Nine loyal volunteers spent time the  week end of April 17th and 18th in beautiful Bodega Bay at the annual Fish Fest and blessing of the fleet.
Some of our favorite creature-friends were close by. You gotta "Love a LLama"!

Our very own Caroline is making eNew! Read about her here.

I’m pleased to announce the launch of the new Heifer blog. You can see it here: http://www.heiferblog.org/
Through this blog we hope to lead a conversation about working together to help end hunger and poverty. In the days to come, the social media team will share compelling content from World Ark, commentary about the many issues surrounding hunger, and dispatches from our projects in the field. This week staff member Annie Bergman is posting updates from her trip to India. We hope you’ll check in often.

This April, people from Nepal to Kenya will pass on the gift of livestock and training to families in need, and people from California to Vermont will host events to help make more of those gifts possible.

Join the celebration to Pass on the Gift month. Organize a bake sale, host a 12 Stones screening or have a Heifer-themed birthday party. Then put your event on our interactive map below and spread the word to friends and family. Make this April the one you help Pass on the Gift to families struggling to improve their lives.

This has convinced me to remember to bring my own bags to the market!
Once in the slide show, use the scroll bar on the right side of the
screen to scroll through.

Everyone on earth should see this. It's that important.
And please pass it on: Plastic! Plastic! Plastic!

A picture is worth a thousand words: www.chrisjordan.com

We met in our new ongoing Sonoma county meeting place, Sebastopol Methodist Church. Thank you Mary for arranging it and thank you to the church.
Evie facilitating, Linda note taker
Introductions: Evie Trevethan, Marlene Zimmerman, Kathy Mauer, Mary Blom, Benny Wicks, Anne Schwartz, Keni Kent, Caroline Bonnet, Linda McBee
Treasurers Report from Ann:

Ann passed out her report to each of us showing details of our
checking account for local operating cost - $148.02
Heifer International to send to Heifer - $110.00
Total: $258.00

After discussion, it was decided we will add the $110 in our Heifer account to the donations we receive at our tabling events and at our May 14 Napa event. We will then send the total to Eliza all at once to insure that the Sonoma/Napa group be credited. We decided by consensus to keep the money until after the May 14th event.
Further, Anne suggests that we hold any moneys for two months before sending it to Eliza, to avoid sending too small amounts too often.
Ann had a stamp made so we can now stamp the bottom of checks given to us - "Heifer Sonoma Napa Volunteers"

Gmail account, our group name, and our Blog:

• Our official name is Heifer Sonoma Napa Volunteers
• *heifersonoma@gmail.com* is the email account that HQ set up for us with Google.
• Linda will contact HQ to see if we can change the blog and email address to "sonomanapa" not just "sonoma".
• The blog url is: http://sonoma.heiferblog.org/
• Evie set up an email for our group with Google. It's address is: heifersonomanapa@gmail.com
• Until this is worked through, we have two email accounts! Just one blog, however.

Eliza asks: Do we volunteers want to hear directly from her via AVC? This was not decided.
Nepal trip postponed: October is the best month (maybe April or March) .... the year is unsure.

We had a discussion of how Heifer works to empower people. How going to a place and working “hands on” is not how we do it. We work by inspiring people to empower themselves. The people learn to believe in their own abilities. We make human connections with our project partner staff, Heifer educators, other volunteers, etc.

Evie created an updated volunteer list and gave us each a copy.
Plans for our events were discussed:

• April 17 Tabling at Fish Festival Bodega Bay
• April 22 Local food forum - Napa
• April 24 Napa tabling at Earth Day event - Napa
• April 28 Napa tabling at Local Foods Festival - Napa
• May 14 Napa Welcomes Heifer International event

Evie passed out a sign up sheet for the tabling events to make sure all available slots are covered
Caroline passed out name tags for our events. She also passed out invitations with stamps and fliers to everyone for the May 14 event, and materials from HQ for our events were given to Linda and Evie.
May 14 Napa event:

• Kathy is Point Person for Refreshments. Whole Foods in Napa is willing to help donate food for May 14th event. We’re not sure how much. Kathy will email the contact at Whole Foods this week to try and find out how much Whole Foods can donate. Trader Joes may donate as well. Raley’s can possibly donate in the future. She is also going to visit other stores in Napa seeking donations. Kathy will be away for about three weeks starting next week. Asks for Napa help.
• Nancy agreed to get wine donations. Keni also has a possibility and will look into it.
• Betty is the Point Person for PR:
  
  
  • she has set up radio interview on April 29th 8:15 to 8:30 on KVON/KVYN
  • Submitted to community builders an image of Heifer table.
  • New tip to Register’s feature editor
  • sent an image of quilt to Market Place Magagazine
  • Short release to small local groups
  • she will try and get a reporter to cover the event
  • Needs someone to write letter to editors of local papers (copy from fliers) PD and Sonoma Index Tribune - Caroline will ask her writer friend.
• An RSVP will be added to the post cards announcing the May 14th event.
• Benny is Point Person for Set Up and Animal handler if we have animals.
  
  Set up:
  • chairs, tables, decorations, food stuff, animals
• Marlene knows someone who may loan us a couple of calves. They would be outside by the entrance as people are entering.
• Jennifer Miller will play the piano in the hall while people are coming in and having refreshments and after the program.
• The task list has available openings for the May 14th event. Please help!

Next meeting is on May 8th in Napa in the meeting room at Whole Foods on Trancas Avenue

Saturday, April 10 - 10 am - Sebastopol United Methodist Church
500 N Main St.
Sebastopol (directions below)

Introductions

Treasurers Report: Ann

Gmail account, our group name, and our Blog

Eliza asks: Do we volunteers want to hear directly from her via AVC?

Nepal trip postponed

Updated volunteer list

Plans for our events:

• April 17 Tabling at Fish Festival Bodega Bay
• April 24 Napa tabling at Earth Day event
• April 28 Napa talbling at Local Foods Festival
• May 14 Napa Welcomes Heifer International event

Directions:

Sebastopol United Methodist Church
Approaching Sebastopol on Highway 116 West, westbound traffic will be routed onto Petaluma Ave., a one-way street.
When you reach the light at Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy. 12), continue straight, across Sebastopol Avenue.
Go one block and turn left on McKinley, keeping in the right lane for a right turn onto Main Street one block later.
Go 2 blocks on Main St. (the large, Spanish style church directly ahead is your destination).
Bear left at the light onto Healdsburg Ave. and turn right into the church parking lot.
You will see a wing of classrooms behind the main church sanctuary. We will meet in classroom #5. I will place a Heifer sign on the door.

or

Approaching Sebastopol on highway 12, turn right at second light onto Petaluma Ave.
Go one block and turn left on McKinley, keeping in the right lane for a right turn onto Main Street one block later.
Go 2 blocks on Main St. (the large, Spanish style church directly ahead is your destination).
Bear left at the light onto Healdsburg Ave. and turn right into the church parking lot.
You will see a wing of classrooms behind the main church sanctuary. We will meet in classroom #5. I will place a Heifer sign on the door.