“The Nevada County Breastfeeding Coalition has partnered with the Mother’s Milk Bank of San Jose for the second year in a row to host the virtual Share the Love Breastmilk Donation Drive during the month of February. Interested donors just sign up to donate with the Mother’s Milk Bank of San Jose, complete their donor screening process, mention Nevada County’s milk drive, and follow the milk bank’s instructions for packing and shipping the breastmilk. There are no costs or fees to donate and the shipping materials are provided by the milk bank. Donors will also receive a thank you gift. In 2022, 5,151 ounces were donated during Share the Love! Please spread the word.
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Quite Place to Wrap Gifts
Need a quiet place to wrap your gifts? Bring them to the Truckee Library and use our space and supplies! We’ve got you covered with wrapping paper, scissors, tape, ribbon and tags. Or bring your own! (December 19th-24th, during open hours.)
Nevada County News
David West: Raising Awareness Around Veteran Suicide
The holiday season is a time for celebration, reflection, and worship, and it brings joy to many families throughout Nevada County. However, for many people, the holiday season can increase stress, anxiety, loneliness, and depression, leading them to contemplate suicide. For veterans, national statistics show that 22 veterans are committing suicide daily, and these numbers tend to increase during the holiday season.
During the month of November, we lit the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building and the Brighton Greens Facility green in support of Operation Green Light. Operation Green Light was designed to raise awareness about the unique challenges veterans face and the resources available to assist them and their families at the county, state, and federal levels. Additionally, employees representing Veterans Services, Social Services, Office of Emergency Services, District Attorney’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Department committed to doing 100 push-ups each day of the month to raise awareness for veterans’ suicide. Together, over 20,000 push-ups were performed to help bring awareness to the resources available to them in our community.
More Nevada County News:
- Nevada County Job Opportunities
- Nevada County Connects Celebrates 12 Days of Free Transit Fares
- Nevada County Now Accepting Applications for Citizen’s Academy
And more!
Click here to read the full newsletter.
Letter from NCSOS
On behalf of Scott W. Lay, NCSOS SuperintendentChris Espedal, NCSOS Director of School Safety
Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Office has received word from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) that a scam has been reported on several occasions in Nevada County. Reports of FALSE kidnappings were reported to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, by parents, on November 28 and 29th. Parents received calls from an unknown number, advising them that the caller has their children. The caller then inquired “how much money the children were worth” and directed parents to pay. The caller provides no detailed information regarding the children’s names, ages, school attended, or a specific amount of money requested.
The scare that this situation poses, as well as the high potential for scamming people out of money is of the utmost concern. PLEASE notify the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office or local law enforcement agency if you receive a call of this nature. NCSO is working on these cases in collaboration with the FBI. This scam has been reported across several states.
A free app, “LIFE 360” is available for downloading on all cell phones. This application is a two-way tracking app. Students find this app to be minimally invasive as not only can their parents see where they are, but they can see where their parents are. This application may provide some reassurance for parents if they receive these types of calls from scammers.
Stay safe and healthy!
Chris Espedal
Director of School Safety
Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Office
United Way Project Warmth – Final Shopping Spree
The generosity of this community has amazed us! We have redistributed over 400 coats, over 100 pairs of socks and gloves as well as many hats, scarves, pants and boots.
Final Shopping Spree
- Monday, December 19
- 11am to 4pm
563 Brunswick Rd, Suite 11
In addition, we have met so many wonderful people working at our partner organizations who stopped by to collect clothing for their clients. Thank you for all you do for our community.
The holiday season is in full swing. We hope you all have time to spend with loved ones and enjoy some of the wonderful local events. All of us at United Way of Nevada County wish you happy holidays and a happy and healthy New Year.
Here is an update on our current projects and how you can help.
New NEO Youth Center
Bright Futures for Youth begins capital campaign and will open new NEO Youth Center on Litton Hill in Grass Valley
Bright Futures for Youth will open a new NEO Youth Center at its offices on Litton Hill, providing after-school activities and a range of much-needed services for children and young adults in Nevada County.
Bright Futures for Youth has started a capital campaign to raise $500,000 for the NEO Youth Center that serves several hundred youth every year.
The NEO Youth Center should open in late summer 2023, following an extensive renovation of the 3,700-square-foot space.
The NEO Youth Center will be available for 11- to 25-year-old residents, and offer a long list of activities and events, from art workshops to live music and open-mic nights in a safe and supervised setting.
Photo Caption
Bright Futures for Youth’s NEO program will open the NEO Youth Center in late summer 2023, providing a range of activities and services for youth, from a comfortable place to complete homework to playing games such as chess and video games. NEO has announced a capital campaign to raise $500,000 needed for the center.
Winter Reading Challenge
Join the Nevada County Library’s Winter Reading Challenge
Cozy up with a good book as the temperature drops, and participate in the Nevada County Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Stop by your local library to pick up a bingo card for youth and teen readers and redeem prizes December 15th through January 15th.
Adult readers can join the winter reading fun with the reading platform Beanstack. Log your daily reading, write reviews for your community, let the Library know when you’ve finished a novel, and earn digital raffle tickets for great local prizes!
How Disparities Can Affect Babies
Disparities in Housing, Health Care, Child Care, and Economic Security Affect Babies for Life
The first three years of a child’s life mark a foundational period of social and cognitive development that sets the stage for lifelong learning, health, and well-being. Public policy decisions in the United States frequently group early childhood into a single, isolated stage, which often fails to prioritize the unique needs of babies and toddlers.
During the first year of life, the brain forms more than 1 million neural connections each second, as infants rapidly consume input from their environment and the people in it.1 Quality interactions with responsive caregivers, as well as early learning activities such as storytelling and singing songs, help strengthen neural connections during infancy that build the foundation for social and emotional development and speech and language learning throughout life.2 By age 3, the brain grows to more than 80 percent of its adult volume, and children have the capacity to engage in complex cognitive abilities and to consider the relation between cause and effect.3
Click here to read the full article.
Give a Gift to a Foster Youth
Give a Gift to a Foster Child Through Nevada County’s Giving Tree Program
Nevada County Child Welfare Services’ annual Giving Tree Program is in full swing for the holiday season. Want to help make the holidays a little more special for local foster children? Participate by stopping by one of the seven Giving Tree locations, pick up a tag with a foster child’s age, gender, and wishes, and return unwrapped gifts to Giving Tree locations by December 19th. The program also accepts donations of gift cards for gas and groceries for young adults.
“We are grateful to our Nevada County community who supports this program and our foster children every year,” said Nick Ready, Child Welfare Program Manager. “We have many partners that help make this program possible, from local businesses to nonprofits and community groups. We’re also excited to expand the program this year with two new locations in Truckee.”
How to Participate
- Visit one of the seven Giving Tree locations across Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Truckee (find locations and addresses below)
- Pick up a tag from the Giving Tree that specifies a foster child’s age, gender, and wishes
- Purchase and return unwrapped presents to any Giving Tree location with the tag by December 19th
Giving Tree Locations
- Caroline’s Coffee Roasters: 128 S Auburn St, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- South Yuba Club: 130 W Berryhill Dr, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- Grass Valley Training Zone: 722 Freeman Ln Suite B, Grass Valley, CA 95949
- Brighton Greens Resource Center: 988 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95949
- Eric Rood Center: 950 Maidu Ave, Nevada City, CA 95959
- Nevada County Library, Truckee Branch: 10031 Levone Ave, Truckee, CA 96161
- KidZone Museum: 11711 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA 96161
SNCS: Parent Cafe
