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WELCOME
Comstock ’ s has been a huge fan of our regional nonprofit organizations since our inception , over 32 years ago . Back then , nonprofits didn ’ t seem to get much publicity and we were delighted to be able to change that . Twenty-four years ago , Comstock ’ s started a special section in the magazine that we called Capital Region Cares . Since then , it ’ s been an annual focus in our magazine designed to draw attention to the incredible work done by our regional nonprofits . We ’ re proud to continue this tradition year after year . There are many wonderful people leading the charge to serve the less fortunate and they ’ ve managed incredible organizations , each one serving a special mission — filling a gap where there ’ s great need . That need has grown in recent years as the economy has changed and the pandemic upended so many lives . The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services , for example , serves more than 250,000 meals a month , nearly double the pre-pandemic level , with the help of 116 partner agencies , many staffed largely by volunteers .
Nonprofits fill a wide variety of other needs , from mental health treatment and transition housing for the homeless to counseling for families and researching cures for debilitating illnesses . They have risen to the challenge even as some have struggled to do more with less , stretching donated dollars as the pandemic forced staff layoffs and disrupted operations .
Donors in the Capital Region have stepped up to help with record amounts of generosity . The area ’ s largest fundraising campaign , the annual Big Day of Giving , received a record $ 13.3 million last year at the peak of the pandemic on behalf of 700 regional nonprofits . In October , the annual black-tie gala and silent auction for Saint John ’ s Program for Real Change raised a record $ 1 million to provide housing and other services to mothers and children fighting homelessness , poverty and abuse looking for a new start in life . Supporters trekked to Sutter Health Park for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ’ s Light the Night Walk in early November that raised over $ 750,000 for blood cancer research . Generous donors recently provided over $ 400,000 to support the Sacramento Life Center ’ s services for pregnant women , including a new mobile treatment clinic .
Those donations and millions of smaller ones from individuals across the region represent a heartfelt desire to help the less fortunate . But beyond charity , they are also an investment in our community . Every donation , no matter how small , is a valuable acknowledgment that nonprofit organizations contribute to a more stable community by helping the less fortunate enjoy a more secure life and a higher standard of living . That is a vital service that benefits us all .
Winnie Comstock-Carlson President and Publisher
December 2021 | comstocksmag . com 3