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.
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.”
For Sgt. Frincee Prado, the Army is more than a career. As he sees it, “It’s a major opportunity to use your own personal skills, talent and passions to make a real difference in people’s lives at home and abroad.”
Prado has been a technical engineer with the U.S. Army Engineering team for four years. In that time, he’s been part of the design and construction of several Army projects across the country and abroad. He’s one of 12 soldiers starring in the latest installment of the Army’s “What’s Your Warrior?” campaign that aims to educate young people about the breadth and depth of careers in the nation’s largest military branch.
Sacramento resident Timothy Sheehan works as a hospitality ambassador at the McDonald’s on Watt Avenue near Myrtle in North Highlands. He recently celebrated 25 years of employment.
Sheehan brightens the lives of customers on a daily basis. That’s a big part of his job.
“Timmy is a breath of fresh air,” says Faris Abdelshaid, McDonald’s director of operations. “He is always punctual and makes everyone around him feel better. He brings warmth, joy and smiles to every customer and fellow employee he meets.”
