The Monday Club Annual Book Drive
The Monday Clubhouse Conservancy announced its third year of collecting books for San Luis Obispo County’s youngest readers, from infancy to age 12.
Starting on April 10, The Monday Club will accept books at their clubhouse in San Luis Obispo. Donations may be dropped off the second and fourth Mondays of the months of April, May, and June, from 2 to 5 pm., at 1815 Monterey Street.
To help promote equity and access, The Monday Club gladly accepts both new and gently used books. They invite members of the community to clean out their bookshelves — or shop for a few new books — to pass on the joy of reading, and the gift of literacy. Volunteers will be on hand to receive the books, and to assist in unloading, as necessary. Books in Spanish and other languages are most welcome.
In addition to the book drive, as supporters of the County Office of Education’s Raise a Reader program (RAR), The Monday Club provides RAR with funds to buy books for their successful book bag initiative. This well-loved project gives children Pre-K through kindergarten classroom access to bags filled with books, which they take home, read, and then exchange for another bag. Since 2015, The Monday Club has donated $5,000 a year to assist with the program.
From its inception three years ago, The Monday Club has also distributed 7,000 books to children in underserved communities from Paso Robles to Oceano, and include printed bi-lingual Reading Tips for families in each book. This year’s book drive is a continuation of that program, the better to reach young readers of all ages.
The Monday Club is a 501(c) 3 Public Benefit Charitable Foundation whose mission includes providing community and educational activities, and preserving and restoring the historic landmark known as The Monday Club of San Luis Obispo designed by Heart Castle’s Julia Morgan.
For more information, go to themondayclubslo.org/RAR
Boys and Girls Club New CFO
Patricia Hammond has joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast as its first chief financial officer.
As the organization continues adding more Club sites, increasing staff and adding innovative new programs, the budget for the organization has expanded from $3.5 million in 2021 to over $7 million for the current fiscal year. Two Capital Campaigns are also on the horizon, all of which creates the need for a leader in financial administration and oversight to help streamline policy and operations for the nimble and problem-solving organization.
Club CEO, Michael Boyer, says that “53% of all school-age youth in our region live in poverty, we are growing to serve the increased demand for the out-of-school child development needs of our communities. We are very fortunate to have Trish join our executive team to enable us to serve the youth who need us most.“
A long time resident of the Central Coast, Hammond’s familiarity with the successes of Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast inspired her to lend her expertise to the mission of an organization serving children.
“As an individual of Hispanic descent,” Hammond said, “I am passionate about supporting low-income youth and know I can leverage my background and experience to be an excellent asset to the organization.”
Hammond can be contacted via email at trish.hammond@centralcoastkids.org.
For more information about Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, please call Kelly White O’Neill at (805) 354-7433 or via email at Kelly.whiteoneill@centralcoastkids.org or visit www.CentralCoastKids.org
CA Mortgage Relief Still Available for Homeowners
Homeowners struggling with housing payments can find help. The government organization, California Mortgage Relief Program, has expanded to provide additional assistance and expand eligibility to help even more homeowners who have struggled with housing payments due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1 billion program will run until all the funds are returned to homeowners.
The program is expanding in four ways:
1. Previously awarded homeowners who are still eligible and need more assistance can return for additional funds with a maximum of $80,000 in total assistance.
2. Assistance is now available for homeowners with partial claim second mortgages or loan deferrals taken during or after January 2020.
3. The delinquency date for assistance with past-due mortgage and property tax payments was reset – applicants must have missed at least two mortgage payments OR at least one property tax payment prior to March 1, 2023.
4. Homeowners with a primary residence that includes up to 4 units on the property may now be eligible.
The California Mortgage Relief Program is helping homeowners facing a COVID-related financial hardship get caught up on past-due mortgage, reverse mortgage and property tax payments, and helping to reduce or eliminate partial claim second mortgages and loan deferrals. The assistance provided through the California Mortgage Relief Program is not a loan and does not need to be paid back. Homeowners receiving these grants should talk with a tax professional about any impact this may have on their income taxes.
For homeowners with a mortgage or reverse mortgage, funding covers the full past-due amount owed to their lender, up to a maximum of $80,000 per household. Homeowners who are delinquent by more than $80,000 at the time they submit their application would not be eligible for assistance.
For homeowners who pay their property taxes directly to their county, grants fund the past-due amount that is owed to their county tax collector, up to $20,000 per household.
For more information, go to camortgagerelief.org.
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