Dear Ventura County Community Foundation Family,
Yesterday, I was unexpectedly transported back to the very beginning of my career. I was 21, attending my first Chamber of Commerce meeting, nervous beyond words. In my attempt to discreetly stab a grape from my fruit salad with a plastic fork as everyone was making their introductions, it slipped, flew across the table, and landed directly in Michael Towbes’ lap.
He looked up at me with such kindness and without judgment as he picked up the grape, handed it gently back to me, and said, with a twinkle in his eye, “I think this might belong to you.” I am sure I turned the deepest shade of red imaginable, and I have avoided eating grapes with a plastic fork ever since.
But from that moment on, Mike never passed me without offering a warm hello. His smile and generous spirit made me feel like I belonged and that I mattered, which is a treasured gift I will never forget, especially from those early, formative years of my professional life.
So you can imagine how deeply it touched me when yesterday, Montecito Bank & Trust awarded $100,000 from the Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend to support the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund. It meant more than I can adequately express. It felt like a full-circle moment, a reminder of how generosity, kindness, and active hope ripple across years and lives.
Our sister community foundation to the north was also recognized for their neighbor-support effort in Santa Barbara. In my 11 years at VCCF, I cannot recall another moment quite like it. I’m so moved by how our region’s community foundations are standing together, united in purpose, supporting neighbors across both counties. It was powerful, and it reminded me that we are joined by more than 800 community foundations across the nation, all united by place and a shared commitment to service.
Janet Garufis, Chairman & CEO, was one of the very first calls I made when we launched the Ventura County Neighbors Support Coalition. She is such an amazing human, and our communities are better because of her leadership and the extraordinary team at Montecito Bank & Trust.
And the timing of this incredible donation could not be more meaningful. Just this week, because of you, our Special Advisory Committee was able to award Round 4 of grants from the Neighbors Support Fund. For this round, your contributions are being sent to 11 trusted nonprofit organizations caring for families and individuals throughout Ventura County. These grants will provide essential needs like food, rental assistance to keep children in their homes, access to medical care, support for families who have been separated, transportation to work, Meals on Wheels for seniors, and so much more.
Moments like this remind me of the goodness that lives in our community, the generosity that brings us together, and the hope that carries us forward. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu encourages us, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
With heartfelt gratitude,
Vanessa
Vanessa Bechtel, VCCF President & CEO
