Goodwill Central Coast Stores in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties to Help Wildfire Victims By Raising Funds Through Its ‘Round-Up’ Program

Goodwill Central Coast stores in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties will help out wildfire victims by donating all funds from its Round-Up Program in September and October to those who lost their homes and were forced to evacuate.

Salinas, CA, August 28, 2020 — Goodwill Central Coast stores in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties will help out wildfire victims by donating all funds from its Round-Up Program in September and October to those who lost their homes and were forced to evacuate.

Goodwill will match donated round-up funds up to $2,000 per month through this program, which is a way for shoppers to either “round up” their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate a set amount ($1, $3 or $5). All of these options are displayed on the credit card terminal machines.

The round-up funds raised in September and October in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties will go to the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz and Community Foundation for Monterey County’s Fire Relief Fund to aid those affected by the River, Carmel, Lightning Complex, and Dolan fires.

Funds will go to nonprofits and organizations assisting individuals and families with emergency assistance, health and human services, short-term housing/rental assistance, reimbursement of equipment and supplies and other support for affected residents. The fund is a trusted repository for philanthropic assets to be directed specifically for this purpose.

While shopping at Goodwill, don’t forget that your support helps Goodwill organizations change lives by training unemployed or underemployed people for careers in fields such as automotive services, construction, health care, information technology, manufacturing, hospitality and retail as well as in other high-demand industries.

About Goodwill Central Coast
Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs over 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 13,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Information: www.ccgoodwill.org.

Note: . Funds from October 21st and November 11th are excluded from the promotion. October 21st is designated to Cookies for Cancer and November 11th is designated to the ALS Foundation.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93905
(831) 747-7455
http://www.ccgoodwill.org

Goodwill Central Coast Opens New Donation Sites in Carmel Valley, Los Osos and Santa Cruz

Goodwill Central Coast has opened three new donation sites in Carmel Valley, Los Osos and Santa Cruz.

Salinas, CA, August 10, 2020 — Goodwill Central Coast has opened three new donation sites in Carmel Valley, Los Osos and Santa Cruz.

Here are the three new sites and their hours:

>Donation trailer at the Mid-Valley Shopping Center (next to Safeway store), 312 Mid Valley Center, Carmel Valley. Open daily 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

> Donation center at 1014 Los Osos Road, Los Osos. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

> Donation center (formerly the Bookstore), at 815 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. Open daily 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

When you donate second-hand items to Goodwill Industries you’re not just cleaning house, you’re supporting job training programs in your community and protecting the planet through reuse and recycling.

Last year, Goodwill Central Coast received more than 587,000 donations, totaling more than 23 million pounds of clothing and household items. Of those donations Goodwill was able to divert 7,600 tons from landfills and the money raised helped fund programs that put over 13,000 people back to work.

Goodwill’s impact wouldn’t be nearly as great without the generosity of the community.

For more information, call (831) 423-8611 or go to: https://www.ccgoodwill.org.

About Goodwill Central Coast
Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs over 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 13,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

Goodwill Central Coast
1566 Moffet Street
Salinas, CA 93905
(831) 423-8611
https://www.ccgoodwill.org

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://www.ccgoodwill.org

Teresa Sabankaya Will Hold A Posy Pop-Up Boutique at Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting Shop in Santa Cruz, Feb. 10-14, 2020

Renowned florist and floral designer Teresa Sabankaya will hold her first pop-up flower boutique of 2020 in February at Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting in Santa Cruz.

Bonny Doon, CA, January 17, 2020 — Renowned florist and floral designer Teresa Sabankaya will hold her first pop-up flower boutique of 2020 in February at Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting in Santa Cruz.

The Posy Pop-Up by Bonny Doon Garden Company will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, Feb. 10 –14, 2020, at Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting, 1411 Pacific Ave., in Santa Cruz. The pop-up will feature a full Valentine’s Day gift boutique, with candles, language of flowers luxe home and body care products, books, and flowers, making it a one-stop shop for Valentine’s Day gifts.

For many years, several businesses in Santa Cruz have invited Teresa to create pop-up flower boutiques for special occasions and especially holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day. So, she is working on Posy Pop-ups for whimsical and truly unique flower and botanical gift experiences.

Teresa’s creations are timeless, not trendy, and with a classic garden romance aesthetic. She has been involved with flowers for more than 20 years, is a pioneer of the Slow Flowers™ movement, is an Advanced Certified Green Gardener, and is regarded as one of the most innovative florists in Northern California.

Teresa’s creative, innovative floral arrangements can be purchased with the click of a button at the Bonny Doon Garden Company’s website at https://bonnydoongardenco.bloomnation.com/.

Shop online for local deliveries of flower arrangements throughout Santa Cruz County. Teresa partners with independently owned artisan flower shops through a fine flower network of independent florists, so that flowers can be ordered and delivered by fine florists nationwide, from small and wrapped, to grand and glorious.

Check out her website for new special Valentine’s Day arrangements, including such posy specials as:

>My Valentine Posy – classy and modern, this posy conveys passion, romance, and beauty for the love of your life, $68 plus shipping.

>Sweetheart Posy — Perfect for Valentine’s Day; mother and daughter; new loves, and more, $68 plus shipping.

>Simplement l’Amour — the most popular of the Valentine Posies makes a voluptuous statement in pink and red. This one is a hot and heavy romance posy that elicits fidelity, passion, and timeless eternal love for the love of your life, $68 plus shipping.

Sabankaya recommends pairing a posy arrangement with her new hardcover, signed book, “The Posy Book: Garden-Inspired Bouquets That Tell a Story,” available at https://teresasabankaya.com/products/the-posy-book.

Gifting flowers conveys emotions and messages that can’t always be articulated in words. Sabankaya helps translate those feelings for us in “The Posy Book.”

In addition to Teresa’s flowers, gift items such as, Language of Flower Posy Soaps and Language of Flowers Curated Gift Box, sentiment tags, and “The Posy Book,” can be ordered and shipped nationwide through https://teresasabankaya.com/collections

Last day of shipping for Valentine’s Day arrival must be ordered by Feb. 12 for nationwide shipping of Valentine’s Day posies and gifts.

Check out her website at www.teresasabankaya.com, and also www.bonnydoongardenco.com for more information and gift ideas. You can also talk about your flower order by calling (831) 421-0975.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.teresasabankaya.com

Santa Cruz Author’s Visually Stunning yet Practical ‘Posy Book’ the Perfect Holiday Stocking Stuffer

Gifting flowers conveys emotions and messages that can’t always be articulated in words.

Santa Cruz, CA, October 17, 2019 - Gifting flowers conveys emotions and messages that can’t always be articulated in words. Santa Cruz author Teresa Sabankaya helps translate those feelings for us in “The Posy Book: Garden-Inspired Bouquets that Tell a Story.”

Just in time for the holidays, this inspiring book — a perfect hostess gift or stocking stuffer — shows readers how to communicate exactly the right sentiment with exactly the right flower.

Inspired by the Victorian-era language of flowers, a posy is a small circular gathering of flowers, plants and herbs chosen to communicate a particular emotion or sentiment.

Sabankaya provides detailed recipes for posies for a variety of sentiments. Thanks to her step-by-step instructions, you’ll have the confidence to make your own personalized arrangement. Make someone feel like a queen for a day with a posy made with calla lily and gardenias (which convey magnificent beauty and feminine charm). Or let that certain bestie know that you’ll be friends to the end with oak-leaf geraniums and mint. The sentiments are endless.

In the book’s foreword, New York Times best-selling author Amy Stewart writes: “Teresa has woven her wisdom, spirit, and artistry into this beautiful book. In these pages you’ll see that anyone can make a posy. Like a favorite recipe, it’s meant to be savored and shared.”

Purchase the book directly through the author’s website at www.teresasabankaya.com, or find it at local bookstores or online through Amazon.

About the author
A pioneer of the slow flower movement, Teresa Sabankaya runs the Bonny Doon Garden Company in Santa Cruz. She was featured in Michael Pollan’s PBS documentary “The Botany of Desire,” and has appeared on CBS News Sunday Morning. Her work has been featured in Elle magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, and many bridal magazines.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.teresasabankaya.com

Two Celebrated Local Authors of Flower Books to Hold Joint Event May 8 at Bookshop Santa Cruz

Two celebrated local authors known for their knowledge and celebration of flowers will join forces for a dual event celebrating the release of their new books, May 8 at the Bookshop Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz, CA, March 10, 2019 — Two celebrated local authors known for their knowledge and celebration of flowers will join forces for a dual event celebrating the release of their new books, May 8 at the Bookshop Santa Cruz.

The event, “Cassie Winslow and Teresa Sabankaya — The Power of Flowers: A Floral Adventure” will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at the bookshop, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

In “Floral Libations,” Winslow, founder and curator of Deco Tartelette, a celebration of color, taste, and resplendence, has curated a collection of 41 delightful recipes that combine the playful creativity of fashion, the deliciousness of food, and the beauty of flowers in one gorgeous glass. Whether you’re throwing a baby shower, hosting a Mother’s Day brunch, celebrating a wedding, or simply entertaining guests, there’s something for everyone in “Floral Llibations.”

In “The Posy Book,” Sabankaya, founder and creative director of Bonny Doon Garden Company, a full service floral design studio, Santa Cruz florist and botanical gift shop, shares what has become her signature — posies. Inspired by the Victorian-era language of flowers, a posy is a small, round bouquet of flowers, herbs, and plants meant to convey a message, such as dahlias for gratitude, sunflowers for adoration, or thyme for bravery; she shares her favorites for every occasion.

Sabankaya holds a greatly influential position as one of the most innovative florists in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has exhibited her floral art at the “Bouquets to Art” exhibition at De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the National Trust Filoli’s Estate in Woodside, and various floral design and garden shows. Her floral designs have become highly desirable due to their unique style of arranging and elegant garden appeal. Her designs carry a chic and nostalgic feel, like a just gathered from the garden bouquet of exquisite high-end blooms.

Both authors will share their expertise, hold a demonstration, and display samples. For more information, call (831) 423-0900 or go to www.bookshopsantacruz.com.

Bookshop Santa Cruz
1520 Pacific Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Store: (831) 423-0900
Office: (831) 460-3232
bookshopevents@gmail.com
www.bookshopsantacruz.com

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com

State of the Art - An Invitational Exhibition at the R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

Center for Photographic Art The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) expands its reach beyond
Carmel, California with its first exhibition in Santa Cruz, CA, at that city’s premier art space, the R. Blitzer Gallery.

Carmel, CA, September 03, 2018 - Center for Photographic Art The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) expands its reach beyond
Carmel, California with its first exhibition in Santa Cruz, CA, at that city’s premier art space, the R. Blitzer Gallery.
A broad-ranging invitational exhibition, STATE OF THE ART (SOTA) features an exciting diversity of work from prominent Northern California photographers. The exhibition will run from November 2 through November 29, 2018, and will kick off with a festive opening reception during Santa Cruz’s First Friday, November 2, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. In addition, workshops and panel discussions that highlight the SOTA exhibition will take place in the gallery during the entire month of November.

CPA welcomes a new and wider audience to experience an exhibition by leading Northern California artists who are exploring contemporary issues using a diverse range of current and historical mediums including digital imaging, wet plate collodian, platinum, and mixed media installations. The artists include Binh Danh, whose powerful images on leaves and contemporary daguerreotypes have expanded the medium, Bob Kolbrener’s large scale gelatin silver prints, Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao’s provocative Dress Tent series, Katherine Mayo’s large, expressive tintype portraits of Selma, Alabama residents, Sara Friedlander’s evocative mixed media ruminations on immigration, Jerry Takigawa’s striking imagery of his family’s World War II-era internment, and Huntington Witherill’s dynamic digital manipulation, among others.

In addition to the exhibition, on Saturday, November 3, CPA will host a digital printing workshop with digital printing expert, Eric Joseph, Senior Vice President, Freestyle Photographic. Following the workshop, CPA will present a SOTA panel discussion, “Breaking Boundaries,” moderated by CPA’s Executive Director, renowned photographer and teacher, Brian Taylor, and Wallace Baine, beloved former Santa Cruz Sentinel Arts Editor and freelance art writer. Then, on Wednesday, November 14, CPA hosts a special reception with former long-time Congressman, Honorable Sam Farr, to acknowledge his contributions and support of the photographic arts in the Monterey Bay area.

Finally, as a complement to the exciting SOTA exhibition CPA will host an online competition juried by Ann Hazel, Director, Radius Gallery, Santa Cruz, and photographer, educator and CPA Assistant Director, Rick Murai. All are welcome to enter and vie for five hundred dollars in prizes. All entries will be featured on CPA’s website and be viewable by our global audience. A lively and informative jurors’ talk and awards presentation will take place on Saturday, November 17.

Join us in celebrating the Center for Photographic Art’s State of the Art exhibition and its foray into the North Monterey Bay area with a month of groundbreaking photography and events at the R. Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz. The R. Blitzer Gallery is located in a sprawling renovated warehouse once home to the historic Wrigley Chewing Gum factory, and now integral to the hip renaissance taking place on Santa Cruz’s West Side. Don’t miss the festive First Friday Opening Reception on Friday, November 2, 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

To learn more about SOTA and accompanying events go to: https://photography.org/event/state-of-the-art/

What:
• STATE OF THE ART Exhibition • Freestyle Photo Workshop
• STATE OF THE ART “Breaking Boundaries” panel discussion and reception
• Special Evening with former Congressman, Honorable Sam Farr

• STATE OF THE ART online competition awards presentation and Juror’s talk

When:
• Exhibition: November 2 – 29, 2018, Opening reception November 2, 5:00 to 8:00 pm
• Freestyle Photo Workshop: Saturday, November 3, Noon to 4:00 pm
• STATE OF THE ART “Breaking Boundaries” panel discussion, Saturday November 3, 6:00 to 7:30 pm; Reception: 7:30 to 8:30 pm
• Reception and award presentation with Honorable Sam Farr, November 14, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
• STATE OF THE ART online competition entry period: September 26 – November 6. Juror’s event, Saturday, November 17, 4:00 to 7:00 pm

Where:
R. Blitzer Gallery
Wrigley Building
2801 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060,
Gallery hours: Noon to 5:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday

Tickets:
• State of the Art Exhibition: Free, open to the public
• Freestyle Photo Digital Printing Workshop and “Breaking Boundaries” panel discussion, General admission: $75 for both (includes CPA membership), CPA Members: $35 for both. Space is limited, tickets available via EventBrite
• Hon. Sam Farr Reception, free
• SOTA Online competition entry: $35 for four images.

PR Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jedlfeinl67paap/AADuG_TnuEstgFFZ-W3ae1Kwa?dl=0 Info: www.photography.org

CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
Sunset Center

San Carlos and 9th Avenue
P.O. Box 1100

Carmel, CA 93921
www.photography.org

Contact:
Brian Taylor,
Executive Director
brian@photography.org
408-334-0040

ABOUT CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
Tracing our roots back to the Friends of Photography, founded in 1967, the Center for Photographic Art (CPA) remains the second oldest members’ photography gallery organization in the country. A short walk from Ocean Avenue in Carmel, CA brings you to the venerable gallery launched by iconic artists Ansel Adams, Cole Weston, and Wynn Bullock. Today, CPA continues to serve as a valuable cultural resource to its members, the community and the greater world of the photographic arts.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.photography.org

Baby Boomer Alert — Santa Cruz Lifespan Aging Care Management Agency Announces New Personal Assistant Services for Older Adults

Lifespan, a comprehensive aging care management agency locally owned and operated and serving Santa Cruz for 35 years, is now offering a new and innovative service — Personal Assistants.

Santa Cruz, CA, January 08, 2018 - Lifespan, a comprehensive aging care management agency locally owned and operated and serving Santa Cruz for 35 years, is now offering a new and innovative service — Personal Assistants.

Personal Assistants are skilled individuals with experience serving aging and disabled persons who can offer a variety of activities, such as socialization, recreation, home organization, escort to medical appointments, and more. Support is also available with organizing mail, bill paying and completing forms.

Kathy Geerin, of Santa Cruz is one such personal assistant. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, and a graduate of Hofstra University, Geerin was an art teacher and art therapist in special education before joining Lifespan in 1997. She started out working in Lifespan’s conservatorship program and later became a part-time care management assistant prior to that program expanding into the current personal assistant program.

Geerin works with six to seven clients for several hours each per week. A typical day with a client might involve going grocery shopping, escorting to a hairdressing or manicure appointment, sorting and organizing mail and other paperwork, trips to the library or a scenic beach drive. She may also assist with scheduling appointments and arranging transportation. Sometimes Geerin will simply sit and talk with a client if the client desires. “I enjoy learning about my clients, some have a fascinating history, it’s really interesting.”

There is a one-hour minimum for the Personal Assistant service.

About Lifespan
Lifespan is a comprehensive aging care management agency dedicated to providing the highest quality of care in the home or setting of one’s choice.

Lifespan’s goal is to maximize the health, safety, comfort, and independence of its clients through compassionate person-centered care. Since 1983 Lifespan has provided all-inclusive home care and professional geriatric care management services to adults in need of assistance. A leader in aging care services, Lifespan is one of the very first organizations to provide this combination of care on the West Coast, and still the only agency of its kind in Santa Cruz County.

Lifespan’s professional care management is provided by registered nurses and master’s level social workers who conduct assessments of client strengths and unmet needs then help the client and family decide on a plan of care. In addition, care managers can coordinate a variety of resources and work with health care providers, fiduciary agents, and other professionals to make sure that all needs are met as conditions change. Lifespan also offers medication set-up and managements by RNs.

Home care aides provide the important support with activities of daily living such as light housekeeping, shopping, laundry, meal preparation and clean up, personal hygiene, mobility, and medication reminders. They also provide protective supervision for persons with cognitive impairment. Care up to 24/hours per day is offered based on staffing availability. All home care aide services are supervised by the professional care manager RNs and social workers to ensure optimal care.

Lifespan is in full compliance with the 2015 California Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, under the auspices of the California Department of Social Services, which specifies that all employees meet criteria as registered home care aides. This includes thorough screening, criminal background clearance (fingerprinting) by both the Department of Justice and FBI in addition to verifying initial and ongoing professional training. Employees of all levels are covered by Lifespan’s general liability bond and worker’s compensation policies.

There are more than 2 million professional home care workers in the U.S. providing care and support to aging adults and persons with disabilities in home and community-based settings. The home care workforce has doubled in the past 10 years and the population of those 65 and older is expected to double to 88 million by 2050, making the role of professional aging care professionals that much more critical.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://www.lifespancare.com/

Goodwill Central Coast Moves from Santa Cruz to Expanded New Headquarters in Salinas to Better Fulfill its Mission to Communities it Serves

Goodwill Central Coast has completed a more than a year long process of planning, renovating, and moving their headquarters from Santa Cruz to Salinas.

Salinas, CA, July 31, 2017 — Goodwill Central Coast has completed a more than a year long process of planning, renovating, and moving their headquarters from Santa Cruz to Salinas. The move will increase its operating space, improve efficiency and better fulfill its mission to help people find employment.

Since Goodwill Central Coast covers Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties, moving to Salinas centralizes its headquarters and with a bigger, more modern facility, will boost its efforts to train people in new careers and find them employment.

“It was a big decision on our part,” said Ed Durkee, Goodwill Central Coast President and CEO. “But this new facility was needed to meet the demands of our environmentally conscious community. The building is more modern, safer, more efficient, more centralized, bigger and can take more donations.”

The new facility, located at 1566 Moffett St. in Salinas, is more than double the size of the Santa Cruz location, and will house administrative offices, e-commerce, a salvage center, a donation center, a processing area and an outlet store.

The new headquarters will encompass 140 jobs. All employees who worked at the Santa Cruz headquarters have been offered jobs in Salinas or at other sites in Santa Cruz County. The relocation will also provide a chance to increase Goodwill's employee base in a more centralized location and to better help the local community.

A grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony with Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce will be held at the new headquarters from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on September 20th. The Mayor of Salinas will be on hand to cut the ribbon.

Goodwill Central Coast, which covers Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties, is one of the region’s largest social enterprise and operates three career centers, five donation processing centers, 25 attended donation stations, 16 stores, and a vocational school. It also employs about 600 in three counties.

For many people, the barriers to employment are too high to overcome alone. Barriers like homelessness, military service, single parenting, incarceration, addiction, and job displacement can define a person’s identity, even when they have so much more to offer.

“Goodwill's goal is to ensure all of their community members know their worth and gain the skills and confidence to land a job that could turn their life around.” Anne Guthrie, VP of Workforce Services.

Each year Goodwill assists more than 13,000 job seekers to get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

Some of the ways Goodwill helps people find employment include programs on culinary arts, catering services, free tax preparation and subsidized job placement.

Success stories
Jeremy is one of those employment success stories. Jeremy had problems getting a job because of mental health issues and a criminal background. After attending and graduating from the Culinary Training Academy, with assistance from Goodwill, he is now a prep cook at Jeninni’s Kitchen + Bar in Pacific Grove and is working his way up to sauté cook.

Gloria Organista came to Goodwill’s Career Centers after an unsuccessful job search. She enrolled in our workforce development workshops to brush up on her business and computer skills and after completion enrolled on Goodwill’s Organizational Work Program, OWP. She was placed in the Goodwill Career Center and received on-the-job training in administrative duties and was quickly hired as a HR Assistant. She continued her HR training and is now Goodwill’s HR Supervisor.

Another success story is Eduardo, a painter who lost his job during the rainy season due to lack of work. Eduardo went through Goodwill's OWP program in Monterey, trained in the store and worked with a trainer and employment specialist to find the right job for him. With the help of Goodwill staff, he was able to get a job with CSU Monterey Bay's maintenance department as a full-time painter. He now has a stable job with benefits, which allows his wife to stay at home and take care of their two young children.

A new way to shop
The Bargain Barn outlet center, one of two (the other is in San Luis Obispo), will also move to the Salinas location after more than four decades in Santa Cruz. Unlike Goodwill stores, outlet centers exist to move merchandise quickly, selling everything (except furniture) by the pound. The Salinas outlet center will sell its merchandise for $1.79 a pound.

“It has been very popular in Santa Cruz,” said Jim Burke VP of Retail and Operations. “You can potentially get a new outfit for $1.79, including shoes and accessories. The upcycling people like it too because they can get a dresser for $3 to $5. And it's good for the environment, otherwise it ends up in a landfill.”

Merchandise stays in stores for three weeks, then goes to the outlet centers. It's put out on the floor each morning, then merchandise is rotated throughout the day, a couple times each hour. And since items rotate constantly, each rotation brings a new treasure trove for bargain shoppers. “Shoppers are always introduced to new merchandise this way,” says Burke.

If still there by the end of the day, merchandise goes to a salvage operator, who will repurpose it for other uses. For example, clothing and other fabrics can be repurposed for insulation.

Furniture and other bulky items will still have price tags, but will also be clearance-priced in order for it to sell quickly.

About Goodwill Central Coast
The Goodwill Central Coast chapter, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo.

Goodwill Central Coast employs over 600 people in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo County, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators.

Goodwill believes that everyone deserves the chance to join their team, which is why Goodwill Central Coast is an equal opportunity employer and an advocate for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To deliver their services, Goodwill relies on partnerships with federal and state workforce development agencies, as well as strong relationships with the local businesses that provide employment opportunities.

Goodwill Central Coast
566 Moffett St., Salinas
(831) 423-8611
http://www.ccgoodwill.org

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.ccgoodwill.org

Unique Slow Flowers Workshop in Santa Cruz Features Innovative Bay Area Floral Designer Teresa Sabankaya and Internationally Known Outdoor Living Expert, writer, lecturer and Slow Flowers Founder Debra Prinzing

Innovative Bay Area floral designer Teresa Sabankaya will team up with renowned floral expert Debra Prinzing, founder of Slowflowers.com to offer an inspiring two-part workshop for floral professionals at a beautiful private garden in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz, CA, June 20, 2016 — Innovative Bay Area floral designer Teresa Sabankaya will team up with renowned floral expert Debra Prinzing, founder of Slowflowers.com to offer an inspiring two-part workshop for floral professionals at a beautiful private garden in Santa Cruz.

“Slow Flowers Creative Workshop,” set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, is designed to help floral designers and Farmer-Florists clarify, document and communicate their personal artistic message as a floral professional by focusing on brand-building, floral storytelling and media messaging.

Sabankaya, founder and creative director of Bonny Doon Garden Co. and creator of the unique Bonny Doon Posies arrangements, will work with participants to explore and expand their approach to garden-inspired design and identify the inspiration for their floral designs.

The will participate in her hands-on exercises that build support for their designs’ inspired floral elements and complementary elements and focus on how to make the mechanics that support their style work as they create an arrangement of their own.

Sabankaya, whose floral designs have become highly desirable due to their unique style of arranging and elegant garden appeal, is considered one of the most innovative florists in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Prinzing is a writer, speaker, outdoor living expert and advocate for American flower farming and author of “Slow Flowers: Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from the Garden, Meadow and Farm” and “The 50 Mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers.”

The website slowflowers.com is an online directory to help people find floral professionals who are committed to using American-grown flowers.

The workshop will take place over one and a half days in a private garden in the Santa Cruz area. Guests will receive location and map to the garden after they register.

Cost for the workshop is $525 and includes all instruction, materials, supplies, flowers, morning coffee/refreshments, two lunches and a cocktail reception in the garden. It also includes a guest's own gallery of images from the sessions and their design work.

In a safe, supportive and intimate setting, the small group will spend 24-plus hours focusing on Slow Flowers “brand building” and how each participant can find his or her own voice as a floral storyteller. Subjects that will be covered include:

• How to evoke and express your personal story as a creative individual
• How to play with words to describe the natural world’s color, texture and form
• How to tell your flower memoir as metaphor for your brand
• How to flex your sensory muscles
• How brand development can capture key distinctives in words and images that define you
• How to use storytelling in a media pitch — learn how to be a resource for targeted media

On the second day, Sabankaya will lead participants in a floral design exercise that identifies the essential spirit of “garden-inspired design.” They will learn how to build the support for the inspired/complementary elements and learn how to make the mechanics work.

After her presentation, participants will choose from local, seasonal roses, dahlias and other signature blooms and create an arrangement that expresses their personal take on garden-inspired design. Sabankaya will cover sourcing of botanical ingredients, growing decisions and foraging approaches. Coached by her, each student will photo-style her/his creation for web, marketing and portfolio use.

During the design portion of this module, Prinzing will interview each participant individually about their philosophy and provide them with tips on creating a floral narrative for their design.

Registrants will be sent a pre-planning packet of exercises created by Prinzing two weeks prior to the workshop. The goal for these exercises is that the more time and thought invested in the exercises, the more rewarding the 24-hour experience will be.

About Teresa Sabankaya:
Sabankaya is the founder and owner since 1999 of The Bonny Doon Garden Company, a full-service floral design studio, florist, and botanical gift shop.

Sabankaya holds an influential position as one of the most innovative florists in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has exhibited her floral art annually at the “Bouquets to Art” exhibition at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the National Trust Filoli’s Estate in Woodside, and various other floral design and garden shows.

Sabankaya's floral designs have become highly desirable due to their unique style of arranging and elegant garden appeal. Her wedding floral styles have been featured in numerous wedding blogs and magazines including Smitten, Sweet Violet Bride, Style Me Pretty and Green Wedding Shoes.

She has been featured in Amy Stewart’s “Flower Confidential” book as well as her blog, and was featured “like a florist from 100 years ago” in the PBS documentary “Botany of Desire,” based on Michael Pollen’s bestseller Botany of Desire.

Sabankaya's trademarked creations, Bonny Doon Posies, have been a core part of her retail business from the beginning, and have been featured in such media as “CBS Sunday Morning,” Romantic Homes magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Cruz Sentinel and The New York Times.

She is a Certified Green Gardener; a member of Slowflowers.com, an online directory of florists who source their materials locally; and Greatgardenspeakers.com.

About Debra Prinzing:
Prinzing is an award-winning author, speaker and leading advocate for American-grown flowers. She is the founder and producer of the online directory slowflowers.com, a guide to American flower farms, and florists, shops and studios who source domestic and local flowers. She is the author of 10 books, including Slow Flowers and The 50 Mile Bouquet.Her book “Slow Flowers” (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013) received a Silver Medal from Garden Writers Association in 2014.

Prinzing is a contributing editor to Country Gardens magazine and her feature stories on architecture and design appear regularly in the Los Angeles Times’ Home section. She is a contributor to Garden Design, and her work has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, online publications and blogs.

A Master Gardener, the Seattle-based Prinzing has studied landscape horticulture and design at South Seattle Community College. She is the current president of Garden Writers Association and a member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.

For more information, contact Teresa Sabankaya at teresa@bonnydoongardenco.com or by calling (831) 566-9925. To register for the workshop, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/slow-flowers-creative-workshop-tickets-25988990771.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://slowflowers.com/