DRAFT DOCUMENT OF NEW City of Madera Sign Ordinance

CURRENT EXISTING City of Madera Sign Ordinance

GIVE LOCALLY
Chairman's Message, November 2008
By Kevin Herman, Specialty Crop Company
2008-09 Chairman of the Board of Directors

The time of year is upon us when we get bombarded with requests for donations and for those of us who are fortunate enough to not have been too impacted by the economy and the stock market, I want to encourage you to continue to give and more importantly to give LOCALLY this holiday season. Who better to know the needs of Madera than our LOCAL charities, churches and service organizations? Seeing the look of appreciation in the eyes of the person who gets a turkey at Thanksgiving time from our food bank or hearing how a young Madera youth was spared a life of crime and drugs because of his involvement in Hope Now For Youth; or just kicking up your heels and having some fun at the Rotary Trees for Charity Christmas party are just some of the ways you can help. Doing so not only helps to make Madera a better place to live, but regardless of the economy, will help you to better appreciate the things that you have.

Even though our Chamber of Commerce helps to promote many of these groups’ activities and events, you should not think of us as a charity. Yes, your membership dues help to make Madera a better place to live, but our main emphasis is and will continue to be to help your business to prosper. You should consider your investment of time and money in our Chamber to be a long term investment on behalf of your business and we do rely on your support throughout the year. It really is no different than investing in a new sign for your store to attract new customers or buying a new computer to help process paperwork more quickly.

So, this Holiday Season I want to encourage everyone to help Madera to be a better place to live through donations of money or time to our LOCAL charities and to help to make your business as prosperous as possible by stepping up your participation in our Chamber.

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

The following is a list of local charities, non-profit organizations and churches that are Madera Chamber of Commerce members.

• American Cancer Society
• American Red Cross Fresno/Madera Counties Chapter
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fresno, Kings & Madera Counties
• Central California Blood Center
• Children's Hospital Central California
• Community Action Partnership of Madera County
• Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc.
• First 5 Madera County
• First Christian Church of Madera
• Foundation of High School Athletic Needs (F.A.N.)
• Heartland Opportunity Center
• Heritage Community Housing - The Crossings
• Hinds Hospice
• Kings View Ready, Set, Go!
• Kiwanis Club of Madera
• Madera Breakfast Lions Club
• Madera Community Hospital Foundation
• Madera County Arts Council 'Circle Gallery'
• Madera County Food Bank
• Madera Educational Foundation (MUSD)
• Madera Evening Lions Club
• Madera Rescue Mission, Inc.
• Madera Rotary Club
• Madera Sunrise Rotary
• Madera/Mariposa Chapter of People First
• New Harvest Christian Fellowship
• North Fork Mono Rancheria
• San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust
• San Joaquin Valley Paleontology Foundation
• Soroptimist International of Madera
• Spiritual Awareness Center
• The Justin Woods Foundation
• Valley Teen Ranch
• Woman's Improvement Club of Madera
• Yosemite Association
• Yosemite Christian Center

If would like to make a donation to any of these organizations and need contact information, please call the Chamber of Commerce office at (559) 673-3563.