Helping Those in Need This Holiday Season

If you live at 33 North, you likely have a lot to be thankful for, whether it’s a roof over your head, your family, neighbors, or your job. But the reality is that not everyone in the Bay Area is as fortunate as we are.

So if you happen to have some free time on your hands this holiday season, why not lend those hands for a charitable cause? There are tons of opportunities to give back to the community this holiday season, depending on how you’d like to help.

The San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology & Innovation (sf.citi) rounded up some options for those who are willing and able to volunteer for those in need this holiday season:

SF Fire Fighter's Toy Program
Last year, the San Francisco Fire Fighters helped find toys for 40,000 children in the area. Though the Toy Program helps children all year, the holiday season is the neediest time of year, and your company can have a large impact. SFFFD offers a few suggested ways of corporate involvement:

Order a toy barrel for collection at your place of business

Invite the organization to your company holiday event

Host a toy drive.

Individuals can also donate gift cards for families or drop off toys at ANY SF Fire Station in the city.

For more information and to get involved, go to sffirefighterstoys.org

Run Wild San(ta) Francisco
In addition to participating directly in the toy drive, you can also get involved with Run Wild San[ta] Francisco on Sunday December 1st! sf.citi sponsors this event every year to encourage the holiday spirit of giving. Run Wild supports the SF Firefighters Toy Program. Exercise your generous spirit by signing up for the run at RunWildSF.com (and, of course, bring a toy)

Help Seniors Bridge the Digital Divide
SF ConnectedSan Francisco's Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS), the Community Technology Network (CTN) and sf.citi are excited to encourage our membership to volunteer with SF Connected: Providing computer access, training and support for seniors. San Francisco is quickly becoming the tech hub, and volunteers are needed to share their skills with folks trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide. Join us to make a difference in the life of someone isolated from experiencing essential tech tools only accessed online.

Become a Technology Trainer

Help an older adult learn to use a mouse, email or connect with family on Skype or Facebook. Patience and a desire to help others is all that is required. Sign up here.

Help a Family Start a New Home
HamiltonThis holiday season, give back by giving those in need a home. Hamilton Family Center, an organization that breaks the cycle of homelessness, is collecting housing supplies and necessities for local families moving out of the shelter system into their new homes.

Help us collect basic necessities like sheets, blankets, dishes, silverware, towels, pots and pan sets, comforters and other housewares to help this wonderful organization restore the foundation for healthy family lives.

Our goal is to provide supplies for 225 families who have recently moved into permanent housing. Your company can help us make that goal by sponsoring a family and/or hosting a housing supply drive in your office. For more information and to sign up, please contact Kia Kolderup-Lane, kia@sfciti.com.

Keeping a Pet-Friendly Community Clean

33 North welcomes your pet! Our apartment homes accommodate up to two pets per home! We also have a lush community pet park so your pet can play with its neighbors.

Whether you and your pet live in our wonderful community or not, it’s important to the community that all pet owners work together to create a beautiful, healthy environment for us and our animal friends.

That’s why Marin County parks are making a push to clean up the area’s dog waste, hiring “We Scoop Poop,” a Bay Area waste removal firm that will scour 14 county trailheads twice a week through next September. The firm will also restock dispensers with pet waste bags.

In addition, special receptacles will be set up at trailheads with particularly high doggie traffic—parks officials will also launch an educational campaign to persuade people to clean up after their pets.

Believe it or not, We Scoop Poop has been around for several years here in Marin County, offering services to local residents:

Since 2003 Scoops of Marin Pet Waste Removal Service has been picking up what your dogs drop off.

• Regular Service will keep the waste from accumulating, maintaining a healthy yard environment.
  
• Reduce the amount of harmful bacteria that can spread from yard to home, on kids and furniture.
  
• Affordable Rates make this service a "no brainer" when it comes to value, convenience and peace of mind.
  
• Locally Owned you'll be supporting a local business, not a franchise, who answer the phone, look after your yard as if it were our own and promise excellent service for a simple, yet necessary service.

How to Clean Your Dishwasher

Here at 33 North, every apartment comes with state of the art kitchen appliances—and yes, that includes a dishwasher.

While dishwashers are a great convenience that we’re proud to offer our residents, one thing they don’t wash is themselves. Dishwashers perform better and get your dishes cleaner when the appliance itself is squeaky clean.

Home and organization blogger “Ask Anna” Mosley had a great post summarizing the process of cleaning your dishwasher:

[Quoted text]

The process to cleaning your dishwasher is very similar to cleaning your washing machine.
  

Step 1: Wipe out your dishwasher with a washcloth removing any excess food or grime. 

Step 2: Place a glass or mug on the top rack of an empty dishwasher and fill it with white vinegar. 

Step 3: Run your dishwasher through an entire cycle. 

Step 4: When the dishwasher has completed it’s cycle wipe it out again with a clean washcloth.  If there is any grime left that you want to tackle use a sponge and straight white vinegar to scrub off the tough spots.  

Here’s a hint I learned from our repair man: Before running your dishwasher run let the water in your kitchen sink run until it gets to it’s hottest.  This way when the dishwasher starts it’s cycle it’s starting with hot water instead of cold water.  Who wants there dishes to be pre-rinsed with cold water?  Gross!
  

Happy Cleaning! 

Interested in an affordable luxury apartment in Marin County, California? Drop us a line at (855) 671-6163!

The Greatest Fair on Earth

Since its inception back in 1941, the Marin County Fair has been a crowd favorite for both San Rafael residents and area visitors alike.

The 2014 edition of the Marin County Fair will have a new theme: “The Happiest Fair on Earth.” It will feature even more activities than it did last year, solidifying itself as one of the area’s most popular summer attractions.

According to Jim Farley, director of the Department of Cultural and Visitor Services, next year’s fair will feature the creativity of Marin County residents as its showcases, even with a surprise or two to be announced at a later date:

“The Marin County Fair is renowned for presenting affordable family fun, and we plan to offer even more in 2014,” stated Jim Farley, director of the Department of Cultural and Visitor Services. “The 2014 Marin County Fair will offer amusement for all ages – with great concerts and exhibits – contests, healthy foods, 28 free carnival rides, nightly fireworks, shopping, farm animals, and gardens. Our competitive exhibits program – the ‘heart and soul’ of our county fair – will feature new and returning exhibits in fine arts and crafts, photography, flowers, art chairs, dairy cows and lots, lots more - 800 categories in all. We celebrate the creativity and imagination of Marin County and Bay Area residents,” added Farley. “We are also planning a few surprises – so stay tuned!”

According to San Rafael Patch, here are some of the highlights for next year’s fesitivites:

The popular Chinese Circus of Beijing returns with an all-new show of spectacular acrobatics including sensational balancing acts, martial arts, tumbling and circus acts – fun for the entire family! 

Game On! makes its Bay Area debut with 36 fun and interactive games and activities in three zones: Classic Games, Puzzles & Plexers, and the Construction Zone! In Classic Games, fairgoers will find giant-sized versions of games we grew up with: 3' Pick-up Sticks, Checkers, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, Twister, and a life-size Operation game. In Puzzles & Plexers, fair guests will challenge their mind with 3D Puzzles, large Tavern Puzzles, wood puzzles, and a World Map jigsaw puzzle. The Construction Zone, geared for toddlers, features the ever popular bubble arena, large foam blocks, wood blocks, magnetos, Lego Wall, and magnetic build-it-yourself Rube Goldberg Wall. Game On! is designed to tease and challenge minds of all ages.

The event will take place over the July 4th weekend – July 2 – 6, 2014. Click here for more information on the Marin County Fair’s website.