Online Exclusive: We Can Do It! More fabulous women of Modesto

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: WE CAN DO IT!

We had such an incredible response to our April “We Can Do It!” issue, that we received several emails on other fabulous women in the community.

Marian Kaanon, CEO of Stanislaus Community Foundation

The Stanislaus Community Foundation was organized in 2002 as an independent, 501(c)3 public charity. Over the past 12 years it has granted more than $10 million to nonprofits and scholarship recipients in Stanislaus County. The foundation’s CEO Marian Kaanon said SCF’s purpose is to keep money in Stanislaus County and to transform the community. “Every day we’re investing in our region,” Kaanon said.

Although they mostly help businesses get involved in supporting charitable causes, the SCF focuses its own charitable efforts on raising third-grade reading levels because studies show that children who can’t read by the third grade have increased risk for teen pregnancy and incarceration rates. SCF aims to change that statistic through charitable contributions to local libraries, the County Office of Education and the Headstart program. SCF also supports the First Five initiative, which educates parents, teachers and caregivers on health and nutrition, early literacy and language development, quality child care and smoking cessation. Because of her work with SCF, she won an Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County Award in 2015.

Stanislaus Community Foundation
1029 16th St. Modesto CA 95354
www.stanislauscf.org
209-576-1608

Cindy Duenas, Executive Director of Center for Human Services

Center for Human Services (CHS) is a non-profit agency serving youth and families since 1970. Their mission is to change lives and build futures through programs that strengthen and support youth and families. They do this through 6 core program areas; mental health services, shelter services, school based services, youth services, substance abuse treatment, and family resource centers. Through these services, CHS is helping youth and families to become self-sufficient, optimistic and resilient members of our community. Cindy is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and has served as executive director of the Center for Human Services since 2010, but has been with the non-profit since 1997. Cindy also serves as a United Way of Stanislaus County Partner Agency board member. She is also a part of the Stanislaus County Community Corrections Partnership and Child Abuse Prevention Council’s Strengthening Families Initiative subcommittee. She brings strong leadership skills, and expertise in strategic planning and program development to her role with the agency. Cindy also won an Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County Award in 2015, for all her work in the community.”

Center for Human Services
1700 McHenry Ave
Modesto, CA 95350
209-526-1746
centerforhumanservices.org

Marian Martino, volunteer at Parent Resource Center

The Parent Resource Center is a United Way member agency, whose mission is to build stronger, healthier families by offering education, mentoring and supportive services to empower and strengthen our community. Though established in 1992, before that it was known as the “Home Visiting Project”. Marian is a volunteer mentor with Stanislaus County Probation Department’s Juvenile Justice Initiative for Girls, through the Parent Resource Center. She spends one hour every week meeting with young girls who need good role models. She spends time with the girls practicing creative writing, playing games, helping them come up with goals and even follows up with them after their release. It not only helps the girls get their feelings out in a healthy way, it helps cultivate communication skills necessary for social activities and employment, and gives them someone to look to when they need support. Marian is the co-founder of Martino Graphic Design in Modesto. She is an active member of the Modesto Rotary Club, and also serves as a board member of the Stanislaus Community Foundation and the Commission for Women.

Parent Resource Center
811 5th Street
Modesto, California 95351
Prcfamilies.org
209-549-8193

Juliana Presto, Published Author

Juliana is a 14 year old eighth grader with big dreams, and she’s chipping away at them already! She wrote and published her first book “Fire and Ice: The Awakening”, with her second book in the series coming out later this year. She likes to speak to other students and encourage them to follow their dreams, no matter what their age might be. Not only does she write, but for fun she runs track, swims, cheerleads, plays the flute and violin. Our local Barnes and Nobles sells her book, and she will have a book-signing Sunday April 12th at 2pm.