by
Joshua D. Scroggin
Education is the cornerstone of our community, and that’s why CoastHills employees Yvette Perez and Claudia Noriega looked to their local schools when they were selected to donate $1,000 each to a worthy cause.
Yvette and Claudia participate in CoastHills’ employee giving program — "I'm All In." Employees who opt in contribute as little or as much money as they choose, straight from their paychecks. Every quarter, names of participants are drawn, and those folks get to decide how the group's donations are spent.
Yvette has two young children attending St. Mary of the Assumption School in Santa Maria and often volunteers her time helping out in the classrooms. She’s presented career information, discussed the importance of financial literacy and even spends a few of her lunch breaks each month to lend a hand serving lunch to the students.
Recently, kindergarten teacher Patsy Bissen has been planning a conservation field trip along with the first and second grade teachers. Ideally, the kids would go to Los Flores Ranch Park, a nature preserve about 8 miles south of town. There they can plant trees, pick up trash and learn about the environment around them. Since trips for the students are rare, the opportunity to travel more than just a few blocks away would be a special treat. Many kids at the school hardly get a chance to explore beyond their immediate neighborhood.
But getting everyone there and buying plants comes with a hefty cost.
That’s where Yvette, a member service officer at our Crossroads branch in Santa Maria, made a difference.
Her donation will help secure the buses, seedlings, and equipment necessary to make this field trip a reality. Most importantly, the 75 students taking part in the trip, including Yvette’s children, will get the opportunity of a lifetime to learn about their impact on the environment.
Claudia, a member service officer at our Santa Maria branch on Broadway and Stowell, graduated from Pioneer Valley High School, also in Santa Maria. Pioneer Valley is unique in that its booster club benefits more than just athletics — it supports the entire Associated Student Body which includes over 40 clubs focused on special interests and service in addition to 21 sports clubs.
Inspired by her experiences at the school and the support she received from the PVHS Booster Club, Claudia immediately knew that her donation would make a big difference to the current generation of students.
The Booster Club allows the campus clubs to engage in activities that aren’t funded by the district and would require extensive independent fundraising. The organization has funded everything from scripts for performances to travel arrangements for conferences.
Noe Mahelona, the Booster Club President, recognizes how important these extracurricular activities are for developing important life skills and is committed to ensuring that the students have the resources to take advantage of important learning opportunities.
The program also sponsors the Panther of the Quarter luncheon, which honors students for going above and beyond — whether it’s through maintaining their grades, their commitment to being involved in the community or by helping their fellow students excel by tutoring them.
By contributing their All In donation to local schools, Yvette and Claudia exemplified the power of communities coming together to support the next generation.
