Greetings!

Editor: During this uncertain economic climate, Sonoma Community Center needs your support more than ever before.  As you make your holiday gift-giving decisions, please consider how important SCC’s programs and historic building are to the day-to-day lives of our community members.  During the past year, the center provided so many opportunities for our community and families to connect.  A sampling of our work:
• Over 100 SCC volunteers provided 700 people of all ages traditional free and beloved holiday feasts;
• SCC created and sponsored a week-long Dia de los Muertos celebration including collaborative altars, women and children’s workshops, educational events for schools and a striking Dia installation and memory visual art exhibit;
• SCC produced the annual 4th of July Parade and Plaza Celebration attended by over 12,000 people, and with the Rotary Club threw the quintessential local City-Wide Party for over 5,000 of our neighbors and friends;
• SCC gave more than $15,000 in scholarships for children and adults in need of tuition support for any of 200 classes the center offers annually in ceramics, fine arts, dance, printmaking, music or theater;
• SCC, in partnership with local Master Gardeners and the city and county of Sonoma, completed the Maloney Waterwise Demonstration Garden;
• In partnership with the Sonoma Valley Rotary, SCC completed a beautiful remodel of our old kitchen, now renamed the Rotary Community Kitchen;
• Over 6,500 men, women and children entered the Center every MONTH for classes, events, meetings, parties and performances.

This year, we are pursuing two initiatives to meet the cultural needs of our beautiful valley.  SCC will install a permanent and all-inclusive box office for the many events that occur throughout the area; and we are remodeling a classroom to act as a “Creative Industry Incubator” which will contain offices at very-low cost for small public benefit organizations and service industry professionals.

The Community Center directly connects you to the pleasures and importance of small town life.  The Board of Directors, staff and hundreds of volunteers work each day to support you and your family.  Thank YOU for supporting us during our crucial time of need.

Best holiday wishes,

Kathy Swett,
SCC executive director