2021 Merit Awards
City of Santa Rosa Merit Award Recipients
COMMUNITY HEROES
• Bayside Church for supporting small businesses and creating outdoor dining spaces for families during the pandemic.
• Common Ground Society for making Santa Rosa a more inclusive and accepting place for people with disabilities.
• Katie Sanchez for leadership and policy advocacy on behalf of children and serving with the Court Appointed Special Advocate program.
• Memphis Roetter for outstanding fundraising in support of Redwood Empire Food Bank. • Sonoma County Acts of Kindness for advocating on behalf of community members experiencing homelessness and providing them with necessities and resources.
CULTURAL ENRICHMENT
• Efrain Nava for bringing joy to his neighbors through free musical performances during the shelter-in-place order.
• Rebekah Thomas for preserving, maintaining, and protecting the historic Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery through educational tours and events.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
• Paulina Lopez for serving as a youth community leader to solve human rights and climate change issues.
• The Bird Rescue Center volunteers for medical care and feeding of wild birds, and stopping the spread of the deadly salmonella infection within the local wild bird population.
SERVING OTHERS
• Elisha's Pantry volunteers for providing food, including fresh vegetables to feed the hungry. • Marilyn Lane for uplifting Santa Rosa’s senior citizens through dance performances. • Riya Ramakrishnan for leadership in educating and protecting youth on the dangers of tobacco. • Shawn Hanna for mentoring youth, teaching self-sufficiency, teamwork, and leadership skills. • Sonoma County Vet Connect, Inc for providing outreach and assistance to current and former military service members and their families.
STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS
• Brayden Hall for showing youth leadership and diligently maintaining the Santa Rosa Pump Track for the community's enjoyment.
• United Womens Group / Grupo de Mujeres Unidas for strengthening, uplifting, and supporting the Roseland community.