Alameda County food bank employee's outreach turns into nationwide model
An Alameda County food bank employee created a model for the nation when she began helping people dealing with food insecurity get the nourishment they need.
Oakland educators helping high school students succeed with innovative school model
An Oakland man whose life was changed in high school after being injured in a shooting has paired up with a fellow educator to help East Oakland teens succeed through an innovative school model.
Inspired by her grandmother, woman helping single mothers in California
The nonprofit helps single mothers throughout California with necessities for their families.
San Francisco teacher set to begin 42nd year teaching kindergarten
For Yvonne Soracco, walking the campus hallways is like turning pages in a scrapbook of her career.
Nonprofit providing free recycled crayons to children's hospitals expands operations
A Danville man who was a 2016 Jefferson Award winner says his nonprofit has kept 55 million crayons from ending up in landfills.
Physical therapist giving Parkinson's patients newfound confidence
Nearly one million Americans are living with Parkinson's disease and the Parkinson's Foundation expects that number to grow by 20% in seven years. A North Bay physical therapist is giving patients hope in slowing the progression of the disease.
Oakland woman's fight against racial profiling growing in Bay Area, outside of California
Shikira Porter and her neighbors sparked a new conversation about safety after joining NextDoor several years ago.
Oakland native's nonprofit helping children who struggle reading at grade level
An Oakland native is raising literacy rates in Oakland public schools where standardized tests show only about a third of students are reading at grade level.
North Bay teen uses soccer juggling skills to raise money for pediatric cancer patients
This week's Jefferson Award winner is a North Bay college student who has spent more than half her life raising money for pediatric cancer patients.
San Francisco teacher builds community by nurturing ESL students
This week's Jefferson Award winner is a retired San Francisco teacher who has been making a difference among the nearly one in five California public school students who are learning English as a second language.
San Francisco nonprofit helping homeless pregnant women looks to expand
A San Francisco woman who has spent more than 30 years getting homeless pregnant women and their families on their feet is embarking on a major expansion.
Onetime Moraga teen who was denied Eagle Scout Award for being gay in 2010 looks back
He made headlines more than a decade ago as the Moraga teen who was denied his Eagle Scout Award because he was gay. This Pride Month, the newsmaker contemplates the lessons learned and a memento that remains cherished to this day.
Previous Jefferson Award winners team to create youth filmmaking program in San Francisco
A pair of past Jefferson Awards winners recently partnered to open new doors in filmmaking for San Francisco kids in the Western Addition.
Marin woman's horse therapy nonprofit still going strong after 40 years
A Marin County woman's horse riding accident decades ago helped spur an idea that began one of the oldest weekly therapeutic horseback riding programs in the Bay Area.
San Francisco woman guides young people to learn job skills and improve self-esteem
This week's Jefferson Award winner is San Francisco woman who's spent the last quarter century training thousands of young people in job preparation skills and self-esteem.