nominations for Platino Awards for Iberoamerican Cinema

Have you been into your Lafayette Art Gallery - Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery at the Bank? Maybe you have seen the colorful sculpture out in front while buzzing around town. Or maybe you’ve been to one of the 100s of events for artists in that past. The gallery is dedicated to helping you connect with the right art for your home. Please stop in during public hours Weds.-Sat to see an array of curated, contemporary art mostly from Bay Area artists.

Lafayette Gallery Hours: Weds. - Friday 2pm-6pm, Saturday 12pm-6pm.

3525 Mt. Diablo Blvd. (Corner of Moraga Rd. and Mt. Diablo Blvd.) www.jenniferperlmuttergallery.com

This #GivingTuesday, John Muir Land Trust is able to DOUBLE any amount you give to support our work protecting nature — the best tool we have for addressing climate change and promoting healthy places for people and wildlife to live. Every little bit helps. Give now>>

LCF’s major donors now have the opportunity to direct their donation to causes that are meaningful to them. If you donate $500 or more, you may direct 50% of your donation to one of Lafayette Community Foundation’s (LCF) new Excellence Grants funds (detailed below) while the remaining 50% of your donation will go into the Friends of the Foundation fund. This unrestricted fund gives LCF the discretion to award grants to a wide variety of local nonprofits, helping these organizations achieve their mission of serving our community. All donations under $500, will be directed to the Friends of the Foundation fund.

LCF has reevaluated its Excellence Grants categories and created new funds.

The new funds are:

For more information and to donate, please visit http://www.lafayettecf.org

The Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center is currently accepting applications for working members for the 2021 garden season, which, COVID healthcare guidelines allowing, will open on March 13, 2021.

Community members interested in becoming members can download a membership application from the website www.lafayettecommunitygarden.org. They should fill it out and send it to the address listed on the application form.  Plans for next year include a rich educational program of classes and workshops. Community members are invited to drop in during garden workhours which will be listed outside the garden.  Also, the garden community is initiating a LITTLE FREE PANTRY, which will be located outside the parking area. The objective of the pantry is to “TAKE WHAT YOU NEED and LEAVE WHAT YOU CAN”.

All of us, at some time or another, have probably wandered past the Lafayette Historical Society, located on the ground floor of the Library on Golden Gate Way. And some, during “non-COVID times” may have even visited the Society’s archives and history room and learned something they didn’t know about Lafayette’s past.

And who knew that the Society also maintains operates the City’s very first fire engine? Old Betsy as she is known, is a 1919 Model TT Fire Engine. Yes, that’s Old Betsy in the Library’s parking garage window.

The Society raises operating funds by a combination of its membership dues, newsletter sponsorships, book sales, the not-to-be-miss “Breakfast with Santa” event, and through the popular “Speaker Series.” Due to the COVID pandemic, the Society’s history room has been closed and the Speaker Series canceled. It also appears that the “Breakfast with Santa” will also have to be postponed this year. All that is our way of saying that the Society really could use the community’s help right now. If you have a chance, take a look around the Society’s Website where you can listen to a collection of oral histories from many notables Lafayettans, including Bill Eames, Larry Blodgett, Ed Stokes, Steve Falk, Jon Frank, and Jack Marchant. And, if there’s anybody who knows how to work on a Model T, or knows how to drive one, the Society could sure use your help with Old Betsy. Visit the Society’s membership page now to find out how you can become an active member of this esteemed local gem. You can also call (925) 283-1848, or email Mary McCosker, LHS’s President, at [email protected].

This Giving Tuesday - December 1st - and all month long, you have the POWER to impact the lives of thousands with a year-end gift in support of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.

Please GIVE to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation so patrons from all walks of life can continue to have free access and benefit from this vital community resource!

Did you know? The 2020 CARES Act allows individuals who itemize to deduct greater amounts of their charitable contributions - up to 100% (previously 60%) of 2020 adjusted gross income or AGI. If you do not itemize deductions, you can still claim up to $300 in charitable gifts as an "above the line" adjustment, reducing your AGI and therefore taxable income.

LPIE (formerly LASF) is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year! In October of 1980, an invitation was presented to parents, educators and Lafayette residents to attend the “first meeting of people who want to help”. The mission has remained constant over 40 years, but programming has expanded beyond the arts and music to include science, writing, social studies, wellness, and school specific needs. Please join our #40for40 campaign by donating $40 to support Lafayette Partners in Education and help preserve a well-rounded education for Lafayette students. www.lpie.org/40for40

The Lafayette War Veterans, Inc. (a 501(c)(19) Non-Profit Corporation), which manages the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building, is conducting a fundraising through the GOFUNDME.COM "Help Our Vets" project with a goal of $100,000.

Because the Covid-19 pandemic has pretty much eliminated our booking revenue since March 2020, it became necessary for our organization to seek individual and corporate donations. We depend on the bookings of our large meeting rooms as the primary source of revenue (income) in order to operate the building successfully for various venues (business meetings, celebration of life events, weddings, parties, community events, etc.) and to be able to help various veteran causes when we are operating profitably in normal times.

This project will allow us to maintain our minimum building costs as we wait to begin the full operation of our facility as the State of California relaxes the Covid-19 pandemic guidelines at different levels for meeting facilities like we have in Lafayette.

All donations to the Lafayette War Veterans, Inc. are fully tax-deductible. If you wish to send a check (any amount) to help this cause instead of using the GoFundMe website, please make your check payable to "Lafayette War Veterans, Inc." and mail it to P.O. Box 501, Lafayette, CA 94549.

Since January, the global pandemic has caused a devastating impact on the American arts sector. We have seen the closing and cancellation of thousands of arts organizations across the country, and two-thirds of the nation’s artists are now unemployed. And yet, artists are continually delivering artistic content to raise community spirits and morale!

Lamorinda Arts Council strives to ignite and sustain artistic expression and appreciation for all ages in Lamorinda. Even in the face of a pandemic, our volunteers and board members have worked hard to bring to our community thoughtful, creative programming. Our programs offer artists and community members alike opportunities to be engaged in the arts and to be creative in a safe environment.

We hope you will consider donating to Lamorinda Arts Council on this Giving Tuesday to help us support the arts in our community. Donate here >>

Registration is now open for the 18th Annual High School Visual Arts Competition (HSVAC)! The Artists & Awards Recognition Show will be held online on March 11, 2021. Entries accepted for HSVAC will be on display online for public viewing starting March 1.

The HSVAC showcases and acknowledges art in four categories: 2D, 3D, Photography, and the Lamorinda Arts Alliance Digital Art category. All work is by high school students who live in or attend school in Orinda, Lafayette, or Moraga, including all schools in the Acalanes Union High School District. The competition features cash awards, merit citations, and an online public exhibit of entries on the Lamorinda Arts Council website. Click HERE for more details.

Lamorinda Arts Council proudly presents plein air paintings from The Glover Group in the virtual Art Gallery at the Orinda Library during December. The exhibit celebrates their ten year anniversary. They met as students of the late, great plein air artist Pam Glover. The group is known for some playful rule-breaking as far as styles because they strive for freshness and immediacy. They have painted together outside every week for the past ten years. The Lamorinda Arts Council's online gallery page contains images of their artwork and video at https://lamorindaarts.org/online-galleries.

Lamorinda Arts Council invites you to the virtual exhibit of Lafayette artist, Suzy Elsworth-Heithcock featuring 12 works focused on landscapes, trees, figurative drawings and works from her imagination. Elsworth-Heithcock is conscious of the difficulty in presenting a three dimensional world in two dimensions in a drawing or painting. She says adding in the fourth dimension of time, such as how to show the passage of time in an old tree or demonstrating to the observer how wind moves the tree branches about is what she tries to convey. “Portraying a flow of movement is fundamental to my work,” says Elsworth-Heithcock. To view the virtual gallery of their artwork images and video, visit https://lamorindaarts.org/online-galleries.

Missing your creative tribe? No need for that - you are invited to join lovers of the spoken word and visual art by viewing a recording of our last program of 2020 on Sunday Nov. 15. Marlene Dotterer, Joan Goodreau and Grey Johnson read from their work interspersed with artwork from local artists Judith Feins and Karen Frey. Both artists have work in The de Young Open in Golden Gate Park through Jan. 3, 2021. Access the video and stay tuned for our 2021 program dates at http://lamorindaarts.org/art-embraces-words.

Since we won't be able to host our traditional holiday party this year, we are getting creative. Our dedicated board members and volunteers have found a way to celebrate the arts in Lamorinda this holiday season. Visit https://lamorindaarts.org/holiday2020 for details.

Art in Place is a virtual arts resource compiled by the LAC accessed at https://lamorindaarts.org/art-in-place. All content is G-rated, free, for all ages. and includes all art genres; updated often. Check out music and choral recordings, live cams at the Oakland Zoo, and Monterey Bay Aquarium, practice dance steps, listen to an opera tweeted by birds and take virtual tours of museums worldwide. Have a suggestion? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

The Creating in Place virtual gallery welcomes all Bay Area artists to exhibit and optionally sell their artwork created at home or in studio since mid-March 2020. The gallery, which opened in July, is accepting entries on an ongoing basis through the pandemic. We're excited about the diverse range of works submitted so far. Click HERE to view the gallery. To see program guidelines and submit your own artwork for consideration, click HERE.

Registration for our first ever Lamorinda Idol Winter Edition, was open to youth singers from all over Contra Costa County and Idol Alumni from around the world! Steve Harwood says 107 youth are registered and the program is moving forward.

Jan. 3: Audition videos due

Jan. 15: Finalists announced

Feb. 28: Finals videos due

Mar. 14: Live online Awards Show to announce the Winter Edition winners!

For more details on the Lamorinda Idol program and to see Finalist performance videos from past seasons, click HERE. 

To celebrate the 125^th anniversary of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is hosting The de Young Open through January 3, 2021. Nothing like it has ever been seen as the call for artists went out only to artists living in the nine Bay Area counties surrounding the San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma.

A staggering 11,514 artworks were submitted by 6,188 artists from nine counties. Every artwork image was reviewed anonymously multiple times by a group of qualified jurors who did not know the identities of the artists. The nine Herbst Exhibition Galleries (12,000 sq. ft.) display 877 artworks by 762 visionary Bay Area artists. You will notice the galleries are in thematic groupings. While the de Young is presently closed due to COVID-19 purple tier restrictions, you can view the exhibit anytime at https://deyoungopenexhibition.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery.

Congratulations to these East Bay artists showing work in The de Young Open: Christian Ehrhorn, Judith Feins, Karen Frey, Sarah Benioff Friedman, Kathleen Gadway, Juanita Hagberg, Linda Huffman, Carolyn Lord, Jody Madison, Ellen Moderbacher, Jennifer Perlmutter, and Nancy Vachani.

We are very grateful to our Spirit Van drivers for providing free pick-up and delivery service for our passengers.  Email [email protected] or call 925-283-3534 if you need something picked up and delivered or to learn about utilizing GoGoGrandparent: an Uber/Lyft type of service that doesn’t require a smart phone.

Monthly Meetings are held Fridays, 7am-8:15am, Zoom Link at https://lamorindasunrise.org/speakers

4: MyKayla Skinner and Sophia Serseri , Olympic Athletes

11: Tyler Schultz, Theranos Unraveled!

18: Skip McCowan and Avi Mylrea, Common Hope

25: No meeting

By donating a vehicle in any condition, you are making a difference in our local community and around the world.

It’s a claim we make every day and we back it up. 100% of your vehicle donation goes to help our local community and toward projects throughout the world. Rotary Clubs throughout the U.S. support their local communities. Here in the Bay Area, the Clayton/Concord Rotary Club and the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary play a key role in supporting charities like:

• Avon Breast Cancer Walk

• Contra Costa Food Bank

• Family Harvest Farms

• Salvation Army Thanksgiving Turkey Drive

Website: cars2ndchance.org or call 925-326-5868. Learn more about the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club here.

Lamorinda Village has partnered with Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) to help non-driving seniors evacuate during wildfire emergencies. If you are a housebound senior, please contact Lamorinda Village at [email protected] or call 925 283-3500 and we will connect you with a CERT volunteer. 

During this pandemic, we have provided over 1000 free shopping/pharmacy deliveries to all Lamorinda Seniors. We have made over 1500 check-in calls (so crucial during this heatwave/smoke/fire threat). We have offered at least 4 zoom activities, presentations, conversations a week to alleviate the loneliness of sheltering at home for so long. We have stuffed and delivered emergency go bags and negotiated discounts for back up batteries in advance of the inevitable blackouts.

Lamorinda Village has a Shelter-in-Place Program for Seniors with free grocery delivery and pharmacy pick up. We are a local nonprofit organization created by older adults and supported by volunteers dedicated to helping older Lamorinda residents who want to remain safely and independently in their homes.

For Seniors requesting service, please either email to [email protected] or call (925) 283-3500, and include: Full Name, Email Address, Phone Number, Delivery Address,

and Store Preference.

If you would like to volunteer your time to help, please email to [email protected], and include: Full Name, Email Address, and Phone Number. If you can’t volunteer, please consider donating to Lamorinda Village.

Our focus this year is providing virtual learning through our “Bridging the Digital Divide for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” Campaign at Las Trampas.

Your ​$25 donation today​ can provide internet access for a participant for two months and some much needed human contact. Please help us prevent the unnecessary isolation of our participants at Las Trampas during this Covid pandemic. Through the generosity of a loyal donor, you can double your gift up to $2,500!

Our ​$10,000 ​goal will not​ ​happen without your generosity and support. Help support a Las Trampas participant bridge the digital divide. You can make your secure online donation today here.

The Live Like Leo Foundation is intended to harness rich global experiences and bring them to students who do not have such access. We believe through opening societal borders and bringing the best of educational programs from around the globe, we can raise awareness to the underexposed and in turn breed a more connected world.

The Live Like Leo Foundation draws its inspiration from young Leo Cellura who’s life was cut short in a tragic accident. Leo's global experiences over his short eleven years of life are what has inspired all of the people he touched and given us the purpose to pay it forward. Learn more and make your donation at https://livelikeleo.org.

Find out all the details and for complimentary tickets here: https://loavesfishescc.ejoinme.org/VirtualGala2021.

Are you interested in giving a Senior Citizen or Veteran a ride to his or her medical appointment? Can you spare a few hours a week? You will be able to make your own schedule. If so, this volunteer opportunity is perfect for you! Our volunteers give rides to individuals who cannot use other forms of transportation due to mobility issues. Mobility Matters is a nonprofit organization that services Contra Costa County. Contact Mobility Matters at 925-284-2215 or at [email protected].

Monument Crisis Center would like to thank the Lamorinda community for your tremendous support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since mid-March, we have distributed nutritious, life-sustaining food to over 25,000 people.

To keep feeding families, seniors and children most affected by this crisis, we need your help! To make a contribution online, visit monumentcrisiscenter.org/donate or text MCC to 41-444.

Non-perishable food donations gladly accepted at the Center located at 1990 Market Street in Concord, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9am-12noon (no glass containers or expired foods please).

Please join us virtually for our Heartfelt for the Holidays celebration on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Pre-show: 5:15 pm "Music by The Insiders" Featuring Paul Cotruvo and Kiki Stack; Program 5:30 - 6:30 pm. Help us meet the need in 2021!

For more information, visit www.monumentcrisiscenter.org.

The Moraga Art Gallery exhibit, Spaces, Inside and Out, and the gallery's Holiday Boutique will continue through December 24, 2020

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, the gallery is open by appointment only. Please email the gallery at [email protected] to make an appointment. 

This exhibit features the work of member artists, Debby Koonce and Angélica Samame.

Debby Koonce is a plein air painter who draws inspiration from natural settings reflecting the changing light of the day and season. Whether painting locally or while on travel, she is inspired by vistas, architecture, quaint alleyways and park lands.

Angélica Samame enjoys painting women in colorful and multifaceted ways. She has found that being quarantined has a silver lining, since it has offered her the time and opportunity to experiment with new painting styles. 

Moraga Art Gallery is a cooperative featuring the work of eighteen established local artists and artisans and five guest artists whose work includes painting, sculpture, jewelry, print media, ceramics, photography and woodworking. 

For more information, visit the gallery’s website: https://moragaartgallery.com or email [email protected].

Debby Koonce, Atop Old Borges Ranch, Acrylic on Canvas

Angélica Samame, Tea Time, Acrylic on Canvas

Mountain Shadow is the great non-profit film society that for the last seven years has been bringing the best in foreign and independent filmmaking to our community. Memberships for the 2021 Season are now available for the same low price as when it all began in 2014. All the membership information you need is available here.

For more information, go to mountainshadow.org, or contact the director, John Bennison: [email protected] / 925-787-6965.

Every Wednesday, 5pm-6:30pm

Help by making donations - see list of preferred foods on flyer. If you are experiencing food insecurity, come by and take what you need, wearing a mask of course. Click here to see the flyer.

The Orinda Association is once again holding a One Warm Coat drive now through Dec. 15. Donations of clean, very gently worn coats of all sizes, for men, women, and children can be placed in the bin outside our office M-F 9am-4pm. Location: The Orinda Volunteer Center across from the Orinda Library elevator and next to the fountain. Tax donation receipts are available.

Performing Academy's mission is to help students build confidence in themselves through performing arts training. All programs are designed to enhance performance and life skills by instilling students with technique, discipline, and professionalism.

We are returning to our Lafayette studio for in person classes! Check out our health and safety protocols HERE. We are also offering virtual classes and productions. See all we have to offer here: https://performingacademy.com/winter-spring-2021

For more information contact Rena Wilson, Executive Director/Co-Founder at 408-540-4373 or [email protected].

These virtual performances of entertainment and inspiration will feature local youth and teen performers, professional headliners and special guests from the Broadway stage in a heartwarming series of winter-inspired showcases you won't want to miss!

Sunday, December 6th at 2:00pm - Magical Frozen Matinee

Sunday, December 13th at 2:00pm - Fun Radio Hour Matinee

EVENING SHOWS

For more information and to purchase tickets, or make a donation to help this amazing foundation continue its great works of philanthropy in the community, visit www.peterpanfoundation.org.

The Peter Pan Foundation empowers local children and teens to perform in musicals that raise money for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital of Oakland. The Peter Pan Foundation has evolved into a multi-faceted community treasure, joining forces with other national non-profit organizations to extend its network of goodness. The Peter Pan Foundation now sends costumed characters to grant wishes for Make a Wish's Wish Kids, princesses and heroes staff Easter Seals Bay Area's frequent parents/caregivers nights out, hosts events to amplify Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation's 21 Days of Kindness campaign, and prior to the pandemic had been invited to perform on the Disneyland main stage five years running because they've stated, "The Peter Pan Foundation gives the strongest performances musically and brings with it the strongest, most inspiring messages.

The holiday season is just around the corner, and we invite you to kick it off with us on #GivingTuesday! At SHELTER, Inc. we believe everyone deserves a home for the holidays.

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving back. On the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, you'll have the chance to join people around the world and support a cause close to your heart, like SHELTER, Inc.

This #GivingTuesday, help us as we work to end and prevent homelessness in our community. By supporting SHELTER, Inc. you will be helping to save lives. Donate here >>

This has been a challenging year for the special education community, felt acutely by the families we serve. SEED (Special Education Enrichment Development Foundation) has responded with online resources and webinars, informal online chats to provide emotional support, and grants for local special education programs. Donations from community members like you allow us to offer all webinars free to the public and continue to make grants in support of special education programming. We hope this holiday season on Giving Tuesday you will consider donating to SEED, thank you!

Working with Sustainable Lafayette, the project steering committee lead by Lafayette resident and father of two future Acalanes High School students. Eric Law and team are planning and fundraising for the project. 

To learn more about the dedicated path project and how you can support it with a Giving Tuesday donation, please go to http://www.saferouteto.org and click the GIVE NOW button.

New Episode Every Friday ending on Christmas Day! Watch online at https://www.townhalltheatre.com/christmas-carol.

We are presenting A Christmas Carol for free, but donations are welcome! Click here to donate.

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of our donors, Trust in Education has grown in its capacity to help Afghan families rebuild their lives and country. We began with a few neighbors in 2003. Now our grassroots organization is supported by thousands who have donated time and money. Read our 2020 Annual Report here >>

Join us by contributing what you can, and do consider volunteering your time. If you have any questions or would like to help email TIE at [email protected].

Special holiday hours: Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 5 PM through December 26

Special holiday gift Trunk Shows

-   December 3-6: Jewelry by Kelly Claussen

-   December 10: Wood art by Robert Nolan

2020 marks our 55th Annual Holiday Collection at Valley Art Gallery, and we have a lot going on! Our new gift exhibition includes a wide variety of beautifully crafted, ceramic, wood and glass pieces, original designer jewelry, small paintings and many other unique, one-of-a-kind gift items.

Also on display will be over 300 original works by Bay Area artists. New art on your walls is the perfect way to enhance your home for the holidays and throughout the year.

We have two trunk shows, one with original and distinctive jewelry by Kelly Clausen, and one featuring Robert Nolan's woodturning.

All 2-D works are available for sale or rent through our exclusive "No Regrets" rental program. Free and open to the public! 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. www.valleyartgallery.org; (925) 935-4311; email [email protected].

At Wells of Life, we believe that every child deserves access to clean water. We know that clean water is the most successful tool to breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a sustainable community. If you agree, let's come together and make this a reality for 500 students, and more than 1,000 people in the surrounding community. Start a fundraising page to rally friends and family to help send these children to school.

Thank you for being part of this movement. By joining forces to give generously, we can make huge strides for empowering communities to be sustainable. Donate here >>

Join White Pony Express for #GivingTuesday! Our ask is simple. Hunger and poverty can be complicated. Our collective response doesn’t have to be. Love is a togetherness that makes giving fun! Running a nonprofit takes a village, and we’re so happy you are a part of it.

Please join us to ensure all of our neighbors have the food and love they need this holiday season. Just $25 provides a family with a “Holiday Meal & Gifts Under the Tree!”

This Giving Tuesday Youth Homes extends our gratitude to the entire community. Generosity comes in the form of donations, holiday gifts, and time that supports the well-being and the thriving of young people impacted by trauma. To them, your generosity means hope, kindness, joy, play, and healing. The ways that generosity manifests are as varied as the people who practice it. We asked our incredible Youth Homes staff what generosity means to them -- please visit our Facebook & Instagram to hear their messages.

Please support Youth Homes on Giving Tuesday. Visit www.youthhomes.org to donate!

Canopy Health, a partner of John Muir Health, UCSF Health, and Hill Physicians Medical Group, wants you to be safe and informed this Medicare Annual Enrollment Period 10/15 through 12/7.

Join us for a free online meeting! For dates and times go to jmh.vanbergins.com or hp.vanbergins.com. If you do not have access to a computer, tablet or smart phone, you can also call 925-204-3412 TTY: 711 for dates and times to call in and hear about your Medicare options.

The City of Lafayette is urging everyone to sign-up for the latest information for Lafayette residents and businesses.

You can subscribe to City of Lafayette notifications at https://bit.ly/LafayetteNotifications.

You can also find the latest Information on Covid-19 on the City's website

here: http://bit.ly/LafayetteCoronavirusInfo.

For wildlife resources, go to http://bit.ly/LafAreYouReady.

During the Covid-19 emergency, here is how to contact City of Lafayette

offices: https://bit.ly/LafayetteCovid-19Contact.

The physical office of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce will remain closed until further notice. Our staff is still here to help you, just virtually. You can reach us by calling (925) 284-7404 or by sending an email to [email protected]. We'll get back to you as quickly as possible.

COVID-19 is not just a local or business problem. This is a national problem, a world problem. Follow the guidelines and policies. They have been enacted to SAVE LIVES. The best way you can help our community and our businesses is to stay healthy, watch out for your neighbor, and follow social distance recommendations. Let's DO this. Be the model.

See our calendar for virtual events including Covid Q& A with Jay on Wednesdays at 9am, and our virtual Holiday Networking Mixer on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 6pm.

The Chamber will be posting applicable updates for our businesses and the community to our COVID-19 news page and posting on social media. Check out our posts on Facebook and on Instagram as well as our website's Who's Open page for businesses doing business and working remotely in Lafayette!