Modesto council proclaims April for donors, fair housing, volunteers and Earth Day; honors police chaplain Debbie Zier

The Modesto City Council on April 8 issued proclamations recognizing Donate Life Month, Fair Housing Month, National Volunteer Month and Earth Day and accepted a presentation from State Senator Marie Alvarado Gill honoring Debbie Zier as the 2025 Modesto Woman of the Year.

The council proclaimed April as Donate Life Month and heard personal accounts about organ and tissue donation from local ambassadors. Alyssa Garcia, identified as a community engagement specialist, told the council that in 2024 Modesto had 43 organ donors whose donations enabled 33 people to receive organ transplants and 92 tissue donors who helped restore sight and mobility for other residents. Tiffany Parks, who identified herself as the mother of Tyler Parks, said her son’s donation “saved 5 lives” after he was declared legally deceased in July 2021 and described ongoing contact with some recipients. A parent and recipient family also described a living-donor kidney match for their child and the community support that led to that outcome.

The council also read a proclamation commemorating the 57th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act and its 1988 amendments. Isaac Pimentel, Fair Housing Outreach Coordinator at Project Sentinel, told the council that last month the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development paused federal funding to more than 60 housing-related agencies and urged continued local support for fair-housing services.

For National Volunteer Month the council recognized North Modesto Kiwanis. Laura Mackey, president of North Modesto Kiwanis, said the club’s upcoming American Graffiti Car Show in June typically raises “over $150,000” that is distributed back to local children’s programs and nonprofits.

The council also proclaimed April 22 as Earth Day and heard from California Climate Action Corps Fellows working with the city’s solid waste division. A fellow identified as Nerey Bukalay Benaway described work on edible food recovery and SB 1383 outreach, saying the program has reached more than 1,300 people through school presentations and that the city will host an Earth Day public event with community resources and free compost.

Separately, Senator Marie Alvarado Gill presented a Woman of the Year honor to Debbie Zier for her volunteer service as chaplain to the Modesto Police Department since 2015. In introducing Zier, Alvarado Gill said Zier’s presence “brings a peace that cannot be explained, only felt,” and council members offered brief remarks of thanks and congratulations.

Why it matters: The proclamations highlight a mix of ceremonial recognition and city-supported outreach programs—organ donation awareness and food-recovery work that city staff and volunteer partners say aim to reduce waste and support residents in need. Project Sentinel’s comments also flagged a federal funding pause affecting local fair-housing work.

Speakers who addressed these agenda items included Senator Marie Alvarado Gill; Debbie Zier; Alyssa Garcia, community engagement specialist; Micah Schaneyfeld and Tiffany Parks, Donate Life ambassadors; Isaac Pimentel, Fair Housing Outreach Coordinator, Project Sentinel; Laura Mackey, president, North Modesto Kiwanis; and Nerey Bukalay Benaway, California Climate Action Corps Fellow with the City of Modesto solid waste division. Council members made short remarks but did not take policy votes on the proclamations themselves.

The council did not adopt policy changes in these items; the proclamations are ceremonial recognitions and informational presentations. The city’s edible food recovery and outreach work described by the climate fellows will continue through the solid waste division’s programs.

Provenance: - topicintro: block_id "324.81497", local_start 0, local_end 112, evidence_excerpt "Next is item 1, a presentation from senator Marie Alvarado Gill to bestow the woman of the year award to Debbie Zier, volunteer chaplain for the Modesto Police Department. Welcome, senator Alvarado Gill." - topfinish: block_id "2741.6702", local_start 0, local_end 164, evidence_excerpt "Thank you. Mhmm. Good evening. My name is Nere and I serve as a California Climate Action Corps Fellow with the City of Modesto solid waste division. For the past 7 year 7 months, I have worked with the City of Modesto solid waste division to support SB 13 83 and lead the edible food recovery program."