Meet the Garcia Family: Establishing a Village to Help and Learn From

www.DanvilleLivingCA.com @DanvilleLivingCA #DanvilleLivingCA

COVER PHOTO: by Kim Lind Photography

Story by Alexandra Sullivan, Resident since 2017

Nestled just below the Livery, among quiet streets, mature trees, and rolling hills is the neighborhood of Danville Greens. Here is where you will find the Garcia family: Matt, Rachelle, Emma, and Grace.

Matt and Rachelle moved here 10 years ago and have enjoyed all that life in Danville has to offer. These college sweethearts met during their freshman year, back in 2004, when Matt was Rachelle’s math tutor at Sacramento State. “The good news is I passed my class and earned a love interest,” Rachelle says. They would go on to date through the remainder of their school years and later wed amongst some of California’s oldest vineyards. In January of 2012, Matt stood anxiously waiting for his bride to make her grand entrance at the Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery in Pleasanton. From there, their love would grow to include two beautiful daughters, as well as a sweet 10 year old Miniature Bull Terrier named Zoe.

At Sacramento State, Rachelle earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations with a Minor in Marketing. She currently works as an Operations Manager at Moore Mechanical, a family owned heating and air conditioning company based in Dublin. Matt turned his lifelong passion for cars into a career he loves. He works at the Chevron Technology Center in Richmond, researching Automotive Engine Oils for heavy duty and passenger car applications. He recently transitioned to a new position for Chevron Oronite as a North American Field Test Specialist where he manages heavy duty field tests.

The whole family enjoys a hike at Chino Hills State Park.

Rachelle, having grown up in Martinez, knew where she wanted to settle down after college, ”I wanted to come back to the bay area. I loved the community Danville offered and knew it would be the perfect place to call home.” It wasn’t hard to convince Matt, who grew up in Benicia, that Danville offered that “small-town feel” he was searching for. Being here for a solid decade now, surely Matt and Rachelle have seen the ebb and flow of the town. They say, “It is great to see the town continue to improve itself, working to provide a better experience for its residents.”

Matt, Rachelle, and Grace celebrate Emma at her ballet recital.

Though small, the neighborhood of Danville Greens has established itself as an area for tight community. “We check on each other’s pets while we are out, bring in packages, etc.” Through thick and thin this group of neighbors has banded together to look out for each other. “We unfortunately have dealt with some theft in the area. We are quick to let each other know if something doesn’t look right. We know we have friends/neighbors we can trust and count on.” No one wants to deal with theft, but it is an unfortunate aspect of life, and the silver lining here is surely the bonds that have been formed by these neighbors by navigating a tough situation together. They hope that as a neighborhood they are able to schedule some more time together, “Everyone enjoys a reason to gather and eat some good food. Things like this can only make the neighborhood better.”

Matt also enjoys sharing his passions and talents with his two girls. As a car enthusiast, Matt loves teaching the girls all about cars. He says, “Emma has discovered a love for Lamborghinis and promises to buy us a rainbow colored one when she is older.” As soon as football season rolls around though, you can bet that Matt (and the whole family!) block off a few hours during the week to cheer on the 49ers.

The Garcia family motto is “God First, Family Second”. This phrase serves as a guiding light and firm foundation for the whole family to work from. The Garcias attend New Life Church in Alamo, “We are active in a Life Group with around 8 other families in the same season of life. We have found some of the best support has come from our friends who are walking through the same season, as well as those who have already walked through it and can offer advice.” Through her blog, Rachelle hopes to offer that same guidance and insight to anyone looking for some help, “After having kids, besides discovering my love for coffee, I found journaling to be therapeutic. Being a new parent is difficult and everyone can be so judgmental. I started writing a blog www.cheerstomom. com to share the things I have learned. The message is the importance of finding the joy in all things… faith, family, friends, work, etc... I find joy in knowing something I have experienced may be able to help others. It’s my safe place.”

Emma and Grace are sisters and best friends

When not working full time jobs, blogging, or taking Emma and Grace to their activities, Matt and Rachelle place importance on slowing life down to enjoy their young family. “We feel it is important to not over extend ourselves. We are always busy and while it is easy to say yes to more, we learned it isn’t always the best for our family. We want to be able to do family dinners, spend weekends exploring, and going on adventures together.” One of the many reasons the Garcias settled in Danville was proximity to extended family who would be able to watch their girls grow up, “We are very fortunate to have family who lives locally... we are grateful [the girls’] grandparents get to see them grow up and build lasting memories.”

As supportive parents, Matt and Rachelle keep the focus on their girls’ futures. “We are investing in our girls and setting them up for a lifetime of success. Encouraging them to be leaders and instilling in them the importance of giving back to your community and those around you. You are never too young to volunteer your time!” With that wonderful mindset, the future looks bright for this enthusiastic family!