What better way to celebrate fall and its festive pay-it-forward feel-good generous spirit than by tipping (with either a hat or perhaps a wallet) the local nonprofits that work tirelessly throughout the year to give back to the community?
Here are three of oh-so-many local nonprofit organizations that can help to inspire the downright infectious spirit of giving amidst fall’s abundance.
North Marin Community Services
North Marin Community Services is a nonprofit organization that has worked diligently with the local community to provide resources, be it food or otherwise, to residents of Marin County for over 50 years. Alongside this organization’s weekly food pantry and healthy food program for children, North Marin Community Services also offers assistance to people and families who are struggling to find access to childcare, education, healthcare and so much more.
With the upcoming holiday season stretching resources thin in households across the county, the weekly food pantry is sure to be busy. For those who wish to give into the spirit of generosity this season, know that volunteers are always more than welcome (provided they fill out a short application first).
For more information about opportunities to volunteer or receive assistance from the North Marin Community Services, visit the website at northmarincs.org or call 415.892.1643.
Conservation Corps North Bay
This acknowledgement of autumn’s all-encompassing spirit of giving through the lens of local nonprofits would not be complete without mentioning those whose work gives back to the very land itself.
The Conservation Corps North Bay is a nonprofit organization that began in 1981 with the goal of community involvement, especially by empowering its youths to take to the hills to gain valuable hands-on experience in caring for the natural environment and, through that, building a sense of work ethic and empathy (and employment opportunities as well).
Though the initial idea behind the creation of Conservation Corps North Bay was as simple as clearing a running trail in the Marin Headlands, the past 40 years have seen incredible growth that speaks, once again, to the generosity of the North Bay and its people. Together, the corps members of the Conservation Corps North Bay work throughout the year to tend the land and prevent instances of wildfires, flooding and landslides. They also tend to the upkeep of miles upon miles of local trails, natural habitats, parks, beaches and more.
To learn more about Conservation Corps North Bay and its mission, visit ccnorthbay.org or call 415.454.4554. Mail meant for the Conservation Corps North Bay may be sent to 11 Pimentel Ct. in Novato. The in-person office locations are in Cotati at 365 Blodgett St. and in San Rafael at 27 Larkspur St.
WildCare
At the wildlife sanctuary and well-known North Bay nonprofit called WildCare, the dedicated volunteers quite literally work day and night to tend to the needs of injured and displaced animals from all across the county.
Inside the animal hospital at WildCare, it is apparent to anyone paying attention just how much the volunteers truly do care about the animals that are in their care. And whether the patient is an injured opossum, a baby squirrel, a feeble fawn or an irritable and incredibly misplaced iguana, WildCare will be there. So, if caring for the wildlife that lives alongside the people of Marin sounds like a worthy way to give back this fall, consider giving WildCare a call.
Though the wildlife hospital at WildCare is currently in operation, the museum and courtyard are closed until further notice in order to protect the animal ambassadors from an avian illness. So, though popping by WildCare just to say hi is not an option at the moment, rest assured the volunteers are just as busy as ever.
To learn more about WildCare, visit the website at discoverwildcare.org or call 415.456.7283. For late-night emergency animal care assistance, call the organization’s wildlife emergency line at 415.300.6359. WildCare is located at 76 Albert Park Ln. in San Rafael.
