June 29, 2023

CRC Summers

Dear CRC,

Summer is here! School is out, vacations are planned, and the sun is attempting to peak out of the marine layer.

Summer for the volunteer program means new and exciting opportunities for those who are usually unable to volunteer, especially students.

Now that school is out, we have more youth volunteers working with their parents at the Food Pantry and on their own at the Resale Stores. We also have officially selected our Youth Advisory Board of ten high school students, who will be providing valuable feedback on how CRC can reach the younger generation.

Many of our ongoing volunteer roles take place during school and typical work hours, and we are always looking for ways to create opportunities for a more diverse volunteer team. Our weekend Food Pantry and Resale Store deep cleaning projects allow working individuals and students to jump in and partner with our mission in meaningful ways. Our events often occur on evenings and weekends, and we hope to provide even more opportunities in the months and years to come.

Read on to see how volunteers are supporting CRC this summer with their time!

Warmly,

Sara Rosenbaum, CVA

CRC Volunteer Manager

Volunteer News

Juneteenth Celebration

CRC Volunteers were out at the Oceanside Juneteenth Celebration and Jazz Festival on Saturday, June 17th. Thank you to Amie DeFrain, Gary Hanna, Janet Lawless-Christ, Harriet Davey and Bill Harman for representing CRC resources and opportunities at this fun event!

Bill, CRC volunteer and partner, was recently awarded a peacemaker award by the Encinitas Rotary club for (among other things) marching with MLK in Selma and sitting in on peace talks with Bishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela to end apartheid. He is one among many of our volunteers with a rich history of compassion and advocacy.

He writes of the event: We made a great team for the afternoon. Our table was next to a disc jockey whose music kept us all young! Several people passed by and stopped to pick up the volunteer info and a few of them signed up to volunteer. Various connections with other booths were made for resources like free children’s books and other community volunteer groups.

Thanks for the opportunity to volunteer!

Holiday Baskets Volunteers Take on the FNC

Holiday Baskets captain Anastacia Grenda and friends came out to deep clean the Food and Nutrition Center on Saturday, June 10th.

Many of these volunteers have been involved with our Holiday Baskets program in December and were looking for a way to support our mission throughout the year. This ended up being a great way to do that!

The crew came in with cleaning supplies and a fun music play list and left the Food Pantry sparkling clean for our clients to enjoy on Monday.

Thank you!

The cleaning crew: Wendy Rees, Jennifer Zeglen, Allison Znachko, Angela Filloon, Trudi Saltimachio, Michelle Bourgeot, Anastacia Grenda

Volunteer Spotlights

Charli Coronella

Charli applied to be a volunteer recently at the Encinitas Resale Store. In her own words, she explains why she wants to be part of the work that we do:

I am starting my senior year at SDA this fall and have enjoyed shopping at the CRC many times. I love that it supports local people, including a (domestic violence) shelter. My grandmother Sheila Coronella founded the Fanwood-Scotch Plains New Jersey thrift shop in 1973 to help local families and women, and it is still in operation today. I would like to continue this legacy in Encinitas by also helping local families and women.

Our Resale Stores are a great place for students to give back and also to get community service hours. We especially can use extra help at our San Marcos and Carlsbad stores. Interested? Email the Volunteer Manager for more information.

Lee Auerbach

You may have noticed more Food Pantry deep clean opportunities popping up and this is in large part because of a new leadership position we created this year.

Lee has stepped in to oversee the deep cleaning opportunities on the weekends, which provides a consistent experience for the groups coming in. Lee is detailed and personable, and as an FNC volunteer, is able to communicate the value that a clean Food Pantry has for our clients and volunteers. He also does a great job of connecting the dots between the stores and farms who donate food to us, and those who are receiving it.

Interested in helping out either in a leadership capacity or as a group doing the cleaning? Contact the Volunteer Manager for more information!

Welcome New Food and Nutrition Manager, Sloan Chau!

CRC is pleased to announce that Sloan Chau will be stepping into the role of Food and Nutrition Program Manager as of July 3^rd.

Sloan has been serving in a temporary capacity in this role since May and he has been a natural fit and has felt part of the team since day one. Sloan has a Bachelor’s of Social Work from SDSU and experience and passion for working with seniors. In this role he will lead and manage the planning and daily operations of the FNC. In the short time that he has been with us, below is already some feedback we have received from our FNC volunteers.

“We love Sloan and his amazing attitude and empathy! It is very evident how much he cares about the clients.”

- FNC Lead Volunteer

Volunteer of the Month

Congratulations to CRC's Volunteer of the Month: Mike Cappetta

Mike Cappetta has been part of our Truck Driver Support team since January, and has been an incredible asset to our drivers and to CRC as a whole. Mike goes above and beyond to ensure CRC's success, even coming out last month to sort food at the Stamp Out Hunger event. Nominating staff person Omar writes:

Mike is so hardworking and is a pleasure to have on the truck. Mike has great attention to detail and is always helping me come up with ideas on how to improve our driving routes and make our donation pick-ups more efficient. His contribution makes it easier for not only CRC and for me, but also for the other volunteers the rest of the week. Thank you!

Get Involved

Applications Will Be on Hold June and July

General Volunteer Applications will be on hold during the summer months of June and July. Unless directed to fill out an application by a current staff person, applications received during that time will be processed in August. Thank you!

Group Opportunities

Are you a group of 5-15 looking for a way to partner in CRC's mission? There is currently a once-a-month Food Pantry and Resale Store group opportunity available on weekends. This may include deep cleaning, sorting, or stocking items. To learn more, contact the CRC Volunteer Manager.

Learn More from the CRC Newsletter!

The volunteer newsletter primarily highlights the work that our volunteers are doing and provides training and updates that apply to the volunteering experience. The CRC newsletter focuses on client stories, CRC in the news, mission updates, and fundraising opportunities. If you would like to receive that newsletter, you can sign up for it here.

You can also check out the most current newsletter, full of great information, below!

June CRC Newsletter

What's Your Story?

If you have a good story of volunteering, please share with me at volunteer@crcncc.org. I can include those stories in future newsletters as an encouragement to our team.

Let Us Know

If you know of anyone in need of food, housing or shelter, please pass along this link to information on how we can help: Get H elp - Community Resource Center (crcncc.org)

Community Resource Center

(760) 230-6501| info@crcncc.org | CRCNCC.org