Bay Area Proud

Lack of housing is one of the defining issues of life in the Bay Area. It’s hard to imagine one person making a difference, but an Oakland man says he’s willing to give it a try. Garvin Thomas reports.

A Fremont woman who has survived two global pandemics is urging everyone to get vaccinated like she has. Garvin Thomas reports.

John Decker, a Santa Rosa artist, has been painting portraits – for free – of frontline workers during the pandemic and giving them to the subjects as a way to say thanks for their effort. Garvin Thomas reports.

Instead of gifts for her birthday, Mikayla Gounard asked for donations for Sean Currey, the homeless man who found and returned her grandmother’s lost wallet.

Josh Hug was using his drone to shoot video of big waves in Pacifica when he saw a woman in danger of being swept to sea. Garvin Thomas reports.

Wastewater employees respond to a child’s letter looking for his missing Lego. Garvin Thomas reports.

San Jose elementary school placing cut-outs of staff and students around the school to bring life back to the playground. Garvin Thomas reports.

Photojournalist Shmuel Thaler and radio producer Nikki Silva are working to preserve the stories of the CZU fire, told through objects pulled from the ashes.

During the Creek Fire, a little girl lost all of her baseball cards. A San Jose man heard about her loss and decided to donate his approximately 25,000-card collection to her and other children who lost their homes and possessions.

If the newspaper business is dying, someone forgot to tell Portia Li. In the spring, after 35 years reporting for the World Journal, Portia was laid off due to the pandemic. She could have retired, but instead has started her own newspaper, Wind. Garvin Thomas reports.

Watching his hometown burn from 2,500 miles away, Ryan Okrant knew he wanted to help. He just had to figure out how.

Conor Harty was disappionted he couldn’t volunteer with Family Dog Rescue during the pandemic. So, he looked around to see if there were other ways he could help. He found one right in his own backyard. Garvin Thomas reports.

When the pandemic started, the hospitality industry shut down almost overnight putting thousands of work. For one non-profit, that meant changing as fast as the world around them. Garvin Thomas shares their story in this edition of Bay Area Proud.

During this time of crisis, people everywhere are wanting to support their neighbors who might be struggling. But not being able to do it in person creates a challenge. Garvin Thomas shows us how one group of college athletes managed to make it work.

Elizabeth Mitchell and her husband Sean McCarthy have been producing Cinequest’s trailer for the past decade. She is now battling brain cancer. Cinequest’s founder, Halfdan Hussey, and the Bay Area film community are rallying around Elizabeth.