What summer vacation? Community organizations work all year planning events to fund their programs and scholarships. Many begin their new fiscal year at this time with eager and enthusiastic new officers.

Summer is the time to regroup and prepare for a new year of philanthropic activities in our neighborhoods!

AAUW news, notes

The American Association of University Women Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek branch Garden Tour was a great success thanks to all the talented garden owners, co-chairwomen Pat DeRensis, Linda Reeve and 285 chapter members who volunteered for the AAUW Funds event.

They raised more than $23,000 for their educational foundation that supports women scholars and other programs.

The branch also recently installed a new slate of officers, including president Holly Sauer, Karen Large, Loretta Altshuler, Lynn Dodge, Elizabeth Williams, Tena Gallagher, Roseann Krane, Melissa Walsh and Callie Gilbert.

The annual Holiday Home Tour, led by Sauer and Mary Ellen Blake, raised $22,000 for seven local women, who were each presented with $2,000 in scholarships.

Recipients were Paige Branson, a 2007 graduate of Northgate High School in Walnut Creek; Erin Delker, a 2007 graduate of San Ramon Valley High; Danielle DiDonato, a 2008 graduate of Carondelet High School in Concord who lives in Alamo; Amanda Fujii, a Monte Vista High School 2008 graduate; Sarah Hartman, a

The Holiday Home Tour also sent 13 local junior high girls on a Tech Trek camp experience to area college campuses to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek AAUW branch believes in helping women to achieve an education. Go to http://www.aauw-daw.org/techTrek.html for more details.

Soroptimist honors

The Soroptimist International of Martinez Awards Tea marks the occasion each year when members gather to honor their neighbors.

Jacqueline Tan, a 2012 graduate of Alhambra High School, was awarded the Violet Richardson Award for her volunteer work to help others and fight against social injustice.

Theresa M. Cullen received the Women's Opportunity Award to help her reach her educational goals while being a single mother.

Angelica Burton-Cabonce, also a 2012 Alhambra High graduate, received the Rose Camarata Gaffney Award to support her efforts to further her education and achieve her life goals.

Deborah Drake, a community activist and volunteer, received the Ruby Award for her many accomplishments in helping disadvantaged women and girls.

Soroptimist International is a service organization for business and professional women whose goals are to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.

For more information about Soroptimist International and Soroptimist of Martinez, visit www.soroptimistmartinezca.org.

Rossmoor scholarship

The Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation has presented the Nada Neumann Scholarship Award, given each year to an outstanding student with a strong interest in foreign languages, foreign affairs, or a career in international studies, to Abielle Freemire, a 2012 Las Lomas High School graduate.

Freemire taught in the small village of Anloga, Ghana, and volunteered at an orphanage of children with or affected by HIV/AIDS. After working at Father's House, an orphanage that rescues Ghanaian children from slavery, she produced and performed in a benefit concert at Las Lomas this spring for the organization.

Rossmoor resident Nada Neumann has made a strong commitment to education by offering an annual $10,000 International Studies Scholarship, selected by the Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation. After her family's ordeal during World War II, she benefited from scholarships and mentors which enabled her to graduate from the University of Geneva in Switzerland. What a wonderful legacy!

Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation trustees include Dorothy Bell, Les Birdsall, Joan Booty, Judith Box, Christy Casassa, Marguerite Williams Cavagnaro, Lois Finch, Jan Geahry, Betty Hagstrom, Gary Hansen, Allison Howells, Kristine Hughes, Steve Hughes, Mariann Kessler, Bud Lake. Jon Littig, Fran Matthews, Patricia Ryan, Marilyn Sampair, Marilyn Van Story, Patricia Waddell, David Weber, Carly Wood and Carol Worthington.

Youth Summit

Pleasant Hill Mayor John Hanecak cares about all of his constituents -- even the ones who aren't old enough to vote.

Hanecak hosted the Pleasant Hill Youth Summit at Valley View Middle School in May for more than 200 students.

The students were given two sets of six colored stickers and invited to place the stickers on their top six choices in two categories -- "What I Like About Pleasant Hill" and "Suggested Changes or Things That I Would Like to See in Pleasant Hill."

After voting, each student received a slice of pizza and two small gifts (a yo-yo and magic eight-ball) carrying the city logo.

Results from the summit will be tabulated in the next few weeks. One thing we are sure they liked was having their opinions included in future plans for their city.

'First Friday' concerts

The Pleasant Hill First Friday free summer concert series includes David Martin's House Party Band on July 6; Rebel Yell on Aug. 3; and The Fundamentals on Sept. 7.

Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. in the plaza area at the corner of Crescent Drive and Contra Costa Boulevard. The series is sponsored by downtown Pleasant Hill, Jack's Restaurant and the city of Pleasant Hill. For more details on downtown events, go to www.shopdowntownpleasanthill.com/events.

Even more music

The Pleasant Hill "Sunset at the Lake" free concert series on alternate Sundays features local bands and food offerings at 6 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill.

Performing July 8 will be Petty Theft. The Tamsen Donner Band will perform July 22. The Fundamentals makes a second Pleasant Hill appearance Aug. 5; and Cover2Cover will be perform Aug. 19.

The last performance of two bands, The Bell Brothers and Lumber Yard, starts at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, during Labor Day weekend.

This year's major sponsors of the concert series are Allied Waste Services, Comcast and the Pleasant Hill Civic Action Committee. Individual sponsors include Allied Waste, Pleasant Hill Patch, Astound Cable, Cold Stone Creamery, Grocery Outlet, Michael Harris, Dallimonti's, Keller Williams Realty, Sheila's Day care and the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District. For more information, visit www.pleasanthillconcerts.com.

"Good Neighbors" is compiled by Faith Barnidge. Send club and organization news, Scouting items, notices of awards and other submissions to goodneighbors@bayareanewsgroup.com.