damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo, and today we're celebrating the legacy once again of cesar chavez on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ damian: we begin today with a very unique and special program out of the area of the mount diablo region. with me now is lidia gutierrez from the mount diablo region of meals on wheels. welcome to the show, ms. gutierrez. lidia gutierrez: thank you. thank you. it's a pleasure being here today. damian: thank you for being here. you guys have been busy. i see here that you delivered more than 600,000 meals last year and you're expecting a lot more this coming year. lidia: that's correct. during the pandemic we served an average of 600,000 meals last

year, and we expected that number to be increasing to almost 700,000 for this next coming year. damian: so that's not because you have a lot of money and you said, "let's expand it." that's because the need is growing. is that correct? lidia: correct. it's because the demand--during the pandemic we never stopped our services and the demand was really high, and it keeps on growing. damian: and after the pandemic was officially called off, the numbers didn't go down. right? people remained in a state of flux when it comes to their finances. lidia: correct. and like--as i mentioned it earlier, the demand keeps on increasing due to the fact that--let's keep in mind that during the past 2 years that people remain at home. now that things slowly are going back to normal, seniors are not as mobile as they used to be. damian: and so you started also--because you needed to

expand and the need was there, you started what's called breakfast bag program. talk about what that is. lidia: yeah. so the breakfast bag program consists of we--during the pandemic, we realized that most seniors were relying on just that one meal that was provided a day and divided into three meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. so that's how we came up with the breakfast program to assist those seniors in need to have more than just a meal per day. damian: and your latino population, your clients, the people you serve is also increasing. you had to hire what's called a support specialist that deals with the spanish speaking? lidia: yes. so that's a position that i currently hold in the company. my position is called older adult resources specialist with a focus in east county, and what i do is i go out into the community and find seniors who aren't mobile or connected to resources and assist them with whatever they need.

damian: and it's not that you're bringing--we see a video here of folks knocking on doors, which is what, you know, you always do when you're bringing food to our seniors. and now it's not just mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits and gravy; it's culturally authentic, i don't want to say, cuisine, but it's meals. is that correct? lidia: that is correct. that's a pilot program that started a couple of months ago and it has been very, very successful, and we just expanded it to additional cities and people are really liking it because it's latino cuisine. so it delivers latino american meals. damian: give me an example. what are folks eating at home that maybe my mom would have made at home? lidia: enchiladas, chiles rellenos, taco salad. you name it, we have it. damian: what difference has that made for those seniors? i mean, you know, when you're--i guess when you're in that situation, you're going to eat what you're given,

what you can get. but when it--when you can make it that close to what they're used to eating, how special is that for them? lidia: it's very special because we find out that, you know, a lot of seniors that migrate to the united states and--as an adult, they're used to having traditional meals. so often they were not very interested on the meals that we provide as meal-delivery program, but now that we came up with this pilot program they have been very excited. and like i said, the participation has been great that we were able to expand the program to additional cities. damian: what happens to these seniors, ms. gutierrez, if it wasn't for the services like meals on wheels? lidia: you know, a lot of seniors will go hungry. a lot of seniors go hungry because they rely on the meals that we deliver on a weekly basis. the latino cuisine is delivered three times a week, regular meal delivery is once a week. damian: all right.

well, i've asked you so many questions. what is it that you want to get across about meals on wheels? lidia: well, what i wanted to let clients know or people that are interested in participating in the meal-delivery program is that we are more than a meal-delivery program. we have additional resources to help seniors live independently in their homes. so we are known as a meal-delivery program, but we are beyond a meal-delivery program. damian: how warm is your heart at the end of the day knowing that you're filling the hearts and souls of these many seniors in the mount diablo region? lidia: my work, my--the job that i do with the company is very rewarding. every single day is different, but it's very rewarding at the end of the day. damian: we thank you for everything you do, and we thank the mount diablo region of meals on wheels. they'll take donations because, again, their services are growing, because the need is growing. thank you so much, ms. gutierrez. lidia: thank you. thank you for having me today. damian: thank you. and, again, for more information, you can contact the meals on wheels program in the mount diablo region.

there is a website for more information. they're on civic drive in walnut creek. up next here on "comunidad del valle," the gardeners are back giving those scholarships away. stay with us.

damian: with me now here on "comunidad del valle" is an old friend of mine, don catalino tapia, who is here and he's, again, giving out money, and we are so delighted to have him back. don catalino, welcome back to the show. don catalino tapia: thank you so much, damian and "comunidad del valle" por darnos-- for giving us this opportunity to inform the students that our applications for our scholarships are open now. so hurry up and apply, and good luck. damian: all right. and, yanet, you're in charge of making sure everything goes well. tell us how it's going so far and what the students need to do to apply. yanet gutierrez: the students need to be--need to attend a school within santa clara, san mateo, san francisco, and

alameda county as well as reside within those four counties, must be a first-generation college student. low-income, daca students, ab 540, undocumented students, immigrant students are eligible to apply as long as they live within those four counties. they must submit two letters of recommendation, proof of residence that they're living within those four counties. they have to submit transcripts. high school senior students are welcome to apply it as well. whoever the age doesn't--we don't require age. anyone is welcome to apply as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. if you have any questions, you can always call us at 650-631-1200 or can visit our webpage at ctsf.org for more information as well. damian: all right.

and, don catalino, i'm going to ask you to move a little bit to your right so we can see more of your face. ándale allí mero. so this used to be called the bay area gardeners foundatatio. now it's the catalino tapia foundation. is that correct? don: correct. yeah. damian: tell us about that.. don: well, the board of directors decided to change the name to honor the founder ofof e foundation, yoyou know. and i don't want you guys to be thinking that i'm bragging a abt it, but that's what they d decid to do and here we are. damian: well, i'm still waiting for the catalino tapia statue to go in ththe center of the county building in san mateo o county. yeah, exactly. but tell us why you do this again, don catalino. you're a retired gardener and you decided why not help students. don: well, one of the major things is because i never had the opportunity to go to school, and to me education is number

one because that's the way they're going to have a better future for their selves and for the family. so i'm not going to stop so easily. i'm going to keep on going until god pull the plug. damian: and this statarted, right, because you saw your son graduate from cal and you said, "why don't we have more latinos graduating?" don: correct. that night it was such a big compliment for the tapia family, and we were just jumping up and down and i noticed t that only a few latinos graduate the same night and i i say, "why?" and i--so from that point on i promised myself to one day do

something to give these kids the opportunity to give their parents the chance to go through all the emotions that were going on that day, and that's how the bay area gardeners foundation was born. damian: that's beautiful. and so you--yanet, you see all the applications. how, you know, emotional does it get when you're reading all the applications and everything that's going on? yanet: that's very--i think for me it's one of the best parts of my job because i get to read everybody's story and at the same time i reflect myself on those stories 'cause i was also a recipient of the scholarship three times. and immediately when i read those personal statements, i put a face to the students and i said--oh my god,

my job is so amazing. and i am doing what i love to do, to help others. damian: it's funny. you are the recipient. you came back and now you work for this great cause. yanet: yes, i do. yes, since--almost 3 years ago, yes. don: she's a three-time winner. so-- damian: what does that say, don catalino? that they don't leave, they y ce backck. don: maybe because of me. damian: i'm sure that's a reason. don: no. because they really like what they're doing and what they have accomplished thanks for that little push that we give them, and they are so grateful for the foundation that they just keep on coming back. damian: that's wonderful. yanet: i think one of the most important things is that many of the students who had applied to the scholarship, they have attested that while they've been overlooked by other

programs or similar programs the foundation not only gives monetary assistance but a sense of hope. they restore their hope. and because many of them are older in age like non-traditional students, like having the chance to be part of a society or making a better life is like an opportunity that restore everything on their lives. like their dreams matter as well. damian: all right. well, that's--it's great that you're doing that again. we're glad to have you on the show, and good luck to all of the applicants. again, the scholarship applications are due, and there is the information on your screen for more information. we'll be back here on "comunidad del valle" with some more important news on this great show. so make sure you stay tuned right after this break. so stay with us.

damian: it's the gala of the year honoring the legacy of

cesar chavez. with me on "comunidad del valle" from the chavez family vision is xavier campos and ruben abrica. xavier, of course a former councilman of city of san jose; and mr. abrica, current councilman of east palo alto, former mayor of that same city. welcome to the show. xavier campos: thank you. ruben abrica: thank you very much. damian: so we've done the tradition--this is the 25th anniversary, xavier. we've done the traditional breakfast in the past. this is a big deal. this is a big gala. xavier: it is on many levels. one, it's honoring our 25th anniversary, and this is actually going to be the first time since the covid restrictions that we've actually been able to have our event. and instead of doing our traditional breakfast, we will be having a gala, which will be an evening event, and we're really looking forward-- damian: and a couple of technical glitches. in that same event, xavier, you're going to be honoring the

man to your left, mr. abrica. also being honored there is assemblyman ash kalra and also deacon rubén solorio, with a keynote speech by my good friend arturo rodriguez. a big event. xavier: yes. yes. as a matter of fact, because we haven't had to have a--we haven't been able to have an event, ruben--assembly member kalra and rubén solorio, they were our recipients the past event, which we were not able to have. so we're going to be honoring them this coming the 31st this event, along with arturo as well as supervisor cindy chavez. she will also be honored as a sí se puede award winner. damian: oh, very cool. thank you for sharing that. and, mr. abrica, you received a lot of accolades throughout the years, your service.

this is kind of a recharging of the batteries, i would bet. ruben: well, it is. one, because it is the 25th anniversary and, you know, i'm very honored to receive this. i've always been a supporter of the chavez family vision over the years and look to the family as, you know, the vehicle by which cesar chavez, his work with the farmworkers continues and reminding people--and also the fact that the young students of farmworker families are also receiving scholarships. and i think that's--that is going to bring us all together; the young people, the veteranos, the people who've been doing work for so long, that the work is not over. we got to keep going. damian: and as exemplified by what we're seeing, the images of--horrific images just this year alone in half moon bay and in pajaro, and it seems to be relentless.

but when we did the telemundo taping, mr. abrica, you said it's happening, but that doesn't mean we're going to give up. it's the motto sí se puede. ruben: sí se puede. exactly. and i was saying that, you know, in east palo alto we were one of the first cities to name a school after cesar chavez and that it's important for the young people, for the entire community to learn about the history but also learn about what's going on right now. so i would say everywhere, even if people--the cities don't have a school named cesar chavez, but the schools, you know, have a job to do. all of us do, but schools teach the young people in the community what's going on with the farmworkers. damian: yeah. and this is happening, xavier, at the santa clara convention center. and so what a powerful message to send if you all can pack that place. xavier: it would be great if we can pack that place for this reason. everything that we raise goes back to scholarships.

you know, this is a 100% volunteer organization. we all have busy lives, but this is just something everyone on the board--it's part of our soul. it's part of our heart. and everyone on this board works hard to raise funds so that we could send students to college. damian: and mr. abrica had mentioned that the sons and daughters of farmworkers, rather, are the ones who are going to be the beneficiaries by a packed house at the convention center. xavier: yes, they will. yes. damian: talk about--you know, on the show when we're celebrating--we're doing this segment every year is rudy and rita chavez medina, you know. tell us about who we're going to have there at this gala who is part of the chavez family also. xavier: so what will be great along with rita is we're expecting vicky also to be there, who is the--i believe she's the youngest sister. and so the whole chavez medina family will be there.

you know, rita always lights up a room. she has so much history. her relationship with her brother was just amazing, how they worked together while establishing the ufw and also, you know, supporting him throughout the years. so it's just an honor and quite frankly a privilege to be--to share a room with rita. damian: i saw rita in the fall just recently, and she always has one of these for me. i'm not sure why, but she's always doing this to me. well, again, this great event, the gala is happening on march 31st on cesar chavez day. it's at the santa clara convention center, and it's going to sell out. so people might want to check that out as soon as possible. there is a website on the screen for more information. 25th anniversary of the chavez family vision. we'll be back and wrap it up with our guests here on "comunidad del valle." stay with us.

damian: and we're back with chavez family vision here on "comunidad del valle" celebrating the legacy of cesar chavez and a 25th anniversary of chavez family vision. we all have our firsts when it comes to the--our first memory of cesar chavez. i'll share mine. i'll let you all share yours. mine was we were working in the fields over in king city off of highway 101 and i see a lot of red coming off on the side of the highway marching toward salinas--from king city to salinas, and that was my first introduction face to face with cesar chavez, you know, and it stuck with me. so why don't we share yours? we'll start with you, mr. abrica. ruben: you know, all through high school in san diego county i used to work in the orange and avocado groves. i always had to work, and i do remember hearing not person--not

in person but i remember hearing about the farmworkers in cesar chavez and the work that they were doing as a student. later when i went to la to go to college is the first time that i got an opportunity to hear cesar chavez and dolores huerta speak. so it was always an inspiration. i always remember one of the lines; that the purpose of education is to serve the community, something like that. that always made an impression of me, that, you know, those of us who have an opportunity to go on to any level of education that we have a responsibility to go back and serve the community in one way or another. damian: and i think that's why we all do what we do. xavier, i know your family has a strong bond with the movement. xavier: yes. thank you. yeah, my first memory is probably around 1973, '74.

my dad actually organized--he was loaned to the ufw by the united auto workers. so he went to go organize, but prior to going organizing he was sent to la paz for training. and i remember a couple of weekends that my dad took all of us up there and that was the first time i met cesar. it was up there in la paz. while our parents were getting trained on organizing, we were there with some of the other kids from the other organizers, and i believe it was cesar's kids that were watching us kind of like a daycare. and so i just remember how special it felt because we knew we were part of something that was going to change the world. and then the last thing i remember were his two german shepherds boycott and huelga as well.

damian: that was very true. and so--like the hard work, though, continues, right, mr. abrica? that's why you're doing what you're doing. that's why we're celebrating this gala. and on april 1st, the day after the gala, it's back to work. ruben: back to work. yes. i feel, you know, celebrate the legacy and the work of cesar chavez and the farmworkers and continue the work, continue the work. you know, we spoke about labor rights, civil rights, human rights; and we know that all over the world but including here in our own country we need to keep working to bring more social justice and more dignity to people, especially those who really do the hard work. damian: yeah. wrap a bow around this for us, xavier. tell us about the gala and then, again, any lasting memories. xavier: yeah. so the gala is on the 31st of march, cesar's birthday.

it will be at the santa clara convention center. registration and meet and greet at around 5 o'clock. doors open at 6, and you'll be in for a great event. you'll see a whole bunch of friends you haven't seen in a long time, and we welcome you there. and this is all for kids so that we can provide them scholarships to go to college. damian: they're giving me about 30 seconds here. you know, i remember when cesar passed a lot of us thought, "well, it's a big blow. that's the end of it. who can replace cesar with the united farm workers?" and out of nowhere comes arty. and look at what arty has done for the united farm workers. what an honor to have him there to give the keynote and to keep inspiring. the guy is fiery. and if you don't have a fire lit under you, he's going to light it for you. xavier: absolutely. absolutely. and this is the time we really need it. damian: all right. thank you.

any final thoughts, mr. abrica? ruben: no--we hope to see a lot of people there and recommit ourselves to the struggle. sí se puede. damian: all right. thank you all so much for what you do. both: thank you. damian: all right. again, the--it's on march 31st on cesar chavez day the big gala, 25th anniversary of chavez family vision at the santa clara convention center. and there is a web address for more information, chavez family vision. well, if you want to get ahold of us on "comunidad del valle," you can follow me on instagram. my handle is @newsdamiantrujillo. you can also follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian. and don't forget, again, march 31st the big gala celebration honoring the legacy of cesar chavez. we kind of take it for granted here in the bay area because the family has been here for so long, but it's time to recharge our batteries and get to work. we'll see you again here next week. ♪♪♪

what i love about this image is it's women in a running start. and i wake up to that, and it motivates me. [theme music] i'm sara gore, and welcome to "open house." we've got a great show this week filled with elegance and style on both coasts, including three beautiful new york townhouses, starting with this one i am standing in right now on the upper east side. built in 1891, it is flush with classic details,