Dear Breakthrough family,
This past quarter was very active at Breakthrough. In the month of August, we hosted our annual summer BBQ On August the 13th, attended by 114 people. We were thrilled to honor Kelsey Schwind as Breakthrough’s volunteer of the year for 2023. Also in August was the annual Breakthrough Summer Retreat held at the Saint Francis retreat center in San Juan Bautista. We enjoyed a keynote address from Breakthrough founder Fred jealous and a powerful weekend together. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make both of these events a huge success for breakthrough.
The third quarter of the year also saw the addition of two live in person workshops to the Breakthrough calendar. In February of 2024 Lee Garland and Larry Kingsland will lead a workshop in the Santa Cruz area and, starting November 1st of this year, I'll be leading a workshop here on the Monterey Peninsula. Now is the time to refer someone to the Breakthrough Workshop. After enduring the pandemic, we know many men are longing for the social connection an individual development that only the Breakthrough Workshop can provide.
Looking ahead in the month of October Breakthrough will be moving its location. We are going to be in a new space that will allow us to conduct small workshops, host social and educational events and recreational programs, and allow easy access from the community at large. We are very grateful to Breakthrough alumni Patrick Tregenza for opening up his photo studio to a space sharing arrangement with breakthrough.
November will see the launch of the annual Monterey County Gives campaign. This annual fundraising campaign is designed to help nonprofits by matching anywhere from 10 to 15% of the funds contributed. We will soon be reaching out with mailers and phone calls from Breakthrough and we ask that you give generously to support these programs that offer such a valuable and needed service to the men in our communities.
And we are very excited to announce the return of our fall dinner dance fundraiser! Mark your calendar and save the date for Friday December 1st. This year's event is titled Sparkle Shine and Share. It will be an evening filled with good times good food and generosity. This is a celebration event and we encourage you to invite friends and family to join us in the celebration.
Looking farther ahead to 2024 Breakthrough plans to continue to expand and support our amazing community., welcoming new alumni and new community partners.
Warmest wishes as we head into the holiday season.