Please join me in thanking those who have done so much to contribute to our safety and well-being during the year. 

Our veterans and current service members - They and their families made huge sacrifices to protect and defend our nation. Let us remember their service and needs throughout the year. 

Our first responders in fire and law enforcement – These professionals keep us safe throughout the year, especially this past summer with fires all around us. It was due to their heroic efforts that lives were saved and the fires were kept from doing even more damage. They made sure all were evacuated safely and their properties were secured. These dedicated public servants protect us round-the-clock throughout the year. 

Our health care professionals, hospitals, clinics, and health department – These individuals and organizations were incredibly stressed during the pandemic and yet continued their incredible efforts in providing our health care and ensuring that we could be vaccinated as we climbed our way back from the worst of this pandemic. 

Our other public servants - Despite the pandemic, our public servants continued to serve us in other essential ways including: educating our youth; maintaining our parks; taking care of our trash and sewage; making sure our buildings and roads are safe; driving our buses; ensuring that our less fortunate can receive services; extending technology for access to school, work and public meetings; operating our libraries; and, so many, many other services that are essential to our way of life. 

Our many incredible non-profits – These organizations and volunteers support our community with programs and services to protect and serve our seniors, our animals, our environment, those physically challenged, our arts, our families, our youth, and our own health and well-being. 

Our local businesses – During a year of immense challenges and changing conditions, our local businesses continued to provide our communities with goods and services, places to gather, and support for their employees. Many also donated resources and products to our charitable foundations so that they could provide for those less fortunate. 

Communities truly are the people – and most especially those who volunteer their time, talents, and resources to give to others and to serve others. As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, please be thankful for all those individuals and groups who make up our phenomenal communities. 

In service, and with immeasurable gratitude,
Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor  

DONATE: Through Saturday, November 20 DISTRIBUTION: Monday, November 22

Purchase a frozen turkey at Auburn's Grocery Outlet, Save Mart or Safeway and they will keep the turkey until distribution day. In addition, Auburn Grocery Outlet will host a turkey collection day in their parking lot on Saturday, November 20 from 9am-5pm. AIFC will gladly accept direct donations of frozen turkeys at their table or at the freezer truck which will be in the Grocery Outlet parking lot. You can also donate a turkey online, here. AIFC will distribute turkeys on Monday, November 22nd. They will provide one turkey to each registrant in the order of registration, register here! They can only provide a turkey to as many families as turkeys donated. Last year they were able to provide a turkey for each registration, distributing over 400 turkeys. They are anticipating more registrations this year, so even greater community support is desired. LEARN MORE + DONATE TODAY

The annual Central Square Tree Lighting is a favorite holiday event with s’mores, hot cocoa and cider, music and more! Plus, be on the lookout for Santa’s arrival! LEARN MORE

DATES: Saturday & Sunday, November 27-28
LOCATION: Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn 

Enjoy a unique holiday and shopping experience for the whole family offering fine art, quality crafts, and gourmet food. LEARN MORE  

So many of us have so much to be thankful for, if you are able, please take a moment to think about your year-end giving, especially on Giving Tuesday. We have so many incredible non-profits in Placer County, many of which run on shoestring budgets with small staffs and volunteers who work long hours. A lot of our local non-profits rely on your generosity to be able to continue to support their mission in the new year ahead. I encourage you to think about those organizations and causes close to your heart and donate. LEARN MORE 

If you are unsure of how to contribute, below is a list of just a few organizations that can use your help:

• Auburn Interfaith Food Closet
• Auburn State Theater
• Auburn Symphony
• Boys & Girls Club of Placer County
• Colfax Green Machine
• Gold Country Wildlife Care
• Placer Community Foundation
• Placer Land Trust
• Pride Industries
• Salvation Army
• Seniors First
• Stand Up Placer
• The Gathering Inn

A list of Eastern Placer County non-profits will go out in my next bulletin. Please subscribe here to be included on that mailing list.