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| BE SURE TO CLICK THE "SAVE VOTE" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! One vote per person, per day. |
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| Title: |
San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
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| Description: |
The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is a regional non-profit educational institution founded to preserve and present the railroad history of California and specifically the Central Coast. Collecting, restoring and displaying relevant railroad artifacts, photographs and documents is the museum's goal. This effort is supplemented by creating models, displays and graphics as well as operating historic railroad equipment to facilitate a better understanding of how railroads have affected our area's social, cultural and economic history.
In furtherance of our mission, we perform a variety of activities including restoring and preserving rail equipment that once traveled on the rail lines of the central coast, allowing visitors to view and experience our old equipment, providing exhibits that explain and demonstrate the role railroads played in our history, and holding classes and training for children to learn about railroading (both past and present) through Boy Scout and Girl Scout Merit Badge programs. |
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| Title: |
San Luis Obispo County Band
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| Description: |
The San Luis Obispo County Band is organized exclusively for educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS Code.
The mission of this organization is:
1. To foster the presentation of band music and encourage appreciation of band music by the general public in the central coast area of California.
2. To provide a medium for the training of band musicians and the education of young persons in music.
3. To provide entertainment in the form of band concerts for civic, educational and charitable associations in the area served by the band. |
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| Title: |
Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers
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| Description: |
The Keepers’ mission is to restore, preserve, and operate the historic Point San Luis Light Station as a public park and museum.
The Keepers have spent more than 80,000 volunteer hours since 1995 restoring the Lighthouse and its historic structures to their original condition circa1890-1900. The Light Station is able to operate as a destination historic site thanks to the participation of PG&E and the Port San Luis Harbor Commission.
The first phase of improvements being completed, the recent focus has been on maintenance of the historic site and the surrounding buildings and property.
Additionally, the contribution of the Howard J. Miossi grants enables the Keepers' children's educational program. |
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| Title: |
Applause Children’s Theater
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| Description: |
At ACT, our mission is to provide an enriching, inspiring, and entertaining musical theater experience for children in SLO County. Our theater program teaches important social skills, such as empathy, cooperation, and self-awareness. It also inspires children to overcome fears and expand their goals and dreams. At ACT, we celebrate the uniqueness of each child in our program and, because we believe ALL kids deserve to be on stage, every child who auditions is cast in the show! At ACT, everyone is a STAR! |
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| BE SURE TO CLICK THE "SAVE VOTE" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! One vote per person, per day. |
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| Title: |
Royal Family Kids Camp of Santa Barbara
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| Description: |
Royal Family Kids’ Camp exists to create positive, life changing moments for children who are victims of child abuse and neglect in Santa Barbara County. We hold a week long summer camp in July where 32 campers in the foster care system, ages 6-12, experience a camp designed specifically for them. There is one trained counselor per two campers so that each child receives plenty of individual attention. We throw a birthday party to honor and celebrate the campers’ birthdays, as many of them do not get to experience a birthday party. Each camper receives a photo book containing pictures of their week at camp and a hand-made quilt. For a week, these children get to swim, do crafts, hike, take boat rides, and just be kids! The camp is entirely run by volunteers who have received 8-12 hours of training. Once children have attended the camp, they are eligible to be a part of a mentoring program, where they attend a monthly club meeting, as well as meet with their mentor for an additional 4 hours or more per month to develop positive, safe, and meaningful relationships with caring adults. Royal Family Kids’ Camp is completely funded by generous donors and run by volunteers seeking to change the cycle in the lives of children who have experienced abuse. |
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| Title: |
Community Action Partners - Youth Programs
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| Description: |
Community Action Partnership of SLO Co. addresses the causes of poverty, empowering low income people to achieve self-sufficiency through community-based collaborations and programs. The Youth Programs Department provides free health services to teens from Paso Robles to Santa Maria, including comprehensive reproductive education, personal health coaching, and after school fitness programs. |
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| Title: |
Boys & Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley
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| Description: |
To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. |
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| BE SURE TO CLICK THE "SAVE VOTE" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! One vote per person, per day. |
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| Title: |
Woods Humane Society
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| Description: |
Founded in 1955 and serving the entire county of San Luis Obispo, Woods Humane Society's mission is to serve, protect and shelter homeless companion animals, place animals into humane environments, promote responsible pet ownership, provide humane education, reduce animal overpopulation, and celebrate the human-animal bond. Woods Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization that receives no tax funding. Woods is supported by donations from individuals, grants, bequests, fundraising events, fees for services and generous sponsors.
With facilities in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero, the Woods adoption program is now placing 250 animals per month in loving homes! Our adoption centers accept owner-surrendered dogs and cats and over 400 animals per year from San Luis Obispo County Animal Services. Woods is also able to accept over 1,000 animals from shelter and rescue partners in high risk communities, saving lives and freeing up space in over-crowded facilities. We are committed to curbing the overpopulation of pets through the work of our spay/neuter clinic. Additionally, Woods offers dog obedience classes, humane education programs, summer camps for kids, a bottle feeding program for kittens, pet visitations at senior care facilities, and volunteer opportunities for people of all ages. |
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| Title: |
Pacific Wildlife Care
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| Description: |
Our mission is to support San Luis Obispo County wildlife through rehabilitation and educational outreach. Our vision is to be an advocate for wildlife and by sharing our experiences, we inspire community participation to reduce harm to our wildlife neighbors. Pacific Wildlife Care is the only organization in San Luis Obispo County that rescues all wildlife from hummingbirds to eagles and field mice to bobcats (excluding adult deer, mountain lions, bear and marine mammals) and rehabilitates them with the goal of releasing back to the wild. In 2018, Pacific Wildlife Care received 2,490 animals, responded to 3,235 calls on our telephone hotline and logged over 30,000 volunteer hours to rescue, transport and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife at our center. In addition, our education program, using non-releasable wildlife ambassadors, appeared and presented 93 times at schools, service clubs and other events. Many of the calls that we receive are from tourists visiting our are a beaches and wine country. They are often distressed by finding an injured animal and are referred to PWC. Our ability to respond and assure them that the animal will receive care affects the quality of any visit to the Central Coast. |
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| Title: |
Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary of San Luis Obispo
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| Description: |
We rescue abused and unwanted farm animals and rehabilitate them with lots of love and care. They give back by becoming part of our program designed to help children learn about compassion and heal from emotional issues and trauma.
Our programs have an emphasis on children, but others can benefit as well. We share the history of each animal, their resilience and why it is important to show kindness to others. Visitors are invited to share hands-on time with the animals and experience the unconditional acceptance and healing that animals give naturally. In turn, this helps kids open up and have teachable moments that can last a lifetime. It teaches reverence for all life and helps eliminate bullying and promote loving kindness for a more peaceful community and planet.
Each animal is an incredible character with an awe-inspiring tale of courage and triumph. This evokes compassion in even the toughest kids. Hearing the animals’ stories reaches inside of them an d helps them open up. Troubled youth who have been abused or special needs kids who may have been bullied or had to overcome a disability or illness start to shed their survival armor and begin to heal. |
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| Title: |
Cal Poly K9 Unit
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| Description: |
Cal Poly Police K9 unit is a valued member of the police department. It greatly enhances public safety on Cal Poly University Campus and the surrounding cities, by providing a tremendous resource in areas of search and rescue, suspect apprehension, detection, tracking, officer safety and public relations.
Our unit has been used throughout the county. Our K9's have helped locate lost children and elderly, as well has help take drugs off the streets and to protect police officers and the community when needed.
This K9 unit would not be possible without the support or our community as we are 100% funded from individuals and business's within the community. All fund collected go towards the care, maintenance and training of our K9's. |
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| BE SURE TO CLICK THE "SAVE VOTE" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! One vote per person, per day. |
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| Title: |
Mental Health Association in Santa Barbara County
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| Description: |
To advance mental health in Santa Barbara County. We accomplish this through practical, person-centered services in the community. Since 1947, we've worked with adults and families with serious mental illnesses. In the past twenty years, we've expanded our audience to include the entire community as we've learned how important prevention and early intervention is for individual health and for the community overall and we've added more awareness and education. Now, we offer a day-use psychiatric rehabilitation program, housing, employment assistance, interpersonal support, and education for wellness and illness management. We teach courses in schools to sixth graders and older students, have high school clubs for wellness, and are open to adults eighteen years and older at no or nominal cost and in English and Spanish. We closely partner and support the local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) affiliate and have well established relationships with government, nonprofit, school, medical, and legal organizations, as well as other stakeholders, where we intersect on advancing mental wellness. |
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| Title: |
Jack’s Helping Hand
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| Description: |
Founded in 2006 by Paul and Bridget Ready, in memory of their son, Jack, Jack’s Helping Hand, (JHH) assists local children struggling with cancer, special needs and disabilities in San Luis Obispo County up to the age of 21. Jack’s Helping Hand fulfills requests for assistance with medical equipment, provides transportation, food and lodging for out of town appointments and procedures, and helps with medical bills when there are no other sources to cover these needs. Jack’s Helping Hand currently assists over 60 families each month locally, and when they travel for appointments, surgery and chemotherapy outside of our county.
Equine and swimming therapy programs, a no-cost summer camp for children dealing with cancer and their families, and four local adaptive toy lending libraries are some of the community programs JHH provides.
Jack’s Helping Hand is building a universally accessible park on 30 acres of generously donated land in Nipomo, in memory of baby Jack. The Jack Ready Imagination Park will be a place for children with disabilities to play with their families and peers. Current plans for the park include a large accessible playground, therapeutic riding facility, hardscape courts, playing fields, hiking trails, and barbeque and picnic areas. |
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| Title: |
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County
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| Description: |
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County (Hospice SLO County) envisions a community that recognizes death as a part of life; where dying and grieving are embraced as natural; where all have access to support services without charge; where no one dies or is left to grieve without comfort.
We recognize death as a natural and personal event. In this spirit, we support the community in working with those near the end of life and the people who love them by providing in-home support, caregiver respite, grief counseling, support groups, community response and education. All free of charge. |
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| Title: |
Five Cities Meals on Wheels
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| Description: |
Our Mission at Five Cities Meals on Wheels is to help build a healthy community by delivering hot nutritious meals, a warm smile, a compassionate connection, and a watchful caring eye on the health and safety of our home-bound neighbors. We assist local home-bound residents of all ages and economic levels who may need a meal in order to help meet or maintain their dietary needs, so that they may remain independent and in their home environment.
Along with the nutritional support offered by our weekday visits, we are also able to be the eyes and ears of loved ones or family members that are not able to be there on a daily basis. |
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| Title: |
End Kids Cancer
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| Description: |
We raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
The results of the most recent cancer trial we supported reduced relapse rates for children by 80% using a vaccine with no side effects. This is a monumental advancement in the fight against cancer that will benefit children on the Central Coast.
We also disseminate critical lifesaving information to parents of children fighting cancer, and adults fighting cancer. Our free cancer guidebook, Steps to Hope, has a proven track record of significantly improving the outcome of a cancer diagnosis.
Our work earned us an invitation by Vice President Joe Biden to represent pediatric cancer research at the Cancer Moonshot Summit in Washington D.C. in 2016.
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| BE SURE TO CLICK THE "SAVE VOTE" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! One vote per person, per day. |
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| Title: |
Habitat for Humanity for San Luis Obispo County
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| Description: |
Habitat for Humanity for San Luis Obispo County brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. We do this by building new homes that we sell to low-income families. We will be breaking ground shortly on 17 simple, decent affordable homes. However, building new homes is only one way to ensure low-income persons have safe and decent shelter. Our Home Preservation (HP) program maintains homes owned by low-income individuals through home repairs. Often these homeowners do not have additional funds to maintain their homes. Many are seniors and our Aging in Place component of our HP work ensures elderly and disabled homeowners stay in their homes safely. Our Neighborhood Revitalization (NR) strategy improves and stabilizes low-income neighborhoods and their residents by improving the community infrastructure and strengthening resident connections by addressing their concerns and needs. These programs are vital as San Luis Obispo County faces critical affordable hous ing shortage. Through our work we are building and restoring homes and neighborhoods, addressing our housing crisis, and making our belief that everyone deserves a home a reality. |
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| Title: |
Family Care Network
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| Description: |
Family Care Network is a community-based nonprofit organization with a very clear mission: "To enhance the wellbeing of children and families in partnership with our community." We serve children, youth and families impacted by trauma living in our local community. Over our 31-year history, our programs have grown to serve over 2,000 children, youth and families impacted by trauma annually, with an average overall success rate of 93%. The agency, nationally accredited by The Joint Commission, operates 21 unique programs designed to strengthen and preserve families and individuals in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. |
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| Title: |
CASA of San Luis Obispo County
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| Description: |
CASA of San Luis Obispo County advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the court system. CASA recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers who advocate for this vulnerable population with the goal of ensuring that each and every child grows up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.
They are their advocate, mentor and friend and positively influence them to make appropriate choices, form trusting relationships, and behave responsibly. The relationship between the dedicated CASA volunteer and the child empowers the child and helps the child to overcome the negative consequences of their abuse and neglect. |
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| Title: |
Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara
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| Description: |
The mission of Angels Foster Care is to rescue abused, abandoned, and neglected young children, match each with carefully prepared, selected foster parents, keep them in one home until adoption or reunification occurs, and ensure the maximum emotional, social, and intellectual development of each child. |
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