Congratulations to the 3rd Anual Heart of Napa™ Award recipients!
Thank you to the 300+ attendees who celebrated with us. Produced by CVNL, the Heart of Napa Awards recognizes outstanding nonprofits and the committed individuals who serve them. We are honored to be a platform for nonprofits to share inspiring stories of courage, advocacy, and change. Read the Heart of Napa press release here. Explore photos from the event here.
and the recipients are…
Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence
NapaLearns
NapaLearns’ vision is that all students in Napa County are fully engaged in school, maximizing their abilities, and prepared for success after graduation. NapaLearns realized that many low-income, English Learner students were not achieving in primary grades, falling behind each year, so they launched the Digital Early Learning program in 2011.
In 2013, the program expanded to 590 kindergarten students in 40 classes. The number of English Language Learners who performed at a six year old level grew by 35%, with 80% of them performing at that level in only 5 months. By 2015, the program expanded to all K-2 classrooms for 4,950 students and is now sustained by the districts. Almost 5,000 students have accessed this literacy program making a dramatic difference in the preparedness of preschool students. NapaLearns has invested over $6 million to accelerate change in K-12 schools with investments in technology and professional development for teachers.
NapaLearns supports teachers to complete their master’s degrees in educational technology with a $5,000 tuition scholarship. 130 teachers have entered the program, with a 98% graduation rate. 45% of the teachers have been promoted to leadership positions. NapaLearns unique business model of seed funding innovative programs, replicating and evaluating them, and then turning them over to districts to sustain allows them to secure the trust and confidence of individual donors and funders.
Pictured: Peg Maddocks, Executive Director
SPONSOR: Kaiser Permanente, Napa Solano
Volunteer of the Year
Katie Aaron, Napa Valley Education Foundation
Katie has raised over $1,000,000 for 30 schools in the district. At the rate she’s going, she’ll bring two million dollars into public schools before her younger child graduates high school. Katie’s most compelling accomplishment is about a system change that no one thought possible – changing school lunch. Katie has logged over 10,000 volunteer hours to change school lunch. She and fellow parent Laura Milla (me-la)-Miller changed lunch to a healthier menu and food source for 17,000 students from Yountville to Napa to American Canyon.
Gone are the years of Dorito chips with cheese sauce, and a side of chocolate milk. Not only is this change financially sustainable and better for children’s health, it’s also better for our environment and local farmers and ranchers. This was a change that solved two of the county’s top priorities – the lowering of childhood obesity rates and risk of diabetes and heart disease, and ensuring children from food insecure homes get fed.
Because of Katie we are on the way to all children experiencing healthy, economically and environmentally sustainable school lunches.
SPONSOR: Syar Foundation
Excellence in Board Leadership
Rick Jones, OLE Health
A good board member is not only there to celebrate the best of times, but also during times of transition, which are crucial in shaping an organization’s future success and sustainability – Rick Jones has done that.
In 2017, Rick served as Chair of the Board and was proactive in the successful securement of $14,400,000 for the capital campaign making many individual requests himself. OLE Health faced many challenges, including recruitment of key leadership positions. Rick’s contributions provided stability and ensured the health centers’ operations avoided missteps. In a year of uncertainty in our national healthcare system and a time of transition in the organization, Rick exemplified what an extraordinary Board Chair looks like.
Rick demonstrated leadership for construction of the new medical building. As treasurer, he was diligent in researching financing options, overseeing the formation of the financial arrangements.
SPONSOR: Redwood Credit Union
Excellence in Leadership
Tracy Lamb, NEWS
NEWS, Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Services, is dedicated to providing safety, hope, healing and empowerment for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. The strategies implemented by Tracy and the NEWS team, are designed to address the immediate needs of survivors, create pathways to safety and healing in a trauma informed and survivor led maner, and to ultimately create a change in the culture to prevent abuse from occurring in the future. Tracy has been successful in building partnerships, writing successful grants, and designing and implementing programs that have positive outcomes and make a significant impact in the lives of survivors.
In 2009, the entire California State funding for Domestic Violence Programs were completely removed from the budget. NEWS lost over $200,000. At that time the organizations entire budget was $600,000. Tracy, along with the Board, quickly developed a plan that forced the organization to pare down to emergency services. It meant losing staff as well as cutbacks in programs. With the support of funders, NEWS recouped the entire $200,000. Today, the budget has grown to over $2 million, with 10 months of reserve and a diversified funding plan.
Tracy was successful receiving a $625,000 grant for NEWS Domestic Violence Housing First, which, in its first three months, has helped 11 domestic violence survivors move into apartments, and prevented homelessness for 14 others. Tracy serves as a co-chair of the Economic Self Sufficiency Committee focusing on issues aimed at creating equity and quality of life, she is a member of the Napa County Child Abuse Prevention Council Steering Committee and was recently elected to the Board of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assaults.
SPONSOR: Redwood Credit Union
Corporate Community Service
Queen of the Valley Medical Center
Queen of the Valley Medical Center (“The Queen”) is guided by four core values: Dignity, Service, Excellence and Justice. In collaboration with others, The Queen helped to bring Operation Access to Napa County in 2015 and has continued to be a key stakeholder to their success. They encourage their surgeons and specialists to participate as volunteers, with the hospital waiving all charges for qualifying patients.
In 2017, nine surgeons in the specialties of Breast, General Surgery, Gynecology, ENT, and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery provided twenty-five surgical and diagnostic services at The Queen. The anesthesia, pathology, radiology, and physician groups agreed to waive any charges associated with services. Queen of the Valley provides paid volunteer time for staff for such activities as feeding the hungry, advocating at town hall meetings and serving on local nonprofit Boards, City Commissions and coalitions in an effort to leverage resources and impact identified as community health needs.
Queen surgeons have volunteered with Operation with Love from Home; The Table; Project Nightingale; Healthy Aging Population Initiative; Napa Valley Parent University; Napa Valley Parent University; Cooking Matters; Heart Safe Program; Health Screening for Migrant Workers; and HIV/ Hep C Clinic.
SPONSORS: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Youth Volunteers of the Year
Asha Cooper, Teens Conect
Asha co-founded Teens for Change – a service club at her school that focuses on environmental sustainability. Over the past year, she raised money to install a water refill station on campus in order to reduce waste, started and managed a compost program, rehabilitated the school’s greenhouse and collected shoes for Soles4Souls. Asha traveled on three global service trips to distribute shoes to children living in extreme poverty. When she returned she volunteered researching grants and viable partnership opportunities. Asha has been involved in the Teen Council Teens Conect, served meals to the homeless at The Table, raised money for teens who lost their homes in the October fires, participated in environmental volunteer projects for MLK Day and raised money to bring resources to teenagers in need.
Emma Healy, Napa High Interact Global
Emma’s passion started with volunteer projects in sixth grade at River Middle School with Teens Conect. Emma has been a Teens Conect board member for the last three years working closely with middle and high schoolers to identify stress, pressure, and mental health issues in their lives. Last year she spoke at an NVUSD board meeting and at the Napa County Board of Education to inform adults about what teens are dealing with and what they need. Emma is working on her Girl Scout Gold Award. This project focuses on helping children who are long-term patients at a children’s hospital and who struggle with anxiety. The project entails providing them with strategies for dealing with anxiety, and writing inspirational cards for comfort.
Gabriela Silva, Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley
Gabriela is a volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club Teen Center serving as a role model and mentor. Some examples of the many volunteer hours she has accumulated is in community projects such as the annual Crush Challenge bike race for cancer, running game booths at the annual Halloween carnival, volunteering at MLK Day and most recently dedicating her time to help during the fire relief by running activities during a two week day camp. Her summer internship was in the technology lab and consisted of her planning and leading lessons in code and structural design. With the support of staff she was able to teach a different lesson twice a week, reaching over 70 middle school youth throughout the summer. She served as a role model to all youth, but specifically inspired young girls to see someone like them interested and knowledgeable in engineering and technology.
Christopher Olivier, Napa County Kids Care
Christopher has collected and shipped over 1,100 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls. He did this by holding multiple shoe drives and by uploading videos to his Facebook page. When Christopher learned there were over 1,000 veterans at the Yountville Veterans Home that didn’t have many visitors, he invited local children to create Valentine Cards for them. He reached his goal of delivering over 1,400 hand made cards of kindness made by students across Napa County, from American Canyon to Angwin from kindergarten to middle schoolers. At the age of nine the only place that would take him as a volunteer was the St. Helena Public Library, where he has hosted book drives at community events, handed out books to homeless people and individuals at emergency shelters.
Marcos Vasquez, Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley
Marcos is an ambassador and teen mentor at the Teen Center. His commitment is shown daily during the school year as well as during the summer day camp, but most importantly during our time of need when school was out for two weeks due to the Napa fires. Marcus volunteered every day during that time and provided younger members and his peer’s emotional support as well as being a helping hand to the staff. He has been a key contributor to the culture of the Teen Center bringing together a diverse group of his peers that would not normally coexist. He helps bring a sense of family and inspires each member to expect more of themselves and more from what they can contribute to our community through volunteering.
SPONSOR: Bank of Marin
2017 nominees:
Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence
The Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence Award and $5,000 will be presented to an organization that has demonstrated exemplary service to their constituents.
Aldea Children & Family Services Calistoga Affordable Housing, Inc (CAH) City of Napa Fire Department CrossWalk Community Church (x2) Fair Housing Napa Valley Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch Loving Animals Providing Smiles Moving Forward Towards Independence Napa County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center Napa County Fair Association Napalearns Napa-Solano Audubon Society Operation Access Small Business Development Center Teens Conect The Tug McGraw Foundation (x2)
SPONSOR: Kaiser Permanente, Napa Solano
Volunteer of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit will be presented to an individual (other than a board member) who has provided exemplary volunteer service to a Napa nonprofit organization.
Katie Aaron, Napa Valley Education Foundation, NVUSD Corky Forame, NEWS Delia Gutierrez, LGBTQ Conection Bob Hurley, The Tug McGraw Foundation John H. Kirk, MD, Operation Access and OLE Health Michael Muir, Access Adventure Stefanie Pratt, Napa County Office of Education Dynamic Danielle Schofield, Girls on the Run Napa & Solano Sally Seymour, Napa Humane Bill Vizza, Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch Paul Warnock, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Patricia Wartenwiler, Community Action Napa Valley
SPONSOR: Syar Foundation
Excellence in Board Leadership
The Excellence in Board Leadership Award and $2,500 for the recipient’s nonprofit will be presented to an exceptional volunteer member of a Napa nonprofit board of directors.
Melody Allmond, Caring Community Compassion Inc. Randy Gnagy, NEWS Alison Hof, Calistoga Affordable Housing, Inc. Rick Jones, OLE Health Maria Lopez Cisneros, Napa County Hispanic Network Chuck McMin, Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition Dorothy Salmon, The Pathway Home Karan Schlegel, Napa County Fair Association Katie Somple, Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch
SPONSOR: Redwood Credit Union
Excellence in Leadership
The Excellence in Leadership Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit will be presented to an executive director who has demonstrated excellence in leadership and whose vision has inspired meaningful and lasting change benefiting the organization and community.
Kathleen Dreessen Reynolds, Napa Valley Community Housing Josefina Hurtado, Puertas Abiertas CRC Tracy Lamb, NEWS Peg Maddocks, Ph.D, NapaLearns Carlene Moore, Napa County Fair Association Pete Shaw, Crosswalk Community Church Bill & Frank Smithwaters, Caring Community Compassion Inc. Rob Weiss, Mentis Pablo Zatarain, Fair Housing of Napa Valley
SPONSOR: Redwood Credit Union
Corporate Community Service
The Corporate Community Service Award will be presented to a business that has fostered and encouraged volunteerism and philanthropy among its employees.
Adventist Health St. Helena Band Together Bay Area Kaiser Permanente, Napa-Solano Pride Family Winery of St. Helena Queen of the Valley Medical Center Rebuild Wine Country
SPONSORS: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Youth Volunteer of the Year
Up to five Youth Volunteer of the Year Awards of $1,000 each will be presented to full-time middle or high school students serving a Napa nonprofit in the community, education or faith environment.
Reyna Ayala, Molly’s Angels Sarah Carleton, Napa High Interact Global Asha Cooper, Teens Conect Emma Healy, Napa High Interact Global Louan Herve, Napa High Interact Global Brooke Hollister, St. Helena High School Katherine Maia Manzagol, Napa High Interact Global Cassidy Marek, God is Good Group Christopher Olivier, Napa County Kids Care Natalee Saucedo, Napa High Interact Global Gabriela Silva, Boys & Girl Clubs of Napa Valley Camille & Cecilia Silva, Conolly Ranch Marcos Vasquez, Boys & Girl Clubs of Napa Valley Jocelyn Vega-Robledo, Napa High Interact Global Owen Zuidema, Napa High Interact Global
