Annual Cops N Gobblers event delivers food baskets to folks in need

The Mountain View Police Department celebrated the 26th annual Cops N Gobblers event on Nov. 20, the first time in two years that the beloved annual event didn’t have to be modified due to the pandemic.

The community-wide event brought together volunteers to assemble and deliver 350 food baskets for vulnerable families in Mountain View, plus 125 individual Safeway gift cards to families in need, said event organizer Amber Wilson.

“Many of the folks we helped are either unhoused or in less than stable housing,” Wilson said in a statement. “Virtually all of the families have children.”

One volunteer said of the event, “That was quite an experience for my son, especially the food delivery part,” according to the statement. “He was able to see the other families and their children, to make a real connections with them. Very meaningful. We are doing this next year for sure.”

Wilson expressed gratitude to the event sponsors, including Google, Wealth Architects, Morgan Stanley, the Kiwanis Club of Mountain View, Challenge Team, Mountain View Rotary and the Mountain View Police Officers Association, “as well as all of our volunteers that make the program happen year after year.”

Board of Supervisors approves more funds for Youth Community Services in North County

The Youth Community Service program just got an extra boost of funding from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, allowing the program to expand its substance use and suicide prevention work and reach more young people in North County, a release from Fifth District Supervisor Joe Simitian said.

The additional funding will go toward the Youth Connectedness Initiative (Youth Connect), an after-school program that connects high schoolers to peers and adults for support.

“These are tough times for young people and their parents,” said Simitian, who first proposed county support for Youth Connect in 2018, in the statement. “There’s a tremendous need for preventative mental health services for our youth; fortunately, Youth Community Services has a unique model that brings services directly to kids. The Youth Connect peers aren’t strangers; they are trained peer leaders. Young folks want to connect with peers they can trust.”

County funding for Youth Community Service comes from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act. The board initially approved $150,000 for the program in May of this year, but voted to increase the allocation to $225,000 so the program could expand to more communities and run through June 2023.

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts sparks holiday joy with performance lineup

The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts has a holiday line up that is sure to spread cheer this year. Head to the Center’s website to secure tickets for these festive upcoming events:

• Nov. 25 to 27 | Pacific Ballet Academy presents 31st Annual Nutcracker Ballet

• Nov. 27 | Pacific Ballet Academy in association with the City of Mountain View presents 31st Annual Nutcracker Ballet – An Autism/Sensory Friendly Performance

• Nov. 27 | TACO (Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra of Silicon Valley) presents Holiday Sing-Along with TACO | Free event on the Civic Center Plaza

• Dec. 1 to 4 | Smuin Ballet presents The Christmas Ballet

• Dec. 9 to 11 | Western Ballet presents The Nutcracker

• Dec. 10 | Socially Inept, LLC presents Socially Inept: Roast of Silicon Valley