Why We Give by Alex Bernstein & Julie Benjamin
Double Down continued from page 1 As we enter a season of reflection and gratitude, I hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about the impact we’ve made together. Our latest Annual Impact Report shares heartfelt stories and real examples of how your contributions shape life here in our Valley.
We give to the San Geronimo Valley Community Center because it truly cares about the people it serves. The Center shows up for our community in real, heart- felt ways by listening, adapting, and always finding creative ways to bring people together. We love the staff and how they make us feel like family. As an art teacher at the school, Julie sees every day how this partnership supports our kids through art, music, after-school programs, and community events that let them be seen, express them- selves, and feel part of something bigger. It’s the kind of connection that strengthens the bond between people and place, creating a sense of belonging that lasts.
Scan the QR code below to read it.
There are many ways to give, and every one matters. You can donate online at sgvcc.org , mail a gift to PO Box 194, San Geronimo, CA 94963 , or contribute through gifts of stock, vehicles, and more . There is truly a way to give for everyone.
As we look ahead to a new year, I remain deeply grate- ful, for the generosity that sustains this work, for the volunteers who show up rain or shine, for the staff who support our community with heart, and for you, our neighbors, who continue to invest in the place we all call home.
Together, let’s keep doubling down. Our hometown is worth it.
Alex grew up in the Valley, and his parents, Geoff and Laura, still live here so the Community Center now touches three generations of our family. We want our daughter, Myla Rose, to grow up surrounded by this caring community, learning that her voice matters, her efforts make a difference, and that we’re all here for one another. What we love most about the Center is how it reaches every corner of the Valley. It supports local artists, offers vital resources to families, and keeps traditions alive through events that make this place feel like home. We give because the Community Center reflects the best of who we are: generous, resilient, and full of heart. Supporting it means helping this vibrant spirit continue to grow and thrive for generations to come.
Tonight’s Sky by Rich Lohman
The Winter Solstice is the very precise position of the Earth when the tilt is pointing exactly away from the Sun. That point occurs in space and is not synchronized with our dates and times on Earth. But it always occurs around the 21st of December. As a final note, if the Earth did not have a tilt we would have no change of seasons. We would have one season all year long which would depend upon our latitude above or below the equator. Let’s give thanks to the 23 degree tilt of our Earth! Now, briefly, about the Dec-Feb night sky. Look for Jupiter in the east, just below the 2 stars of Gemini, east of the constellation Orion. Jupiter will rise higher and higher, and toward the south, as the weeks go by. You can catch Saturn for a few weeks in the west just before sunset. Finally, the Geminids meteor shower is predicted to be quite good this year because of very little moon. Set up on the night of December 13th and watch past midnight into the AM of December 14th.
Dec. 2025 – Feb. 2026
Historically and still in many cultures today, the Winter Solstice is an important date on the calen- dar. This year it occurs precisely at 7:03 AM, Pacific
Time, December 21st. I’d like to spend some time sharing what this means to our Earth astronomically. I wrote something similar several years ago in talking about the Fall Equinox, and I feel it’s worth repeating. Follow along using the diagram included. As most of you know, our Earth rotates on an axis, with one complete rota- tion every 24 hours. That rotation gives us our days and nights. Of course, the Earth also orbits around the Sun over a period of 365 days. That orbit gives us our one-year, annual cycle. But one, very important, additional fac- tor is that the Earth’s axis has a tilt of about 23 degrees. You can see both the annual cycle about the Sun as well as the tilt in the graphic.
For more info or questions, email me at richneal@pacbell.net.
What does this tilt mean to us earthlings? In short, the tilt is what gives us our seasons! This is a surprise to many. A common misunderstanding is that during our winter the Earth is farther from the Sun than in the summer, so that makes it colder. In fact, the Earth is actually slightly closer to the Sun during our northern hemisphere winter. Notice in the graphic that the Earth is tilted away from the Sun during the winter. This means that our northern hemisphere gets much less intense sunlight during that time than does the southern hemisphere, which is tilted toward the sun. Although not obvious in the graphic, there are also many fewer hours of sunlight because of that tilt. And we all know that our shorter and colder days are in the winter. Then, in contrast, notice that our northern hemisphere tilts towards the Sun in the summer, thus giv- ing us longer and hotter days during that time of the year.
SGV Community Center Stone Soup Page 11
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