What began as a grassroots effort to help San Lorenzo Valley families in need has grown into one of the Valley’s most cherished traditions: The Mountain Affair.
This year, Community Bridges’ Mountain Community Resources (MCR) will host the 40th Annual Mountain Affair on Friday, Oct. 24, from 6:30-9:30pm at Highlands Park Senior and Community Center in Ben Lomond.
Proceeds from the evening support Mountain Community Resources, which provides more than 3,000 San Lorenzo Valley residents each year with access to essential services and a trusted place to turn when times get tough.
The Mountain Affair began four decades ago as a way for neighbors to come together in support of MCR, a hub founded in response to the Valley’s unique challenges and community needs.
Since then, the event has become both a fundraiser and a celebration of local resilience, raising vital support so MCR can continue to serve families through weekly food distribution, mental health counseling, housing navigation, parent education, disaster recovery and crisis support.
“Forty years of Mountain Affair reflects something extraordinary about this community,” said Community Bridges CEO Raymon Cancino. “From the very beginning, San Lorenzo Valley residents recognized that neighbors needed a place to turn in times of crisis. This event has helped keep those doors open for generations of families.”
One of the most anticipated parts of the Mountain Affair is always the food, and this year’s 40th celebration will be no exception.
Carrying on three generations of local culinary tradition, Chef Marina Camarlinghi of Barbara and Company Catering will present an Italian-themed menu crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients for an unforgettable taste of the Valley’s best. Paired with wines from Alfaro Family Vineyards, the evening offers a festive opportunity to raise a glass with friends and neighbors while celebrating all we’ve built together as a community.
This year’s Mountain Affair comes at a time of growing community need in the San Lorenzo Valley. Families are bracing for the impact of impending cuts to Medi-Cal and SNAP benefits, along with the expiration of one-time funding that helped keep showers and lockers open for our unhoused neighbors.
These changes make MCR’s role more important than ever, ensuring that Valley residents have access to essential services when they need them most.
Every donation to Mountain Affair helps sustain the breadth of services that MCR provides—from crisis intervention to food and nutrition support—and connects Valley residents to the wider Community Bridges network of programs, including Meals on Wheels, Lift Line, Early Education and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program.
Guests will have the chance to make a difference during the Fund-a-Need pledge drive, with giving levels that directly support local families:
- $500—Crisis Support and Disaster Recovery Services: Keeps one-on-one crisis support available for 500 neighbors in need, helping families with food, housing, healthcare and employment resources;
- $300—Pack the Pantry: Sponsors a month of pantry staples, supporting volunteers who distributed 5,663 bags of groceries last year to nearly 3,000 residents, including 828 kids and teens;
- $200—Emergency Preparedness: Stocks sandbags, shovels, radios and chainsaws so neighbors are ready for mudslides, wildfires and other disasters;
- $100—Counseling and Legal Assistance: Provides a counseling or legal assistance session for a neighbor in need, offering hope and preventing homelessness; and
- $50—Parent Education and Nutrition: Strengthens families through parent education, peer support and WIC nutrition guidance, ensuring children grow up healthy and supported.
“Together, we’ve kept hope alive for four decades, and with your partnership, we’ll continue to do so for generations to come,” organizers stated. “Whether you join us in person or give from afar, your support keeps doors open for families when they need it most.”
To buy tickets or make a donation, visit communitybridges.org/mountainaffair.
