SCV Neighbors in Need

Thank you again for all that you do. On Monday of this week, Patty Norona, Jacqueline Nelson and her boys Wally, Henry and Gordy, Susan Elie Christopher of Love SCV, Alli Bixler, and myself, delivered your generous donations collected at last weeks Front Porch Food Drive, to Gina Rodriguez, District Liaison and Resource Specialist with Newhall School District. To say that she was grateful is understated, and she wished to extend her thanks to all of you, for all you do to hel...p others in our community. She emailed me on Wednesday, to let me know that the news of your generosity was shared at the School Board meeting by the School Superintendent and the Director of Student Support Services. Gina also shared more about their ongoing commitment to students and their families, and I wanted to share it with you. There are three Family Resource Centers (FRC) located on school campuses across the Newhall School District. The FRCs provide clothing and food resources to students and their families, and through community partnerships, have expanded resources to provide additional food access, financial support and connection to government assistance programs. Gina said that, after receiving the donations on Monday, I coordinated the dissemination of food to three other school sites across our district that have the largest population of students qualified under *the law. This week and next, families will be invited to attend socially distanced, COVID compliant food distribution events at all four campuses. The food resources donated will help feed the 150 students that are currently qualified. We are currently exploring additional opportunities to support the children and families under this program, and know that with this amazing community, we can help the staff of Newhall School District continue to make a difference in the lives of their students. *The law refers to the federal law regarding McKinney Vento that has been in place since 1987, but has been strengthened through more recent legislation as part of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) as well as the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA)

On Friday, in coordination with Love SCV, we held our 8th Front Porch Food Drive, this time benefiting students and families of the Newhall School District struggling with food insecurity. The response was incredible. We received donations from more than 70 homes throughout Santa Clarita, with every bag and box generously filled with food to help those in need. Thank you to everyone who donated food from their front porch, and those who dropped off their donations. A specia...l thanks to our wonderful volunteer drivers, Christine Nolasco Price, Patty Norona, Jacqueline Nelson, Jeanne Yago, and Kristi Kae Sandoval Eckard. So grateful for Jamie Bernards, who led an amazing group of sorters, Kimberly Ferguson-Kirkland’s daughter Kara and husband Aaron; Kim Blackburn’s daughter Cassidy Hopkins, and her friends Avery Tracy, and Tali Tucker; and Jacqueline Nelson and her awesome young boys, Gordy, Wally and Henry. Additional thanks to Rebecca Sewell Hindman and her husband, who picked up and delivered a car full of donations collected by the Cub Scouts 494 Lions Den; to Susan Elie Christopher of LoveSCV who helped transport and store the donations, until they could be *delivered on Monday; and to my husband, Guy Vennero Jr., who even after a workday that started at 5am, still came out to load and transfer boxes. Thanks you so much to everyone who made this drive such a success. The generosity and kindness of this community, makes anything seem possible. *We will have a special follow up post tonight, on Mondays delivery to families in need. #frontporchfooddrive

I want to say thank you to everyone for the amazing response we’ve received for next weeks Front Porch Food Drive. Friday, February 5th, we’ll be collecting food for Newhall School District students and their families, and the response from fellow students and parents throughout Santa Clarita has been wonderful. If you’ve signed up to volunteer or donate items, keep your eyes open tomorrow for more details on next weeks event via Messenger ... No donation is too small, and every item we collect makes a difference in someone’s life. If you’d still like to donate, but haven’t signed up yet, comment below or message me directly.

We’re continuing to spotlight small businesses in our community, working hard this holiday season, and all year long. Today, I stopped by Pet Supply Santa Clarita, who has the very best of everything for your four legged and feathered family members. Their shelves are full of food and treats; toys and leashes; cat trees and bird houses; animal supplements and pet care items; and options for pets with allergies and delicate tummies, just to name a few. Their staff is friendly... and knowledgeable, and takes time to help you find the best items for your pets needs. They’re open today until 8:00pm, and tomorrow from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Pet Supply of Santa Clarita is located at 26831 Bouquet Canyon, Road in Saugus, 91350. If you have any questions, call (661) 296-2654 or visit them online at www.petsupplysantaclarita.com.

Hi everyone! Bridge To Home has reached out and asked for our help, in supporting community members struggling with homelessness. If you are able to help, we will be collecting:... New Socks: Mens and Women’s Women's Underwear: Small, Medium and Large Men's Boxers: Medium, Large and Extra Large Gently Worn and Washed Women's Jackets and Coats: Small, Medium and Large Men's Jackets and Coats: Medium, Large and Extra Large Gloves Beanies Blankets In honor of Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday and Day of Service, we will be collecting the items this Monday, January 18th from 11am to 3pm. If you would like to donate, or help with pick ups or sorting, please comment below or message me for more information. Thank you to everyone for your continued generosity and kindness. You are having a profound impact on the lives of those in need in our community, and I am grateful for all that you do.

We’re planning our first Front Porch Food Drive of 2021 for Friday, February 5th, and this one is special. In coordination with LoveSCV, all donations collected will benefit students and families of Newhall School District, struggling with food insecurity. Even prior to the pandemic, food assistance was an accessible program for students in need, distributed by social workers at three onsite resource centers throughout the district. Unfortunately, this year, the largest foo...d assistance partner has been unable to provide the same level of support, and donations are urgently needed. The following items are the most requested, but all donations are greatly appreciated, and will be used to support students and their families: Rice Beans Canned Meats (chicken and tuna) Pasta Pasta Sauce Macaroni and Cheese Canned Vegetables and Fruits Canned Soups Cup a Noodle/Ramen Granola and Cereal Bars Peanut Butter Jelly Due to rainy weather in our forecast, we’re scheduling it a little farther out than we usually do. If you would like to donate or volunteer to help, please comment below or message me directly for more information. Remember, that every donation is appreciated, and none too small, to make a big difference in someone’s life. Reminder - when you share this post, we may not be able to see the responses on your private page. Please message Lesley Woodworth-Vennero if you would like to make a donation or volunteer. Thank you so much.

A special thank you to everyone that participated in last weeks donation event for the staff of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Today, with the help of Patty Norona and her wonderful team at Norona Insurance Agency, we delivered your donations of water and drinks, fruit snacks, candy, protein bars, chips and crackers, trail mix, and a host of other treats to the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation. We had the pleasure of meeting with their staff and learning more about what ...they are facing during this critical time, and the tremendous impact these donations have on the emotional and physical wellbeing of those on the frontlines. I’m so grateful for all of you, and I want to thank you all for making this day possible. Special thanks to Patti Barrick Brennan, Donna Hernandez, Susie Bakman, Holly Davis, Jamie Bernards, Melissa Albrent-Altschuler, Camie Johnson Cornes, Glenna and Jack Beaver, and Patty Norona for your generous donations.

Thank you to this wonderful community of kind and generous hearts, our 7th Front Porch Food and Toy Drive was a tremendous success. On Friday, we collected twice the amount of food and essential items we have at any of our previous drives. We are incredibly grateful to have partnered with Patty Norona and Norona Insurance Agency, who collected food and toys, and raised funds to purchase additional gifts for underprivileged teens in our community. Patty and her team were able ...to help distribute many of the toys at Saturday’s food distribution to families in need. Thank you to everyone who shared our post with friends and neighbors; commented on posts asking where food could be donated during the holidays; and donated food and toys from their own front porch or delivered them in person. A special thank you to Beth Greenberg, Amy Campos and Patty Norona and her team, for helping with all of the front porch pick ups; Christine Nolasco Price and her wonderful friend, who helped with pick ups, rallied some much needed supplies, and helped us deliver your generous donations to Santa Clarita Grocery; Mary B Ackerman, Barry and Peter at Santa Clarita Grocery for helping us coordinate the event and deliver donations to the pantry; and to Jamie Bernards and Jeanne Yago for sorting bags and boxes of donations that resulted in two pallets full of food, that is now feeding our fellow neighbors during these difficult times. I am so honored to know all of you. Thank you to everyone for making this world a kinder place, changing the lives of people you may never know, and for giving hope to those who need it most.

Hello everyone! It’s the first full week of January 2021, and with the new year, comes new opportunities to help our community. One of them, you may already know about, but we’re making it an official Neighbors in Need event for all who would like to help. ... In coordination with the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation, we will be collecting snacks and water for the medical staff, working tirelessly to care for our community. Cases of water, and individually wrapped store-bought snacks and candy are greatly appreciated. We’ve also learned that, beef jerky, slim Jim’s, gummies and nuts , are favorites, so if you are able to donate any of those items, that would be wonderful. We’ll be picking up donations this Friday, January 8th, in the afternoon, from 1-4pm and delivering them to the hospital on Monday, January 11th. If you need a little more time, and are able to drop off your donation in Saugus, I’ll also be home over the weekend. If you would like to donate, please comment below, or feel free to message me. No donation is to small to make an impact, so give what you can, if you can. Thank you everyone, for all that you do.

Happy Sunday everyone! We’re continuing to highlight some of our many, hardworking small businesses here in Santa Clarita. One of my personal favorites, is Teacision on Lyons in Newhall. If you love boba and fresh fruit teas, this ones for you. My favorite is the #6 Mango Peach Passion Green Tea with mango popping boba, but my daughter tells me that the #1 Rose Vanilla Green Milk tea with boba is fire. If those aren’t for you, they have a variety of other combinations, a b...uild your own menu, hot herbal teas, milk tea smoothies, and fruit tea slushies. Every Tuesday they like to go big, so during their all day happy hour, they’ll upgrade your drinks from a regular to a large for FREE. Teacision Tea Room and Art Gallery is open every day from 11am-9pm, and is located at 24802 Orchard Village Road, Santa Clarita 91355. If you have any questions, contact them at (661) 383-9220. Enjoy!

It’s Small Business Saturday, but we’re going to be highlighting them all week until Christmas! If you have a sports fan in the family, we recommend stopping by Tee Plus in Newhall. They have an amazing assortment of team hats, apparel, and jerseys. The prices are some of the best in town, and they offer exchanges and gift receipts. They also carry popular brands including ProClub, Dickies and Levi’s. Tee Plus is located at 23407 Lyons Avenue, Newhall 91355. There hours have been modified for the holidays, so check out the last picture for more details. If you have questions, you can call them at (661) 255-1420. Go Team! #smallbusinesssaturday

Hi everyone. We’ve heard from community members, concerned about our ICU and ER nurses at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. There have been posts circulated online, that nurses are without water and snacks, and are suffering from dehydration. To insure that any response has a positive impact, and because we feel a responsibility to our members, we make every effort to confirm any needs, before posting requests for supplies or donations. In this case, we reached out to several nu...rses at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, and The Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation for guidance. The first thing I want to convey is the tremendous amount of appreciation the Henry Mayo staff feels in response to the overwhelming support they have received from the community. Water and snacks are being provided to nurses, doctors and staff at the hospital, and they are grateful for all the donations that have been received. I spoke with Renee Leon, Donation Relations Officer at the Foundation, and she provided additional ways to lend support to the hospital’s frontline workers. Food and Water Donations - Cases of bottled water, and individually wrapped snacks are being accepted. Nutritious snacks are always welcome, but the staff enjoys sweet snacks, too. If you would like to make a physical donation of individually wrapped snacks or water, please contact Renee Leon at [email protected] to arrange for a drop off time. If possible, please avoid shipping food, which can overwhelm the receiving area where much needed supplies are arriving daily. Monetary Donations - made to the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation at henrymayogiving.com, are used to purchase the hospital’s greatest needs in regards to patient care, including but not limited to, equipment, PPE and supplies. If you have any questions regarding donations to the hospital and staff, please contact Renee Leon at [email protected], or visit https://www.henrymayo.com/support-henry-mayo/ for more information on ways to help. Thank you everyone for all that you do.

It’s Small Business Saturday and we’re bringing attention to some of our local small businesses. Christmas and the Holidays are alive and well at Saugus Drugs and Hallmark, where there are displays and isles full of unique gifts for all your family and friends. It’s the perfect place for that special gift! Located at 27641 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus, 91350. They’re open: Monday thru Friday... 8:30am-6:30pm Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm Closed Sunday If you have any questions, you can contact them at (661) 296-3980 or visit their website at www.saugusdrugs.com.