Monday, June 29, 2015

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

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You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

  • Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
  • AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
  • Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Science of Compassion: Dr. James Doty at TEDxUNPlaza



James R. Doty, M.D. is the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He collaborates with scientists from a number of disciplines examining the moral, social and neural bases for compassion and altruism.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

S.T.A.N.D. - Dream



The Matt Garcia Foundation was established to carry out the dream and the vision of the late councilman Matt Garcia. Matt’s dream involved supporting the youth of Fairfield by providing places for them to go and things to do to keep them out of trouble, which in turn, would help decrease the violence and crime in the community.

His dream also involved all citizens, young and old alike, coming together to help in the efforts to make Fairfield a better, safer place.

The volunteers from the Foundation have all pledged to “Keep the Dream Alive” and support the “dreams” of others who desire positive change for the community we love.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Juvenile Offender Fights to Help Other At-Risk Youth



Starcia Ague discusses how she turned her life around against all odds and how she wants to work to help at-risk youth.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

S.T.A.N.D. - Nuture


In an effort to nurture our city’s neighborhoods and bond with its citizens, the foundation hosts a monthly community clean-up and barbecue where both young people and adults come together to clean up various areas in Fairfield that are in need.

The Foundation also holds a yearly softball tournament and golf tournament that provide fun and help create lasting ties within Solano County. The Foundation also participates in many other community events such as the Run For Good, MS Walk, and many other causes that strengthen and nurture our community.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Linda Cliatt-Wayman: How to Fix a Broken School? Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard



On Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, she was determined to lay down the law. But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. With palpable passion, she shares the three principles that helped her turn around three schools labeled “low-performing and persistently dangerous.” Her fearless determination to lead — and to love the students, no matter what — is a model for leaders in all fields.

Friday, June 5, 2015

Jeffrey Brown: How We Cut Youth Violence in Boston by 79 percent



An architect of the "Boston miracle," Rev. Jeffrey Brown started out as a bewildered young pastor watching his Boston neighborhood fall apart around him, as drugs and gang violence took hold of the kids on the streets. The first step to recovery: Listen to those kids, don't just preach to them, and help them reduce violence in their own neighborhoods. It's a powerful talk about listening to make change.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

S.T.A.N.D. - Advocate


In a direct effort to curb the violence in our community and advocate for peace, the foundation has sponsored several successful gun buy-back programs that have taken hundreds of unwanted guns off the streets.

The president of the Foundation, Teresa Courtemanche, has also advocated by going into the prisons and speaking to prisoners serving life sentences about the impact of Matt’s murder on her family and community.

These prisoners are a part of a program that helps them improve their lives and take responsibility for their actions. As a result, the Foundation has received letters and checks from some of these prisoners whose lives have been changed as a result of the program and her visits.