Joe Martin Day
A day of service
As part of our commitment to give back to our community, in honor of St. Francis Winery & Vineyard’s founder, Joe Martin (1934-2015), we close all operations each year on a Tuesday in June and dedicate the day to giving back. On this day, all employees are encouraged to spend the workday volunteering as a team at a local non-profit or charitable organization in Sonoma County. We spend several months planning for Joe Martin Day so that our employees can impact our community meaningfully. Each year, we focus on a different cause.
Joe Martin Day is a great way for our employees to give back to the community and make a difference in the lives of others. It is also a way for us to honor the memory of our founder and celebrate his commitment to social responsibility.
2024
Forget Me Not Farm, founded in 1992, offers therapeutic programs for at-risk children, combining animal-assisted and horticultural activities to help break the cycle of abuse. Children bond, learn, and heal through weekly sessions with carefully matched volunteers. The farm also provides a vocational training and mentoring program for at-risk youth ages 14-18, teaching real-life skills in partnership with the Humane Society of Sonoma County. Teens are mentored in roles like Animal Care Technician and Veterinary Assistant. The farm’s gardens offer a seed-to-table program, emphasizing fresh produce and nutrition education, with weekly deliveries to children in need. For more information visit forgetmenotfarm.org.
2023
LandPaths is a leading environmental education and conservation organization in Sonoma County. Their mission is to inspire a love of the land in all people. They believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the awe and inspiration of nature. LandPaths engages thousands of participants each year in joyful, caring, and transformative relationships with the land. They do this through various programs, including creative outings in English and Spanish, environmental education, nature camps, and people-powered land stewardship of local open spaces.
2019
The Pony Express is a community-based equine rescue organization dedicated to mentoring kids and committed to creating life skill and leadership learning opportunities utilizing horses as teachers, healers, and agents of change.
2018
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park contains the headwaters of Sonoma Creek. It runs through gorge and canyon, across the meadow floor, beneath scenic rock outcroppings, and is surrounded at times by redwoods and ferns. The non-profit Valley of the Moon Observatory Association provides year-round astronomy education and interpretation programs at the Robert Ferguson Observatory within Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.
2017
Intrepid Stores Inc.
(formerly Crossing the Jordan)
Intrepid Stores Inc. is a nonprofit public benefit corporation providing disenfranchised individuals with hands-on training to foster the necessary skills to secure long-term employment opportunities. The revenue generated at their thrift stores pay their staff and provides them with job experience and training. Additionally, revenue from the thrift stores helps combat the financial burdens for people who struggle with addictions, homelessness, poverty, and criminal convictions.
2016
Kid Street School was founded in 1992 as an after-school theater arts-based program and expanded into a Santa Rosa City School District Charter School in 1999 for grades K – 6. They have developed a holistic educational model that supports positive behavior, the love of learning, and positive emotional development. They strive to find new ways to expand program offerings through enrichment activities, including drama, sports, dance, service learning, cooking, science/engineering, art, and gardening. Our founder, Joe Martin, volunteered at Kid Steet School and was a long-time supporter of this organization.
