The timeliness of San Jose Playhouse’s new production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins” may have been a little too close for comfort. The show was set to open last Saturday night, but — as we all know — that afternoon an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump happened in Pennsylvania. “Assassins” uses several historical Presidential assassins and would-be assassins as characters to look at their impact on American culture and history, with songs and some laughs thrown in. San Jose Playhouse’s Scott and Shannon Guggenheim made the quick correct decision to postpone the ..read more

There are few people besides Santa Claus who have meant as much to Christmas in the Park as John Herschbach has. And that’s why the longtime board member and volunteer received a surprise honor at the Christmas in July fundraiser held last Saturday night at History Park in San Jose. Board President Brian Pulliam and Vice President Tony Santos presented Herschbach with a commemorative bench inscribed with his name at the island-themed event. “He has helped steer this incredible organization through challenging times and changes,” Santos said about Herschbach, a former board president. “There’s ..read more

GILROY — Crowded around a large kitchen island, a cadre of uniformed youth watch intently as chef Carlos Pineda takes a knife and makes short, deliberate work of the carrot before him as he explains proper peeling and cutting techniques. Pineda then asks them to put his demo into practice, coaching them through knife skills as they break down the ingredients for chimichurri and seared tri tip. Soon, the bright bloom of freshly chopped herbs, the sharp scent of garlic and the acid bite of vinegar fill the industrial kitchen. With the erratic tapping of the students’ knives on the cutt ..read more

By Allie Torgan | CNN Santa Cruz  — Melissa Wolf’s clients come in all shapes and sizes. Some have two legs, some have four. All of them need a second chance. Wolf is the founder of UnChained, a nonprofit in Santa Cruz County that pairs vulnerable young people, often living in juvenile correction facilities, with abandoned or abused dogs that have been rescued from shelters. The youth learn to train the dogs in basic skills and better prepare them for adoption. The program’s goal is twofold: decrease juvenile recidivism and save animals’ lives. “There’s a lot of reciprocity between dogs a ..read more

After 34 years at the helm of Family Giving Tree, founder and CEO Jennifer Cullenbine is set to retire at the end of the year. Cullenbine, affectionately known as the “Queen Elf,” founded the Milpitas-based nonprofit 35 years ago. Under her leadership, Family Giving Tree (FGT) has served 2.25 million community members through its annual Holiday Wish and Back-to-School drives. “We are immensely grateful for Jennifer’s vision and kindness in starting Family Giving Tree and making our programs fixtures in communities across Northern California,” said FGT board chakir Andrea Borch in a statement ..read more

SAN JOSE — A busy nonprofit food bank will again pursue the construction of a modern headquarters and warehouse in San Jose after prevailing in a lawsuit that had sought to derail the project. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is actively planning its future headquarters again after a Santa Clara County court dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice. Entry area of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley headquarters, distribution, and warehouse complex at 4553 and 4653 North First Street in north San Jose, concept. (Second Harvest of Silicon Valley) Organizacion Comunidad de Alviso, a South Bay group ..read more

SAN JOSE — A microlender has opened a new office in San Jose, a move the nonprofit hopes will bolster the fortunes of small businesses and entrepreneurs in the area. TMC Community Capital has begun operating in downtown San Jose and intends to offer low-cost loans to businesses and individuals. “We are thrilled to expand our presence in San Jose, a vibrant and diverse city with immense entrepreneurial potential,” said Daniel Fernandez, chief executive officer with TMC Community Capital. The microlender provides what it describes as affordable loans ranging in amounts from $5,000 to $50,000 eac ..read more

Community grants The town of Los Gatos is accepting applications for its community grant application program. Nonprofits that serve the Los Gatos community can apply by July 31 to receive a maximum of $10,000 from the program, which has been allocated a total of $180,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The budget also allows for $25,000 in special grants that could go to three organizations assisting in rental assistance, $70,000 for nonprofit human service organizations and $25,000 for hot meal service for Live Oak Nutrition. For the application form, rubric and instructions, visit https://www.l ..read more

For more than 30 years, Ken Wayne was a familiar face of Bay Area television news. While the longtime anchorman — who retired this spring — is off the air now, he plans to spend a good chunk of his free time up in the air — saving abused and abandoned animals one small planeload at a time. Wayne, 63, founded Flying Tails six years ago and has flown all over the state helping rescue dozens of dogs, bear cubs, raccoons and even a bald eagle. The animals he transports are either injured, abandoned or in a kill shelter when rescue groups reach out to Wayne to see if he can fly them to their foreve ..read more

By THALIA BEATY | Associated Press Nicole Taylor has an insider’s view of philanthropic trends from her seat as the president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Located in Mountain View, the community foundation’s donors gave out nearly $4.6 billion in 2023, a significant increase from the $2.6 billion granted the previous year. Related Articles Business | Coming soon to South Bay: Drone deliveries Business | Supreme Court allows White House to press social media companies to remove disinformation Business | California bill advances that would make Google, Facebook pay new ..read more