Ann Bennett Young, executive director of Santa Cruz County nonprofit Damians Ladder, was among the 13 women recently recognized by California Assemblymember Gail Pellerin for community leadership at this year’s 28th Assembly District Women of the Year Awards.

Women from across the 28th District, which encompasses Los Gatos to Morgan Hill and Boulder Creek to Santa Cruz, were recognized for their efforts to build community. Joining Pellerin were U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta and Scotts Valley Mayor Donna Lind.

Ann Bennett Young, a resident of Ben Lomond, is also one of the four founders of Damians Ladder. The nonprofit organization says it embraces its vision of providing minor home repairs and property maintenance for low-income seniors and those with disabilities. Damians Ladder added that it is committed to helping seniors age in place in a safe and healthy environment.

Under her leadership, Damians Ladder has grown throughout Santa Cruz County and is projected to complete a landmark 1,000th service request since December 2023 in late summer. Go to damiansladder.org for information on Damians Ladder.

California Distinguished Schools named

Soquel High School and Branciforte Middle School in Santa Cruz City Schools were named by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond among 408 middle schools and high schools for the prestigious 2026 California Distinguished Schools Program, California’s school recognition program that recognizes exceptional schools that distinguish themselves on the basis of exemplary student outcomes.

“It is my pleasure to honor and recognize these 408 schools for their efforts to move the needle for student achievement, no matter what,” Thurmond said in a news release. “An excellent public education has the power to transform lives, and I commend the educators and school communities who have dedicated themselves to producing exemplary results. This year’s California Distinguished Schools represent the hard work of our middle and high school educators and school staff, who provide our secondary students with life-changing educational opportunities.”

The 2026 California Distinguished Schools recognition program aims to recognize exemplary instructional programs throughout California public schools, the largest public school system in the United States.

Local senior home care business honored

Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz announced recently that it has earned the distinguished 2026 Best of Home Care – Top 100 Leader in Experience Award from Activated Insights, a leading workforce and experience platform for post-acute care. This award represents the highest level of recognition from Activated Insights and is presented to only 100 home care organizations across North America that demonstrate exceptional performance across 10 or more quality metrics.

“We are incredibly proud to be recognized among the Top 100 in Experience by Activated Insights,” said Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz owner Andrew Pagliaro in a press release. “This award reflects the trust our clients place in us and the dedication our caregivers show every day. Providing compassionate, high-quality care is at the heart of everything we do, and this recognition means so much because it comes directly from the experiences of the families we serve.”

As a Top 100 Leader in Experience award recipient, Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz is recognized among the top home care providers participating in the Activated Insights Experience Management program. This achievement reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to delivering consistently positive experiences for both clients and caregivers.

“We’re proud to recognize Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz for earning the Best of Home Care – Top 100 Leader in Experience Award,” said Bud Meadows, CEO of Activated Insights, in the release. “This distinction is reserved for a select group of home care organizations that consistently perform at the highest level across multiple quality measures. Because this recognition is based on ongoing feedback from both clients and caregivers, it reflects Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz’s sustained commitment to exceptional care, continuous improvement, and a strong experience for everyone they serve.”

To qualify for this recognition, at least 10% of Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz’s clients and caregivers were interviewed each month by Activated Insights. Over a 12-month period, the organization earned outstanding satisfaction scores across key areas, including caregiver training, compassion, communication, scheduling and client-caregiver compatibility.

Go to visitingangels.com/centralcoast/home or call 831-430-0616 for more information on Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Santa Cruz.