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August 2011 Big Brothers/Big Sisters By Fran Miller
Patty Guinto, age 31, is a busy woman. Her job is demanding, she has a crazy commute, she plays sports, and she enjoys time with friends and family. She lives an active life typical of most Bay Area residents – yet, she always finds time to spend with her “little sister” Sarah, age 15. “I'm not going to lie,” laughs Guinto, a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the East Bay (BBBS), “but on more than one occasion, Sarah and I have simply done laundry together because it was the only time I had the whole week to do it. Sometimes that's just how life is. But if you make it a priority, there is always time for BBBS. I think volunteers are surprised at how easy and rewarding BBBS is.” The mission of BBBS is to provide children Patty Guinto with “little sister” Sarah. facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. “Providing a child with a Big Brother or Big Sister – someone they can look up to, explore the world with, put their trust in – really does change lives,” says Erica Argueta, Hispanic Partnership Coordinator for BBBS of the East Bay. “Time spent together offers new experiences and new choices, allowing a child to learn more about the world and their own place in it. From the moment a “Little” is matched with a mentor, a door is opened, and the future is full of possibilities. Kids have been able to improve their grades, avoid gang violence and drugs, and reach higher education.” Guinto’s little sister Sarah, who registered at BBBS in an effort to add more positive role models to her life, claims that through her relationship with Guinto, the life-changing mission has been accomplished. But Guinto feels the transformation as well. “The program is supposed to benefit the Little,” she says, “but I find that my life is so much richer having known Sarah and her family.” Big Brothers was founded in 1904 by New York Court Clerk Ernest Coulter who was appalled by the suffering and misery of children who came through his courtroom. He appealed to civic and business leaders to take on the role of a “Big Brother.” By 1916, BBBS had spread to 96 cities across the country. Today there are more than 450 BBBS agencies operating in all 50 states and 12 countries around the world. Currently, BBBS of the East Bay has 54 matches in Contra Costa; 114 children (95 boys and 19 girls) are waiting for a mentor, yet only two volunteers are in the process to be matched. Generally, Little Brothers and Little Sisters are between six and 16 years old and come from many types of home environments and family structures, socio-economic
Serving Alamo and Diablo Round Hill Country Club Celebrates 50 Years 1961 to 2011 By Rick Roll and Karen Lang
In the early 1950’s, land developer Harlan S. Geldermann obtained the listing to sell 400-plus acres of valley and farmland located in the north side of Stone Valley Road, about one and a half miles east of downtown Alamo. Interested developers wanted to rezone the land and turn it into a subdivision of medium-priced homes on one-third acre lots. Like much of the Bay Area after World War II, Alamo’s population was growing. But the Alamo Improvement Association (AIA), which was created in 1953 to preserve the established character of Alamo as an agricultural and semirural residential area, proved to be a formidable foe, and the developers were unsuccessful. In 1957, Harlan reexamined the property, which consisted of two
See Round Hill continued on page 20
Research Before Donating By Alisa Corstorphine
Every community library in the Contra Costa County Library system has a “Friends” program that helps raise funds through the collection and resale of used books. These programs run entirely with the help of volunteers and with their support they help fund additional library hours, library materials, and special programs. The Friends are dependent on the contributions of used books, DVDs, and CDs from the community to meet their goals. However, the Friends are facing a new challenge. A national corporation has started putting used book blue bins in many supermarket parking lots as a convenient way for people to get rid of old media which in turn has diverted donations away from local charities and libraries. Volume XI - Number 8 The bins are marked for 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 See Big Brothers/Big Sisters continued on page 26 Reading Tree, a charity, but in fact there appears to Fax (925) 406-0547 be a murky line between Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher PRSRT STD the nonprofit and for-profit Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com U.S. Postage businesses that have placed Sharon Burke ~ Writer PAID sburke@yourmonthlypaper.com the bins. According to an Permit 263 opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do Alamo CA article titled ‘Books for The not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today is not charity’ bins, around Oregon responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor
See Books cont. on pg. 28
does publication imply endorsement.