The animals desire your jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins and squash!  Wilder Ranch is glad to take them to feed to the cows, goats, sheep, and chickens. Donated pumpkins help get the cows through the winter --carved, slightly rotten, any size and variety.

You can drive straight to the barn.  If anyone stops you, just let them know that you are dropping off donations. Please leave them in the horse barn (straight ahead) with a note. Thank you!!!

Is your family scattered all over the country or close enough to easily get together? Mine is all over --east, west, north, south. I've seen a lot of family this year, for which I'm deeply grateful, but I don't do airports during holidays so I'm going to volunteer at a Thanksgiving community dinner. You? Family Volunteering Opportunities abound.

"For the last several weeks, Santa Cruz County fire agencies have responded to near-daily fires, and sometimes more than one per day. Please do everything possible to protect your family and your property from the dangers posed by wildfire."

Parents, tweens and teens: please research the facts about why we have such destructive fires in California. Begin here, and here, and here and here and here. Search further. Encourage the children to interview fire fighters and forestry experts. Help them distinguish between fact and opinion. Can they find a region, state, country that successfully prevents wildfires? What is our responsibility as citizens?

We all feel badly for people who need our help, most recently fire victims. Families have lost loved ones, homes and all their belongings to fire. Trained professionals on the front line offer you recommendations for best ways to help.

Have a thoughtful weekend prior to Thanksgiving, Parmalee

All About Theatre presents a remarkable show for its 15-Year Anniversary Fundraising Gala and Performance on Saturday, November 17, at the historic Rio Theatre. Metamorphosis: A Musical Journey is an extraordinary odyssey of beloved musical theater songs that weaves the threads of individuals as they grow, blossom and ultimately find their artistic voice and true self. Each song speaks to this evolution as budding artists, growing with every show, come together in this community that is All About Theatre.

The fun and poignant musical mash-ups, featuring songs such as "Somewhere" from West Side Story, "When I Grow Up" from Matilda, "Take a Chance on Me" from Mama Mia and "This is Me" from The Greatest Showman, present an unprecedented opportunity to see future stars and current stars share the stage for one night only to connect through the languages of music, dance, and theater.

Saturday, November 17
5:30 pm - Special Pre-Performance Gala Entertainment
7:30 pm - Metamorphosis Performance
Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz

We have two sets of one adult / one child tickets for the 7:30 performance. First two to email parmalee @ santacruzparent.com gets them!

People

We want to help fire victims. Those on the front line say they have too much clothing, toothpaste, deodorant, "things," but...

Yes to credit cards --Walmart, Target or grocery, pharmacy, drugstore, gas station type cards

Yes cash to the Red Cross. No to old clothes you no longer need; instead have a garage sale and make a donation.

Yes to new underclothes - particularly for women - backpacks, duffle bags and luggage

Animals - Message from Santa Cruz SPCA

SCSPCA staff and volunteers are standing at the ready with vans and crates -- fully prepared to assist the Butte County and Southern California shelters by taking adoptable animals in order to create room for strays and fire evacuees.

We are in touch with many of the lead animal organizations and are following-up with the ever-changing needs. Those agencies are:

Monetary donations made directly to any of these agencies is a great way to help animals and their humans at this time!

We also suggest following these organizations Facebook pages to stay up to date on the donation needs/wish lists. We have been told that making trips over with supplies should be limited or consolidated as much as possible, as the the in/out traffic in the area can be problematic.

We send our thoughts and prayers! 

Santa Cruz Gives is a holiday fundraising program that's new to our county, but is based on a model that has been successful in other communities. The goal is to create a new network of donors that doesn't exist currently, as we hope to reach more donors, make it easier for them to give at SantaCruzGives.com, and inspire them to dig a little deeper and give a little more than they might otherwise.

Santa Cruz Gives is project-based. Donors will be motivated by both the mission of an organization and a special project chosen for this campaign. At SantaCruzGives.org, each nonprofit has a web page with details, it's simple to click and give, and the leader board makes it exciting to watch your favorite nonprofits tick up in donations as totals are tracked in real time.

Browse the individual web pages and get fired up about some great objectives for the holiday season and 2018!

Make a tax-free donation. 

Your tax-free gift will increase the enormous impact of these organizations' volunteers, staff and programs. Please visit SantaCruzGives.org.

Join us with your support. We are in this together.