Holiday Tree Lighting Celebrations Concord, Dec 1, 5:30-8 Todos Santos Plaza Clayton, Dec 2, 5:30-7 The Grove Park, Main St. Pleasant Hill, Dec, 4:30-7:30 Crescent Drive, Downtown
November 10, 2023
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No holiday from hunger as Food Bank braces for 20 percent spike DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
With food as the centerpiece of upcoming celebrations, its absence becomes even more real as advertisers plaster television airways with delicious imagery of the must haves for those festive occasions during November and December. The Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, along with its partnering agencies, has already seen an increase in the need due to several factors, including the cost of living and food, as well as the ending of pandemic-era benefits. The groups serve an average of 465,000 residents a month. “We are anticipating these numbers to spike as we approach the holiday season by approximately 20%, based off of our increase observed from last year,” said Food Bank spokesperson Krystine Dinh. “We’re prepared to serve our community however they may need us.” She noted that earlier this year, more than 75,000 households in Contra Costa and Solano counties were impacted by cuts in pandemic-era benefits, such as emergency allotments. These households experienced more than $6 million in total loss of benefits. “We consider this one of the key reasons why we’ve been seeing an increase in need and new faces at our distribution sites,” said Dinh. “Erosion of the safety net as families grapple with continued inflation is deeply concerning.” Among those seeing it firsthand is Jeff Bell of Lafayette, who has volunteered in the warehouse sorting and more recently serving in Concord with the Food Bank’s mobile food distribution service at its new Wednesday location off Systron Drive. He has observed the uptick in community demand during past holiday seasons and anticipates the same this year, citing the persistent rise in inflation which hits those living on the margins even more acutely – especially with rising food prices. So as 2023 winds to a close, there is no area where the Food Bank is turning away support, whether it’s folks seeking to volunteer, food donations or monetary gifts. Current volunteers number over 8,000. Last year, they accounted for more than 100,000 hours. Individuals and families can check out the Food Bank’s portal at www.volunteer.foodbankccs.org to see shifts that are available and what roles volunteers can fill.
See Hunger, page 3
Next issue, Dec. 8, Deadline, Nov. 27
Pilot program aims to help pull Concord residents out of poverty BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
Monument Impact’s new guaranteed income program is offering 120 single-parent families some breathing room on their journey to economic independence. Along the way, organizers hope to combat the punitive system that keeps people in poverty and change the narrative about financial instability. “Right now in the United States, we tend to blame people for their financial condition. We call that a deficitbased view,” says Rachel Barnhart, media relations director of the Oakland-based UpTogether. “We want to see people for their strengths, their initiatives and their own pathways to get ahead.” The Elevate Concord pilot program will provide each family $500 a month for one David Scholz year with no strings attached – Recipients collect fruit and vegetable allotments from a Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano truck at its Wednesday afteralong with a $2,500 upfront noon stop at 2731 Systron Drive in Concord on Nov. 1. payment to help them stabilize their financial situations. The majority of the funding comes from $1.5 million the Concord City Council allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). According to project manager Julia Quintero, the idea evolved during the pandemic. “We saw that a lot of people were having a hard time the organization’s silver award Earning duo top recovering, whether they had for their joint effort. Girl Scout honors lost their jobs or just needed Daphne followed this projextra assistance. We were getect with her bid for the Gold DAVID SCHOLZ ting a lot of community memAward, the Girl Scout’s highest Correspondent bers coming in and asking for honor, with plans for a barn owl different resources, whether box to replace one at Heather for mental assistance or helpThe proverb goes “a bird in Farms in Walnut Creek. ing them find jobs. Our team The joint endeavor was the hand is worth two in the spent a couple months thinkbush.” And, as Katya Koriabine hatched after reading an article ing of the best way to address and Daphne Dale learned this about Georgette Howington these concerns,” she says. past year, birds in boxes are who heads Contra Costa Counworth silver and gold awards ty’s California Bluebird Recovery WORKING TO MAINTAIN Program and works with the too. OTHER BENEFITS After building boxes to serve birds. A lengthy hike in May with Monument Impact based as nests for bluebirds and then her at Lafayette Reservoir gave the program on SEED, the monitoring them over an entire their girls a chance to see where Stockon Economic Empowerseason, the 14-year-old Girl nesting boxes are located and David Scholz ment Demonstration. The Scouts with Troop 30902 of the learn about the threatened birds. Daphne Dale looks on as Mike Tischler uses a utility knife funds are considered a gift and Northern California Creekside to carefully cut the foam core into pieces for the model of Service Unit 324, were awarded See Scouts, page 6 her barn owl box.
Invaluable lessons born from bluebird, barn owl nesting boxes
See Impact, page 6
‘Rockstar’ Ygnacio Valley engineering teacher Joseph Alvarico adds state honor to resume JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Joseph Alvarico of Ygnacio Valley High School has the added distinction of being a 2024 California Teacher of the Year after earlier being named a Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year. Alvarico was called by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond telling him of the state honor. He was the only Northern California teacher among the superintendent’s five honorees this year with the other four teachers residing in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. “I am proud that one of our Contra Costa County teachers of the year has been named one of the state’s top educators,” Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said.
“Joseph is a great example of the high-quality teaching and learning going on in Contra Costa County schools every day and it’s a great honor for him to be selected as a California Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to him, his colleagues and MDUSD for the support they have given him throughout this process and his career.” Mt. Diablo Unified School District Superintendent Adam Clark was so impressed with Alvarico on a recent KTVU Fox 2 news feature that Clark sent the video to all District staff with the message: “I will continue to celebrate this huge accomplishment. A true professional who inspires students to reach amazing heights! Thank you, Mr. Alvarico.” Dr. Clark also lauded Alvarico during his Superintendent’s Report to the school board, calling him “a model of what we
should strive to be.” “I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to have been selected as one of the 2024 California Teachers of the Year. This distinction is a reflection of the long hours and unwavering commitment that I have put into my teaching career,” Alvarico said. “My gratitude extends to multiple people in my life who have guided me along my professional path and supported my classroom every step of the way. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat! Without you, I wouldn’t be able to give my students the greatest service that I possibly could. I am excited to continue making a positive impact on the lives of my students, our local community, and the educational world at large.” Alvarico was able to send the
See Teacher, page 6
Pioneer file photo by Jay Bedecarré
Joseph Alvarico (right) has had quite the fall, first being named Contra Costa Teacher of the Year and then last month adding a title of 2024 California Teacher of the Year, the only Northern Californian among the five tabbed for state honors. This photo from September 2019 was at the dedication of the Ygnacio Valley High School Innovation Center on the Concord school’s campus. The room is the center of the school’s engineering, robotics and STEM programs spearheaded by Alvarico.
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