ISI Project Results

Colors on plates

Harambee Arts

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LET’S PULL TOGETHER IN SWAHILI

Harambee Arts: Let’s Pull Together, partners with African and Nepali grassroots programs to train local caregivers to provide art programs for vulnerable children and women in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity, and exuberance.

All around the world, using the arts, Harambee Arts is transforming and improving the lives of women and children who have suffered the devastating effects of trauma. In workshops and trainings based on a form of expressive art therapy, created by founder Gloria Simoneaux, participants recover from deep psychological wounds and are empowered to further heal themselves and help others.

Gloria Simoneaux is the founding director of Harambee Arts, an expressive arts organization and training program based in sub-Saharan Africa and Nepal. Harambee Arts is designed to serve children globally who have been traumatized by illness, poverty, violence, trafficking, autistic spectrum disorder, and other crises. Gloria taught Expressive Arts to counselors in Nairobi as a Fulbright scholar, affiliated with the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors. She is the Founder of DrawBridge: An Arts Program for Homeless Children has worked with pediatric oncology patients in San Francisco hospitals and is currently a consultant with Save the Children and other NGOs.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Harambee Arts Logo

Please consider making a donation to Harambee Arts! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Harambee Arts” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Man at Golden Gate bridge arms up

Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients

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EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR BAY AREA KIDNEY PATIENTS

The Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients was founded in 2007. The organization is comprised of a core group of kidney patients and ancillary professionals. Their mission is to educate and support Bay Area Kidney Patients.

Members and clients include people with all stages of kidney disease.  Including End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and persons who require and are currently on dialysis and transplant recipients.   The organization conducts three educational meetings per year.  These meetings are very well attended by 75-125 people at each event.  The organization also publishes three newsletters each year. The newsletter is distributed to approximately 1300 patients, doctors, dialysis and transplant centers and other interested parties such as Health Fairs.

BAAKP ACCOMPLISHMENTS – 2007 TO PRESENT

  • We hold 3 general educational meetings per year at the PAMF in Palo Alto with physicians, medical professionals and even patients themselves as speakers, covering topics such as hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, dialysis, transplant, the kidney diet, and understanding your laboratory tests. Our initial event in 2007 drew 30 persons at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City and our most recent event at the PAMF had over 100 interested attendees.
  • These General Educational Presentations are videotaped and included on our website www.baakp.org for those unable to attend or to want to review the speakers’ talks.
  • We publish an 8 page newsletter, Kidney Konnections, three times a year.   It is mailed to our mailing list of over 500 patients and families who are on our membership list, as well as to social workers, nephrologists, past speakers and other interested parties. It is also emailed to about 1300 on our membership list.
  • Our website provides information on our upcoming events, videos of past speakers, copies of past newsletters, and general information about kidney disease.
  • We conduct biennial surveys, created to determine the interests and needs of our members.
  • We received an award from the national organization American Association of Kidney Patients, designating BAAKP as the best support group in the county.
  • We conduct regular outreach programs, attending events in the greater Bay Area to meet with Health Fair attendees, disperse literature and discuss kidney disease.
  • We have regular small (about 15-20 persons) support group meetings 6 times a year at the PAMF in Palo Alto and in the East Bay in Oakland.
  • We have both Facebook and Twitter pages with regular entries of interest to kidney patients from publications around the world.

THE HISTORY OF THE BAY AREA ASSOCIATION OF KIDNEY PATIENTS

The Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients (BAAKP) was founded by a small group of Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) kidney patients, interested professionals, friends and family members in the summer of 2007. This nucleus group, representing all stages of kidney disease, felt there was limited support for those facing a diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease and the prospect of eventual renal replacement therapies. The organization has monthly Board Meetings and operates under by-laws. There is a Board of Directors presently numbering 12 well-qualified patients, family members, community representatives and professionals.

The Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients (BAAKP) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization with the mission to educate and support those affected by kidney disease, both patients and caregivers.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

BAAKP Logo

Please consider making a donation to Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients or BAAKP” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Emma Goldman b/w image

Emma Goldman Papers

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TO PRESERVE HISTORY, TO DEMOCRATIZE KNOWLEDGE, TO EMPOWER THE PEOPLE.

An archival project dedicated to the life and work of the iconic Jewish radical and free speech advocate. The mission and charitable purposes of this project is to collect, organize and publish Goldman’s letters and writings, as well as trial transcripts and surveillance reports from when the Russian-born anarchist was imprisoned in 1917 for speaking out against the U.S. entry into World War I.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Emma Goldman Papers! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Emma Goldman Papers” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Coaction Institute

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Coaction Institute builds community and institutional capacity for working together to address factors that influence their community’s health (“social determinants of health”). It uses an upstream approach that brings together grassroots and institutional stakeholders, and supports inclusive public and institutional policies that generate both improved community health and an empowered citizenry.

To enhance these collaborative efforts, Coaction provides technical assistance and mentoring on how to integrate measurable community engagement strategies into programs and activities.
Coaction Institute is focused on advancing two priority initiatives:

  • the creation of a replicable interdisciplinary model for education in the social determinants of health
  • building health centers’ capacity to mentor grassroots community health leadership

Contact us to learn how our decades of experience might help further your efforts to improve the health of your community. We can help you integrate authentic multi-level, outcomes-focused community engagement strategies into your planning, implementation, and evaluation activities. Our team has experience working with hospitals, clinics, health & human service agencies, research institutes, community-based organizations and neighborhood groups in the U.S., Central & South America.

Tired of parallel play? Time for coaction


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

coaction institute logo

Please consider making a donation to Coaction Institute! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Coaction Institute” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Eartheart

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Fueled by a strong desire to see the global “Socio-ecosystem” back in balance, EARTHEART was created. Founded and currently managed by Brett Walker, EARTHEART is working closely with a core group of land stewards and sustainability activists in an advisory capacity. We believe that in making accessible and sharing the healing powers of the nature experience, we can help to re-install an understanding of the importance of our natural resources and a respect for the earth. Our mission is to design solutions, educational exhibits, and models that demonstrate sustainable living principles, core values and practices aimed at fueling the evolution toward a more sustainable future for generations who follow.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

eartheart logo

Please consider making a donation to Eartheart! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Eartheart” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Kid in costume on stage

A Theater for Children

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PROVIDING LIVE THEATER EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN TO BUILD CHARACTER AND COMMUNITY.

A Theater For Children (ATFC) has the mission of providing opportunities for young people to gain life skills through participating in drama and to get access to see live performances. Our organization, which was known as Actor Theater for Children for the last 40 years, has just gone through a reorganization and change of the Board. We are eager to get to work building relationships and programs.

ATFC knows that theater is a fantastic learning context for children because it is a fun and exciting way to build self-confidence, creativity, compassion, and cooperation skills.

A Theater For Children is also committed to create more opportunities for economically disadvantaged children to do drama by creating more FREE after-school drama programs with organizations such as Kid Street Learning Center, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Sonoma County, the Community Involvement Program at SSU, and SCOE.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to ATFC online or by check.
You can make checks payable to ISI with ATFC included in the memo & send checks to ISI.

Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Tan building with trees in front of it.

Friends of Chanate

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RESPONSIBLE, TRANSPARENT, AND HONEST GOVERNMENT.

  • We want the Chanate property to be developed into the best project possible.
  • We want Sonoma County to solicit public input, get a fair return for the taxpayers, and follow the law.

On July 11, 2017 Sonoma County finalized the sale of the 82 acre historic Community/Sutter hospital property on Chanate to a favored private developer, who plans up to 800 new homes at this location. This is a bad deal for our community health care, supportive services, non-profits, local taxpayers and for the preservation of historic landmarks and open spaces. This property is also in Santa Rosa’s Urban/Wildland Interface, and is in a high fire hazard location, which has become very important to all of us after the Tubbs Fire.

On August 9th we filed suit against Sonoma County to attempt to change this bad deal.

Friends of Chanate filed this lawsuit because we strongly believe that citizens lawsuits are an effective – and sometimes the only – means to hold local government accountable to the law. We are not seeking to stop the project; we do want to improve it.

Friends of Chanate is a group of concerned Sonoma County residents. Some of us are concerned neighbors of the proposed project, some are concerned about the loss of the property’s uses for health care, some want to ensure that the historic significance of this location is preserved, some want the non-profits to stay in their current locations, some want to ensure the maximum amount of affordable housing possible, some are disgusted by the giveaway of our County property and all of us care about responsible and safe land development and transparent and honest government.

Friends of Chanate wants the Chanate property to be developed into the best project possible, but we want the County and Santa Rosa to solicit public input, get a fair return for the taxpayers, and follow the law.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Friends of Chanate Logo

Please consider making a donation to Friends of Chanate! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Friends of Chanate” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Consciousness Hacking

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Consciousness Hacking supports the use and development of technology to increase wellbeing and uplift humanity through community, events and education. Join our community and support the use of technology as a catalyst for psychological, emotional and spiritual flourishing.

A GLOBAL COMMUNITY EXPLORING TECHNOLOGY AS A CATALYST FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL FLOURISHING.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Consciousness Hacking! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Consciousness Hacking” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

COR Community Foundation

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The COR Community Foundation heals the world through healing hearts.

We believe that we find healing by connecting with the goodness in all parts of ourselves—our minds, bodies, and emotions. We can then connect with and see the goodness in others. We accept our similarities and differences, allowing our fundamental complementarity to bring us closer together, spark creativity, foster generosity, and create a new paradigm of interdependence. We can then become more compassionate and loving agents of positive change in our families, schools, workplaces, and communities. As we transform, the world transforms.

The COR Community Foundation fulfills this mission by expanding access to COR, Inc.’s workshops by offering trainings and retreats for teens and workshop scholarships for adults. We all deserve the opportunity, tools, and support to heal our relationships with ourselves and with others so that our lives can reach their full potential.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Cor Logo

Please consider making a donation to COR Community Foundation! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “COR Community Foundation” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Earth Diaper

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Earth Diaper provides low-income families with compostable diapers and a service that does the composting.

OUR MISSION

To ensure that no family struggles to provide diapers for their children, to dramatically reduce the amount of diaper waste in landfills, and to increase awareness and capacity to compost


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

earth diaper logo

Please consider making a donation to Earth Diaper! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Earth Diaper” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Authentic Presence

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Authentic Presence offers non-denominational, contemplative-based education for people from all walks of life to discover their own inner resources for well-being and wholeness. It draws its inspiration from Buddhist contemplative tradition and its effective methodologies for deepening the human capacity for compassion, mindful awareness and authentic presence, particularly from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, the work of the Dalai Lama, as well as scientific research.
In our professional skills training programs, we offer an integrated approach to the practical, emotional and spiritual dimension of care for living and dying. Caregivers learn step-by-step how to apply and integrate mindfulness, meditation, and compassion training to strengthen their resilience and enhance their care.

Professional skills training

Our flagship course is called Authentic Presence – a Certificate in Contemplative End-of-Life Care for Healthcare Professionals. It consists of 2 online modules and one 8-day residential retreat. The online modules are Cultivating Compassionate Presence and Cultivating Mindfulness and Awareness in End-of-Life Care.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Authentic Presence Logo - Contemplative End-Of-Life Care Training

Please consider making a donation to Authentic Presence. You can make checks payable to ISI with “Authentic Presence” included in the memo.
 
Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Two girls standing in door

CoFed

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CoFed’s Mission is to empower communities of students across North America to help them create food co-operatives. These financially sustainable campus hubs for food and social justice activism develop the leaders for a healthy tomorrow. CoFed uses a reproducible, cooperative development model to teach students about food co-operatives. CoFed helps students create a scalable network of independent student-run businesses, and create new leaders in the food sustainability movement. CoFed has a commitment to share skills, resources, and eventually, start-up capital.

CoFED is building a youth-led movement for food justice & co-ops! Since 2011 we have developed 11 new cooperative projects, trained over 500 students on over 60 campuses, and cultivated a community of nearly 4,000 supporters.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

  • To train 200 new leaders in the food sustainability movement.
  • To create 35 new financially-viable, student-run coops in regional clusters in North America.
  • To give 1 million college students the choice to actively participate in their food system.

To accomplish these goals, CoFED will create:

  1. An evolving best-practices model
  2. A support network
  3. A peer-based training program

PRINCIPLES & VALUES

Guidelines for potential project teams include:

  • Create an ethical food system through community-based, fair, ecologically sound and humane food as defined by the Real Food Guidelines.
  • Ensure broad participation by creating systems to engage all youth, from consumers and career organizers in paths of long-term growth and leadership.
  • Exemplify the financial power of equitably and ethically pooled resources through operating cooperatively according to the ICA principles.
  • Implement action plans that sustain and grow themselves, with attention to inspirational, viral messaging.
  • Support collaboration by focusing on network driven strategies that utilize all resources and

You can make checks payable to ISI with the project name included in the memo & send checks to ISI.
Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

CoFED Logo

Please consider making a donation to CoFED. You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “CoFED” included in the memo.

Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Illustration of two women in lush green leaves

Botanical Dimensions

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The founding mission of Botanical Dimensions is to collect, protect, propagate, and understand plants of ethnobotanical significance. Botanical Dimensions provides education in the form of classes, special events, and a unique ethnobotany library. Botanical Dimensions does research with people holding ethnobotanical knowledge in various countries and cultures, which is documented with writing, photography, and film.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Botanical Dimensions! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Botanical Dimensions” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Worth a Dam

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Worth A Dam was originally formed to defend the Martinez Beavers. At first, the goal was to promote the Martinez beavers’ welfare through responsible stewardship, creative problem-solving, community involvement, and education. But then, once our Martinez beavers were safe, we became interested in helping other cities. We want everyone to learn why and how to co-exist with beavers. Beavers provide many benefits! Beavers contribute to increased diversity of wildlife; frogs, fish, birds, and wildlife. Worth A Dam has lots of information about different techniques, including using flow devices as long-term solutions for beaver-human conflicts.

Since 2008, Worth A Dam has held an annual beaver festival in Martinez, CA. Many wildlife groups come from all over the Bay Area, set up booths, and help people learn about wildlife – along with celebrating the beavers of Alhambra Creek. On August 6, 2016, at the Ninth Annual Beaver Festival in Martinez, Worth A Dam was honored by Congressman Mike Thompson with the following Congressional Record:


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Worth a Dam! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Worth a Dam” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Urban Community Partnership

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Urban Community Partnership, a grassroots multi-disciplinary collaborative, believes that transforming our approach to development is key to assuring financially resilient municipalities while promoting a healthier quality of life and reduced environmental impacts. After so many years of car-focused policy and planning we have reached a pivot point and need to re-invent our path of development, maximizing our land and other resources for highest and best use. At a critical time when cities increasingly face the reality of unfunded infrastructure maintenance needs and of an acute shortage of affordable housing, we are confident the financial analysis modeling will provide very practical insights for addressing these concerns. That’s why we are working with Urban3 to undertake a financial analysis of land use development pat¬terns in close proximity to the various SMART stations along the Highway 101 corridor.

OUR VISION

There’s a train coming to town which brings a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for appropriate development. Shaped by the community to maintain our quality of life for future generations, it’s up to us to steward this growth so that it is economically sustainable and can create uniquely livable communities to learn, play and live in.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Urban Community Partnership! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Urban Community Partnership” included in the memo. 

​Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Stone Pier Press

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Stone Pier Press is a nonprofit project based in San Francisco bent on publishing good books about good food, and we are seeking a fiscal sponsor. Our books highlight how people are solving problems to produce and consume food sustainably and humanely. By inspiring and informing our readers, Stone Pier books make it easier for people to act on their own good intentions to eat well for themselves and the planet.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Stone Pier Press! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Stone Pier Press” included in the memo. 

Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Erinn Pavese A Little Love UpCycle: Reuse and Recycle June-July 2022

Santa Rosa Arts Center

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The mission of Santa Rosa Arts Center is to strengthen the vibrancy of our community through arts, programming, and events, and to provide an inspirational civic gathering places for artistic expressions and engagement.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Santa Rosa Arts Center! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “Santa Rosa Arts Center” included in the memo. 

Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

SAAFON

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SAAFON is dedicated to building a sustainable food system by protecting and preserving African American agricultural heritage through organic farming.  We have been doing this work for nearly a decade. By farming organically, we return to our cultural traditions. We also protect our land from harmful chemicals, preserve biodiversity and grow food with real worth.

SAAFON is the first and largest network of African American organic farmers in the US. Our goal is to raise the visibility of our farmers’ enterprises both nationally and internationally.  We are a regional organization representing farmers in eight states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and the Virgin Islands. We have more than 120 farmer members and nearly 8,000 supporters — and we’re growing each day!

In 2013, Cynthia Hayes, the Executive Director of SAAFON won the James Beard Leadership Award for her exemplary service to the sustainable agriculture and African American community. SAAFON was born because Cynthia believed farmers could best articulate and meet their own needs.  In 2006, Cynthia brought together a group of farmers for a workshop that planted the seed for SAAFON. Today, some of SAAFON’s original members are now serving on SAAFON’s Board of Directors.

We believe organic farming:

  • Is vital to the financial success to each of our farmers
  • Provides our communities with clean produce
  • Protects our land for future generations

We invite you to work with us to grow and strengthen our network of African American organic farmers growing good food for all.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to SAAFON! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “SAAFON” included in the memo.
 
Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Restore the Springs

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MISSION

To create a regenerative relationship with water and all living beings that supports whole system health and wellbeing.

We seek to restore the springs and full water cycle of Morton’s Warm Springs and the Sonoma Creek watershed, in service of a regenerative global water cycle on this planet.
To Restore the Springs here at Morton’s Warm Springs means to restore the full, optimal, warm, healthy and chemical-free water cycle of the springs on this land.

More specifically, it means to improve:

  • How the artesian springs come up to us from our geothermal aquifer;
  • How its waters are used in our pools and services;
  • How can our public visitors experience the springs in their original, warm (even hot??) and chemical-free purity;
  • How may the water then can be reused responsibly after leaving the pools and our drains; and finally,
  • How is the water spread and sunk back into the earth to replenish the precious aquifer below.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to Restore the Springs! You can make checks payable to ISI with “Restore the Springs” included in the memo. 

Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

R.I.S.K.

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R.I.S.K. is a Non-Profit organization that is dedicated to helping families in the Sonoma Valley. Parents often find themselves in difficult situations with their children, and have no place to turn. R.I.S.K. will offer help and referrals to the help that you need.

R.I.S.K is partnering with other groups in the Sonoma Valley like SAY, Boys and Girls Club, Sonoma Mentoring Alliance, and Sonoma Valley High School to centralize information, support and resources. We are here to listen and create a dialogue between parents and the community about raising children in today’s world. Our structure and services are designed to help us to become advocates for parents and children in difficult issues like substance abuse, bullying, academic issues or even trouble fitting in in school.


Mailing address: 887 Sonoma Ave, #23, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Please consider making a donation to R.I.S.K.! You can donate online or make checks payable to ISI with “R.I.S.K.” included in the memo. 

Mailing Address:
887 Sonoma Ave, #23
Santa Rosa, CA 95404