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Community Briefs

Give blood, give shelter

Donors who go to Stanford Blood Center next week can give more than blood — for every two donors, the center will contribute money to Hotel de Zink, enough to provide one bed at the homeless shelter for one night.

The blood center's Mountain View and Palo Alto locations are participating in the shelter benefit, running Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 22-24. The locations are: 515 South Drive, Suite 20, in Mountain View; 3373 Hillview Ave. in Palo Alto; and 780 Welch Road, Suite 100, in Palo Alto.

While the Stanford Blood Center usually offers donors T-shirts or other gifts, said spokeswoman Michelle Hyndman, during those three days the center will donate $20 for every two donors to InnVision's Hotel de Zink. "This is a wonderful opportunity for Stanford Blood Center blood donors to double their donation," she said.

Hotel de Zink is a 15-bed emergency shelter that rotates locations and is hosted by congregations in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. Families or individuals are referred through InnVision's Opportunity Services Center.

"As Hotel de Zink struggles to keep its doors open, our partnership with Stanford Blood Center provides much-needed financial support and will hopefully create more visibility for the program in our community," said Philip Dah, director of Peninsula programs at InnVision.

Donors should be in good health with no cold or flu symptoms. Call (888) 723-7831 or go to bloodcenter.stanford.edu.

—Andrea Gemmet

Open Space District opens photo contest

The Midpeninsula Regional Open District is now accepting photographs that show the diversity in its open space preserves. Participants may submit photos taken in one of the district's 24 preserves in the South Bay, Peninsula, and Coastside. Contenders can turn in up to 10 photographs by uploading to the district's SmugMug gallery. Three finalists will be revealed in May. Prizes include a whale-watching cruise and a Flip UltraHD camcorder. All winning entries will be featured in the summer issue of the district's newsletter.

Submissions will be considered for publication in the district's coffee table book, which features art and photography commemorating the reserve. Visit www.openspace.org for contest details.

— James Tensuan