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Easing the path from intent to action  


The CanDo Connection                                                       November 25, 2014
In This Issue
This Weekend: Small Business Saturday
Consider Being Part of the 2015 Give!Guide Team
Save the Dates
Quick Tip: 8 Cooking Tips
Napa Valley Life
The Give!Guide "Patch"
Words Matter: Julia Child
The Geography of Happiness
Making Good Choices
Happiness Doubled by Wonder
Current Give!Guide Tally
Volunteer and Be Well
CanDo CanGrow Plans Ahead
Dine and Donate at Il Posto Trattoria
CanDo Spotlight: What's Happening Around the Valley and How You Can Help
Like Us on FaceBook

 Small  Business This Saturday:   Nov. 29

Been into The Roost in Napa lately for vintage and new treasures to brighten your home?  Or maybe Baksheesh in St. Helena for Fair Trade wordly wonders? How about
Shackfords on Main Street in Napa to get those knives sharpened? 

You needn't wait for Small Business Saturday to shop. Show your support now.



Support them with a hug, a thank you and a purchase. 

Then, extend your "buy local" philosophy and invest in our communities all year long.  
 
GGJoin
Give!Guide logo

Explore the Possibilities!

Might 
CanDo's 
2015 Give!Guide team 
be a perfect fit? 

If you love what we're doing to support local nonprofits., how about helping us 
do it again next year?

You're invited to either of two 90 minute gatherings. 
No commitment required.

It's an opportunity to learn about the scope of the project and ways to 
be involved. 

Ask questions. Eat good food; laugh a lot. 

DAYS and DATES:  Mon., Dec. 1 or Mon., Dec. 15. 
TIME:  6-7:30
LOCATION:  A Napa home, location TBD.
RSVP via email or call with questions: 707.252.7743.



SAVE  THE  DATES

Save the Date

SUPPORT 
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
November 29
Shop locally and help our communities thrive.

MONDAY, DEC. 1 or MONDAY, DEC. 15
6-7PM
Come to a 
Give!Guide "marty."
Meet the Give!Guide Team. Learn what you CanDo to help the 2015 edition come to be.
Click here for details.

MONDAY, DEC. 8 and MONDAY, DEC. 15
Dine & Donate 
Support your favorite local nonprofits. Eat great food at 
Il Posto Trattoria in Napa.
Click here for details


CanDo  Quick  Tip
 


JUST IN TIME FOR THANKSGIVING!

From CanDo's friend 
Chef Elizabeth Guthrie Skylar
of 

come these 

Thanks, Elizabeth!


NV Life 2013

Read Karen Garcia's article in the current issue of
Napa Valley Life Magazine.

"When they thought about holiday gifts last year, Patricia and Carlos knew they wanted to give their grandchildren a special item or two as they always did. But they decided that Scott and Anna were old enough to receive another kind of gift as well, one that would last a lifetime. The gift of giving..."




Donated to a fabulous 
local nonprofit
through the 2014 Give!Guide? 
Thanks so much.

Use the image above as a new profile photo to proclaim your 
CanDo Spirit. 
     "Wear" it with pride.     



Words  Matter 

     

"You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life." 

-Julia Child


 


  BITS  AND  PIECES 
 


CURIOUS MINDS WANT TO KNOW

Why are sticks of butter long and skinny in the East, but short and fat in the West? 


  

 New to CanDo?   

 

CanDo Logo - graphic only 

 

Click here to receive this 
nifty weekly eBlast. 
 The CanDo Connection is filled with volunteer opportunities and events 
that help you connect 
with community. 


The Choices We Make

Napa Valley CanDo seeks to inspire and facilitate action by alerting interested Valley residents about opportunities for service. If you participate as a volunteer in an activity that you learned about through Napa Valley CanDo, whether initiated by CanDo or another organization, please take personal responsibility for your involvement. Use common sense. Only you can determine whether an activity is a good fit, that is to say compatible with your interests and abilities. 

 
Giving  Thanks  

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

- G.K. Chesterton


There's much for which to be grateful on these brisk autumn days. In a year when so many of us have been shaken to the core, we often find that at that core is a deep well of courage and kindness and grace. And that our community is even stronger, more supportive, more connected, and more giving than we knew.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful 
and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving.



2014  Give!Guide  
Donations  as of  November 25:  $41,593
How could you resist? Pictured are CanDo's Amy Garden along with Alexia and Krystel, members of UpValley Girl Scout bilingual troop 10688. They're sharing the Give!Guide story with Sunshine Market shoppers in St. Helena. 

UpValley Girl Scouts is proud to be one of this year's Fab 40 local nonprofits. 
Need another incentive? "Like" the Give!Guide's Facebook page and you'll receive notification of each day's incentive in your Facebook news feed. 
Or you can click here for a calendar with all the incentives.ach incentive valued at $100+.

Donate at NVGiveGuide.org
 
You make a choice.  You make a difference. 
We make it easy.


 Volunteering  Does  Mind  and  Body  Good

Consumer Reports on Health - December 2014

 

A recent review of 73 studies involving people 50 and older found that engaging in regular volunteer work helped reduce the risk of depression and increased longevity. Volunteers also reported better overall health. 

 

Researchers reported the "sweet spot" for enjoying health perks comes when volunteers do about 2 to 3 hours of work per week. 

 

What kind of volunteering is best?  "[Any] opportunity that's socially and mentally stimulating and that keeps you physically active within your own limitations," says lead researcher Nicole Anderson, Ph.D., a senior scientist at Toronto's Rotman research Institute.  

 

Source:  Psychological Bulletin, Aug. 25, 2014

 


 

         


A LONG WINTER 'S REST

Our Food Bank garden is mulched and dormant for the winter, but plans are growing for next season!

Have a garden at home or at work? 
Want to get involved with our project 
to get more fresh food to the Food Bank?


DineandDonate
DINE  AND  DONATE 
IL  POSTO  TRATTORIA

Two More Mondays in Support of the 2014 Give!Guide
Dec. 8 and 15, 5-9PM


RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
Address: 4211 Solano Avenue
Phone: 707.251.8600

Mange Italiano from 5-9PM, whether dining in-house or ordering take-out, and the good folks at Il Posto Trattoria will contribute a generous 20% of your food and beverage tab to the nonprofit of your choice.

You must have a copy of this flyer with you. 

December 8 you may dine and donate to
these nonprofits, or simply click any time to donate through the 2014 Give!Guide:


Spotlight - Stars
THE CanDo SPOTLIGHT
Events and Volunteer Opportunities
from Other Groups Around the Valley
 Tell 'em you heard about it through CanDo!

Note: Our posting of events in this "Spotlight" does not  constitute an endorsement by Napa Valley CanDo unless expressly stated. We list a variety of opportunities and programs we feel may be of interest to our readers.  
  
WALK IN WEDNESDAYS
SPONSOR:  CONNOLLY RANCH
Connolly Ranch's weekly open house provides an opportunity for old friends to visit and new friends to discover the ranch for the first time. The ranch will be open every Wednesday through December 12 from 2 to 4PM for the public to visit the garden, relax in the grove, take a hike on the woodland trail and see the animals. Come on your own or bring family and friends! It's also a great time to learn about Connolly Ranch programs, events and volunteer opportunities. Walk-in Wednesdays are free, but donations are encouraged. 
DAY/DATE/TIME:  Wednesdays, Nov. 26 and Dec. 3 and 10, 2-4PM
LOCATION:  3141 Browns Valley Rd., Napa 
FFI:  Email, call 707.224.1894, or visit their website.
SPONSORS:  North Bay Fellowship, Unitarian Universalists & Napa-Sonoma Quaker Meeting  
The Peace Vigil is held the last Sunday of each month, from 2 to 4 PM, at the corner of Third & Soscol in Napa. The next vigil will be Sunday, Nov. 30. Bring a hat, water, sunscreen and a chair (if you like), but always bring a peaceful heart. Signs and banners are available, but feel free to bring one of your own.
DAY/DATE/TIME:  Sunday, Nov. 30, Dec. 28, Jan. 25, 2-4PM  
LOCATION:  Third & Soscol, Napa
FFI:  Email or call Joe Wilcox 707.253.1505.
A PARENT'S GUIDE TO SOCIAL MEDIA
SPONSORS:  Napa County Office of Education   
Your gut reaction to keeping your kids safe online may be to just eliminate their access to the Internet - we get it! It's a pain to supervise and it can be a constant worry, BUT it is critical that instead we teach students how to be safe online, how to protect their reputations, and how to become positive online citizens. Social media isn't going away. In fact, many employers expect employees to have an online presence. This presentation is presented in English. A Presentation in Spanish will be scheduled for a future date. TBD. Bring Your mobile device, if you don't have one we will provide you with a device to use during the session.
DAY/DATE/TIME:  Monday, Dec. 1, 6-8PM  
COST: $10
LOCATION: 
2121 Imola Avenue, Napa, CA
FFI:  Email or call Jacqui Woodland 707.253.3944 or visit their website.
CREATING WREATHS FROM YOUR GARDEN
SPONSORS:  UC Master Gardeners of Napa County and Yountville Parks and Rec Dept.  
Join the Napa Master Gardeners and learn what plants in your garden make good wreaths for decorating. At this workshop you will learn how to prepare plant materials to look good for a long time and learn tips and tricks for designing wreaths for the holidays and year-round. You will take home a wreath from locally collected plant materials. Find the Napa MGs on Facebook.
DAY/DATE/TIME:  Sunday, Dec. 7, 2-4PM  
COST: $29
LOCATION: 
Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street
FFI:  Email or call Chris Benz 707.944.8712 or visit their website.

SECOND SATURDAYS
SPONSOR:  CONNOLLY RANCH
Mark these dates on your calendar.
Connolly Ranch hosts Second Saturdays, a monthly program for kids age 0-14, on the second Saturday of each month. Little Farmers offer parents who work during the week the opportunity to experience Connolly Ranch with their little ones and Playday on the Farm allows kids who are in school during the week to have some weekend fun at the ranch. Little Farmers (ages 0-4) must be accompanied by a parent, but Playday on the Farm (ages 4-12) is a drop-off program. 
DAY/DATE/TIME:  Saturdays, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 14 and Mar. 14. [Little Farmers: 9-10:15AM, $20] [Playday on the Farm: 10:30AM-2:30PM, $40]
LOCATION:  3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa
FFI:  Email, call 707.224.1894, or visit their website.
 
Have an Event You'd Like in the Spotlight?
 
Are you a nonprofit in need of volunteers? 
Or do you have a fundraiser, educational opportunity, or fun event that you'd like us to share in the "Spotlight"? 
Learn more and submit your event here.


Like us on Facebook

  Our Facebook page is updated nearly 
every day. Volunteer opportunities,
fresh Napa Valley news, community events, 
bits and pieces to brighten your day. 
How could you not like us?
 
While you're at it --- "like" the Napa Valley Give!Guide Facebook page, too.