Rebekah Children’s Services under new leadership
Rebekah Children’s Services in Gilroy announced it has selected Dr. Eric Emery for the position of Chief Executive Officer, according to a press release sent out Wednesday.
Emery officially began his leadership role with the nonprofit organization that serves foster youth and their families Jan. 6, and has more than 30 years of leadership experience in mental health organizations across the U.S.
He received his Master of Social Work from Washington University and Ph.D. in Family Systems from NOVA University. His experience includes development of the California Wraparound Model, as well as co-founding of the Family Institute of San Francisco, (FISF) and Southern Ohio Family Institute (SOFI). He will lead Rebekah Children’s Services as they look to expand programs to meet the growing need for child and adolescent mental health services in the Bay Area, the press release states.
About Rebekah Children’s Services
Rebekah Children’s Services is a registered 501(c)3 based in Gilroy, California with satellite offices in Campbell and Salinas. Originally founded as an orphanage in 1897, Rebekah Children’s Services now offers an array of mental health services for children and families. Their mission is to promote the social, emotional, and physical well-being of children and families. More information can be found at www.rcskids.org.
Dancing, crabs and fun in the small town of living history
San Juan Bautista is an awesome little mission town to visit, and with a delicious crab feed on the docket of upcoming events, you pretty much have no excuse not to swing by.
The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce San Juan Committee presents its 3rd Annual San Juan Bautista Crab Feed Dinner Dance from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at the beautiful Casa Maria at 600 First St.
The event features an all-you-can-eat dungeness crab dinner with pasta, bread, salad and dessert. Enjoy an elegant no-host bar, silent auction, wine tasting from local wineries and after dinner dancing.
“Bring your sweetheart for an early Valentine’s celebration, and lend your support to this important community fundraiser,” organizers say.
Tickets are $45 per person. Tables of eight are available by pre-reservation.
For more information and to charge tickets by phone, please call 531-637-5315 or go to www.sanbenitocountychamber.com.
Who says being a designated driver doesn’t have its perks?
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is announcing 12 new DDrinks (Designated Driver Drinks) for 2014. First introduced in 2012, the DDrink program supports OTS’s ongoing anti-drunk driving public awareness efforts by targeting designated sober drivers and featuring monthly non-alcoholic DDrink beverages submitted by official DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) partnering bars or restaurants from throughout the state. The new DDrinks aim to provide designated sober drivers with a tastier, more interesting alternative to regular soft drinks or water and feature a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional ingredients such as fruits, basil, whipped cream and ginger beer syrup.
The 12 DDrinks are just a small portion of those that are currently featured on a free, mobile DDVIP Bar-Finder smartphone WAPP that gives customers access to an expansive network of geographically targeted DDVIP-recognized bars and restaurants across the state. By visiting www.ddvipca.com, customers are able to enter their city or zip code and get immediate access to a list of nearby DDVIP establishments that offer free DDrinks and other special offers to designated sober drivers. Recipes for all the current and past DDrinks can also be found on the OTS Facebook site at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS.
“We are grateful to all of the bars and restaurants that have committed to becoming DDVIP partners and offer DDrinks and special incentives to designated sober drivers,” said OTS Acting Director Russia Chavis. “Designated sober drivers are often the unsung heroes in our communities and our DDrink program is our way of thanking them for saving lives and helping to keep our roadways safe.”
Each month, OTS will highlight the DDrink of the month and the participating bar or restaurant on its Facebook and Twitter pages.
The DDVIP establishments chosen for the 12 featured DDrinks of 2014 include: Cha Cha Lounge and Bigfoot West in Los Angeles; Butter and Otis Lounge in San Francisco; The Beta Lounge in Berkeley; Seven’s Bar and Grill in Milpitas; LowBrau in Sacramento; Effin’s Pub, Typhoon Saloon, Quality Social, and Air Conditioned Lounge in San Diego; and The Union in Roseville.
To find the DDrinks nearest you, visit www.ddvipca.com. For a list of participating bars and restaurants, please visit the OTS Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS or follow the DDVIP and DDrink programs on Twitter @DDvipCA. For more information on all OTS efforts, visit www.OTS.ca.gov.
Grants available for Jewish teens
The Helen Diller Family Foundation will grant 15 Jewish teen leaders across the nation $36,000 each to pursue philanthropic work or to further their education through the 2014 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards.
Now in its eighth year, the awards recognize Jewish teens between the ages of 13 and 19 who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and are actively engaged in projects that embody the value of tikkun olam, a central Jewish precept meaning “to repair the world.”
Created by Bay Area philanthropist Helen Diller in 2007, the awards have recognized 40 Jewish teens with nearly $1.5 million to support their education and philanthropic visions.
“Teens have a special ability to inspire, and their enthusiasm and creativity in identifying ways to repair the world is a compelling example for all of us,” said Helen Diller, president of the sponsoring foundation, in a press release.
The Foundation will also grant three $360 donations on behalf of randomly selected nominators for the nonprofits of their choice.
Readers can nominate teens via a simple form at www.DillerTeenAwards.org, or teens may self-nominate. The deadline to apply is Jan. 19. For more information go to: www.dillerteenawards.org.
