The store managers of Wells Fargo’s Valley offices were each given the opportunity to make $1,000 donations to 52 charities of their choosing. The gifts were made at the company’s annual Community Support Breakfast at the Braemar Country Club on Sept. 17. “We have been doing this for some years now,” said Wells Fargo spokesperson Pia Hahn. The company allows the giving decisions to be made by the store managers, she said, so they can select a non-profit in their community they want to honor. “Once a year we get together and have a gifting ceremony,” said Hahn. “They are unsolicited grants and are just our way of showing our support for the community.” Organizations receiving the grant money included: Aish Tamid of Los Angeles Angels Way Armenian Relief Society Western USA Black Baseball Players Remembering When Foundation Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley Calabasas Raiders Calabasas Rotary Club Charitable Foundation Castiac Lions Club Catholic Charities of L.A. Guadalupe Center Circle of Hope California State University Northridge – University Student Union Dixie Canyon Avenue School Domestic Violence Ctr. of Santa Clarita Valley Facing Forward FirstHigh Alumni Association, Inc. Guide Dogs of America Hands for Hope Hebrew Discovery Center Herbert Hoover High School Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church Holy Family ida International Student Film Festival Kiwanis Club of Canoga Park Leonis Adobe Living Praise Christian Church Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation Medicine for Humanity MEND Michael Hoefflin Foundation Mid Valley Family YMCA New Leash on Life Animal Rescue Foundation Poverello of Assisi Preschool Santa Clarita Valley Project Shane’s Inspiration Shomrei Torah Synagogue Single Mothers Outreach Smiles St. Bernardine of Siena School St. Ferdinad Elementary Staff of Hope Taking the Reins Gentle Barn The Learning Center Foundation The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry Village Family Service Valley Beth Shalom Valley Family Center Volunteer Resource Ctr, Santa Clarita Valley West Valley Boys & Girls Club Inc. Youth Speak! Collective YWCA of Glendale. Backpacks from Aerospace For the tenth year, employees from Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park donated backpacks and school supplies to low-income students. This year employees gave out 500 backpacks during an assembly at Rosa Parks Learning Center, a public elementary school in North Hills. An additional 200 backpacks will be distributed in October. Employees from Hamilton Sundstrand Space Land, and Sea-Rocketdyne in Pomona also contributed to the donation. “Many families cannot afford basic school supplies for their children,” said Debra Bergman, education relations coordinator, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. “These backpacks fulfill that need and help children get off to a great new start this school year. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is proud to be part of that.” “Project Backpack,” reaches thousands of low-income students in the Simi, San Fernando, Conejo and Santa Clarita valleys. This is a regular feature on philanthropic activities by Valley-area businesspeople and companies.
