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Fall 2020 Central Coast A Special Adver tising Supplement to Monterey Herald and Santa Cruz Sentinel October 16, 2020 Spreading Smiles online fundraising effort Helps support nonprofit organizations in California In lieu of canceled in-per- son fundraising events due to COVID-19, California Giant Berry Farms has launched an online platform to help financially support non-profit organizations in the greater Pajaro Valley area who actively work to better the livelihood of its community's members. Each year, California Giant hosts various fundraising events within the company as well as in the community, including its annual Skirt Steak BBQ. Due to the coro- navirus pandemic which has put restrictions on in-person events, California Giant has organized an online platform to overcome this year's unprecedented challenges while continuing to give back to the community. "Year aer year, California Giant has shown its care for our community here at Digital NEST, and we are grateful for their ongo- ing support," said Jacob Martinez, executive director of Digital NEST. "We're so glad that despite the current challenges we are all facing with the pandemic that their fundraising will go on. We hope that those who are moved by our mission will be inspired to give and rally around our community more than ever." California Giant's annual Skirt Steak BBQ fundraiser has proved to be an import- ant event to help upli local non-profits like Digital NEST, helping them make an even bigger impact on the youth and young people they serve in Watsonville and Salinas with tech-focused work- force development skills. Promotion of this fund- raising event will take place now through November 30, 2020, and donors are encouraged to contribute to the Spreading Smiles GoFundMe page. Califor- nia Giant Berry Farms will generously match these donations up to $20,000. The total amount raised during the virtual fundraiser promotion will be distribut- ed to each of the following organizations just in time for the holiday season: CASA of Santa Cruz, Cham- berlain's Youth Services, DigitalNEST, Jacob's Heart, Kinship Center, Monarch Services, Partnership for Children & Youth, Pajaro Val- ley Loaves and Fishes, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, The Salvation Army, California Giant Foundation's Santa's Workshop, Santa Cruz Coun- ty Toys for Tots, and Teen Kitchen Project. "Pajaro Valley Shelter Services (PVSS) thanks our long-term partner, California Giant, for bringing light in the face of the challenges that have stretched service providers in our community over the past months," said Oana Alexan Katz, director of development at Pajaro Valley Shelter Services. "We urge you to donate in order to alleviate the needs of our community's most vulnera- ble members, including fam- ilies in PVSS' care, children, and their parents experienc- ing homelessness." "They bear the brunt of the pandemic's health and economic consequences, so they need your support more than ever to weather this crisis and continue walking the path to self-sufficiency," continued Katz. "Although circumstances did not allow for the Skirt Steak BBQ to take place, we applaud Cal- ifornia Giant for launching this virtual fundraising effort that will channel the amaz- ing energy and generous spirit of your staff and the community at past BBQs." To learn more about or- ganizations featured in the virtual fundraising event, or to make a donation, visit promos.calgiant.com/califor- nia-giant-spreading-smiles and click DONATE NOW. Hartnell's new centers will feature strong ag focus True to the promise of Measure T, a $167 million that voters approved in 2016, Hartnell College is pressing ahead with six major construction projects, including three satellite centers that will all offer ag- riculture-focused programs. Both the new Soledad Education Center and an expansion of the King City Education Center are on track for completion in January, and construction of a third center in Castroville is starting this month, with completion expected in early 2022. All three centers will include wet and dry science laboratories to enable a full breadth of science courses that are fundamental to many academic majors. The resumption of face-to- face instruction on Hartnell's campuses will depend on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will occur as possible while protecting the health and safety of students and employees. At the three centers, ag-oriented and ag-support- ive programs are expected to include plant science, with a transfer pathway to CSUMB (Castroville, Soledad and King City); agriculture automation and technology (Castroville and King City); food safety and agriculture production (King City); engineering fundamentals, with a link to such careers as greenhouse technician (Castroville and King City); business certificates and/ or business administration (King City and Castroville); computer science certificate (King City); chemistry, to support food safety (King City); and contract educa- tion (Soledad). During a Sept. 24 event to show off the Soledad center to community leaders and other interested individuals, Hartnell Community College District Trustee Erica Padil- la-Chavez highlighted the direct workforce impact of that center and the other two, as well. The centers, Padilla-Chavez said, "will contribute to a highly skilled workforce right here in the Salinas Valley and put people on the path to virtually unlimited educa- tional and career opportu- nities. They will transform lives and families in our communities for generations to come and help us contin- ue to grow the economy of the Salinas Valley." Public input that shaped plans for the three centers was gathered during a series of fall 2020 community forums in King City, Green- field, Soledad, Gonzales and Castroville, attended by local students and educators, elected officials and repre- sentatives from a cross-sec- tion of employment areas. An overarching goal ex- pressed by forum partici- pants was the need to de- velop and retain local talent, avoiding a "brain drain" of educated and skilled indi- viduals away from Monterey County and the Central Coast. Other goals were in- creasing college awareness and preparedness among K-12 students and ensuring that students have work- based experience through internships. A groundbreaking ceremo- ny for the 16,750-square- foot Soledad center was held Nov. 8 on the site on the southwest corner of Metz Road and Orchard Drive. Groundbreaking for the 12,500-square-foot expansion in downtown King City was held on Dec. 3. The college is scheduled to break ground Oct. 22 on the 13,750-square-foot Castroville center, located on Merritt Street just east of Highway 1. The other three current Measure T projects at Hartnell are all on its Main Campus in Salinas: a new Center for Nursing & Health Sciences, scheduled for completion in fall 2021; transformed central plaza landscaping, which is virtually complete; and class- room building renovation, due for final completion in early 2021. This new Hartnell College Soledad Education Center is scheduled to be completed in January. A King City center is also nearing completion, and construction starts this month on a third center in Castroville. - Provided photo

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