When news of the coronavirus first hit the U.S., the staff at COTS (Committee On The Shelterless) stepped into action to ensure the unhoused population they serve would be protected. COTS operates the 112 bed Mary Isaak Center Shelter in Petaluma, and staff knew that...
One of the first contacts many have with NAMI Sonoma County is through the NAMI Warmline, a non-crisis helpline that operates Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM (call/text 866-960-6264). Although the line is not staffed 24 hours a day, NAMI’s trained staff and volunteers return all...
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives and created widespread and long-term challenges in Sonoma County communities and throughout the world. As with previous disasters, the impact is not distributed evenly. The Latinx population has been disproportionately affected with almost 80% of...
Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) is no stranger to supporting communities through disasters. In recent years, they’ve responded to their fair share: Sonoma and Mendocino Complex Fires, Russian River floods of 2019, the Kincade Fire, and more. Now they have a new crisis to address:...
Since United Way of the Wine Country took over operations of the 211 information and referral line just over a year ago, many Sonoma County residents have come to know the service as an emergency hotline. When in crisis, locals can call or text 211,...
Since 2011, Corazón Healdsburg has worked to bridge the racial and economic divide in the northern reaches of Sonoma County. Their work has made a big impact in the Latinx community, through adult education programs, financial counseling, health outreach, a bilingual drop-in resource center, emergency...
When Cliff Casolla bought Marshall Auto Body in Glen Ellen nearly six years ago, he could have never predicted the bumps he’d pass over during his first years in business. Fires, black outs, evacuations, closures because of coronavirus; he maneuvered it all with small business...
Established in 1993 by Sonoma State Professor Mark Doolittle, Support Our Students Community Counseling (SOS) continues to draw on the original mission of supporting the wellbeing of Sonoma County’s youth. “Mark created the organization with the idea that we’d keep doing exactly what we are doing:...
The staff at Food For Thought in Forestville began implementing sanitation plans as soon as they got word of the pandemic in early March. But because the organization relies heavily on volunteers to help get food on the tables of those in need—and because the...
When shelter in place orders were instated, *Elena’s hours at the coffee shop where she’s worked for twelve years were cut from 40 to 16 hours per week. A parent with two children at home (ages 4 and 22), Elena’s job helps keep the bills...