Nonprofits

He’d been waiting years for a service dog—years marked by crippling anxiety, years of waitlists, years of prices he couldn’t hope to pay. Running out of options, the Marine veteran called a local dog trainer named Mary Cortani and made a desperate plea. That call...

The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce announced this week that Christina Reyes is named the new interim chief executive officer.  Reyes was appointed unanimously by the chamber board of directors. The chamber said in an announcement that Reyes’ appointment marks an “exciting new chapter”...

The Gilroy Garlic Queen pageant is back for 2026, following a seven-year hiatus.  Online applications are currently being accepted for the pageant, which will take place April 19. The deadline to enter the pageant is 4pm March 16.  To apply for the 2026 Gilroy Garlic Queen...

Longtime director of the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival Mattie Scariot was recently appointed as Interim Executive Director of Community Media Access Partnership (CMAP TV).  Scariot began her new role Feb. 3, and will lead the organization during a period of transition while focusing on...

The Peninsula Open Space Trust purchased 2,284 acres of ranchland in southern Santa Clara County for $23 million, the organization announced Jan. 29. The acquisition brings POST’s total holdings at the former Sargent Ranch property to 6,114 acres and preserves sacred native land that...

Applications for the 2026 Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Awards are now available, hospital staff announced on Jan. 14.  Each year the auxiliary awards scholarships to students pursuing a medical or medically oriented career. The total amount awarded to each recipient will be at the...

The Community Foundation for San Benito County this week announced that applications are now open for its 2026 scholarship program, offering local students the opportunity to receive financial support toward their higher education goals.  With more than 25 scholarship funds awarded annually, the foundation is...

Serve your community and the Earth on Jan. 19 by planting willows and setting up pollinator plots at the Nyland property in San Benito County. The volunteer event takes place on Martin Lugher King, Jr. Day, which commemorates the civil rights leader’s life and...

Limelight Theater will present “The Other Place,” a psychological thriller that challenges audiences to distinguish reality from delusion, opening Jan. 16. The play centers on Juliana Smithton, a 52-year-old neurologist specializing in brain disease research whose life takes a disorienting turn as her brilliant mind...

This past year has been a flurry of events, milestones, changes, victories and losses that shaped San Benito County. And as the region continues to face the challenges and embrace the hopes related to ongoing growth, 2026 promises to keep local communities moving and...