03 Dec 2010

C. Edwin Baker Youth Bridges Award

Puente is proud to announce the C. Edwin Baker Youth Bridges Award, named after C. Edwin “Ed” Baker. Ed, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, was known as one of the nation’s foremost constitutional legal scholars. Ed was a man who walked his talk and stood up for liberty, equality and justice. He was a scholar and a man who lived simply because he believed that luxury dulled our understanding of the world’s inequities and injustices. 

Raised in the small town of Madisonville, Kentucky, Ed graduated from Stanford University, Yale Law School, and was a Fellow at Harvard on three separate occasions. For most of his adult life, Ed was a law professor, including the last 28 years as a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, Ed died suddenly in 2009, at the age of 62. He left the bulk of his estate to charities. A committee selected by Ed before his death selected Puente to receive $5,000. This  gift was made in honor of Puente development director, Tricia Dell.

A portion of the gift, $1,000, has been designated to initiate the C. Edwin Baker Youth Bridges Award. Each year Puente awards scholarships to youth that have worked at Puente during their tenure at Pescadero High School.

All contributions to the Youth Bridges Award are welcome.

Ed (C.Edwin) Baker

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29 Nov 2010

La Sala Thanksgiving

Thanks to the beloved community at  Congregational Church of Belmont, Puente board members, staff and volunteers, more than 50 farm and nursery workers enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal of turkey by Early Bird Ranch, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey mole, corn, pumpkin pie and other tasty delights.

Turkey provided by Pescadero's Early Bird Ranch

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19 Nov 2010

Thank you, Austin!

Austin Hall  is 14 years old and attends Timberline Middle School. He is in the 9th grade and is a good student. He loves acting and is currently in 2 plays. He attends acting camps each year at the Utah Shakspeare Festval and hopes to do Shakespeare on stage there one day.

He is active in standing up for equal rights and equality for all. He volunteers for humanitarian organizations and animal rights. He supports social programs locally and was thrilled to learn about Puente.

His father found out about Puente through Puente Board Member, Liz Chapman. Her husband, Harlan and Austin’s father  met while photographing historical sights in New Mexico.

We received this note from Austin’s dad, Robert:

I was asked by Austin to send some pictures of the project. Austin and others have over 100 hours in the project. He led several teams on getting the work done from the paint crew that painted fences on weekends to earn the money for the project to rallying young ladies at our church to cut and tie the blankets.

After reading “The Grapes of Wrath” and coming to understand the difficulties  that migrant workers and their families endure, he felt that he should do something to help. Completing this project has given him a source of pride and has helped him earn his Eagle Scout Award.
 
Thank you Austin!

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