Press Releases
City of Gonzales wins prestigious Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Engaging Youth in City Government
Mayor Pro Tem Scott Funk, far right, accepts award on behalf of the city
The League of California Cities announced today that the city of Gonzales received the esteemed 2022 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Ruth Vreeland Award for Engaging Youth in City Government for the city's Youth Supporting Youth Mental Health Project.
The Gonzales Youth Council (GYC) is a youth leadership and development program designed to engage youth in civic engagement and give voice to future community leaders. Sponsored by the City of Gonzales with support from the Gonzales Unified School District, the GYC undertakes a service-learning project each year.
During the pandemic, the GYC recognized students were stressed by school closures, social isolation, and remote learning, which led the GYC to launch the Youth Supporting Youth mental health project. GYC participants developed a mental health awareness video to support their peers and worked with professionals to create outreach workshops and conduct a student wellness survey.
The results from the GYC's Youth Supporting Youth Mental Health Project were a wake-up call to local leaders unaware of the depth of mental health issues their young residents faced. In response, the city council and school district decided to jointly fund a second school-based licensed clinical social worker to support youth mental health and provide other mental health resources.
Established in 1982 by the League of California Cities, the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence is given annually and recognizes outstanding achievements by California's 482 cities. The purpose of the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program is to promote innovative solutions by city governments. The 2022 winners, recognized for their outstanding programs, were chosen from 155 submissions.
There are 12 award categories, including the Intergovernmental Collaboration; Community Services and Economic Development; Economic Development Through the Arts; Enhancing Public Trust, Ethics, and Community Involvement; Health and Wellness Programs; Housing Programs and Innovations; Internal Administration; League Partners Award for Excellence in City-Business Relations; Planning and Environmental Quality; Public Safety; Public Works, Infrastructure, and Transportation; and the Ruth Vreeland Award for Engaging Youth in City Government.
About City of Gonzales
The city of Gonzales, California is located in Monterey County. The quaint and culturally diverse community of approximately 9,000 people is in the heart of the Salinas Valley’s agricultural and wine region. Gonzales is an established regional leader in agricultural-technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Gonzales is home to companies such as HealthySoil, which manufactures products to improve agricultural crop production; Converted Organics, a natural fertilizer company; Taylor Farms, a fresh vegetable production facility, Mann Packing/Del Monte Fresh, a leading supplier of fresh cut vegetables; Ramsay Highlander, an innovator, designer and manufacturer of technologically-advanced harvesting equipment; Papé Equipment Handling, Braga Fresh, Green Valley Farm Supply, Tessemae’s, American Bioscience, Caraccioli Cellars, and Constellation Brands, an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits.