Member News

Flair Cleaners is matching donations up to 250 pounds of food at each of its four Southern California locations.

STUDIO CITY, CALIF., February 28, 2024 – Flair Cleaners, Southern California’s leading eco-friendly dry cleaner, is holding its 9th Annual Flair Cares Food Drive, Hang Up Hunger, March 1 - 31, 2024. The drive benefits the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry, Food Pantry, LAX, the Salvation Army Santa Monica food pantry, and the nonprofit Santa Clarita Grocery. Flair Cleaners is matching donations up to 250 pounds of food donated by customers at each location.

“One of the greatest feelings in the world is knowing that we as individuals can make a difference,” said Gary Futterman, owner of Flair Cleaners. “Public charities, food banks and church pantries are doing more than ever before, but they need our help. Our annual food drive makes a huge difference in their ability to serve our neighbors in need.”

Community members should bring unopened, canned or boxed food to any Flair Cleaners – Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Studio City, or Valencia. Do not bring any food past its expiration date or packaged in glass. Customers using the company’s Free Pickup and Delivery service can leave bags or boxes of food they wish to donate with their pickup orders in March. Donations will be delivered by Flair Cleaners to the following charities:

• The Salvation Army Santa Monica feeds meals to anyone in need - this includes homeless people of all ages, as well as individuals and families who may be down on their luck and in need of a helping hand.
• The Santa Clarita Grocery operates as an all-volunteer organization serving “week worth of groceries” and personal care items, for their guests including fresh milk, eggs, produce, canned goods, dried goods, meat, deli and breads.                                                       
• Food Pantry, LAX, was established in 1985 under the auspices of the Westchester/Ladera Clergy Association as a community-based means of feeding the poor in the community. Its mission is to provide food in the form of groceries to low- and no-income families and individuals in their area. Bags of groceries are sufficient to provide meals for 1-2 days to the families that come to the Food Pantry each week.
• Established in 1983, the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry is a 100% volunteer coalition of diverse religious institutions working together to address the problem of hunger in the community.

About Flair Cleaners

For more than 65 years, Flair Cleaners has been the choice for style-conscious, Los Angeles County residents who seek quality, convenience, and environmentally safe dry cleaning and laundry services. In addition to extended hours seven days a week, Flair offers home and office pickup and delivery, and uses only the all-natural GreenEarth dry cleaning process. Flair operates stores in Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Studio City, and Valencia. For more information on Flair Cleaners, its community outreach, or its environmental commitment, visit FlairCleaners.com, follow us on Instagram @FlairCleaners, or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FlairDryCleaners.

Comprehensive Plan Sets Agency’s Goals and Objectives for Next Five Years

On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the SCV Water Board of Directors approved the Agency’s 2024-28 Five-Year Strategic Plan. The adopted plan is the result of a nine-month development process and includes feedback from SCV Water customers gained through the 2023 Customer Opinion Survey and public meetings.

The Strategic Plan was crafted as part of a collaborative effort between SCV Water staff and management, with guidance and direction from the Board of Directors on the Agency’s Vision, Mission and Goals. The plan will guide the Agency’s actions over the next five years and is designed to support SCV Water’s mission to provide exemplary water management for a high quality of life in the Santa Clarita Valley.

“SCV Water’s 2024-28 Strategic Plan lays out the Agency’s priorities with regards to infrastructure investments, environmental stewardship, water quality, and more,” said SCV Water Board President Gary Martin. “I am confident the talented and dedicated SCV Water staff will continue to provide high quality service to customers and deliver on the promises contained in the plan.”

The plan is divided into eight sections, each focusing on a Goal for the next five years. These Goals are:

• Exceptional Customer Service and Stakeholder Engagement
• Reliable Infrastructure
• Sustainable Water Supply and Resources
• High Quality Water
• Financial Resiliency
• A High Performance Team
• Environmental Stewardship
• Safe and Secure Workplace

“Like any water agency in California, SCV Water will face a range of challenges in the next five years, including water source reliability, climate change and significant investments in infrastructure,” said General Manager Matt Stone. “This plan ensures we will continue to meet any challenge head on for the benefit of all ratepayers.”

To read the full 2024-28 Strategic Plan, please visit yourSCVwater.com/strategic-plan.

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About SCV Water: 

The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 75,000 business and residential customers. It was formed on January 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated, regional water provider. More information can be found at yourSCVwater.com. 

For more information, please contact: 

Kevin Strauss 

Communications Manager 

SCV Water 

kstrauss@scvwa.org  

Sponsorship opportunities are available for companies and organizations interested in supporting our local community impacted by cancer in the Santa Clarita Valley.

SANTA CLARITA, FEBRUARY 20 – Although the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley is not until May 4, work is beginning now to build the celebration that will bring together passionate supporters who embody the American Cancer Society mission to end cancer as we know it, for everyone, and your support as a sponsor is vital.

Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley will host a dinner event on the evening of March 16 at Elks Lodge to honor our local cancer survivors and their caregivers with sponsorship opportunities still available. To ensure a spot, those interested in attending need to register as a survivor at SCVRelay.org, and then email survivors@scvrelay.org to sign up for the dinner with the opportunity to have their caregiver as their guest. People interested in sponsoring can reach out to abby.smith@cancer.org.

In 2024, for the first time, more than 2 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States and more than 600,000 Americans will die from cancer. Being there for anyone impacted by cancer is year-round work, and we’re grateful for our volunteers, participants, partners, and sponsors who helped us raise $281,675 in 2023 making it the top 20 Relay For Life event across the nation. In 2024, Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley aims to raise $300,000 to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

There are many ways to get involved. 

• Join: Join a Relay community to connect with survivors, caregivers, and others impacted by cancer in your local community.
  • Visit SCVRelay.org to sign up for Relay and join your community in the fight against cancer.
  • You can also create or join a team at SCVRelay.org to honor cancer patients, survivors, and their caregivers.
• Donate: Your donation fuels the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. Visit SCVRelay.org or donate to your own team today.
  • Participate in our spring fundraising on tinyurl.com/SCVRelayCandy2024 ordering from our See’s Candies storefront from now and until March 15
• Sponsor: Your company or employer can support our mission to end cancer as we know it, for everyone, through a different range of sponsorship opportunities.
  • Contact Abby Smith (661) 855-4541 abby.smith@cancer.org for more information.

Since 1985, Relay For Life has raised $6.8 billion, allowing the American Cancer Society to invest $3.1 billion in cancer research, contributing to 3.5 million fewer cancer deaths. Dollars raised each year by over 250,000 Relay participants across the country help support the American Cancer Society’s mission in countless ways – providing education and advocating for the needs of cancer patients and their families, and providing essential services throughout their cancer journey.

To learn more about Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley, visit SCVRelay.org

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About The American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support.  We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Heroes of Color and The Hart School District have partnered to create the “Jr. ARTrepreneurs” program. A program that equips students at Hart High, Saugus High, Castaic High and La Mesa JHS with the essential tools to thrive as artists and entrepreneurs, and also to cultivate invaluable life skills that extend far beyond the canvas. Throughout their artistic odyssey, students will build financial literacy, foster self-expression, master marketing and promotion, boost self-confidence, and develop a growth mindset.

The crowning achievement of their journey is a captivating student art show, where friends, family, and local businesses can appreciate and eagerly invest in their exceptional work by purchasing or requesting custom-made art. Custom projects remain at the heart of the program, providing students with a canvas for their creativity that knows no bounds. Through this transformative, artistic and entrepreneurial expedition, students’ potential will flourish, and they'll emerge not just as skilled artists but as well-rounded, confident individuals primed for a future of endless possibilities.

We would like to invite you to support the youth of Santa Clarita by attending the event and purchasing some of their custom art. Your purchase will ignite a spark of confidence and teach them a life lesson on the importance of creating opportunities for yourself. We hope to see you at the event!