CHISPA Annual Celebration 2/1/24

CHISPA hosted its 44th Annual Celebration on February 1st, welcoming 200 community leaders to the Salinas City Center at CSUMB in Oldtown to celebrate our accomplishments of the past year. Guests enjoyed dinner provided by the Steinbeck House Restaurant. Scheid Vineyards provided our wine. Driscoll’s contributed berries.

We thank Scheid Vineyards and Driscoll’s for supporting us each year and for making this event special.

The Annual Celebration netted over $79,000. We are grateful for everyone who sponsored the event or purchased tickets. Half of the event proceeds was split between CHISPA’s three scholarships:

  1. Hartnell College scholarship,
  2. California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) scholarship,
  3. And our scholarship administered by the Community Foundation of Monterey County, which can be used at any accredited college or university.

The remaining funds will fund community services offered in CHISPA apartments.

These three scholarships are offered to students whose families live in CHISPA apartments or homes. This year, four students from Hartnell College received scholarships, three students from CSUMB received scholarships, and two students received the CHISPA scholarship administered by the Community Foundation.

CHISPA honored our community Partner of the year: Point Lobos Foundation. CHISPA and Point Lobos Foundation have partnered over the past 18 months to provide opportunities for CHISPA families to visit the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Families from CHISPA’s apartments in South County, Salinas, and North County are invited to come explore the beauty of the coast through guided walks to explore beaches, tidepools, and forest trails. Point Lobos volunteer docents provide the participants with hands-on educational presentations before they visit Point Lobos. Transportation to the coast and picnic lunches are provided. In addition, the families are invited to return at no cost and are provided with gas cards to cover transportation costs.

A highlight of the event was a speech by Daisy Rivera, a former participant in the Castroville Teen Leadership program and a current student at Stanford. The Rivera family is one of the new residents at CHISPA’s recently completed Alfred Diaz-Infante Apartments.

CHISPA staff also thanked Norm Kolpin for his years of leadership at CHISPA and named a new scholarship after Mr. Kolpin. The event concluded with CHISPA’s new President and CEO Geoffrey Morgan, giving closing comments.

It was such a pleasure to see everyone who attended, and we appreciate all who made this event possible.

Click the on picture below to go to the gallery of photos of the event.


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