autumn's blog

The collective sorrow and fear in our community is very real, and it comes at a moment when Yolo County #nonprofits are reaching out in a big way to raise needed funds on the Big Day of Giving, Thursday May 4 this year. Today we are asking for support for Davis Media Access as well. 

We love the effort to lift up all Yolo County nonprofits via http://bigdayofgiving.org/yolocounty because it’s deeply aligned with Davis Media Access’s work to #amplify community voices, often at critical times and in unique ways. During the pandemic, we focused those efforts on assisting other community-based organizations to solve technical problems and retain visibility.

This post is our ask for support. Despite all our successes in serving the community while surviving the pandemic, we are confronted with a very significant challenge at this moment in time. A few weeks ago, DMA’s used Toyota van was badly vandalized. This is an essential tool we use to haul equipment, interns, and other volunteers around town as we amplify the voices of community events, causes, and organizations. In fact, we recently wrapped support for the  the City’s Cesar Chavez event; the and recording the Wennberg Festival at the Mondavi and the annual DHS Drama Tribute to Tony Fields. Between now and mid June we’re on tap to cover or provide services at four different high school graduations; Davis Pride Festival; Davis Music Festival; and the e-Learning Lab at Woodland Community College.

Working with DMA’s  board, we have decided to set a big stretch goal of $20,000 for the forthcoming Big Day of Giving. We still need to raise the $10k that is critical to our programs and services AND we’re hoping to raise $10k towards the purchase of a replacement van. We’ve raised close to $5,000 as of today, but have a long way to go.

Big Day of Giving is a moment that can help DMA greatly increase our chances of success, and that will in turn allow us to continue serving our communities in intentional, supportive and meaningful ways. In advance, thank you for your support of #yolocounty #nonprofits on May 4.

The student government at UC Davis employs more than 1,000 people, speaks for one of the most important constituencies in Davis, and runs popular local services and events like Unitrans and Picnic Day.

But fewer than 6 percent of students voted in the Associated Students of UC Davis fall 2022 election. What are people overlooking?

Yolo County’s Early Juneteenth Holiday Celebration is a grassroots, free family event where community members come together to celebrate the freedom of enslaved African Americans in the United States.

The celebration takes place this Sunday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UC Davis Conference Center and the JManetti Shrem Museum of Art. The UC Davis Conference Center is located at 550 Alumni Lane, Davis 95616. The Manetti Shrem Museum of Art is located across the street at 254 Old Davis Road, Davis 95616. There is free parking on Sundays in the garage and surrounding lot next to the museum.

The Juneteenth theme for 2022 is “The Road to Freedom Day” and will honor Black artists and artisans, performers, elders, and musicians. The family friendly celebration will include live entertainment, educational presentations, art displays, activities for youth, giveaways, artisan vendors, food trucks, sponsor tables and more.

Davis Media Access will record the celebration and post it on YouTube  June 19, the actual day of the holiday.

Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s. However, following nationwide protests of police brutality there is a renewed interest in the day celebrating freedom. The holiday is named by combining June and 19. The day is also called Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day. On June 17, 2021, it became the 11th holiday recognized by the federal government.

Please visit yolojuneteenth.org for more information.

Singing some praises, then having some sung

By Autumn Labbe-Renault, Executive Director

This column was originally published May 5, 2022 in The Davis Enterprise

This election season marked the second one in which Davis Media Access (DMA) has recorded candidate statements virtually. The pandemic left us without access to the community television studio and teleprompter at our Fifth Street facility, and was in some ways probably more challenging for candidates, although it did eliminate the travel time for some!

Before I go any further, let me heap some praise on DMA’s Studio Manager, Diane Dedoshka. A longtime, part-time staff member, she’s the reason we’ve been able to funnel resources into making sure that every candidate running a contested race in Yolo County has the same opportunity to get the word out about their campaign. A pioneer in local broadcast TV, Diane broke the glass ceiling for female directors back when she worked for KXTV, and we’ve been beyond fortunate she’s called DMA her work home for many years.

When Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor first approached me about designating Davis Media Access (DMA) as the beneficiary of the final Soup’s On fundraiser before he retires, I was gobsmacked. I’d volunteered at many Soup’s On events in the past and often wondered, what would we need to do be at that level?

If there is a gift from the pandemic for DMA, I believe it’s that we were the right organization with the right set of skills at the right time. During this crisis, DMA worked overtime to connect our communities virtually when we couldn’t do so in person.

Since 2004, there have been 17 Soup's On gatherings, over 6,000 soup eaters, hundreds of sponsors and donors, plus immeasurable awareness and more than $400,000 raised for local nonprofits. It’s been an amazing gift to nonprofits and the community at large.

After all was tallied, the April 21 event raised $62,000 for our community-based media and technology center. This money will help us bridge the gap brought about by increased staffing needs and operational/technology costs during the pandemic, coupled with loss of event income and other opportunities. We are most grateful.

Supervisor Saylor said, “DMA has done so much to amplify local voices, share information, and connect the people of our community for many years. Over the last two-plus years of pandemic-living, DMA has helped us all to pivot our communication models, stay informed, and learn new ways of doing things.

Don Saylor’s Soup’s On event has been a community mainstay since 2004, an annual fundraiser that has generated over $350,000 in critical support for nonprofits throughout Yolo County. After a pandemic hiatus, the event returns Thursday, April 21 from 6-8 pm at the Veterans Memorial Center in Davis.

All proceeds from this year’s event benefit Davis Media Access (DMA), a nonprofit community media and technology center based in Davis, with partnerships countywide. During the pandemic, DMA reinvented a hands-on, participatory organization into one who helped organizations throughout the county surmount the challenges of virtual events and technology.

This event will be the final Soup’s On, as Saylor is retiring from public service when his term as Yolo County Supervisor for District 2 ends on December 31, 2022. “The Soup’s On benefit event was built on the simple human experience of sharing warm soup when someone is sick, feeling down or in need. Building on that loving impulse, together we have created a tradition of gathering over soup to help the helpers – nonprofits that do so much to tend the fabric of our community,” Saylor said. “Since the first Soup’s On in 2004, this event has raised over $350,000 and increased community awareness for many worthy causes in Yolo County.”

Saylor said he chose DMA as the final recipient because “DMA is a go-to partner when the Yolo community comes together to address a cause. DMA became a key resource for public health updates and local voices throughout the pandemic. They produced local election coverage on all contested races in Yolo County. They helped Woodland Community College bring its TV station and instructional media program online, and they provided support for local schools, nonprofits, and businesses across the county. As an organization, they are a perfect demonstration of the Yolo Way, proving that we are far better when we work together.”