today, we remember the legacy of father mateo, plus continuing to prepare our kids for college. >> they help many charities across the bay area, with us are diane and lori, here in the bay area, they help a lot of charities and nonprofits to make sure that they get things going. welcome to the show. >> thank you. >> first of all, tell butts organization. >> the organization was started

in 1950 by a group of women in los gatos who wanted to give funds to a local sanitarium called tray monte sanitarium. from there 1954 went organization closed its doors, they started what was called valley monte league and decided to give those fund-raising efforts to family and children services, which was our first organization that we actually raised money for and they are five mental health agencies that we actually raise money for, one is family children services, alzheimer's activity center, john the 23rd multiservice center, services for brain injury and center for living with dying, which is run through bill wilson center. >> i would imagine that fund raising is a big part of it because tough find a way to fund these different nonprofits. >> yeah. how they do that is through christmas tree elegance. i'm going to let laurie talk more about christmas tree elegance. >> this year, i'm the chairman

of the event, we actually have valley monte league is an all nonprofit, none of the staff is paid, so we are all volunteers and there is about 100 active members although we have a lot of other members, too that are still sustained and come back and help us during the week but we have 100 that are active and we all work together throughout the year. it is actually a big event. there's lots to do. it is seven events. not like it is putting on one event. we have seven events during the week following thanksgiving a big kickoff for the christmas season t is christmas tree elegance because it is what is really kind of interesting about it is we have local designers from areas that come in and decorate christmas trees that might say what is decorating the christmas tree, you have no idea, to come up with these amazing ideas, they are not just your normal christmas trees it is very exciting. so we have the trees that we ralph them off throughout the week and we also have an

auction, silent auction that's involved and a big fashion show at the daytime events. >> which is now through -- it is being run through santana rose, a lot of the merchants donate the clothes for the models to wear in the fashion show. >> so again, kind of a local thing. been really nice. with us last year for the first time, it was a very nice show. >> it more difficult now adays to fund raise to give the economy and if so what are you doing to make sure you get by, these nonprofits are helping their funds throughout the year? >> we are doing this show to try to promotemake sure you get by, nonprofits are helping their funds throughout the year? >> we are doing this show to try to promote -- attendance has gone down not a lot but gone down and a lot of our fund-raising and underwriting has gone down and so we are really trying to get the word out there not too many people know about valley monte league and what we do. >> i think it is across the

board. you see with all the agencies. luckily, we have been able to sustain it and we have been getting, you know, donations and the events are going -- we haven't felt it as bad as some there are some people that have had to close down or stop for a year and we have been able to sustain it through everyone's hard work and our generous donors, so, we are really exciteded about t talk a little bit about our theme? >> yeah, sure. >> so the theme here is christmas in tinseltown. so each year, you know it is different, it is all kind of based around the movies and everyone has gotten behind it and excited about it the designers have a lot of fun ideas. everyone is going to enjoy it, 'cause the film, tv -- everyone has something they can relate to laurie is the chairman of christmas tree elegance this year. >> very good. >> we change every year. every year we usually have a new president. we have a new cte chair.

we call them n. >> all vol run sneers no one is paid. >> crucial you continue your work. these agencies? >> yeah they do they count on us to raise funds for them and, you know, we do our best. >> i bet you do well it is a great cause, if you can help out in any way, feel free to contact agency on your screen, they are ready and able to help help those nonprofits that really need the help. thank you so much for what you're doing our community. >> thank you. >> thanks for having us. >> up next, honoring the legacy of father mateo. [ female announcer ] the sweet moments package is baby blue. calming. tranquil like the sky. but look within and you will find exploding baked chocolate indulgence. coated with sinfulness. oozing with decadence. ooo! observe the dainty birds and tiny curly cues. but look within you will find primal forces of chocolate. instantly satisfying every iota of yearning.

new pillsbury sweet moments, brownie bites and bowls. in the refrigerated section. she's against banning assault weapons... and that's reckless and dangerous. she's for risky new oil drilling that could threaten our jobs. fiorina's plan would mean slashing social security and medicare, which would devastate seniors. and she'd make abortion a crime. no wonder fiorina is endorsed by sarah palin. carly fiorina. just too extreme for california. [ boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message. >> continuing the legacy of father mateo sheedy in san jose. my guests have an up coming banquet in his name. welcome to the show. >> thank you. >> thank you for having us. we have a picture of the father, but can he couldn't get ahold of

the video we shot of him. he was more than a catholic priest. avenues pioneer. avenues community activist. >> yes, he was a vevery influen in our community and did a number of things with education and help rebuilding of our church after the 1989 earthquake. >> he was instrumental in that and he wanted a school and it was a school now that bears his name? >> yeah. there is a nativity school on the campus of the -- sacred heart parish so it has been going pore -- since 2001. the the student are learning influential things and doing a all right for the community, getting the community involved and re-energized. >> i was at the first banquet that they held in honor of father mateo and sign spir racial and moving but you're organizing this upcoming

banquet. tell us about it april. >> i'm one of the co-chairs for the heart of jesus banquet. we are having it october 23rd at villa ragusa. what we are doing is really wanting to honor father mateo and all of the hard work he has done. he wasn't just our pastor who kept the church running, he was a community leader. alejandro said, value education. they want to make sure the community have a place where they can get quality education and why the nativity schools of san jose are now running. he was for justice, woe walk with us in the marches. >> birkenstocks. >> yes. so that is one of the things we want to honor, his legacy. and during that, we are having this event, hoping to fund raise to continue his work with the

church and the community. >> show you that information in just a bit, but what was it about father mateo that we are still -- we are sitting right here talking about him to this day? . you know, add passion about him. he had a vigor, a you know, he had it, people said -- he didn't take no for an answer. when he -- when he had got something in his head, he was going to make sure it was going to happen i always think about the quote that never doubt a small group of people could ever change the world 'cause that's the only thing that ever does. you know that is father mateo, you know? and he was so great in his motivating people. so -- >> and he seemed like an old, frail bearded man but he was tall and strong and he took big steps and he carried a big

stick. >> yep. yes. he was a giant in our community. and although you may, you know, see him in the pictures of this little, you know, franciscan friar maybe but his will his power was so much greater than what you saw at first. >> what are we going to see at the banquet, speakers and whatnot? >> so, at the banquet, we are excited because we have a dance group that will be performing that will be there. we have a band and dj that will be playing and then allay happen dro has gotten together some information and whatnot and has compiled all of it into a small documentary about father mateo and his life. wow. >> yeah. >> sounds like you want to follow in his footsteps, alejandro? >> some pretty big foot steps to follow but, yeah, it is a small documentary, just going through

his life from the beginning and moving to san jose and to sacred heart. it is going to be great. >> a move tonight honor the legacy of father mateo sheedy there is the information on your screen. we have your e-mail up there, alejandro is there a phone number to call if they want information to attend? >> the parish office, 408-292-0146. >> all right, happening october 23rd at 6:00, via ragusa in campbell, california there is also the e-mail address. thank you so much for what you're doing. >> thank you, appreciate. up next, helping our kids.

mesa continues to be at the forefront of educational success. with had he mere are mimi hernandez and christina ramos both helping our kids succeed in this community. welcome to our show. tell us first of all about mesa,

full, because it is so crucial and talks about the core subjects that our kids really need to perfect to succeed. >> okay. well, so mesa first of all stands for math, engineering science achievement. the program has been around 40 years and what it does, it serves a lot of the local schools here, promoting our children to be going on to four-year colleges. we have a center here locally that serves san jose state and christina is the director there and can tell you more about what the program focuses on currently. >> is it a rigorous program? explain that for us. >> definitely. so, mesa stands for math, engineering and science achievement and what we do is we work to serve students in our local area, educationally disadvantaged. what that means is they are underrepresented in our colleges and universities so we give them hands-on, rigorous activities in order to help them develop their chills are math and science so

that they can academically prepare to go on to a four-year institution and so our students in the meantime will learn -- develop and enhance their math and science scores on their tests, on their grade levels then we develop them with their leadership skills as well, they can competitively be eligible to go into ucsu. >> we have video of one of these rigorous classes where kids are hitting the math books, but we talked about in the open how crucial it is for kids to learn science and math and engineering subjects. do you find that more and more kids are being drawn to that thanks to organizations like mesa? >> as director of the school's program with we service over 1,000 students annually and every year, it is unfortunately, with you we can't service all the schools in our local area so we look to feeder patterns to serve the school so there is a continuum with these students

and so we can see their progression and ensure their progression was going through the a through g completion courses so that they are prepared for college. more and more kids have the need just unfortunately at the san jose state level, we only get so much funding to support a certain amount of students and schools and teachers. >> we will talk about an upcoming fund-raiser in just a bit as well to help promote these core subjects at the school levels but 40 years, quite a long time, tell us about the success of mesa you have seen over the years. >> amazing because we are constantly run into people that you know, see with the mesa schools program and not had anyone tell me or share anything negative, they say i was in the program and it was great and taught me how do this and that i have been able to witness that and in the classroom, gone to

some of the challenges, the tech challenge to see the children and their girls being so confident in the classroom talking about what they could do, i have three girls myself, so to see the girls feel the confidence level because they were helped by a very dedicated engineer or scientist in the classroom throughout the school year it really comes full circle. >> do you have to make it found for them, take it outside the classroom and make it fun and entertaining. it becomes fun. volunteers we have in the classroom, they are amazing at engaging the children and finding that niche that is going to capture their imagination and show them how this is practical in their life. this is what you can use it for. you can give me math all you want but tell me how i'm going to use it make it fun for me, make it engaging and a wonderful job of doing that.

this was my first year with the program and i thought it was phenomenal. it inspired me so very much. every innocent program is so passionate about the kids and making a difference. >> grants and everything dwindling do rely on fund-raisers for everything these guy dace and one coming up celebrating 40 years. >> we have a fund-raiser coming up to celebrate our 40 years, actually in 40 years, we are done in december, so havg our annual fund-raiser, a first of its kind, going to be a perfect finish at the wine bar in downtown san jose. and so if you need any -- tickets are $25 per ticket. a head. >> $30 at the door. and so they get to encourage complimentary who are der was and wines tasting and honoring faces of mesa that have been part of our program volunteering acres lum my and all that have donated their time and efforts

to the mesa schools program. >> very important for me to say that 100% of the profits from this event are going directly back into the classroom, become to the kids. it is all volunteer. we have wonderful sponsors and friends and family are supporting our efforts. >> that is what it takes. >> we are going to have a mariachiband from the district come out. >> we will roll the credits while you keep giving us that information. >> should be an evening of fun. starts at 8:00 -- starts at 6:00, should be wrapping up at 8:00, downtown san jose, lovely weather and hope you join us. >> there it is on the screen, number to call for information, friend he is of mesa fundraiser. thank you for what you are doing also. up next, we are honoring little joe of little joey. jerry brown.

who tried five times to raise property taxes in oakland? jerry brown. who supported higher statewide income taxes? jerry brown. and who says, if elected, he'll ask voters for even more new taxes? jerry brown. governor jerry brown, again? hide your wallet.

>> here is our address are. next week, we put up your birthday or anniversary and pick up a copy of the newspaper and support your bilingual weekly all across the bay area. we thank you one more time for being a part of our sunday morning show. next week here on the show, a new documentary on the plight of immigrants all across the united states of america.

that's next week right here. we leave you now with little joe with rocky and johnny. ♪ ♪

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