Career Opportunities

Project Manager, Family Engagement Initiative

Puente seeks a bilingual (English/Spanish) Project Manager to oversee successful implementation of a 0-5 Family Engagement Initiative in the San Mateo County South Coast communities of La Honda, Pescadero, Loma Mar and San Gregorio. The manager will work as part of a Puente/La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District team to build community capacity around early childhood education, develop and implement evidence-based practices in early literacy and math fluency programs that increase family engagement, care provider training, and positive child outcomes. Click here for job description.

Early Literacy/RAR+ Specialist 

Puente seeks a bilingual (English/Spanish) Early Literacy/RAR+ Specialist (ELS) to support a 0-5 Family Engagement Initiative in the San Mateo County South Coast communities of La Honda, Pescadero, Loma Mar and San Gregorio. The ELS will work as part of a Puente and La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District team to build community capacity around early childhood education, develop and implement evidence-based practices in early literacy and math programs that increase family engagement, care provider training, and positive child outcomes. Click here for job description.

Volunteer Opporunities

Help with Backpack Distribution

Help Puente distribute school supplies and backpacks to school-aged youth on the South Coast. This year, we will be running the distribution like a supplies store — set-up begins at 9:00AM on Monday, August 11. Distribution is from noon until 8:00 PM on Monday, August 11 and Tuesday, August 12. Come for any part of the event on either day. For more information, call (650) 879-1691 ext 102 or email Abby Mohaupt. To provide supplies, click here.

Be a Youth Mentor

We are looking for several people to serve as mentors for high school youth. This position expects volunteers to guide and advise students about career options, the importance of higher education or vocational training, and life skills like getting a driver’s license or managing money. Mentors serve as positive role models and allies for youth. A mentor also would talk to a high school mentee on a regular basis (weekly/bi-monthly/monthly) about school assignments, tests, study skills, and course planning, especially if the student is struggling in school.

For more information on ALL volunteer opportunities, call (650) 879-1691 ext 102 or email Abby Mohaupt.

Not every farmers’ market has a motto, but Puente does things differently. Pescadero Grown! Certified Community Farmers’ Market returns Thursday, June 5 with a new motto: “Growing up strong and healthy on the South Coast.”

The market, open from 3-7 p.m. every Thursday through Halloween, offers the only locally grown, affordable produce within walking distance for many South Coast families. Puente is proud to make food affordable to low-income locals through government programs — WIC and CalFresh —  as well as those who may be eligible for Puente’s special Pescadero Grown! Tokens program, which matches a maximum of $10 worth of purchases each week.

The market’s opening day is always a big celebration, and this year is no exception. Puente will mark the start of the summer’s harvest season with DJ Larry Trujillo and his Chicano-oldies-classic playlist; face painting; hands-on art projects for kids; and raffle prize giveaways every 30 minutes. Some of the children who participate in Puente’s  Zumba classes will also give a short (and adorable) demonstration.

Puente’s ever-popular Bike Booth will return to offer free bicycle repair to the whole community.

From beans and kale to beef, eggs and strawberries, the South Coast’s most beloved farms will be on hand to supply every aspect of the perfect meal – all with the freshest ingredients, grown less than 25 miles away.

Farmers’ Market Manager Charlea Binford says shoppers can expect to see some familiar vendors this year, as well as some new ones. Regular participants include Fly Girl Farm, Blue House Farm, and Farmageddon. Other, including Del Sur Farm, Echo Valley Farm, Markegard Family Grass-Fed and Leftcoast Grassfed, will appear with some frequency.

“We’re really thankful to have them, and we encourage our local community to support South Coast farmers and producers by buying their products,” says Binford.

Puente is excited to announce that an additional local farm will be joining the fun this year. Tunitas Creek Kitchen will be selling its homemade jams and jellies “I’m really looking forward to coming to the Pescadero Grown! Farmers’ Market,” says Suzie Trexler, co-founder of Tunitas Creek Kitchen. “I make small batch jams, mostly using produce from the farm that my husband and I manage. To start, there will be plenty of strawberry and rhubarb variations, and later in the season I’ll have raspberry jam, pear jam, apple butter and quince jelly.” They’re also expecting to bring eggs to market as well.

Growing up “strong and healthy” in Pescadero means eating well, but it also involves a commitment to health. This year Puente will continue its health care outreach campaign with a weekly health theme at the farmers’ market. Each week, the market will highlight a health care provider like Sonrisas Community Dental Center, which will do free dental screenings and hand out toothpaste and floss. Pescadero’s local San Mateo County firefighters will come to the market to take blood pressure readings.

“Health education in general in this community is important. Almost everyone here is related to someone who works on a farm, but not everyone is eating fresh produce. We’re focused on making it more accessible and cheaper for them,” says Binford.

Locals and farmers, thriving together – that’s a mission worth fighting for. Join us on June 5!

For more information about the market including joining as a vendor or playing music, contact Charlea Binford by email at cbinford@mypuente.org

The Cunneen sisters of Pacifica start school each fall with their heads held high, knowing they’ve made it possible for hundreds of other students to do the same. For seven years, Courtney and Laura have spent much of the summer collecting school supplies and donations on behalf of children who badly need them. They started their “backpack project” when they were 11. By the time they were 17, they were delivering fully stocked backpacks to 280 students – 130 in Pescadero and another 150 in Pacifica.

Their extraordinary efforts have earned them a proclamation from the county, write-ups in the local paper, and the gratitude of nearly every  family in Pescadero.

“It’s staggering, everything they have done,” says Puente Executive Director Kerry Lobel. “It’s fair to say that a lot of kids wouldn’t have had school supplies if not for them.”

Now freshly graduated from Terra Nova High School, the sisters (who are also best friends) are headed to the University of Nevada, Reno later this summer to study business. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to stop collecting school supplies. In fact, they have plans to expand their project, formally known as “Bridging the Community.”

The Cunneens are headed to the University of Nevada, Reno

“We’ve put so much into this organization, and it doesn’t sit well with us to just let it go. Children in Pescadero and in Pacifica still rely on us so heavily for those donations. It doesn’t feel right to us to leave them hanging like that,” says Courtney.

The girls have it all figured out. When they get to college, they’ll join a sorority that will help them expand their backpack project as a philanthropic endeavor, and also try to enroll corporate sponsors in their effort.

They won’t be letting their work fizzle out at home, either. They’re hoping to enlist some friends from their local church, St. Andrews Presbyterian, who will keep up the annual ritual of collecting school supplies and donations at the Pacifica Farmers’ Market.

Last year, the Cunneen sisters gathered enough school supplies for nearly half the schoolchildren on the South Coast. Faith communities, clubs, and individuals filled in the rest. The backpacks have been a South Coast community tradition for more than a decade — most local students rely on donated backpacks, pencils, calculators and other supplies – and, Lobel say, demand for school supplies keeps increasing.

“It’s important for every child to have what they need to start the school year and backpacks are an important ingredient. You cannot buy a pencil where we live.” says Lobel.

Puente’s summer backpack drive has begun. Click here to see what you can donate or help supply to local schools by July 28.

The Cunneen’s backpack project resulted in changing their lives as much as it changed the lives of thousands of their fellow students. Laura, who managed the donations and finances over the years, would like to become an accountant. Courtney, who managed their organization, would like to study business management.

“It’s definitely made us more aware of the importance of an education. We’ve learned not to take it for granted,” says Laura.

Donate to Puente’s backpack drive now – students and teachers need your help with back-to-school supplies. Click here for a list of supplies.

Drop-Off Locations: Pescadero Grown! Certified Community Farmers’ Market, Thursdays in June or July 3:00 – 7:00PM ● Puente, 620 North Street (650) 879-1691 (please call for hours) ● Half Moon Bay Farmer’s Market on July 19 and 26 ● Reach and Teach (144 25th St, San Mateo) ● First Presbyterian Church (1140 Cowper St. Palo Alto) ● Studio 4 Pilates (213 San Mateo Rd, Half Moon Bay)