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July 2020 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1
& JULY 2020
WHEN A STUDENT THEATRE COMPANY BECOMES SOMETHING MORE By Fran Miller
Shayna Ronen and Jarush Ariel founded their nonprofit youth theatre company four years ago with a simple goal of raising the bar on the art form. But from the outset, it became clear to the duo that theatre was not the purpose: it was the vehicle. They realized that what they had created was much more than a theater program.
WHITE PONY EXPRESS DELIVERS DAILY DONATIONS WITH LOVE By Jody Morgan
White Pony Express (WPE) continues to grow exponentially as the innovative non-profit works to eliminate want by preventing waste. Three hundred and sixty-four days a year, ten refrigerated WPE trucks collect fresh, nutritious food that donors, including many local supermarkets, would otherwise have to discard. Sorted by Deena White repacks eggs. Retailers cannot repack volunteers according to client and sell a carton if one egg breaks. Photo courtesy of WPE. requests, the food is delivered the same day to agencies throughout Contra Costa County. Always ready to respond to the needs of others, WPE staff and volunteers live by their motto:
See Theatre continued on page 22
ALAMO FAMILY LEADS SUPPORT FOR THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH NEPHROTIC SYNDROME
By Fran Miller
The lives of the Callaway family of Alamo changed forever when their son was diagnosed at age six with Nephrotic Syndrome (NS). Mom Andi Callaway will never forget the day when her healthy and eager kindergartener woke up with swollen eyes, a symptom of the rare and serious auto-immune disease that causes the kidneys to shut down. “The next year brought so many dark days,” says Andi. “There was so much medication, so many ap- Recipient of a Backpack of Hope pointments, and so many disappointments. Over the next seven years of our journey, and since, we have found a way to manage as any family would; however, our whole family is forever changed by this disease. It has been extremely tough on all of us. Our days are filled with doctor appointments,
See Support continued on page 21
Local Postal Customer
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA
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Sorting food according to client preferences is a favorite WPE volunteer activity. Photo courtesy of WPE.
“All of us taking care of all of us.” The WPE General Store provides new and gently used clothing, toys, and children's books using mobile boutiques to bring free goods to individuals and families needing them most. Complicating the delivery process and escalating the demand for essential services, the COVID-19 pandemic finds WPE soliciting emergency funding to add 30 agencies on the waiting list to the 70 county agencies already being served. The COVID Care Campaign Challenge (see page 8 for more information) matches up to $300,000 in donations received by June 30th.
See White Pony continued on page 16
The Editors Serving the communities of Alamo, Diablo, and Danville
Volume XX Number 7
3000F Danville Blvd. #117 Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-6397 Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com
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Volume XI Number 7
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