Welcome New Board Member Roxanna

Why I am committed to The Matt Garcia Foundation

“I am Roxanna Torres-Guerrero, kind of a mouthful. An Austin, Texas Native that has been in the bay since 2022. 

Now I don’t see myself living anywhere else. The Matt Garcia Foundation is special to me, because when I was feeling sad and lost after losing my older brother. It gave me bits and pieces of hope and love. I have met so many incredible people through this organization, that I will forever be grateful for. From a tragedy, the need to service my community was born. The MGF was that on its own, well before my own experience. They are intentional about their efforts to focus on the youth to prevent losing our community to violence and unsafety.”

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Brown Girls In Congress Leadership Summit

The “Brown Girls In Congress Leadership Summit” will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19 to help empower young girls by understanding the political system.

Girls ages 8 – 17 are invited to attend the summit from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be held at Solano Community College Vallejo Center, 545 Columbus Parkway.

Organizers say the event will aim to empower the next generation of future leaders by “introducing young girls to our political process and show them how our political system is structured.”

“This summit is an incredible opportunity for young girls to see themselves reflected in powerful roles, gain valuable leadership skills, and be inspired to pursue their dreams,” said Loretta Gaddies, CEO/Director of local nonprofit Love the Skin You’re In, Inc.

The organization is comprised of volunteers who seek to empower and encourage adolescents and young adults to realize their personal goals and aspirations. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in engaging activities that will teach them the skills they need to lead with confidence and courage. Invited speakers include Fairfield City Councilmember, K. Patrice Williams.

Registration fee is $45 online at Eventbrite. Search for Brown Girls In Congress Leadership Summit. Lunch will be provided.

For information, go to ltsyiinc.com, Instagram or Facebook at @ltsyiinc or email info@ltsiinc.com.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Every 3rd Thursday Fun at the Matt Garcia Foundation Office

This month Teresa Courtemanche, President of The Matt Garcia Foundation, led us in a fun painting activity.

We were each able to express our creativity by learning how to paint on canvas. Each month we do a different group project.

Please come out and join us for

our next October activity

10/17 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm

717 Texas Street, Fairfield

We hope you can join us!

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

'Drive to Keep the Dream Alive' Annual Charity Golf

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

October is National Fire Prevention Month

Enjoy the moments and memories you create with your loved ones with peace of mind knowing you’re protected. The National Fire Protection Association’s 2024 campaign for Fire Prevention month is: “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” For more fire safety tips, contact your local fire department.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Survivors Support Group

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Conversation With Our Youth

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

'Drive to Keep the Dream Alive' Annual Charity Golf

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Community Clean Up : September 28th, SEE YOU TOMORROW!

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

THURSDAYS : Sew Savvy

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

 

Thank You Ryans Cafe!

We would like to give a shout out to Ryans Café for donating pastries to our volunteers during our monthly cleanup in August.

They are located downtown at 740 Texas St, Fairfield. Follow them on Facebook.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Paint Party, TOMORROW!

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Drive to Keep the Dream Alive, October 14th

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Thursday Fun at the Matt Garcia Foundation Office

Every third Thursday the Matt Garcia Foundation Office is open as a “safe space” for fun group activities. Members of the Foundation Board lead group activities, such as rock painting, t-shirt tie-dye and other fun group activities. The projects are relaxing and meant to encourage all attendees to be themselves, with no peer pressure. 

On August 15th, Advisory Board Member Teresa led us in making “vision boards” (see photo). We all chose various magazine images, pictures and phrases that help to share our own motivational dreams and desires. Thank you, Teresa, for such a fun time! We look forward to the third Thursday in September. We meet from 3-5 pm at the office, located at 717 Texas Street in Fairfield.  

We hope you can join us!

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Survivors Support Group

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Conversation With Our Youth

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Happy Labor Day

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

The lost art of accomplishment without burnout | Cal Newport for Big Thi...

“How is it possible to do work that you’re proud of and not feel like your job is encroaching on all parts of your life?” Cal Newport, author of ‘Slow Productivity,’ explains. 

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Community Clean Up

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Summer Fest

The first-ever Summer Youth Fest took place on July 13th. This event was put on by the "Dream Team" aka the youth of Fairfield. They took it upon themselves to plan a free event for their community. Collaborating with The Matt Garcia Foundation, we helped organize and produce this amazing summer event. Community members could visit engaging booths, take a tour of the Fairfield Fire Department firetruck, and even make friendship bracelets with the fashion club. Other activities included art booths and faceplanting. Let's not forget the volleyball nets were a hit! Anyone could walk up and play a game, then grab an ice cone because there was a truck nearby. Thank you to the members of the Youth Summer Fest Advisory board for the effort and dedication to our community. Together we "Keep the Dream Alive".

-Roxanna

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

The Hidden Cost of Skipping Key Stages of Development

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

14th Annual "DRIVE to Keep the Dream Alive"

Message From the President 

The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce our 14th Annual “DRIVE to Keep the Dream Alive” Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, October 14th, 2024. The tournament will be held at Rancho Solano Golf Course, located at 3250 Rancho Solano Pkwy, Fairfield, CA 94534. Our golf fundraiser ensures the continuation of the important programs and activities we support throughout the year.

My son, our late Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. Matt’s dream was to make a difference in the community. Many of Matt’s hopes have been realized through the programs that we support, including youth sports, empowerment programs, community service days, gun buyback events, scholarship programs, the Matt Garcia Career and College Academy, the PAL Youth Center, and much more. The Matt Garcia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization run entirely by volunteers, and 100% of your donation goes to fund these programs.

With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation annually raises the essential funds needed to “Keep the Dream Alive.” We anticipate another successful event and hope you will be a part of it. In addition to sponsorship options, many have considered donating gift baskets, sporting event tickets, vacations and spa packages, or other donations to be used for raffle/silent auction items.

We are a local organization with a powerful presence in the community, associated with positive change. We offer multiple tournament sponsorship levels. As a sponsor, your name, business, or establishment will be prominently displayed in all of our event publicity. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. Most importantly, your donation will send a powerful message that you are partnering with us to create a safer and more meaningful community. Our mission is to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community. 

Thank you in advance for your support.

Your contribution makes all the difference!

For more information or to donate, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also email our golf committee directly at mgfgolf@ffinest.org If you would like to sign up or register for the tournament, you can go directly to our tournament site.

Sincerely,

Teresa Courtemanche

Matts Mom, President

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Tomato & Vine Festival

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

How to Stop Getting TRIGGERED Forever

The concept of being triggered, though it may at times be overused, sits on top of a hugely important concept in psychological life. One moment we are calm, the next we are catapulted into despair and terror. It may be important to know how to be scared or incensed when situations actually demand it, but it is also deeply counterproductive to be visited by powerful emotions that aren’t warranted by what lies before us and that fail to advance our interests in any way.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Events, Join Us!

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Survivors Support Group

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

How to increase your happiness

Dig into the benefits of practicing gratitude in your everyday life, and discover how being thankful can impact your happiness.

--

Many people would say the connection between happiness and gratefulness is very simple: when you are happy, you are grateful. But think again. Is it really the happy people that are grateful? Quite a number of people have everything that it would take to be happy, and they are not happy. So, how does gratefulness work? Explore the key components to living gratefully.

Directed by Avi Ofer.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Conversation With Our Youth

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Hot Weather Has Arrived

Remember these important safety tips:

> Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 plus and reapply every two hours. 

> Drink plenty of water (6-to-8-ounce glasses daily) and avoid sugary and caffeinated drinks. Water gives your body hydration, helps control body weight, regulates body temperature, flushes toxins, and aids digestion.

> Use caution when dealing with open flames. Build campfires at least 25 feet away from anything that can burn. Store matches, lighters and lighter fluid well out of children’s sight and reach. 

> Be cautious in and around pools, lakes, rivers, etc. Wear approved live jackets. Learn how to swim.

> Don’t eat food left out of refrigeration more than one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

How To Know Yourself

One of the hardest things in the universe to understand is the interior of our own minds: we can have spent decades on the earth before we've grasped even very basic things about who we are and how we function. It's not for nothing that the Ancient Greeks felt philosophy had only one command: Know yourself! But however arduous, the journey can be facilitated by a few well-aimed bits of advice…

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Message From The Vice President

This May was the month we had a breakthrough. A wall that is. We decided to open up our office space so that everyone who comes to us can feel that they have a place at our table. It took some cutting, breaking down, and a truckload of trash had to be thrown away. It feels therapeutic when you take a hammer to sheetrock and get some frustration out. Sometimes, in order to heal, walls need to come down. Walls get put up to protect us and keep us safe. That is why it takes courage to bring them down. At first we feel exposed and vulnerable. We’re supposed to feel this way and see ourselves being ok in the process.

We want our office to be a place where people in our community can share their pain, their triumphs, and their healing. Solano county’s Homicide Survivor Support group now has an expanded space for more people to be able to come together. We realize how much courage and healing needs to happen here. Be courageous! Have courage!

Andy Ramirez, Vice President 

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

'Peter and the Star-catcher'

On Saturday, May 11th, Raymond and I had the pleasure of attending the Marin Archie Williams High School Theater to watch ‘Peter and the Star-catcher', featuring one of our dedicated volunteers, James Clark, who played Alf. The play was an incredible experience, filled with humor and fantastic performances by all the actors. Events like these are a reminder of the vibrant arts community and the importance of supporting local talent.

The Matt Garcia Foundation is proud to have volunteers like James who contribute both on and off stage. Thank you, James. 

Teresa Courtemanche , President 

The Matt Garcia Foundation

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

What causes kidney stones? - Arash Shadman

The biggest kidney stone on record weighed more than a kilogram and was 17 centimeters in diameter. The patient didn’t actually swallow a stone the size of a coconut; kidney stones form inside the body. So how do they grow in the first place? And why are they so painful to get out? Arash Shadman shares the science behind kidney stones. 

Lesson by Arash Shadman, directed by TED-Ed.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Message From The President

CSI CoHort

After nearly a year of dedicated effort. We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the Solano Public Health capacity strengthening initiative for nonprofits cohort. This journey in collaboration with Solano Public health and Jeweld Legacy, has been transformative for both me personally and The Matt Garcia Foundation.

Throughout this initiative, I have gained valuable knowledge and insights that will ensure the sustainability of The Matt Garcia Foundation for generations to come. The experience has not only equipped us with the tools to strengthen our operations, but has also fostered a deeper understanding of my own capabilities and potential. Investing in partnerships for a healthier future has been a significant milestone in our mission to make a lasting impact in our community. this is exactly what Matt was all about. I’m excited to apply the lessons learned and continue drawing positive change and renewed energy and confidence. Thank you to Solano Public Health, Jeweld Legacy, and the 9 other nonprofits involved in this incredible journey. Here’s to a future of continued growth and success. 

Teresa Courtemanche, President 

The Matt Garcia Foundation

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Believe in Yourself

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Survivors Support Group

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! Be safe and enjoy.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Conversation With Our Youth

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Advisory Council - Open to All

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Taking It One Day at a Time

We're often hugely ambitious about our plans for happiness, picturing the years of joy we want to set in motion. However, at points, we should realise the greater wisdom of learning to enjoy the day already in hand, and drawing satisfaction from that most precious and most neglected of units of time; the present moment.  

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Strawberry Dole Whip Recipe

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Congratulations Vince and Linda Guisande

Congratulations Vince and Linda Guisande on 41 years in business!

April marked our 41st anniversary in business. Seems every year folks always congratulate me for these milestones. In reality, I’ve just been smart enough to hire and have such great folks around me all these years. 

Speaking of great folks, what better time to announce our lovely daughter in law Danielle Dizzle Guisande is joining the company and the transition to Vincent Jr. and Danielle who are taking over the reins from Linda Guisande and me. They will be taking Tri-city Glass into its next seasons. Of course, Linda and I will still be around for a while to assist however we can. 

We are all excited for this new stage in basically all our lives. Look for many changes to come. Wish the kids luck and remember “Shop and Support Local Family-Owned Businesses!"

Vince Guisande 
Past Foundation Board Member

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

7 Secrets To Becoming Mentally Tougher

Are you mentally strong? What does it mean to be mentally tough? Mental toughness is the capacity to effectively deal with stressors, challenges, and adverse situations, and still perform well in spite of their circumstances. Developing a tough mentality helps you cope with distressing and overwhelming moments in life better. You're more capable of handling fear and doubt. We'll let you in on some secrets on how to build mental toughness!

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Happy Father's Day

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Water Safety

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s tempting to venture out into a local pool, take a trip to the beach, waterpark, lake or river. According to the World Health Organization:

• Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide.
• There are an estimated 236,000 drowning deaths per year worldwide.
• Drownings account for 7% of all injury-related deaths.

Some ways to become more water safe include having barriers to restrict unauthorized access to pools, make sure children are well-supervised when in and around pools, learn how to swim, use lifejackets when warranted, and learn CPR. 

Let’s all have a fun and safe summer!

Direct: 707.372.4160

Email: info@ffinest.org

Website

What happens during a stroke? - Vaibhav Goswami

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Survivors Support Group

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Conversation With Our Youth

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Advisory Council - Open to All

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

The Dream Team Service

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Happy Memorial Day

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

How Repressed Emotions Make Us Sick

The most curious and hazardous feature of the way we’re built lies in the difficulty we have registering what we actually feel.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

Community Clean Up : Saturday, May 25, 2024

When: Saturday, May 25, 2024

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

Assist-A-Grad Interviews

This past month we had the opportunity to sit with eleven of Fairfield’s students looking to further their education and serve their community. Being around people filled with hope for their future is inspiring. It’s contagious. 

When you hear of someone in high school starting a club to help other students who need help, you feel the future of Fairfield is bright. It’s hopeful, it’s aware of how blessed it is and willing to give back. It’s ready to learn the best ways to serve.

To the parents, to the teachers and to the mentors of this year’s students we want to thank you so much. We are proud that you are teaching them. Keep up the good work. 

The students have hope, and you are a big part of the reason why. 

We want to thank the golfers that continue to stand with us and make our scholarships possible. This year, by all of us working together, we were able to keep eleven students dreams alive.

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website

The Art of Letting Things Happen | A Japanese Philosophy That Will Chang...

In this video, we explore the powerful Japanese concept known as wabi-sabi, looking into it's history, how its philosophy frames existence in a uniquely different way compared to most Western attitudes, and how it can be incredibly useful to integrate into our lives.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day from us!

Direct: 707.372.4160

Email: info@ffinest.org

Website

 

Survivors Support Group

Direct: 707.372.4160
Email: info@ffinest.org
Website