damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today, carnaval returns to san francisco. plus, some folklórico dancing on your "comunidad del valle." male announcer: nbc bay area presents "comunidad del valle" with damian trujillo. damian: we begin once again with family giving tree. it's such an important topic. with me on "comunidad del valle" is jonathan sanchez, who is in charge of some of the efforts there with family giving tree and hoping to get, again, more backpacks donated to our schoolchildren across the bay area. thank you so much for being here. jonathan sanchez: thank you for having me. damian: well, talk about this need and the efforts that you do to kind of provide for that need. jonathan: yeah, definitely, so currently, the need is we only serve 35,000 students. we served 35,000 students last year, but the overall need is over 350,000 students throughout the bay area who qualify for a free backpack from our organization.

so definitely we only are serving the 10% of the overall students that are in need of school supplies. damian: now, here we have--this is a community-wide effort here, some video that we're looking at, and this is kind of the topic here. i mean, talk about the difference that this makes, that people have the potential of making for students by providing something like this. jonathan: yes, definitely, so currently, a student that does not have the correct school supplies, they are actually 2 years behind their peers. so definitely, by supplying a backpack with school-appropriate tools that they need, such as calculators, pencils, and pens, and other things, it definitely helps a student to not only bring up their potential to be at the level of their peers, but also helps their self-esteem in the future. and ultimately, i believe that it helps, overall, our community.

so we've been doing this for nearly 15 years now. so a lot of the students that we've been helping are actually now college graduates and definitely are helping our community. damian: and with such a mass response, what is the average cost for me, maybe, if i was gonna donate? jonathan: yeah, so the average cost would be from someone that is attending school or a student that's attending school from grades k through 5 is about $25, and thereafter, the average backpack is about $35. and anyone can donate. you can sponsor one backpack. you can sponsor up to 1,000 backpacks. so we have a variety of sponsors that can definitely help us out with whatever they can. damian: so people might be thinking, "why are they talking about this in may?" because school's gonna be out and, you know, back to school isn't for another 3 months or so. but now's the time to start thinking about this. jonathan: most definitely, i think that one of the things that we like to--how we like to help is to have, you know, these families that are going through a financial struggle,

their financial struggle doesn't stop. so, for us, it's important to get ahead of the game and to, as they're finishing school, having us prepare for them to help them be ready by the time that school starts, without having to worry if they're gonna have a pen or a notepad to start the school year properly. damian: because if they don't, ultimately, they one who ends up paying a price is the school teacher, because then they have to dig into--i mean, they're paid minimally as it is, and now they have to go dig into their pockets and-- jonathan: yeah, most definitely. and as a matter of fact, what the family giving tree also does is not only do we help schools, but we also help other non-profit organizations. i know some of them have a lot of students in their programs, so we help them as well, in addition to after school programs. so, it's not only the schools, but i mean, anyone that needs the assistance that qualifies, we extend 'em a hand. damian: now, and this is christmas in august, because you hand out those backpacks to those chavalitos, we saw some video there, and boy,

they just light up because they know what they're getting. jonathan: definitely, yeah. damian: talk about that aspect of it and how it tugs at people sometimes when they see it's going to a good cause. jonathan: most definitely, and as a matter of fact, as a--if you become a sponsor, one of the amazing things that our organization offers is we--you can actually attend one of the events where we hand out these backpacks. so it's very personal. it's--you know, it's tangible. you can literally, perhaps a backpack you purchased, you can hand it over to an individual or a student who, you know, can definitely surprise you. and you literally see where your money is going, so it's amazing. damian: that's great. well, it's family giving tree. if you'd like to participate, there is the web address for more information. it's time to start thinking about donating backpacks. any final thoughts before we let you go? jonathan: i would like to just encourage anyone who would be--to help us throughout this back to school drive. and anyone can participate, any small businesses, families.

i would encourage everyone that definitely has a draw for education to give us a hand. damian: good. all right, thank you so much. all right, and up next here on "comunidad del valle," a group called sunday friends, stay with us.

and they're having a great impact in the south bay community. with me on "comunidad del valle" is ali barekat, who is with this organization, the founder, right? ali barekat: no, i'm the executive director. damian: all right, well, there you go. we'll make you the founder today here on "comunidad del valle." well, tell us about your organization and who you're helping, what you do. ali: sure, our mission is to help very low income families to break traditional cycle of poverty. the way we believe the cycle is broken by engaging these parents of low income families engage in their kids' education. damian: and it's kind of a transition from our last segment, because you benefit also from the family giving tree. talk about that. ali: yeah, because as the previous presenter says, there's a great need for school supplies

for these low income families. and the way our program works, the kids earn the tickets to earn these school supplies. damian: oh, very good, well, talk about the name, "sunday friends," how that came about and where that takes you. ali: sure, the reason we're called "sunday friends" because we get together on sundays. every sunday, we bring close to 200 to 300 low income families with their children in elementary school cafeteria. we also bring close to 100 volunteers from the bay area--all over the bay area. the first thing the kids and the volunteers do in the cafeteria, they make gifts for sick children in the hospital, hospice houses, senior homes, veterans hospital. and what that does, it makes the families and the kids feel good about themselves that they're part of the community, they're giving back to the community. while the kids are doing that in the cafeteria, the parents are taking classes on parenting, our number one class, financial literacy, health and nutrition, drug abuse.

all these classes are designed to educate, and empower, and build confidence in these parents to be involved in their kids' education. damian: where do you do all this, where do you hold your-- ali: we are in three schools in san jose: lowell elementary, anne darling, and santee elementary. we work with two school districts: san jose unified and frank mckinley school district. damian: how easy or difficult is it to get these families in? i mean, one, it's a sunday, so people go to church. others, it's a family outing. but, you know, most are not working at that time, but so, how's the turnout there? ali: first of all, the families that join us, they wanna change. you know, they care about their kids' future. but we work with the school district. we create these flyers that are in spanish and english, and we work with the principals and teachers. we send these flyers home to their families, to the parents. but our number one recruitment is families bringing other families.

you know, 'cause it's like, "if it is good for me, it's gotta be good for my friends." damian: what kind of a change have you seen in maybe those families who keep coming back? ali: sure, our program has been evaluated by external sources like san jose state and, last year, santa clara university, where the professors with the graduate students, they come independent of sunday friends, they do their survey of the parents, the children, the volunteers, the staff. the report is amazing. it's all available on our website, sundayfriends.org. it's like 259 pages of report where they ask, you know, the parents, "how are you feeling about, you know, your kids? are your kids have a better tendency or interest on education? how's their health? how are you in general?" like, you know, because another part about our program is, as they participate in the program or the activities,

they earn these tickets, and they use the tickets to go to our store to buy the things they need, basic necessities, you know, school supplies, household items. damian: does that report say anything about any indication on grade scores or attendance, and how maybe that-- ali: yes, yes, of course, you know, 99% of the parents are saying their kids are more interested in school. because while they're there, we also have computer education classes, stem projects, you know, where you see the computer education classes for parents and children together, where they seehe love of computer. we bring the love of computer in their lives. definitely, we also have, like, programs like path to college, where we sit with the teenager and the parents, show them all the different ways to get yourself prepared to go to college. we have just tremendous amount of activities. damian: and i might say, you're doing this with not much fanfare, and i'm not sure you're seeking it.

you're doing it because there is need in several niches in this community, and that's where you're digging in and rolling up your sleeves. ali: you know, our focus is the education and the kids, and more than that, a value system. you know, we have a lot of stories to tell, like this mom that she was coming to program for a long time. one day, she said, "i came here to steal from you, but i have changed." what does that mean? first of all, she has built enough confidence that can talk about her inner thoughts and inner self. but more than that, she's learned there are other ways to make it in life than stealing, cheating, lying. but, you know who benefits the most out of that attitude change is her children. we know because of that attitude change, the children is gonna make it in life. damian: wow, you already changed one life, and that's already a lot. there's the information on your screen. it's called sundayfriends.org. log on and see maybe how you can help or you can participate. thank you so much for what you're doing.

thank you, ali, very much. and up next here on "comunidad del valle," carnaval returns to san francisco, stay with us.

in san francisco. with me on "comunidad del valle" is one of the organizers, digital platform, right, coordinator for the carnaval, sylvia ramirez, is my guest today, welcome back to the show. sylvia ramirez: thanks for having us. damian: well, we see all the colors and the splendor of carnaval. i mean, here it is right here. this is back, right? sylvia: oh, carnaval is amazing. i think it's the best show in northern california. so, it's free, everything's free: the parade, the festival. there's pageantry, there's costumes, there's dance, music, art, food. it's just the biggest party. damian: and the headliner is pretty amazing this year. sylvia: yes, oscar de león, the lion of salsa, a very, very well-known, internationally-acclaimed salsa artist with an 18-piece orchestra is going to be playing free at the carnaval festival. so, there's no reason not to go.

damian: and he's the one who can attract those who like maybe tex-mex or like some other genre of music. he's the one who can attract you to listen to his orchestra and enjoy it. sylvia: oh yeah, because it's world class. i mean, we're not cutting corners here. we're providing the best entertainment. i mean, he fills stadiums. and this is gonna be free on harrison street in san francisco, and he's playing on saturday the 28th at 4 p.m. but for anyone who likes tex mex or any other type of music, we have dozens of performers on three stages on harrison street during the festival. damian: talk about what it's taken to--i mean, i'm assuming that once the festival ends this year, it's the planning stages for the next year already underway. sylvia: we're already planning for next year, yeah. i mean, we celebrate carnaval as a party for the people who are on the team, but we're already planning for next year. it takes a lot. carnaval is an amazing organization because we rely a lot on volunteer help and volunteering at high levels.

people actually just doing staff work for zero money because everybody loves it so much. damian: it sounds like a classy, outdoor, free festival. and by classy, i do mean with a capital "c." sylvia: yeah, i mean, it's classy, it's fun, it's outrageous, because we are san francisco, you know? so, but the main thing about carnaval san francisco is that it's a celebration of life. it's joy, it's happiness, it's love, it's community spirit. it's just plain happiness. damian: no, and then we see the colors in the parades and the festival. talk about the pageantry of it and how that in itself excites people to come out and enjoy it. sylvia: oh, so exciting. first of all, the comparsas that are in the parade plan all year. they do choreography, very specialized dance moves. they come out with their elaborate costumes, colorful feathers, and traditional dress, native

indigenous clothing in some of the latin american cultures. so, it's just so vibrant. there's floats. there are children's groups, school groups. so, we like to say the carnaval shows the best of the mission district of san francisco. damian: and you know the lay of the land, you're from san francisco, but for those of us who might not live in the city, guide us through there, what's the best time to get there, when should we go, and what route should we take? sylvia: okay, we recommend that everybody take public transportation if possible, because there's no special parking. it's a neighborhood festival, and you know san francisco's tough to park anyway. so, the bart station at 24th street will drop you right in the middle of the parade and the festival. so that's the best way to get there. the parade starts at 9 a.m. on sunday and the festival starts in the afternoon on saturday. it goes all the way to sunday at 6 p.m. damian: i'm assuming that there is no--it doesn't stop.

i mean, even if the festival officially stops at some point, i mean, the partying and the-- sylvia: oh yeah, well, people come from all over the world, and they'll spend the night in san francisco. they'll get there early. you know, even if you're not seeing the parade entertainment, the festival has vendors, it has art, it has delicious food that's been carefully curated to be the best latin american cuisine. damian: aside from south america, is this--do you challenge any other city to put on a better festival than we do here in san francisco? sylvia: well, there's always brazil. damian: right. aside from south america. we won't count them, 'cause they-- sylvia: well, you know, we're the largest carnaval celebration in the united states and it's very uniquely san francisco. a lot of people have mardi gras/carnaval, but it's very specific to those regions. carnaval san francisco is multicultural. so we have brazilian, we have mexican, we have

columbian, peruvian, trinidadian, you name it. caribbean, native american, and latin american cultures are represented. damian: wow, well, it's carnaval back all over again in the streets of san francisco. there is the web address for more information, carnavalsanfrancisco.org. again, oscar de león is the headliner, the lion you called him, verdad? and his how many piece orchestra is he bringing? sylvia: eighteen, yeah. damian: may 28th through 29th, that should say 29, there in san francisco. any final thoughts, sylvia, before we let you go? sylvia: wear comfortable shoes, because you'll be doing a lot of walking and a lot of dancing. damian: and weather, if you don't know what san francisco's like, maybe a sweater that you can-- sylvia: san francisco's usually cool, in the mornings especially, so wear layers. but be prepared to strip it down when you start dancing. damian: all right, well, thank you so much for putting it on again, all right, thank you. and up next here on "comunidad del valle," some folklórico dancing, stay with us.

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[music] [music] [music] damian: and our saludos for those celebrating a special day. felicidades. [music] [music] [music] damian: and here is out contact information. you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian. also, you can pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and

support your bilingual weeklies all across bay area. we also invite you to join us every saturday at 5:30 p.m. on telemundo canal 48. your "comunidad del valle" every saturday at 5:30 p.m. same guests, same topics, in español. maybe sit down with your abuelita or your comadre and watch "comunidad del valle." we thank you once again for sharing a part of your sunday with us. we're gonna leave you now with mariachi juvenil los toritos out of the south bay, joined by los mestizos de san jose. pase usted, buenos dias. [music] [music] [music]

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>> announcer: nbc sports, home of the rio olympics, the nhl, premier league, the sprint cup playoffs and the number one show, "sunday night football," only on nbc. welcome to the u.s. bank nbc sports report. >> hi, everyone. we'll get you to paris for tennis and our coverage of the french open in a moment. first, other sports news. starting with yesterday's preakness stakes. the 141st running. nyquist looking for the second jewel of the triple crown. here's