Community
Temple Beth Hillel celebrated its 80th anniversary Saturday in Richmond, bringing together current and former congregants for a shared meal, storytelling and live music. As former congregants reunited, Maggie Jacobs, who has been a member since 2001, spent the evening welcoming congregants at the door with hugs before moving from one table to another, greeting familiar faces. “Eighty years is a remarkable milestone for this congregation. When you look back at all the people who came before us, the families…
Volunteers grabbed bagels, then made their way down the ravine at San Pablo’s Davis Park, where they would use trash grabbers, buckets and kitchen tongs to pick up everything from tiny bits of plastic to beer bottles and cigarette butts from the dry bed of Wildcat Creek. About 40 people pitched in at the 32nd annual Wildcat Creek Cleanup Saturday, which was organized by San Pablo and KIDS for the BAY, a group that connects kids with nature. The cleanup…
After six weeks of renovations, Milo Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter in Point Richmond, has reopened. “The floor is all new,” said Lynne Tingle, the foundation’s founder. “We had to have every animal, everything out. We had to take all of our old kennels out, every piece of furniture, anything that was touching the ground.” Milo Foundation has been in Point Richmond since 2013. The shelter replaced its floor and kennels, which had been in use for more than a…
Richmond City Council has still not decided how to spend a $550 million award from a landmark settlement against Chevron two years ago, frustrating residents who have been waiting to be included in the process. On Tuesday, the council is expected to provide updates about a timeline for a public engagement process on how to spend the funds, after delaying the updates during two meetings in September. The council voted 4-1 on Sept. 15 to move the public engagement process…
When Josh Detius first learned that a community garden was opening this fall along the Richmond Greenway near Unity Park, he was excited for the opportunity to put his skills to use. “I’d learned to garden and take care of plants at Diablo Valley College, so I knew what to do,” said Detius, who volunteers at the garden through VistAbility’s Commercial Support Services program in Richmond, which serves adults with developmental disabilities. Created in partnership with Richmond and agricultural nonprofit…
Calling all aspiring journalists: UC Berkeley School of Journalism, in partnership with The Contra Costa Pulse, will offer up to two Contra Costa County residents a chance to gain journalism skills this fall. The “Reporter in Residence” program is accepting applications from residents considering a journalism career. Those selected will learn reporting skills in the classroom and on the beat, while sharing their knowledge of the community with Berkeley Journalism students. No journalism experience is required. Each reporter will receive a $2,000…
A record number of people showed up on Thanksgiving to enjoy turkey, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, cake and pie at two Richmond shelters. Among the 30 to 40 volunteers serving meals at the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program was Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris, who spent time at the shelter when he was a child. GRIP and the Bay Area Rescue Mission each served both lunch and dinner to shelter residents, people in encampments, former clients…
It’s Saturday morning and inside a sprawling room at the Richmond Recreation Complex, around 50 volunteers stack boxes of cornbread, sacks of potatoes, cans of chicken broth and other Thanksgiving essentials onto laden tables. Outside, even more non-perishables wait in a U-Haul. They’re prepping for the 10th annual Turkey Drive hosted by The Black Neighborhood, a Richmond nonprofit inspired by the Black Panthers, encouraging empowerment in Black communities. Volunteers are readying the 500 turkeys and 600 bags of food they…
Jeanne Gibson was 18 when she learned to weld massive warships known as destroyers in 1944. She was one of about 12 million women tending the homefront war effort, operating cranes, riveting and welding — work that earned them the nickname Rosie the Riveter. “ Being a Rosie kind of asserted my spine,” Gibson said, referring to the attitude it gave her. “We can do it!” At 99 and half this month, Gibson is eager to get back to work. She…