At 2 am, the phone rings at the Contra Costa Crisis Center. A 15-year-old boy, voice trembling, reaches out. He has lost his father, his mother is struggling, and he feels utterly alone. On the other end, a compassionate voice answers within 20 seconds, offering not just a listening ear but a lifeline. Stories like [...more...]
The largest database of ATF gun store inspection reports ever released to the public, exposing gun stores cited for breaking the law We spent years filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and fighting in [...more...]
Giving List Matching Challenges
Youth Development
Young people are on the frontlines, often literally, of the world’s cultural and political battles. But rarely given opportunities to […more…]
Congratulations to Doug Paniagua & Austin Le for having their stories transformed into short plays at Lodi’s 2nd Annual Fresh Ink Fest. This event, […more…]
We know it’s only October, and you’re probably thinking more about pumpkin spice and Halloween costumes than the holiday season. […more…]
Social Justice
Gabriel was stunned when he opened a notice from his landlord: his rent was going up by 16.6%. “I felt […more…]
In communities across America, a tragic reality plays out daily: 92% of people facing legal issues do not have the […more…]
Homelessness
In the heart of San Francisco’s Bayview district, Diana had called the same house home for over two decades. But […more…]
Health & Wellness
In West Oakland – an area with deep roots in Black art, food, and community – access to fresh foods […more…]
In the fall of 1992, Lois Pavlow was seeking a solution. Living in San Francisco, she had an extra coat […more…]
On a weekday morning in Milpitas, a woman stocks produce at Safeway, greeting customers by name. This simple scene is […more…]
For the Environment
The banana slug moves silently across the forest floor, a strange but welcoming ambassador to the redwood cathedral above. For […more…]
For the Children
In the heart of Silicon Valley, students attend well-funded public schools, and yet another story unfolds in those same hallways. […more…]
The 14-year-old girl from El Salvador had never been away from home, but Carolina* knew she had to run. The […more…]
When families have a child with a critical illness, not only do they face the medical crisis; they face emotional […more…]
For the Animals
On Saturday, June 6, 2026, Berkeley Humane will host two exciting events in one incredible day, all at the same location and […more…]
We’re proud to share that Sage Compassion for Animals founder, Dr. Julie Smith and Board Member, Dr. Lissa Richardson, were […more…]
Wilma Melville founded the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in 1996, a year after witnessing the dearth of rescue dogs […more…]
Family Well-Being
A mom in East Palo Alto went to jail for stealing diapers; her kids went to foster care. According to […more…]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the latest data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System […more…]
Emergency Services
Direct Relief navigates the war zones in Ukraine to deliver cystic fibrosis medications, transports Mpox vaccines to clinics in the […more…]
The Search Dog Foundation (SDF) has announced the deployment of seven specialized canine disaster search teams to Washington state as […more…]
Education
The National Writing Project (NWP) operates as the nation’s largest network of teacher-leaders focused on writing, with 150 university-based sites […more…]
Being the first in your family to attend college is a remarkable achievement, but one that also comes with a […more…]
Who among us doesn’t have a cherished memory of a stellar teacher who made a crucial, lasting impact on our […more…]
Community Resilience
Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. (PVI) was founded over 76 years ago in Menlo Park by a group of forward-thinking women in […more…]
Since 2019, the cost of living in the city by the Bay has skyrocketed by 54%, forcing teachers, essential workers, […more…]
The call came on a Tuesday morning in July. Eliana*, 22 and struggling with her homework, learned that her parents […more…]
Advocacy
Gun violence. The phrase has become almost blandly ubiquitous in American culture. But to those who have experienced the piercing […more…]