Category Archives: Mojave CA

Tradgedy Inspires Good Samaritan

Leave a reply

Crossing guardDecember 4: Mojave has another Good Samaritan, this time helping children cross highway 58 safely before and after school. Paul Smith, of Mojave Gardens, was so deeply affected by the death last week of Raven Knight that he volunteered to stand post at the crosswalk all day by himself to help pedestrians cross the four-lane highway safely. Mr. Smith got a safety vest and a hand-held stop sign from the school and vows to stay at his post until a street light or safety device is installed to protect the children on their way to school every day. Mr. Smith, a retired truck mechanic, has lived in Mojave only a few months, but long enough to observe Ms. Knight to be a kind and spirited young lady. “We just have to care more about people” exclaims Mr. Smith just before he helps another teenager cross the highway, “we have to take care of them better.”

This is the third “Good Samaritan” we have discovered in Mojave, and we are inspired by the selfless service of these individuals. The Mojave Foundation salutes Mr. Smith and others like him, who do not seek praise, nor compensation – they only implore that the rest of us do more to “take better care of each other”. We encourage all residents to say thank you to Mr. Smith, or better yet, pick up a safety vest and help him stand guard and protect our children.

CSU HITS THE STREETS!

Leave a reply

CSU by carDecember 4: After six months of recruitment and applications and training… Mojave’s own Citizen Service Unit (CSU) takes to the streets in an effort to bring more eyes and ears to the community. Mojave’s CSU team of volunteer police consists of eight individuals, who will conduct non-hazardous law enforcement activities, such as transporting vehicles between Mojave and Bakersfield, vacation checks, handling documents and evidence, and establishing a greater presence in targeted areas. The arrival of CSU could not come at a better time, as Mojave has suffered from 15 break-ins or attempted break-ins in the last 30 days, and some CSU volunteers will be helping the Sheriff’s Deputies provide over-watch in some of the most affected areas at night. CSU members are required to serve eight hours per month, and attend monthly meetings, but this class of volunteers is eager to hit the streets until this recent crime wave subsides. For more information on volunteering with CSU contact Todd@MojaveFoundation.org, or click here to fill out an application.

Mojave Foundation Receives 501(c)3 Status!

3 Replies

cropped-cropped-mf-logo-20130515-blue-green.pngDecember 3: The Mojave Foundation is proud to announce that we have received our 501(c)3 status from the IRS. This means that the MF can now receive donations, which the donors can deduct from their taxes! This is critical to our mission to clean up Mojave, and allows us to put real resources behind our big ideas. We have accomplished a lot in 2013 with no money and a highly-motivated group of volunteers – starting a volunteer police squad (CSU), demolishing and cleaning up lots, and launching a series of entrepreneurship and educational workshops. But community-scale infrastructure projects will require substantial investments from both public and private donors. Some of our funding priorities in 2014 are (1) to demolish vacant hazardous structures that blight our downtown area, (2) to increase the public lighting for safety and security, (3) to build a railroad park on the west side of Sierra Highway, as well as community gardens. We believe that this community has the means and the motivation to change this town for the better, and we humbly encourage all residents to get involved – either by volunteering at the school, or the senior center, or with the Mojave Foundation! We intend to match this incredible outpouring of community support with tangible results in a relatively short period of time. We will execute all projects quickly and efficiently, with 100% transparency. Individuals can make general donations to support the Foundation’s operations, or can donate to a specific project; we will work with you to find a project that fits your priorities for the community. To make a tax-deductible donation to the Mojave Foundation, click here!

Volunteer Police Squad Graduates Academy

1 Reply

CSUNovember 16: Mojave’s own Citizen Service Unit (CSU) graduated the required police academy this Saturday, held at the Mojave Air & Space Port. This month’s class contained 18 volunteers from several communities throughout Kern County. Mojave had 7 volunteers go graduate the academy, as part of the first multi-member team of CSU volunteers in Mojave in years. Volunteers will be sworn in on December 5th, and will be in uniform and on the street patrolling Mojave’s neighborhoods soon.

Next Entrepreneurship Workshop: Thursday, Nov 21th

4 Replies

Workshop RaimoneThe Mojave Foundation is proud to continue offering these free informational sessions to the public, helping aspiring business owners to draft a business plan, secure financing, select a location, and hire local employees. These workshops have already inspired several businesses to start here in Mojave, and we expect many more in the next several months. This week’s workshop will be led by Raimone Roberts of the Small Business Development Center in Los Angenles. Raimone will cover the basics of writing a financial outline for your business plan, and help entrepreneurs develop their “elevator pitch”, which is designed to help business owners clearly articulate what they do in 30 seconds or less. The next class will be at Anthony’s Grill, right next to Stater Bros., and will start at 6pm on Thursday, November 21st.