Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Saturday, September 30, 2023
What causes panic attacks, and how can you prevent them? - Cindy J. Aaro...
Dig into the science of what triggers panic attacks, how to recognize them, and the available treatments for panic disorder.
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Countless poets and writers have tried to put words to the experience of a panic attack— a sensation so overwhelming, many people mistake it for a heart attack, stroke, or other life-threatening crisis. Studies suggest that almost a third of us will experience at least one panic attack in our lives. So what exactly is a panic attack, and can we prevent them? Cindy J. Aaronson investigates.
Lesson by Cindy J. Aaronson, directed by Aim Creative Studios.
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Community Clean Up Saturday, September 30th
When: Saturday, September 30, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Where: Matt Garcia Foundation Office, 717 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
The Matt Garcia Foundation will provide gloves, garbage pickers and buckets for collecting the trash.
Students can earn community service hours. Lunch provided after the cleanup.
For more information www.FFINEST.org
To receive updated information on volunteering opportunities, sign up for our text alerts.
Text: 81010 | Enter: @mgfv
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Elon Musk's 3 Rules To Learning Anything
I do think there's a good good framework for thinking it is physics you
know the sort of first principles reasoning generally, What I mean by that is boil things down to they're fundamental truths and reason up from there as opposed to reasoning by analogy....Elon Musk's 3 Rules To Learning Anything
Monday, September 18, 2023
Free Food for Students to Take Home : Tuesdays between 5pm and 7pm
As we get back to the school groove, I wanted to let you know that the PAL Food Pantry, made possible thanks to the Solano Food Bank and Kaiser, is open!
ANY local middle or high school student can visit the food pantry and pick up items to take home. You can see a quick clip of what a student’s basket might look like here
The panty is open for “Stop & Shop” hours on Tuesdays between 5pm and 7pm. However, if you have a student who needs a special visit, please let us know.
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Friday, September 15, 2023
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Honor and Remember
September 11, 2023, marks the 22nd Anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on the United States of America. New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. were all targeted on that fateful day. Four airlines were hijacked and crashed, resulting in more than 3,000 innocent people losing their lives, including the loss of many heroic emergency responders.
Let’s not take our freedom for granted in this wonderful Country. Life is short, and hate should not have a place in our society. It is our responsibility to help make our world a better, friendlier, and safer place for everyone regardless of religion, race or gender.
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
September 2023 Downtown Fairfield Events
*Farmer's Market
September, 7,14,21,28 @ 3-7pm
*Summer Concert Series
Friday September 8th @ 6-9pm – "Rosalin Pugh"
For more information, visit www.fairfield.ca.gov/events
*Event on County Lawn
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Anxiety evolved to help us — what went wrong? A neuroscientist explains....
Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki explains why zero anxiety isn’t the goal.
Thursday, August 31, 2023
2023 Car Show
September 16, 2023
Join us for a remarkable event celebrating “15 Years of Keeping the Dream Alive!” We invite you to a day filled with joy, where friends, family, and the community come together to foster a better future.
With the tragic Loss of OUR Young Vibrant/Passionate Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia on September 1st 2008, NOW 15 YEARS LATER, WE ARE EVEN MORE PASSIONATE with the objective to raise AWARENESS that lives out his campaign promises…"Support Youth, Help Stop Crime & Strengthen our Communities" to Keep the Dream Alive for another 15 years.
Experience the thrill of our car show and contest, showcasing impressive vehicles that will surely enliven your senses. Enjoy the captivating melodies from talented local bands and artists, guaranteeing an unforgettable live music performance. Witness the awe-inspiring talent of special live dance performers, leaving you mesmerized by their artistry. As a token of our appreciation, we have prepared exciting gifts and raffle prizes for all attendees, ensuring that everyone can participate and possibly win. Get inspired by our extraordinary guest speakers, who will share their wisdom and insights, making this day truly memorable.
This event holds an added significance as it coincides with Mexico’s Independence Day from Spain in 1810, making it a day of double celebration and honor.
We would like to express our gratitude to the Downtown Business Dream Team for their generous sponsorship and unwavering support. Together, let’s make this day an extraordinary experience that will leave lasting memories. Don’t miss out on this incredible celebration! Mark your calendars and join us on September 16th for a day that promises to be unforgettable.
Visit our www.ffinest.org for more details. Send email to 15years@ffinest.org or text/call 707 310-4152 Chairperson Bro Ray for any questions.
Blessings,
Bro Raymond
Monday, August 28, 2023
Open House : Friday, September 15th.
Message from the President
This September marks the 15-year anniversary of Matt being taken from us. Our hearts will forever be shattered but we have vowed to Keep Matt’s Dream Alive, always.
Please join us for our ribbon cutting and open house on Friday, September 15th at 717 Texas Street.
Teresa Courtemanche, President
The Matt Garcia Foundation
Friday, August 25, 2023
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Community Clean Up - Saturday August, 26th
When: Saturday, August 26, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Where: Matt Garcia Foundation Office, 717 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
The Matt Garcia Foundation will provide gloves, garbage pickers and buckets for collecting the trash.
Students can earn community service hours. Lunch provided after the cleanup.
For more information www.FFINEST.org
To receive updated information on volunteering opportunities, sign up for our text alerts.
Text: 81010 | Enter: @mgfv
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
5 Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning
Well-designed project-based learning (PBL) has been shown to result in deeper learning and more engaged, self-directed learners.
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Welcome Alex!
Welcome Alex to the Matt Garcia Foundation Podcast team. We greatly appreciate you donating your time to help us with our podcast.
Alex is local filmmaker in the vacaville/fairfield area. He’s been making videos since about 6th grade and recently graduated from Solano College with associate degrees in film & television and liberal studies. Alex is an intern for the City of Fairfield as a media production assistant and does freelance work in the community whenever the opportunity comes up. On his free time, he plays guitar, run a dungeon and dragons' game with his friends, make his own video projects, and build personal computers on the side.
To hear our latest podcast episode please visit our website @ FFINEST.org
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Monday, August 7, 2023
Friday, August 4, 2023
Drive to Keep the Dream Alive October 9th
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $175 SINGLE GOLFER / $700 FOURSOME!!!
After 8/9/23 – $200 SINGLE GOLFER / $800 FOURSOME
We are excited to host our 13th annual Matt Garcia Foundation charity golf tournament. This year’s golf tournament will be held at the Rancho Solano Golf Course in Fairfield. Proceeds from this fundraiser support our programs to help youth, stop crime and strengthen our community.
We hope to see you on October 9th!
DETAILS & REGISTRATION
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
15 Years of Keeping the Dream Alive September 16th
Join us for a remarkable event celebrating “15 Years of Keeping the Dream Alive!” We invite you to a day filled with joy, where friends, family, and the community come together to foster a better future.
Experience the thrill of our car show and contest, showcasing impressive vehicles that will surely enliven your senses. Enjoy the captivating melodies from talented local bands and artists, guaranteeing an unforgettable live music performance. Witness the awe-inspiring talent of special live dance performers, leaving you mesmerized by their artistry. As a token of our appreciation, we have prepared exciting gifts and raffle prizes for all attendees, continue reading…
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Personal Safety in the Modern World | Nick Droege | TEDxGatewayArch
Nick explains and demos advance personal safety application from Safetrek Nick is the Co-Founder of SafeTrek one of St. Louis' fastest growing companies. SafeTrek is the modern day 9-1-1 and was recently named the #3 early stage startup in the United States by CNBC. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Community Clean Up - Saturday July 29th
When: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Where: Matt Garcia Foundation Office, 717 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
The Matt Garcia Foundation will provide gloves, garbage pickers and buckets for collecting the trash.
Students can earn community service hours. Lunch provided after the cleanup.
For more information www.FFINEST.org
To receive updated information on volunteering opportunities, sign up for our text alerts.
Text: 81010 | Enter: @mgfv
Sunday, July 23, 2023
City of Fairfield Part-Time Jobs
Join the Parks and Recreation Team
Recreation Specialists
Preschool Instructors
Swim Instructors
Lifeguards
Activity Specialists
Apply Today at www.fairfield.ca.gov/jobs
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Zero Waste is not recycling more, but less | Bea Johnson | TEDxMünster
In her presentation, Bea shares her tribulations and secrets to achieving Zero Waste. She covers the importance of applying her 5R's in order (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot) and shatters misconceptions, proving that the Zero Waste lifestyle can not only be "stylish", but also lead to significant health benefits, and time and money savings. She manages to talk about her personal journey with humour and without preaching. She brings an intimidating topic down to a manageable scale, lending a unique perspective and making Zero Waste less daunting. Her non-judgmental approach will inspire self-reflection and change. Bea talks about her lifestyle with passion and provides many practical solutions to living simply and reducing waste, but more importantly, finding happiness in our consumerist society.
Together with her family Bea Johnson doesn´t produce more than one jar full of junk each year. In her bestselling book „Zero Waste Home“ she explains the five principles of a home without waste: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot (and only in that order). Anyone who follows those principles will not only save more time, but also live a healthier life.
Monday, July 17, 2023
Annual Charity Golf Tournament -- October 9, 2023
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $175 SINGLE GOLFER / $700 FOURSOME!!!
After 8/9/23 - $200 SINGLE GOLFER / $800 FOURSOME
We are excited to host our 13th annual Matt Garcia Foundation charity golf tournament. This year’s golf tournament will be held at the Rancho Solano Golf Course in Fairfield. Proceeds from this fundraiser support our programs to help youth, stop crime and strengthen our community. Interested in playing you can register at mattgarciafoundation.org.
We hope to see you on October 9th!
Friday, July 14, 2023
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
57 Years Apart - A Boy And a Man Talk About Life
'Act normal, don’t be silly, don’t bully lots of people'
We brought together two people with a very large gap of 57 years between them and got them to ask each other questions about life and growing up. Our aim was to see if people from opposing stages of their lives could learn from each other.
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Artist : Sylvia Sylos
We are so incredibly honored to have the artist, Sylvia Sylos donates her original #2 pencil drawing of Matt on Mt. Rushmore. Thank you so much!
Sunday, July 2, 2023
Which type of milk is best for you? - Jonathan J. O’Sullivan & Grace E. ...
Dive into the most popular milks— dairy, almond, soy and oat— to find out which is healthiest for you and for the planet.
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If you go to the store in search of milk, there are a dizzying number of products to choose from. There’s dairy milk, but also plant-based products such as almond, soy, and oat milks. So which milk is actually best for you? And which uses the fewest resources and produces the least pollution? Jonathan J. O’Sullivan and Grace E. Cunningham dive into some of the most popular milks to find out.
Lesson by Jonathan J. O’Sullivan and Grace E. Cunningham, directed by Anton Bogaty.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Vamos Cultural Festival
On Friday May 19th, The Matt Garcia Foundation was invited to the Vamos Cultural Festival fundraiser at the Sullivan Language Immersion Academy. The Sullivan Immersion Academy focuses on language programs that gives students a unique experience of education rooted in three major goals of biliteracy, bilingualism, and cultural competency. The festival included a variety of exciting events, including a student talent show, multicultural food tasting, games and a raffle prize giveaway.
Pictured in the photo at the Vamos Cultural Festival: Raymond and Teresa Courtemanche, Autumn, Vince Webster, and Fairfield Fire Department Members (Captain Kyle Smith, Engineer Hoyle and Firefighter/Paramedic Sherman). Photo taken by Board Member Sheila Webster
Monday, June 26, 2023
How to Stop Being a People Pleaser
People-pleasing behavior, while ostensibly pleasant, causes enormous difficulties for us, especially in relationships and in love. We need to grow better able to disappoint others, and to stop fearing calamity when we do so.
Friday, June 23, 2023
Community Clean Up TOMORROW MORNING, See You Soon!
When: Saturday, June 24, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Where: Matt Garcia Foundation Office, 717 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
The Matt Garcia Foundation will provide gloves, garbage pickers and buckets for collecting the trash.
Students can earn community service hours. Lunch provided after the cleanup.
For more information www.FFINEST.org
To receive updated information on volunteering opportunities, sign up for our text alerts.
Text: 81010 | Enter: @mgfv
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Building Fund Donation
The Matt Garcia Foundation would like to give a huge shout out to GW Investors for their very generous donation. We are grateful to them for believing in the foundation and helping us to Keep the Dream Alive.
Sincerely,
Teresa Courtemanche
President
The Matt Garcia Foundation
SAVE THE DATE!
The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce our annual charity golf tournament, which will be held on Monday, October 9th, 2023. This year’s tournament will take place at the Rancho Solano Golf Club in Fairfield. Our golf fundraiser ensures the continuation of the important programs and activities we support throughout the year.
Sunday, June 18, 2023
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
How do carbohydrates impact your health? - Richard J. Wood
The things we eat and drink on a daily basis can impact our health in big ways. Too many carbohydrates, for instance, can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. But what are carbs, exactly? And what do they do to our bodies? Richard J. Wood explains.
Lesson by Richard J. Wood, animation by Qa'ed Mai.
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Downtown Fairfield June Events
Farmer’s Market
*Thursdays - 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: From 3:00pm-7:00pm
at County Greens in Downtown Fairfield
Summer Free Concert Series
'Hey Jule'
*Friday 9th: From 6:00pm-9:00pm
at County Greens in Downtown Fairfield
Taste of Downtown
~Saturday 24: From 3:00pm-6:00pm
Fairfield's Economic Development staff is bringing back the vibrant Taste of Downtown event. This tasty, local sample showcase is designed to highlight Downtown restaurants. Attendees can sample items from participating restaurants' menus for only $25!
* Event on County Lawn
~ Event has street closures
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Monday, June 5, 2023
How to manage your emotions
Explore the framework known as the Process Model, a psychological tool to help you identify, understand, and regulate your emotions.
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After a week of studying, you feel confident that you'll ace your exam. But when you get your grade back, it's much lower than you expected. You’re devastated, and the disappointment is hard to shake. Should you be trying to look on the bright side? And is controlling your emotions even possible? Explore techniques to help you identify, understand, and regulate your emotions.
Directed by Daniel Stankler.
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Thank you, Rotary Club of Cordelia
On April 12th, I had the privilege and honor to attend a meeting for the Rotary Club of Cordelia, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Fairfield. There they presented The Matt Garcia Foundation, with a very generous check in the amount of one thousand dollars! We are extremely grateful for this amazing donation. We will continue to live out Matt's dream, as we have, for the last 14 years. We get to do this because of amazing donors like you.
The Rotary Club of Cordelia, was founded in 1988. It is an association of business and community leaders serving the Fairfield Suisun area and enriching the professional and personal lives of its members.
We want to Thank The Rotary of Cordelia for all that you do for so many!
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Why the pencil is perfect | Small Thing Big Idea, a TED series
Why are pencils shaped like hexagons, and how did they get their iconic yellow color? Pencil shop owner Caroline Weaver takes us inside the fascinating history of the pencil.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Assist-A-Grad Scholarship
We had many applications to review this year for our annual Assist-A-Grad Scholarship selections. Our annual 10 to award but an additional, larger scholarship in memory of our dear friend and member of The Matt Garcia Foundation, Lesley Snedeker DePorto.
In the group of our annual 10, we also denoted one of these to be in memory of our beloved late board member, Dwight Lundy Jr. He was a mentor and active leader on our board as well as in this community.
This year's applicants were all from Armijo, Public Safety Academy, Rodriguez, Travis Education, and Vanden high schools. All the applicants were very qualified candidates and narrowing down the selection was so tough. Each of the students were articulate and open about what they hope to accomplish in their next phase of academia. But they were also very inspiring, talking about what the future has in store for them and what they can do in their future careers. Some also shared their excitement for the "unknown" as well; not really knowing what their major would result in nor in which career. All the passion that each of them shared, brought such hope and excitement to our interviewers.
This brings me to a BIG thank you to this year's foundation interviewers; Jay DePorto, Dana Lee-Bise, Shirley Villanueva, Andy Ramirez, Teresa Courtemanche, Usha Mantena, and Susie Young. Thank you so much for the hours of interviews spent by each of you and for even sharing some of your experience and wisdom when asked by the interviewees! Your time has been and continues to be invaluable for the growth of our foundation!
We wish all of the 2023 Graduates much success and hope for their next journey in life! Remember also...there are many resources on the college campuses and in each of those communities that are ready to help you! Use these resources and always be open to an extended helping hand.
Congratulations Class of 2023!!!
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Thursday, May 18, 2023
What's normal anxiety -- and what's an anxiety disorder? | Body Stuff wi...
Everyone gets anxious at times, but how can you tell when it crosses the line and needs attention? Dr. Jen Gunter shares the science behind your brain's threat-detection system, what makes it malfunction and the most effective ways of treating it.
Think you know how your body works? Think again! Dr. Jen Gunter is here to shake up everything you thought you knew -- from how much water you need to drink to how often you need to poop and everything in between. This TED original series will tell you the truth about what's really going on inside you.
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Friday, May 12, 2023
Downtown Fairfield May Events
Farmer’s Market
*Thursdays - 4, 11, 18, 25: From 3:00pm-7:00pm
Summers Concert Series
Friday 12: From 6:00pm-9:00pm
The Time Bandits*
MAYkers Market
~Saturday 20: From 12:00pm-5:00pm
* Event on County Lawn
~ Event has street closures
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
How Depression Affects The Brain - Yale Medicine Explains
For many people, depression turns out to be one of the most disabling illnesses that we have in society. Despite the treatments that we have available, many people are not responding that well. It's a disorder that can be very disabling in society. It's also a disorder that has medical consequences. By understand the neurobiology of depression we hope to be able more to find the right treatment for the patient suffering from this disease. The current standard of care for the treatment of depression is based on what we call the monoamine deficiency hypothesis. Essentially, presuming that one of three neurotransmitters in the brain is deficient or underactive. But the reality is, there are more than 100 neurotransmitters in the brain. And billions of connections between neurons. So we know that that's a limited hypothesis. Neurotransmitters can be thought of as the chemical messengers within the brain, it's what helps one cell in the brain communicate with another, to pass that message along from one brain region to another. For decades, we thought that the primary pathology, the primary cause of depression was some abnormality in these neurotransmitters, specifically serotonin or norepinephrine. However, norepinephrine and serotonin did not seem to be able to account for this cause, or to cause the symptoms of depression in people who had major depression. Instead, the chemical messengers between the nerve cells in the higher centers of the brain, which include glutamate and GABA, were possibilities as alternative causes for the symptoms of depression. When you're exposed to severe and chronic stress like people experience when they have depression, you lose some of the connections between the nerve cells. The communication in these circuits becomes inefficient and noisy, we think that the loss of these synaptic connections contributes to the biology of depression. There are clear differences between a healthy brain and a depressed brain. And the exciting thing is, when you treat that depression effectively, the brain goes back to looking like a healthy brain, both at the cellular level and at a global scale. It's critical to understand the neurobiology of depression and how the brain plays a role in that for two main reasons. One, it helps us understand how the disease develops and progresses, and we can start to target treatments based on that. We are in a new era of psychiatry. This is a paradigm shift, away from a model of monoaminergic deficiency to a fuller understanding of the brain as a complex neurochemical organ. All of the research is driven by the imperative to alleviate human suffering. Depression is one of the most substantial contributors to human suffering. The opportunity to make even a tiny dent in that is an incredible opportunity.
Monday, May 8, 2023
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Inspiring Words
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
~ Jane Goodall
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Overcoming Bad Inner Voices
All of us have deeply unhelpful inner voices inside us, dragging us down with criticisms and unfair accusations. Wisdom involves learning how to replace them with more benevolent guides.
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Community Clean Up - Saturday April 29th
When: Saturday, April 29, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Where: Matt Garcia Foundation Office, 717 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
The Matt Garcia Foundation will provide gloves, garbage pickers and buckets for collecting the trash.
Students can earn community service hours. Lunch provided after the cleanup.
For more information www.FFINEST.org
To receive updated information on volunteering opportunities, sign up for our text alerts.
Text: 81010 | Enter: @mgfv
Monday, April 24, 2023
Green Pizza Comics
Zach, our board member, has been working on a personal comic (with another artist) and he is seeking followers to join him and various artists on his comic book creating journey! It will be free to read once completed. The comic book series is in its infant stages but there will be tons to come. To find out more, please visit the following links, follow and like to support. See how cool stuff gets made!
Website: https://greenpizzacomics.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenpizzacomics
IG: @greenpizzacomics
BMAC (Buy Me A Coffee): buymeacoffee.com/greenpizzaQ
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Friday, April 21, 2023
Who Am I?
What is it that makes us most distinctively ourselves? Our bodies, our memories, our values...? Take a tour through the philosophy of personal identity.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Thank You Women
I wanted to thank our 2 podcast guests, councilwoman, Doriss Panduro, and Battalion Chief, Jessica Fleshman, for helping us to honor Women's History Month. Hearing their stories about how they got to where they are today is very inspirational. I'm honored that these two amazing women took time out of their busy schedules to come down to our podcast room and talk with Sheila and me.
It is vital that we women respect, honor, and support each other in all that we do and say in this world.
For me, having the support from other women has been my saving grace, especially, during crucial times in my life. I know that having another woman who understands what we women deal with, is extremely important and valuable. We will always need each other.
Thank you all for all that you do
Sincerely,
Teresa
Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
How To Be Confident
The fastest route to confidence is to stop being so attached to one’s dignity and seriousness; and plainly admit that one is – of course – an idiot. We all are.
Sunday, April 9, 2023
Thursday, April 6, 2023
Monday, April 3, 2023
How To Simplify Your Life
What many of us long for more than anything else is a simpler life; we feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities, schedules, commitments and obligations. This is a film about how to create the simpler life we deserve.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Thank You Lowes!
Cora Stewart Specialty Assistant Manager with Lowe’s thank you sincerely for securing the donation of trash clean up supplies for the Matt Garcia Foundation monthly community clean-up events. You are a pleasure to work with. We are grateful for your dedication to the community.
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