May 28, 2021
If you walk down Taylor Way and notice a yard that looks like something out of “Alice in Wonderland”—colorful mushrooms, stepping stones, a burbling fountain—then you’ve discovered Adam Salinger’s East Sac residence.
Salinger and his wife, who have owned the house for 20 years, have gradually transformed it into a whimsical gathering place for neighbors and passersby. Everything in the yard—from artwork to strategic plantings of fragrant herbs and trees—are pure Salinger, an avid outdoorsman and educator who has channeled his love of nature and innate artistic abilities into a showstopping abode.
May 28, 2021
If Sami Kader feels down or overwhelmed, he takes his own advice: “Never give up—you got this.”
It’s a message Kader spreads to more than 50,000 young people each year through his motivational movement program, Sami’s Circuit. It’s also a message kids in more than 100 schools throughout the state receive remotely through his weekly video series, “Sami’s Circuit On Demand.”
May 28, 2021
Every Christmas, Kathy Caitano gives her sons a piece of original art. Her grandkids get one too. This unique gifting strategy is not just because Caitano owns Artistic Edge Custom Framing & Gallery on Fulton Avenue. It’s because she knows the importance of getting children hooked early on art.
“Art education in the U.S. is lacking,” says Caitano, who has owned Artistic Edge for 15 years. “In Europe, art is not a luxury but a necessity. Here, people don’t feel that way if they’re not exposed to art when they’re young. My kids grew up in the gallery, so they know how to admire art. I always suggest that people bring their little ones in and expose them to art—they love it.”
May 28, 2021
If Cliff Popejoy could tell people one thing, it would be, “Get out and volunteer. It doesn’t matter how often—a few hours a week, a few days a year—just find a niche that appeals to you, create the time and volunteer.”
Popejoy has volunteered for the Greater Sacramento branch of the global housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity for more than 30 years. He knows the joy volunteering brings. It can even start you on a new career path, as Popejoy learned.
May 28, 2021
It was one of those January storms everyone talks about the next day. The National Weather Service reported gusts of 60 mph. Trees toppled. Thousands lost power. Structures collapsed.
The barn-size aviary flight cage at Sacramento’s Wildlife Care Association turned into a pile of rubble—only weeks from the nonprofit’s busiest season, when abandoned and injured baby birds must learn to fly.
Apr 29, 2021
Mary Alice Lewis knows what a difference a handmade item can make to someone in need.
Since 2015, Lewis and a group of fellow residents at the River’s Edge senior community off Fair Oaks Boulevard have raised money for Loaves & Fishes’ Mustard Seed School through the sale of handmade goods. They have raised more than $20,000 for the school, which provides free Montessori education and a safe space for homeless children ages 3–15.
“Mary Alice and the volunteers at River’s Edge have been supporting the children at Mustard Seed for years,” school director Casey Knittel says. “It’s wonderful to have their help because they are always so careful to make sure they understand exactly what our school needs. They have helped with everything from providing Valentine’s cards to buying Montessori materials for our classrooms to renovating our front office.”
