The Youth Volunteer of the Year award and $1,000 for each youth recipient, is presented to five full-time middle or high school students serving in a Marin nonprofit, education, or faith environment. Up to five youth recipients will be selected.

The first Youth Volunteer of the Year is Marcos Vega.

At Youth Transforming Justice, Marcos is an advocate who supports middle and high school students who have found themselves in trouble with the law or have a pending suspension. He represents his peers in the restorative process to strengthen their relationships with the community and repair any harm caused. He demonstrates interpersonal and collaborative skills to co-create a restorative plan to help them move forward from the mistakes they’ve made.

Congratulations, Marcos.

Second Youth Volunteer of the Year is Kate Van Hooser.

In 2016, Kate and her brothers established Share the Bounty to facilitate the donation of homegrown fruits and vegetables to those in need. Kate created the name, logo, and website. They completed 187 harvests, totaling 17,000 pounds of freshly harvested produce, delivered to people facing food insecurity. In 2022, Share the Bounty merged with ExtraFood where Kate has continued her support coordinating over 100 gleans resulting in 6,439 pounds of produce.

Congratulations, Kate.

Third Youth Volunteer of the Year is Ryder Lariviere.

Ryder has served a variety of roles including leading his own troop, receiving the Congressional Award Gold Medal, trail restorations, and being selected as a member of the National BSA Youth Council, the highest youth governing body in Scouting. Ryder developed programming for 800,000 Scouts across the country addressing mental health, assisted with Marin’s largest food drive, Scouting for Food, developed software to assess wildfire risk and created STEM kits.

Congratulations, Ryder.

Fourth Youth Volunteer of the Year is Olivia Villanova.

Olivia leads Becca’s Closet, a pop-up store for homecoming and prom dresses at Redwood High School. Becca’s Closet offers over 400 free, new dresses donated and made accessible to students in need. Olivia also volunteers with the Milo Foundation helping to care for animals and the facility, and with social justice for the Marin Against Youth Abuse committee, providing outreach workshops, and working on campaigns that foster a culture of respect.

Congratulations, Olivia.

Final Youth Volunteer of the Year is Surabhi Chinta.

Surabhi volunteers as a member of the Animal Care Crew to treat sick and injured marine mammals, clean pens, and administer meals and medication. Surabhi helps to rehabilitate thousands of animals and return them to their ocean homes. She trained on the highest permitted skill for anyone under 18 tube-feeding elephant seals. She is now entrusted to tube-feed fur seals and sea lions, which no other youth has ever done.

Congratulations, Surabhi.

Sponsored by: Redwood Credit Union

The Excellence in Leadership award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit is 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.

The 31st Annual Heart of Marin Award for Excellence in Leadership goes to Chandra Alexandre, Community Action Marin.

CAM’s mission is to alleviate the causes and consequences of poverty in Marin. Under Chandra’s leadership CAM increased net assets from $4.4 million to $7.3 million, grew earned and contributed income, and charted a course to sustainable growth. Chandra’s advocacy championing key issues such as housing, food insecurity, and early education has created a seat for CAM at county, state, and national tables.

Congratulations, Chandra.

Sponsored by: Marin Community Foundation 

The Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence award and $5,000 is presented to an organization that has demonstrated exemplary service to its constituents.

The 31st Annual Heart of Marin Award for Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence is presented to Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California.

FHANC’s mission is to ensure equal housing opportunities for all and to educate the community on the value of diversity in our neighborhoods. They provide fair housing counseling, education, investigation, enforcement, training, and advocacy.

Accomplishments include successfully supporting changes in state and local legislation involving COVID-related evictions/foreclosures; advanced Fair Chance ordinances outlawing discrimination in housing related to criminal records; and trained 2,640 housing providers, tenants, and agency staff in fair housing laws, policies, and practices for a more equitable Marin County.

Congratulations, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California.

Sponsored by: Comerica Bank

The Lifetime Achievement award and $5,000 for a nonprofit of their choice is presented to an individual who has made a positive and notable difference during their career by significantly contributing to addressing a cause, issue, or discipline. 

The 31st Annual Heart of Marin Award for Lifetime Achievement goes to Berta Campos-Anicetti.

Berta began her journey to empower and advance the lives of immigrants, Latinos, at-risk youth, and people from low-income households 34 years ago. Among her contributions are preventing teen pregnancy and advancing reproductive health education; empowering Latine community members; and advancing community health. Berta’s active participation in various agencies and committees and her ability to create partnerships and thread community members together have culminated in the removal of barriers to service and trust. She has ultimately lifted the voices of those previously unheard and/or unseen. Berta’s work has helped shape policies and systems that have moved equity forward in service to the whole community. 

Congratulations, Berta.

Sponsored by: Kaiser Permanente San Rafael-Petaluma