Agency: Napa Valley Lutheran Church
Support Needed: $3,000
Purpose: Costs for handicapped-accessible pathway and storage shed

Just about a year ago, two newcomers to Napa Valley had an idea for how to meet their neighbors: Organize a community garden. Not only would they be able to share their love of gardening with others, but they also would be able to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. The determined pair formed an all-volunteer group called the Napa Community Garden Association (NCGA), and put out a call for garden space in the Napa County Farm Bureau's newsletter. Parishioners at Napa Valley Lutheran Church responded, and the church signed a five-year lease with NCGA for one acre of land, and also agreed to serve as the gardening group's fiscal sponsor. The grassroots group touts an impressive list of accomplishments in its first year, including: designing and developing a site plan with 100, 10-foot-square plots; and, obtaining a use permit--the first-ever issued for a community garden by the City of Napa. NCGA also installed water-saving drip irrigation and amassed a supply of mulch, compost and gardening tools, mostly with in-kind donations. In June, NCGA kicked off the growing season with an "open house," promptly signed up 38 households in the first hour, and ultimately filled 60 slots. Residents pay $50 a year to rent a plot and, so far, the garden has attracted a variety of members, such as singles, working families, an individual with a small catering business and a local restaurant. One person is using his plot to conduct a rain harvest study. About 20 percent of NCGA's members are low-income. The gardeners work together to clean and weed the common areas, and they share excess bounty on a "gleaning table" that is available to passersby. Plot rental fees paid by 60 ardent gardeners ($2,800 total for the first year) cover water bills and minimal ongoing maintenance. NCGA already installed two raised plots for disabled gardeners. In order to comply with its use permit, the group must build a wheelchair-friendly path, which will cost $2,500 for grading and paving, from the parking area to the garden. Also on the shopping list: a storage shed ($500) for equipment and gardening tools. Your support will help Napa Community Garden complete an important construction project and prepare for another growing season.

Editor's note: Napa Valley Lutheran Church serves as fiscal sponsor for grants to Napa Community Garden Association.

Agency: Loving Animals Providing Smiles
Support Needed: $10,000
Purpose: Purchase video-making equipment to produce training films

What do a greyhound, a poodle and a tabby cat have in common? According to Loving Animals Providing Smiles (LAPS), these domestic animals can be the ultimate balm for an isolated elderly person, a troubled teen, or children struggling with learning disabilities. Since 2001, LAPS has been training teams of animals and their handlers, typically the pet owner, to visit each week with these Napa County residents. In the past year, 30 LAPS therapy teams have logged 500 hours in senior centers, Napa County Juvenile Detention, and special education classrooms at elementary schools. The volunteer teams take different approaches, depending on the needs of the group they are visiting. For example, when LAPS teams meet with seniors at assisted-living facilities, residents greet and stroke their favorite animals; these adults, who may have difficulty interacting with their families or caregivers, find it easy to converse with their furry friends. The visits, which often include lap time with smaller animals, also prove a pleasant diversion, especially for adults with dementia. Once a week, LAPS teams also work with teenagers in Napa County Juvenile Detention. The 45-minute sessions are structured and include lessons in caring for and grooming the animals. This not only teaches responsibility skills, but also provides opportunities for these youth to relax and let down their defenses. When LAPS teams visit elementary school children with learning disabilities and behavioral problems, the students recite their reading exercises and math tables to the animals, allowing them to practice these skills with less anxiety. LAPS requires each of its teams to undergo a three-month training and evaluation, and to register with the Delta Society/Pet Partners, a recognized standard in animal-assisted therapy. Experienced LAPS animal handlers teach and evaluate new teams throughout the year. The all-volunteer nonprofit, which has an annual operating budget of $3,500, has found the available training materials lacking, and wants to develop its own. LAPS hopes to create a set of videos that use existing therapy teams to demonstrate proven techniques; and, to record and playback handler and pet behaviors when training new teams. To that end, LAPS wants $4,800 to purchase a video camera, laptop computer and software. Another $5,200 is needed for video editing and duplication. Support of this project will help LAPS create effective training materials.

Agency: St. Helena Catholic Church
Support Needed: $5,000
Purpose: Operating expenses for day-labor center

For nearly 15 years, St. Helena Catholic Church has been in the matchmaking business. The Work Connection program is an employment service that links adults with a variety of businesses around Napa County. Originally intended to connect farm workers with wineries and vineyard management companies, the employment service now represents workers with a variety of skills, including gardening, masonry, housekeeping, and care giving for children or elderly. On the employer side, clients now also include small businesses, individuals, and restaurants. Work Connection, which is located in St. Helena, makes matches six days a week. Both migrants and residents line up before 7:00 a.m. to sign in and indicate the type of job they are seeking. A program director, who is bilingual in Spanish and English, interviews the job seekers about their skills and language fluency. Employers either phone in or stop by to talk with the program director about the type and number of workers needed. Placements are made on the spot, and jobs can last a day or two, several weeks, or even months. Employers are required to pay at least $10 to $12 per hour, depending on the type of work; neither party is charged a fee for their connection. While employees wait for their matches to be made, Work Connection also provides support services, such as: English lessons; financial literacy classes; health information workshops conducted by Clinic Olé; or, appointments with a representative from the Mexican Consulate to obtain passports or ID cards. Work Connection continues to have an impact--the number of job seekers averages 20 a day, and gets as high as 70 during the wine industry's peak seasons; women now comprise about 25 percent of workers. In 2008, job placements resulted in at least $800,000 in earnings for 380 adults, who would otherwise be unemployed. Work Connection also has placed more than 70 people in permanent jobs. The program's annual budget is $45,000. Grants from the City of St. Helena, California Human Development Corp., Newman's Own Foundation, and the Farmworker Committee will fund all but $5,000. Your support would ensure that Work Connection keeps making matches that can transform people's earning power--and their lives.