Saturday is the 16th Annual “Stamp Out Hunger” event. It’s national in scope, but the impact is very local: Your regular USPS letter carrier will pick up donated food items from your mailbox and arrange for them to be delivered directly to WG’s Second Harvest Food Bank.

They can’t really make it any easier!

16th Annual
Letter Carriers’ Food Drive
Saturday, May 10, 2008

Campbell Soup and the United States Postal Service are partnering once again to sponsor Stamp Out Hunger, the “nation’s largest single-day food drive.” Participation is easy! On the morning of May 10th simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items next to your mailbox. Your letter carrier will pick your food donations up and deliver them to your local food bank.

And for those of who don’t read WGx daily – you know who you are – you can request an email reminder for Friday!

Parents … Kids … check out this great concert on Saturday …

Explorer Coop Preschool Hosts: The Milkshake Concert

Mark your calendars for this exciting family event on Saturday, May 10th, 10:30AM at the Markham Little Theater (Willow Glen Middle School) on Cottle Ave. Regularly seen on Noggin, PBS and Discovery Kids, the Milkshake Band is an entertaining and fun band with lots of great musical themes perfect for kids 3-8 years of age. Their music shares the Explorer spirit of learning through play, fun and creative imagination. Mom and Dad will love to dance along to the fun rock and roll beat as well! …

Share the love of music with your kids and friends! Get your tickets now! Seats are limited so don’t be left out of this exciting event! Tickets are $16. Children 18 months and younger are free. Please invite your friends and family to this one time only event sponsored by Explorer Parent Coop Preschool.

Seating is limited, so you’ll want to get your tickets this week by emailing the parent volunteers at Explorer, or printing out the order form and dropping it in the mail.

Of course, the Milkshake Band is well-regarded, including a favorable preview in a recent edition of the SJ Mercury News. Don’t miss it!

What’s a Film Festival without film? … since there’s very little ‘film’ involved these days, maybe we shouldn’t try to answer that question.

Regardless of the answer, the folks behind the WGHS & WGMS Music Boosters are looking for submissions for their annual festival, which will be held on Friday, May 9, with proceeds to benefit the Willow Glen Foundation:

Dear Amateur Film People,

The Willow Glen Middle and High School “Thursdays at the Theater” Series is looking for short films to show at its third Annual Film Festival On May 9th.

If you or your child has made a short (1m to 10min) film and would like to show it at the film Festival, please send it on a DVD …

Rick Guptill

Leave a comment to this post, and WGx will get you in touch with Rick.

Just a quick WGx reminder … if you see a public school student this week, wish them well on their STAR tests. California students from second grade through high school are taking the state-mandated tests this week.

The 26th Annual Willow Glen Life Styles Home Tour is scheduled for this upcoming weekend, with tours available on both Saturday and Sunday:

Willow Glen
Lifestyles Home Tour
Saturday and Sunday
May 3 & 4, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Proceeds from the tour of “owner-occupied” homes across the neighborhood benefits the non-profit San Jose Day Nursery, itself located in Downtown SJ. (more…)

Willow Glen’s got a a big walkathon weekend (if you count Friday) coming up, with popular fund raisers being held at Willow Glen Elementary on Friday and at River Glen School on Saturday. In honor of River Glen’s Spanish Immersion concept — which may or may not take hold at WG Elementary — WGx wishes both schools luck at their respective Caminatas!

Looking for something interesting to do on Saturday? Join Team Willow Glen on their training walk for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk (which itself is July 12-13). This week’s Willow Glen History Walk leaves from Elva’s Coffee Stop at 11:00 am. (more…)

Hey, you remember the unique Willow Glen Caboose, right?

Caboose owner Katy Dickinson has a fun opportunity for you to have Brunch on the Caboose, while supporting a major fundraising project of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga.

I took this portrait photo of WP668, our backyard caboose, since we are auctioning off a caboose brunch for six as one of the offerings in the SAMA Auction (Middle Eastern Feast and Auction to be held this Sunday, 13 April 2008, at 5:30 pm at St. Andrew’s, 13601 Saratoga Ave. Saratoga, CA).

SAMA is St. Andrew’s Medical Assistance Outreach program, and exists to provide hope and healing to a hurting world:

We raise funds annually through our annual Middle Eastern Feast and Auction and our Christmas Crafts sale. Medical Programs SAMA supports in the Holy Land include: Ahli Arab Hospital (the only Christian hospital in Gaza), and the Four Homes of Mercy (a home for the severely disabled based in Jerusalem).

By the way, Katy also blogs regularly on a variety of diverse topics, including her philanthropy, her job at SUN, and of course restored Caboose WP668.

Caboose Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

Booksin School combines its two annual collection drives this month, accepting food donations on behalf of Second Harvest and clothing donations for SJUSD’s Healthy Start Family Support Center through Friday, April 11.

If you don’t have a Booksin student to help you deliver them, just drop them by the school during open hours this week. For the food drive, cans with pull-tops are especially helpful. The school also accepts big boxes to help sort clothes. (more…)

Have you met Celia? Skip on over to the Willow Glen Foundation website and hear what she has to say about bing a volunteer HOSTS Mentor for students at WG High School!

Mentor a Willow Glen High Student

You’ll be surprised at the impact you can make just one hour once a week. We’re doing some amazing work helping motivated students improve their basic skills. Learn more and consider joining us!

For more information, contact Debbie at (408) 266-1351 or by email wghsvolunteer@sbcglobal.net