Generosity is a word we hear a lot about during the holiday season. We appreciate others’ generosity toward us, and we hope we’re being just as generous.
This year in wealthy Silicon Valley, we saw an increased level of food insecurity, exacerbated by the six-week federal government shutdown that threatened SNAP benefits and made the prospect of the holidays potentially bleak for our neediest neighbors. That spurred a wave of generosity from everyday people, nonprofit organizations and other businesses — especially restaurants — helping out.
So in my annual Thanksgiving list of the people I’m grateful for, I want to shine a spotlight on Diana and Al Vallorz, who own Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta on Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose. When SNAP benefits expired Nov. 1, they immediately announced they’d serve free meals to families with SNAP benefit cards.
Many other eateries did the same and are equally appreciated, but I’m singling out Diana and Al because this is the kind of thing they do, whether it’s Socktoberfest — providing warm socks to the needy for every pizza order — or their Random Acts of Pizza campaign during the holidays.
Here are some others in our community I’m thankful for:
• Raul Peralez, the former San Jose city councilmember, who went against the wishes of friends Jordan and Rina Trigg to launch a GoFundMe campaign for the Japantown business owners after they unexpectedly found themselves in deep water after a real estate purchase. We should all have friends who refuse to let us drown.
• Ted Lopez, the new managing director of Christmas in the Park, seems to be the hardest working elf in town these days, but thanks are also due to his predecessor, Debbie DeGutis, who kept the holiday spirit and her family’s long involvement with the San Jose tradition shining bright.
• If, like me, you’re thankful downtown San Jose has an interesting arts scene all year round, you can direct that gratitude to some amazing women: MACLA’s Anjee Helstrup Alvarez, San Jose Stage’s Cathleen King, Anno Domini’s Cherri Lakey, Opera San Jose’s Shawna Lucey, City Lights Theater Company’s Lisa Mallette, New Ballet’s Dalia Rawson and Local Color’s Erin Salazar.
• The great Kevin Hauge took his final bows after three decades as Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose’s artistic director, passing the reins to Kikau Alvaro, who is already off and running.
• San Jose Public Library Director Jill Bourne and SJPL Foundation CEO Dawn Coppin who have worked together to remind us how important a resource and service our libraries are to everyone who lives here.
• Let’s hold the traditional in-joke “boos” and give a round of applause to Larry Stone, who stepped down this year after 30 years as Santa Clara County Assessor but continues to be a stalwart champion of the arts throughout the county.
• A tip of the hat to Chris Burrill, who in his nine-plus years as executive managing director of the Hammer Theatre Center kept the downtown venue thriving for both San Jose State and the off-campus community, too.
• When it comes to keeping communities safe, it’s hard to beat Mountain View Fire Chief Juan Diaz, who is retiring at the end of the year after 10 years leading the department (and 40 as a firefighter). Same goes for Geo Blackshire, who did the same for Palo Alto during a 28-year-career with the fire department, including the last six as chief.
• Here’s to a couple of people who stepped up big time this year: Carl Salas, who was appointed to fill San Jose’s District 3 council seat for six months, and Alan “Gumby” Marques, who has served as interim CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association between the abrupt departure of Alex Stettinski in April and the arrival of new CEO Brian Kurtz in January.
• Among those we lost this year, Alcario Castellano stands tall as ever. The retired San Jose Safeway worker, who died at age 90 in April, won a record lottery jackpot in 2001 and spent the next quarter-century — with his late wife, Carmen Castellano — as a conrnerstone of Latino philanthropy both here in the Bay Area and across the country. Their generosity — through money and mentorship — will pay off for decades to come.
• And, as always, a “thank you” to all of our readers in print and online. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.