For a town of only 11,000 people, Healdsburg is home to a cornucopia of nonprofits. Taken as a whole, Sonoma County has more not-for-profit organizations than just about every other county in the United States. These groups specialize in everything from fighting health inequities to leveling the playing field for kids with disabilities. In this month’s Sawflier, we wanted to spotlight three of our favorite nonprofits with information about how to get involved.
Common Ground Society. Based in Santa Rosa, this nonprofit advocates on behalf of those with disabilities. The bulk of the organization’s work is education—ambassadors fan out into the community to deliver presentations that teach children and parents alike how to be more compassionate, inclusive, and accepting of people with disabilities. CGS also provides support and resources for Sonoma County families that include children with disabilities. Finally, and perhaps most important, CGS provides community, since having a child who has a disability, unique need, or any different path from the typical experience, can be hard to navigate. The group’s annual fundraising gala happens to be this weekend.
Healthcare Foundation of Sonoma County. This nonprofit, which calls itself “The Healthcare Foundation,” has a mission to eliminate health inequities in Sonoma County. The group seeks to achieve this goal by investing in programs that support fair and equitable access to culturally sensitive healthcare and mental health services and promote overall community wellness. Since 2001, the organization has doled out $23.5 million in grants to other local entities. More recently, over the last few years, the Healthcare Foundation has awarded more than $450,000 in scholarships to 18 different bilingual and bicultural students who wish to enter the pipeline of mental health workers. The organization’s annual fundraiser, Noche de Amor, is June 3.
Corazon Healdsburg. This nonprofit, started by former Campo Fina and Scopa owners Dawnelise Regnery and Ari Rosen, strives for equity in Healdsburg and beyond. The group operates a bilingual family resource center and offers family-centered case management, as well as a cradle-to-career approach to education for all ages. It amplifies the local Latin-American voice, and hosts community events, trainings and discussions to promote and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Corazon staff work with hundreds of low-income families from the communities of Healdsburg, Windsor, Cloverdale, and Geyserville. The people Corazon supports are 100% low-income, 95% are Latin American, and approximately 75% are monolingual Spanish speakers.
