Courtesy of Gavilan College:
- Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, October 4, 2018, 7:30 a.m. at Mama Mia’s Restaurant in Morgan Hill
- Hollister Downtown Association Breakfast, October 24, 2018, 7:30 a.m. at Paine’s Restaurant
- Gilroy Chamber of Commerce breakfast, November 14, 2018, 6:45 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn
- Individual – Marty Cheek
- Organization – South Valley Islamic Community
- Business – Morgan Hill Art School
- Individual – Carlos Pineda
- Organization – Gilroy Elks Lodge
- Business – Old City Hall Restaurant
- Individual – artists Rolan Resendiz and Joel Esqueda
- Organization – LULAC
- Business – Teknova
Marty Cheek
- The Elks maintain and active honor roll called the “Wall of Vets” with pictures of Gilroyans who served in the military, displayed every October and November.
- The lodge also collects items for care packages to be sent to the troops.
- Since the beginning of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, the Elks Lodge has been involved.
- For the last 25 years, several hundred pairs of eyeglasses have been purchased for underprivileged youth, dictionaries have been distributed to third graders in schools, and funds are donated for Sober Grad Night at Gilroy High Schools.
- This year the Lodge hosted 80 Boy Scouts and their families for the annual Eagle Scout presentation. In 2015 the Elks Lodge was a major donor the funding of a 90-foot mural now located on the South side of the Gilroy Library.
- For the past 8 years, the Gilroy Elks Lodge has supported Gilroy’s Kids Triathalon
- The Gilroy Elks Lodge has established a scholarship at Gavilan College to encourage students to study Speech Therapy
- 375 members
- 89 years of service in South County
The San Benito County League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 2890 advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of the Latino population in the City of Hollister, City of San Juan Bautista and the surrounding area.
LULAC is a volunteer-based organization that builds strong communities through numerous community-based programs. In San Benito County, LULAC is the local council of a National organization that is the largest and oldest Latino membership organization in the Country. Under the San Benito adult LULAC Council umbrella, there are two youth councils: Collegiate and Youth (High School students) Councils.
In San Benito County and the surrounding areas, LULAC is a valued partner, working alongside many non-profits, government agencies, educational institutions, and community members.  LULAC has created programs to empower the community and provide them opportunities, and the organization has expanded greatly since its creation. The following delineates a summary of San Benito County LULACs accomplishments and service to the local community in Gavilan College’s service area.
- Â 30 Years Granting Scholarships- over $164,000
- Â Young Readers Program-4 Hollister School District schools-$96,000-13 years
- Latino Student Leadership Conferences-18 years-$72,000
- Adelante Mentorship Program- 8 years – $100,000
- Latino Early Academic Pathways Program in partnership with Gavilan College.
- Funding by a Ford Driving Dreams grant for $20,000
- Student Annual Retreats- 19 years- $57,500
- Diversity Dialogue Student Meetings-5 years
- Annual Hispanic Women in Action Reception (Scholarship Fundraiser)- 24 years
- Annual Veteran’s Breakfasts- 23 years
- Needy Children Toy Drive – 19 years
- Youth Sports sponsorships-Hollister Recreation
- Â Graffiti Cleanup-Hollister Police Dept- 10 years
- Hollister Downtown Association Street Festival-16 years
- Community Service and assistance to local agencies
- 29 Years of LULAC Youth Leadership- 1,247 LULAC Youth Members
participation an 18 Years of LULAC Young Adult Participation- 324
collegiate students - San Benito LULAC introduced and secured City District Elections
- Council members including young adults and youth have served in
District, State and National leadership roles - National Youth Council 2012 – Las Vegas Nevada
The Morgan Hill Art School’s vision is to, “Build community through art.” This first and currently only non-profit art school opened its doors just two short years ago. In this short period of time it has provided numerous family and youth activities at no cost to the community. All offered in their school , the weekend Farmer’s Market, and many of the annual key events in our city.
The Morgan Hill Art School has also made relationships with surrounding schools, offering unique artistic mediums to help improve the creative character within our students.
“I feel passionate about the school’s mission is that because it is a non-profit, their ultimate success will only be measured by continuing to offer awareness through art, further evolving the meaning of community within our residents. I believe the Community Spirit Award can only help raise the value of the mission of the Morgan Hill Art School. Since it has not been recognized as a community contributor as of yet, this opportunity can help expand its visual potential to supporters both in and outside of Morgan Hill”
Carlos Pineda
Carlos has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to providing vocational and culinary skills to disadvantaged youth in his community. Our students in the Culinary Academy and apprentices in the Kneaded bakery face a multitude of stressors and risk factors including poverty, teen pregnancy, abuse and neglect, exposure to drugs and alcohol, crime, and gang violence. Through his work, Carlos has created a therapeutic and supportive learning environment in which our youth can acquire culinary skills, general job-readiness skills, and prepare for success in the workforce. Carlos and his team provide a structured educational experience that promotes a sense of personal safety, independence, self-worth and self-confidence that better helps youth prepare for stable, independent living and the demands and responsibilities of adulthood and the work world.
Carlos has a unique ability to connect with students, build trust and rapport, address areas of need, and build on strengths. Under his guidance, over 900 students have graduated from the Culinary Academy, and 90% of these students have gone on to enroll in higher education or secure employment. He works tirelessly on behalf of his students, taking late night calls when they are in crisis, or need to talk.
Carlos is passionate about his community, and this is evident not only in his work at RCS, but also with his various philanthropic efforts. Carlos volunteers his time and is active with many other community organizations including the Gilroy Sunrise Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, South County Young Professionals Network, and the Gilroy Exchange Club. For two consecutive years, Carlos and his former students have placed first in the Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off. Each of these years, Carlos has selflessly donated the three thousand dollar prize money back to a non profit agency in his community; last year to the Gilroy Foundation, and this year to the Culinary Academy.
“I truly cannot think of anyone more committed to his community, and more deserving of the Gavilan College Community Sprit Award, than Carlos.”
Along with the summer program, ARTI-Culture has donated their time by teaming up with the Community Foundation of San Benito County who funded a project for juvenile youth to paint a mural at the San Benito County Historical Park, in partnership with the probation department and the R.E.A.C.H. program; moreover, collaborated with Chamberlain’s Children Center by volunteering to paint two murals with the at-risk youth of San Benito County. As discussed, ARTI-Culture has made a significant positive impact on the community. Regardless of the residents’ socioeconomic background, this business caters to the community as a whole, while boosting local economy by partnering with local businesses and exposing youth of all walks of life to art by making it accessible and providing them a space of positive form for creativity.
As a result, ARTI-Culture has been awarded the 2018 Blue Ribbon for Child Abuse Prevention of San Benito County by the Child Abuse Prevention Council, they were also voted Best of San Benito County 2018 in two categories: best community organization and best place to take a class. Also, runner-ups in the 2018 Monterey Bay Start-Up Challenge
SVIC has also partnered with numerous organizations including the Rotary Club, San Martin Neighborhood Alliance, Interfaith Community of South County, with various community service projects. Another recent example of SVIC collaboration was during a fundraiser to support local refugees with SMNA. For this event SVIC volunteered to organize logistics and also donated some high-end new items valued in thousands of dollars which were sold during the silent auction for the benefit of refugees. The on-going collaboration with other organizations, the endless community service projects and volunteer hours provided by SVIC, truly define SVIC as an invaluable aspect that has made the South County a better place where both community and diversity are celebrated! With the exception of the Trash-Bash, of which SVIC was recognized along with other community members, SVIC has not been recognized for any of these activities servicing their community over the past two decades. It is time.
