Community Organization Updates The organizations on pages 18 and 19 are community based groups or groups who serve the San Geronimo Valley and Nicasio communities. Many of these organizations attend Healthy Community Collaborative meetings which generally take place quarterly. San Geronimo Valley and Nicasio organizations are invited to submit a short update on their work, as well as a photo. Each organization is responsible for the content and accuracy of their submission. The Community Center does not exercise editorial control of these submissions. If your organization is interested in submitting an update please email dfogel@sgvcc.org.
River Otter Ecology Project Hi folks, it’s your friendly neighborhood water conservation organization saying hi, and inviting you to help us provide outreach, education, and field volunteer- ing! If you’re interested in otters, waters, and protecting both, please check out our website volunteer opportunities at www.riverotterecology.org. Do it soon, as our team training is coming right up on June 13. Have a great spring, and if you see otters, don’t forget to input your sighting, also on our website. It’s easy!
InSpirit Brian Jacobson once defined freedom as carving down a ski slope, a feeling that vanished in seconds after a 2004 accident at Lake Tahoe left him with incomplete quadriplegia. Now 64, he navigates life from a power wheelchair, enduring daily pain that he likens to waking up with his skin on fire. Yet Brian rejects self-pity as firmly as he embraces humor and determination.
A former graphic design business owner, he rebuilt his life with purpose, earning a mas- ter’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and becoming board president of InSpirit, a non- profit supporting people with quadriplegia. Though he admits to moments of depression and isolation, Brian continues forward, guid- ed by resilience and perspective. “I miss the guy I used to be,” he says, calling his current self “Brian 2.O.” Still, he holds tight to a lesson skiing taught him long ago: keep moving, even when it hurts.
San Geronimo Valley Emergency Fund
Excerpt From “Now I’m Brian 2.0” a story that appeared in the February 26 issue of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by Bob Padecky. Photo credit: Chris Chung San Geronimo Childcare Center Spring has sprung at the San Geronimo Childcare Center which is located at the San Geronimo Valley Community Prebyterian Church. The students in the toddler classroom (ages 18 months to 3 years old) have been busy exploring their creativity through painting, tending to our garden, and learning some fun new songs during circle time. The children are truly enjoying expressing themselves and engaging with the world around them! In the Preschool classroom (ages 3 years old to 6 years old) student have been welcoming spring by growing wheatgrass for our seasonal baskets and planting extra seeds in our garden beds. The children are excited to watch their plants grow and are learning the joy of nurturing nature firsthand. Recently a very special visit took place when our staff member Sadie Carter, brought in her new ducklings for circle time! Each class had the opportunity to observe them, ask ques- tions, and the older students even got to gently pet them. We are currently enrolling students for the summer and fall of 2026 and we are accepting applications for a new School Director. For more information please email Sadie Carter at sadie@sgchildcarecenter.org or call 415-488-4655. GanHalev Gan HaLev, the Jewish Congregation of San Geronimo Valley, has been holding gatherings since 1992. Over the summer we will be having a musical Shabbat in Woodacre as well as a family oriented celebration in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. We will be holding High Holiday services at Samuel P. Taylor September 11-12 and September 20-21. Gan HaLev is also the host faith organization for this year’s Interfaith Thanksgiving on Sunday, November 22. To learn more details about these events, as well as our Zoom Book Club and Shabbats, please contact Suzanne at 415-497-6425 or suzanne@ganhalev.org St. Rita - Saint Cecilia - Saint Mary Catholic Churches Announcing the imminent arrival of our New Parish Directory! Now that we are a ‘multi-church parish cluster’, we decided it was time for our individual churches’ directories to be updated and combined into a single printed resource, complete with professional photos and contact information for our parishioners. More information to follow, on our website. Congratulations to our First Communicants for 2026! Several of our young parishioners received their First Communion on Sunday April 12, 2026, thanks to the efforts of Teresa Dallara at St. Cecilia Church and Margaret Farley at St. Mary Church, CCD instructors for the parish,
Anonymous testimony from someone who was supported by the Valley Emergency Fund. One-time financial assistance can change lives and provide our community with hope. I love San Geronimo Valley: the cows, the winding two-lane roads, the snowy white egret at the Commons, the soaring hawks and turkey vultures, the beautiful trees, and the industrious quail. But most of all, I love the people: the way they have come together to create strong organizations that provide grounded, compassionate, and immediate support when someone is in great need. When I contacted the SGVCC Emergency Fund, I received help right away. I am deeply grateful for their kindness, for the privilege of living in the Valley, and I hope others will join me in supporting them in every way they can. Please Save the Date: Emergency Fund Annual Fundraiser Jazz on the Lawn ; Tentative September 13th, 2-5pm San Geronimo Valley Stewards Since the completion of the Stream Conservation Ordinance we, as a non profit, are continuing to monitor major concerns of Valley residents. We are turning our attention to wildfire: prevention, evacuation routes, safety shelter zones as well as the design of the potential large new fire station on the old golf course property. Two of our board members (one retired from Cal fire) are fire fighters. Recently there was a Community Webinar for the Valley Commons Fire House Headquarters Project, a reported 120 Valley residents participated. Folks were able to voice their concerns and ask questions regarding the impact of a large facility on Valley life, such as, traffic patterns, noise, accessibility etc. We are pay- ing close attention to the plans for development as they move toward completion. There is a link to the list of concerns and questions asked by the community at the webinar at MCFD.HeadquartersProject.org. The Stewards are also monitoring emerging septic regulations. We are working with the county to learn how they will inventory, and verify, septic conditions in our Valley. Our website is currently being rebuilt and upgraded to better serve our need to be reachable to the community. West Marin Senior Services Are you 60+ years, or someone you know, and in need of support? West Marin Senior Services offers: • Care Management support – home visits, care plans, in-home evaluations for safety, caregiver placement, and assistance in navigating the challenges of aging - in rural West Marin. • Home Delivered Meals – up to 7 meals, delivered 3X’s a week • Information & Referrals • Assistance with shopping, errands and transportation • Durable Medical Equipment Loans • Workshops, educational and social community building gatherings on Zoom • Stockstill House – WMSS’ State-licensed residential care facility in Point Reyes Station
Looking for ways to put your Catholic faith into action? Check out St. Rita’s Ministry Fair on June 27th and 28th, after the Saturday 5pm mass, and Sunday 9am and 11am masses. Refreshments will be served.
Helping elders live safely and with dignity in our community for 50 years! visit wmss.org for more information
For further information about mass times, please see our website: www.valleycatholicparishes.org
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