The Yolo Children’s Fund — helping the county’s neediest children

Special to the Express

Foster children are among the most underprivileged youngsters in Yolo County. On average, foster children change residences every six months and seldom have an opportunity to experience the benefits of a stable home environment. Most foster parents cannot afford to pay for swim lessons, soccer fees, gymnastics lessons, art classes, summer camp and a variety of educational opportunities that are available to most children in Yolo County. Some foster families cannot afford to purchase even sufficient school clothes that their foster children need. Often the Yolo Children’s Fund comes to the rescue.

An example is the case of Aaron and Joshua, who are two brothers placed in a single foster care home. Aaron is 16 and Joshua is 10. Both children have a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) who mentors the child and helps meet his needs. Aaron is intellectually gifted but is behind in school. Aaron’s CASA asked the Children’s Fund to pay for tutoring for Aaron and to support summer school so that he could catch up and begin taking Advanced Placement classes. Joshua’s CASA asked the Children’s Fund to provide swimming lessons since Joshua still does not know how to swim at age 10. The Children’s Fund granted these requests and also paid for Joshua to go roller skating since he had nev- er been skating. The Children’s Fund believes that these grants improved the lives of Aaron and Joshua. Since its founding 22 years ago, the Children’s Fund has heard hundreds of stories like Aaron’s and Joshua’s, and in response distributed more than $200,000 in grants to needy Yolo County children. The Children’s Fund has no paid staff and 95 percent of contributions go directly to grants for needy children.

Most foster parents cannot afford to pay for swim lessons, soccer fees, gymnastics lessons, art classes, summer camp and a variety of educational opportunities that are available to most children in Yolo County. Some foster families cannot afford to purchase even sufficient school clothes that their foster children need. Often the Yolo Children’s Fund comes to the rescue.

The more than 67 extremely disadvantaged children in foster care and the juvenile justice system who received Yolo Children’s Funds grants in 2022 would have gone without, absent the generosity and kindness of our donors. Up until recently, eligible children have been those in foster care and the juvenile justice system. Beginning in late 2022, however, we added as eligible children those in the Empower Yolo Shelter or Empower Yolo programs. The Yolo Children’s Fund welcomes donations from the community. The Children’s Fund is an IRS 501(c) (3) organization, and all donations to the Children’s Fund are tax deductible.

If you would like more information about the Children’s Fund, visit our website at http://www.yolochildrensfund.org. Our website includes a list of some of our donors. The children we serve very much appreciate your support.

Please note that the children’s names in this article are fictitious.

We support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human tra cking, and other crime victims, the homeless, and families in need. For info on services visit empoweryolo.org We have $40,700 in matching funds thanks to our generous matching donors. Double the impact of your donation for Empower Yolo by donating on May 4.

Thursday, May 4

Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., School District Office, Zoom Meeting info, check https://bit.ly/ WintersJUSDBoardAgendaCommunitySite

Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee

6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance)

Thursdays Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 417 Haven St., 530-668-0690

Saturday, May 6

WHS Student Garden Art Show, 10-12 p.m., Winters Community Library Teaching Garden (708 Railroad Ave.)

Monday, May 8

Winters Climate Action Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check cityofwinters.org/climate-action-commission

Wednesdays

Eat Well Yolo Drive – Through Food Distribution Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. As supplies last, Winters High student parking lot, off Railroad Avenue.

Upcoming

Monday, May 15

Winters Natural Resources Commission Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check www.cityofwinters. org/natural-resources-commission/

Tuesday, May 16 Winters City Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Council chamber (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/ city-council-meetings_/

Monday, May 17

Winters Senior Commission on Aging Meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), check www.cityofwinters .org/winters-senior-commission-on-aging

Library Services

Winters Library Open to Public (School in Session), Winters Community Library, Mon/Wed: 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. , Sat: 1–5 p.m.

Teen Tuesday (ages 12-18), Second Tuesdays, 13:30 p.m., Winters Community Library

Bilingual Storytime (ages 0-5), Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Winters Community Library

Virtual English Conversation Group, Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m., One time registration required: Contact Nancy Pacheco 530-666-8019 or nancy.pacheco@ yolocounty.org

Mangonada Monday (ages 6-12), fourth Monday, 3:30 p.m.

Tech Thursdays, Second Thursday, 2-7:30 p.m., call 530-666-8005 to schedule an appointment Afterschool Adventure (ages 6-12), Third Thursday, 3:30 p.m., Winters Community Library Saturday Matinee, First Saturday, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library

All You Need is Love Romance Book Club, Second Saturday, 4 p.m., Hooby’s Brewing

Older Adult Programs

Winters Senior Foundation Chair Yoga Class for Seniors, Wednesdays, 9:30-11 a.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)

Winters Senior Foundation Social Gathering, Thurdays, 1-3:30 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)

Ongoing

WTC Presents Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding May 5-7., Green River Brewing & Taproom Park, Tickets and showtimes visit www.winterstheatre.org.

Winters Wide World of Sports exhibit, Thursday thru Sunday, 1-5 p.m., Winters Museum, 13 Russell St.

Winters Friends of the Library meeting, first Monday, 7 p.m., Winters Community Library, Margaret Parsons Room, wfol.org

Rotary Club of Winters meeting, Thursdays, Noon, The Buckhorn

Winters Museum public hours Thursday thru Sunday, 1-5 p.m., 13 Russell St.

Winters Open Mic, third Saturday of the month, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5 p.m.), Downtown Main Street. Kiwanis Club of Winters meeting, fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m., Hooby's Brewing

Democracy Winters meeting, third Saturdays, 10 a.m.Noon, Meeting details in newsletter, contact info@ democracywinters.org

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings:

» St. Anthony Parish Hall, 511 Main St. (back entrance) Tuesdays, 7-8 a.m. and Fridays, 7-8 a.m.

Secure Find inspiration with Gardeners FEATURES, Page 5 a home while prices are low

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Smaller parade, same spirit third place. The last duck pulled from the creek belonged to Stacey Hall. Hall will receive a flock of ducks in the 2024 Duck Derby event.

Second Place: Mieka McClain, Brooke Plechaty, Nora Nolan, and Emily Adams;

Third Place: Owen and Alba Unger

Wagon/Scooter

Alameda; Third Place: Michol and Bryant Prado-Garcia

Main Parade

• Sweepstakes

Award: Roxie’s Flower Truck

The Kiwanis Club of Winters organized the 9th annual Duck Derby on Friday, April 28, outside of the Winters Community Center. Children were invited to plant sunflower or California poppy seeds and play in a cloud of bubbles as community members adopted the last of the rubber duck racers.

With kayakers at the ready, the ducks dove into Putah Creek. Some tapped out early, while others floated lazily toward the finish line. The 2023 Duck Derby winners included Joel Kling’s duck in first, Bob Young’s duck in second place and Dawn Edwards’ duck in

The number of entries in this year’s Youth Day Main Parade was fewer in numbers, but it didn’t stop the community from lining the streets to wave and celebrate those who signed up to march down Main Street. This year’s Kiddie Parade and Main Parade winners include:

Kiddie Parade

• Sweepstakes

Award: MaryElla and LillyBelle Galabasa

Decorated Bicycle

• First Place: Audrey and Leah Gallo, and Finnegan Nolan; Second Place: Jay Vickrey; Third Place: Josiah Gisi

Costume

• First Place: Sadie and Noelle Balogh;

• First Place: Marcus and Mariah Langum; Second Place: Abby and Jack Nelson; Third Place: Max and Matias Sanchez

Pet

• First Place: KJ

Kaeser and Olivia

Driver; Second Place: June Lonergan; Third Place: Cooper Connolly Group

• First Place: Alessandra and Cesar Jesus; Second Place: Brinn and Chelsea Medina; Third Place: Cody and Brynlee Johnston

Mini Float

• First Place: Emerson Skaggs; Second Place: Camryn and Carson Conner, June Lonergan, and Dahlia

Floats

• First Place Other Schools Float: Winters Middle School Club Live

Marching Units

• First Place Senior

Marching Unit: Napa Pepperettes Senior Baton Corps. Napa, CA

• First Place Junior Marching Unit: Winters Girl Scouts Marching Unit, Second Place Junior Marching Unit: Napa Pepperettes Junior Baton Corps. Napa, CA

Bands

• First Place High School Band: Winters High School Band

• First Place Junior

See PARADE, Page 7

JV baseball remains undefeated