coastal resilience across municipal jurisdictions and has convened the cities within Santa Clara County recently to examine coastal resilience. “Under a scenario of 7.5 feet by 2100, the Bay Area is at huge risk for sea level rise. We need to start planning for the impact there on vulnerable residents,
vulnerable commercial and residential property, hospitals and transportation assets, as well as bay land and recreation. The potential for flood damage there is just overwhelming,” Hoffmann said. Coastal areas are well-known for their beauty, but Hoffmann underscores how much value there is in coastal land. Since becoming the first executive director of Coastal Quest in March 2020, Hoffmann has helped grow her team to six staff members and a board of six, including board members Cat Kuhlman and Barbara Endeman˘o Walker and staff member Lily Verdone, all of whom have significant expertise in coastal issues. Hoffmann has a lot on her agenda, but she is eager to have the organization make a long-term impact. “From fisheries to transportation assets, recreation, tourism, dunes and wetlands, it’s vital to protect the coast from all the threats facing it,” she said. “That’s precisely what Coastal Quest is trying to do.”
For more information, visit coastal-quest.org .
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Sacramento organization works to empower the rural West
M ORE THAN ONE MILLION Californians lack access to safe drinking water and their only alternatives are expensive bottled water or sugary beverages. When reluctant to drink the public water supply, many low-income families spend more than 10 percent of their earnings to buy bottled water or flavored drinks, many of which can lead to health-related problems such as diabetes. That’s why Rural Community
That’s the equivalent of removing 5 million 16-ounce bottles of water in the community. This is one of the many impactful and meaningful projects RCAC has tackled alongside the rural or indigenous communities in 13 Western states such as California. RCAC was established in 1978 by Bill French to create housing for farmworkers and other underserved groups, but its mission has expanded significantly since then. Today, working with nonprofit partners, RCAC provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy to help rural communities achieve their goals and visions. The organization works on a myriad of projects that enhance the community, such as providing educational and technical training, lending services and facilitating affordable housing within rural areas. “Our strength is that we understand what rural communities need and what works for them,” said RCAC chief executive officer Suzanne Anarde. “And the RCAC staff and board serve as a conduit of resources and support.”
Assistance Corporation (RCAC) launched the Agua4All program in 2014. Initiated at schools in the Eastern Coachella Valley and southern Kern County, Agua4All installed water-bottle filling stations in schools and community centers, and distributed reusable water bottles where they’re needed most. According to their website, RCAC has helped deliver more than 629,147 gallons of potable water in Arvin.
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IN YOUR CORNER ISSUE 9 | 2021
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