i'm cheryl jennings. you know, communities across the bay area are facing issues of hunger every single day. it affects children, seniors, people with steady jobs, and so many more. according to the five bay area food banks, almost 800,000 people use their services every month. now, overall, these food banks distribute more than 170 million pounds of food to those in need every year. it's interesting to note that more than half of the total pounds of food distributed is actually fresh produce. i am proud to say that abc7's parent company, disney, is committed to fighting hunger. this past year disney donated $1.5 million to the feeding america network of food banks, and this means that each of our local food banks in the network received $15,000 from disney and abc7 to continue their important efforts. right now we have a local story of a young person making a difference. the city of san jose is teaming up with a south bay teenager to fight hunger. kiran sridhar founded waste no food, a website and an app

>>> welcome to "beyond the headlines," i'm cheryl jennings. today's special roundtable edition celebrates the achievements, history and culture of african-americans in the bay area. now, the month of february has been officially recognized as black history month by every u.s. president since 1976, but we believe this conversation should be shared all year long. today abc 7 news anchor ama daetz is here with local leaders to talk about some of the current issues affecting bay area african-american communities. >> thank you, cheryl. before we begin, one hot issue has been the protests connected to the issue of police brutality between black men and white officers. earlier this year we saw a weekend of demonstrations during the dr. martin luther king jr. holiday. abc 7 news reporter alyssa harrington reported about how lgbt groups and supporters were standing in solidarity with the black lives matters campaign. a march in east oakland. a civil rights slide show, a rally in san francisco's castro district. these are just a few of several demonstra

i'm cheryl jennings. today we're exploring the impact of something we keep hearing about -- el niÑo -- on bay area communities. what is it? and why does it affect the bay area so severely -- or does it? and how can you prepare for the fallout from severe weather in your area? we're gonna learn the answers to these questions and more today, but first, though, let's take a look back at the biggest flood that guerneville has ever seen, the result of an el niÑo winter in 1986. >> this is the russian river on its best behavior -- so calm, serene, just what people who live in guerneville love about it. but the old timers know better. >> there's a lot of people that have moved into this town since 1986, and they don't have a clue. >> it was like -- you're almost like breathing water. it was so incredibly dense. the water just never stopped coming from the sky, and it was so loud it was deafening. >> believe it. >> over sunday night into monday morning, it came up 10 feet in about 8 hours. >> this was guerneville

cheryl jennings explains. >> the most vivid memory is laughing through the cold river barefoot.s the water that was making so many of us sick. >> it would haunt one of eight children in a family who had to leave everything behind in afghanistan in 1979 during the soviet invasion. the family was separated. some wound up in a refugee camp in pakistan and then germany and then finally they made it to america. she was grateful to get an education at cal state east bay and then became a highly successful business woman in silicon valley. now she is using her expertise to give back and to bring clean water to children in war torn country. the first two were built in afghanistan. >> we have 31 clean water projects and nine different countries. it is gratifying to know that over 30,000 people will have access to safe water. >> the mother of two was stunned with the united nations reported the lack of access to clean water kills more than a million children under the age of five every year. >> afghanistan, afghanistan, afghanistan. >> she was created to -- she created created a water bot

abc7's cheryl jennings is here with a very important story. >> yes. thank you very much. well, she was just ten years old when she and her family had to run for their lives in the middle of the night to escape an invasion. that tiny refugee became a successful business woman in san francisco and silicon valley. she's turning bottled water into well water. >> the most vivid memory is i remember walking through the cold river, barefoot. it was piercing through my skin. i see cold water. the kind of water making so many of us sick. >> those are some of the memories that haunt shaki shakira niazi. she had to leave afghanistan in 1979. the family was separated. some wound up in a refugee camp, then, they made it to america. here, she was grateful to get an ed indication and then, became a highly successful business woman in silicon valley. now, she is using her expert ease to give back to bring clean water to children in war torn countries. the first two wells were built in afghanistan. >> so thrilled to say we have 31 clean water projects in nine countries. it's gratifying to

abc7's cheryl jennings is here with a very important story. >> yes. thank you very much.l, she was just ten years old when she and her family had to run for their lives in the middle of the night to escape an invasion. that tiny refugee became a successful business woman in san francisco and silicon valley. she's turning bottled water into well water. >> the most vivid memory is i remember walking through the cold river, barefoot. it was piercing through my skin. i see cold water. the kind of water making so many of us sick. >> those are some of the memories that haunt shaki shakira niazi. she had to leave afghanistan in 1979. the family was separated. some wound up in a refugee camp, then, they made it to america. here, she was grateful to get an ed indication and then, became a highly successful business woman in silicon valley. now, she is using her expert ease to give back to bring clean water to children in war torn countries. the first two wells were built in afghanistan. >> so thrilled to say we have 31 clean water projects in nine countries. it's gratifying to kno

. >> cheryl jennings introduces you to an agency that got in the education he needed and deserved. >> you should not be able to pinch any fabric and chest clips should be at armpit >>> there is a new law that acknowledges a learning disorder, dyslexia in the education code. >> it will help children get access to special education. medical experts tell us one in five children suffers from dyslexia. >>> a teenager was in that situation while his mother fought, hard, to get him help. >> it's so incredible. this young man is inspiring. you're going to hear about a long mother who wouldn't give up. it has been a long journey. >> in school, reading i noticed it was difficult. >> this 18-year-old durel struggled to learn to read and worked hard. he's an artist and wants to be an engineer and maybe own a riddo game company but it's been a difficult journey. his mom noticed in second grade he was put in special education classes and she kept fighting to find out why he had trouble learning. >> the school would say go to the doctor. the doctor would say the school. >> her battle continued as du

i'm cheryl jennings. our goal today is to raise awareness about child abuse and how to prevent it. child abuse, sadly, is a year-round problem, and the effects of child abuse can last a lifetime and can happen to anyone. the perpetrators may be people you know. one of the important things to consider is what will you do if you find out about the abuse? what should you do? abc7 news reporter tiffany wilson talked recently with a woman who is suing an easy bay school district, accusing them of not doing anything about the abuse she says she suffered from a coach she trusted. >> newspaper clippings capture sherinne wilson on the court, but her memories of high school are buried in these journals. >> i lived with shame. i thought it was my fault. >> wilson says her basketball coach, leland sandler, started a sexual relationship with her when she was 16, often giving her drugs and writing notes like this to excuse her from class. >> he was a person in authority, and we're still taught, you know, that you listen to people in authority and you respect them, and that's what i did. >> event

coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00, cheryl jennings has the story of the silicon valley businesswoman who'sing clean water to children in war-torn countries. >> time now for ask finney. my first one comes from a twitter user. the location changed after abought it. can i get a refund? >> they i've got a very generous return policy, but that isn't part of it. however, they're known for trying to help out their customers. i would say hey, i wanted to use it, but it moved. if the coupon is no longer good, than the amount of money you spent on it is good. >> i bought a new car and they sent me two license plates. do i have to put them both on? >> yes, you do. >> no, the front one messes up the look of a car, do you agree? >> i mean, we have it. we've got cameras. you have to have them. if you don't, you can get tickets now. if they only send you one license plate, they do that for some trucks, you only have to put on that one. officer, they didn't send me the second one. >> is this request legit ma? >> yeah, it probably is. i know it really seems like who are these guys? they want to know everyt

. >> hi cheryl lee ralph. >> as jen cared for you. >> i'm not needed. >> yes. >> you're great in snoweley. >> it is national squirrel appreciation day so chris murphy got the in to a squirrel outfit. okay it is a a chip monk with no tail. >> and no feet. >> and no feet. >> and barely a hat. >> yes. >> this is an opportunity to make chris murphy, have to put on a squirrel outfit and walk around philadelphia. >> the the show is about to start. >> are you ready to go, chris. >> do i have to do this again. >> i did this last year. this stupid hat and it is hot, sweaty. you just talked about gloves being full of germs and stuff. >> wait, hold on. it is national squirrel and national hug day, can i have a hug. >> i have to hug a squirrel. >> yes. >> come here. >> what a a good guy. >> he is not the afraid to hug a man. >> that is quote of the day not afraid to hug a man. >> okay. >> chris, how has it been. >> this thing is hot, and sweaty and awful. if you don't mind i will retire this once and for all. >> now real quickly, this fine gentlemen is a good day viewer. eric, how are you. >> goo