Photos by Lars Howlett

Volunteers, donors and supporters of Puente de la Costa Sur gathered on Sunday to receive a big "thank-you" from the staff of the Pescadero family resource center, at its second annual Afternoon Thank-You Party.

Puente is the only resource center serving the south San Francisco coast. Its goal is to provide vital services for men, women, children, and families living in the rural San Mateo South Coast communities of Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar, and San Gregorio. Puente provides a single point of entry for men, women, and children to have access to safety net services, health and wellness services, youth employment, leadership development, and community engagement and action. Puente is especially helpful for families in which English is not their first language.

On Sunday, volunteers, donors and supporters were treated to a farm-fresh dinner at Echo Valley Farm in Loma Mar, as Puente's way of saying thanks for all that they do for the nonprofit organization, year-round.

In particular, two women were honored for their tireless service to Puente.

Barbara Turner received the organization's annual volunteer award, for her long-standing commitment to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

Rita Mancera, Puente's program director, said, "She was an ESL teacher in Los Altos since before Puente even started.She has gone to people’s houses or driven people to her house to tutor them in English. Then, when Puente came about, she continued it."

Janet Murphy received one of Puente's highest honors, the Ray Nelson award. Nelson, who passed away roughly two years ago, was a longtime volunteer who learned Spanish specifically to be able to communicate and connect with people who came to the center for support.

"In his memory, we dedicate this award each year to our most valuable volunteers," Mancera explained.

For more information about Puente de la Costa Sur, visit puentedelacostasur.org.

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