Caring for the Yuba River and Our Community
On September 19, 2026, SYRCL hosted more than 400 people from the community who showed up for the 29th Annual Yuba River Cleanup throughout the Yuba River Watershed. With more than 22 sites to choose from, Foothills Compassionate Care showed up with a team of staff and family members to help clean up at Oregon Creek.
At Foothills Compassionate Care, caring for the community means embracing the whole journey of life—and the place we call home. The organization’s participation in the Yuba River Cleanup was a reflection of that belief in action.
Events and Marketing Manager Melissa Brown brought her husband and two sons, and the team included hospice care workers along with clinical and administrative staff: Melissa Brown, Travis Brown, Logan Brown, Edson Brown, Retha Morton and her nephew, Pam Marie, Mary Peterson, and Svenia Daniel. The crew even included Christine Peterson, who recently “retired” after 23 years with the organization.
“It was supremely well-organized and so rewarding,” commented Melissa, “We were excited to have the opportunity to model for our kids taking care of the community we call home. We will definitely be back next year.”
This year’s cleanup took place as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day, the state’s largest annual environmental volunteer event. The local effort is part of a larger movement recognizing that what happens in our community and throughout the Yuba River Watershed is connected to everything downstream.
Foothills Compassionate Care understands that every chapter of life is part of a bigger story. Caring for one another means recognizing that the well-being of individuals, families, and the community are interconnected. That sense of connection is central to hospice care and to the organization’s commitment to integrity, empowerment, and collaboration.
Just as Foothills Compassionate Care supports patients and families with compassion, dignity, and respect during life’s most challenging chapters, it also believes in caring for the natural spaces and causes that bring people together, provide moments of peace and connection, and enrich the lives of generations to come.
Volunteering alongside fellow community members along the Yuba River was a meaningful opportunity for the Foothills Compassionate Care team to live its values — not only by caring for a treasured part of the community, but by showing up, working together, and contributing to the well-being of the place it is privileged to serve.
