Business Briefs

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

As part of “Child Abuse Prevention Month,” Santa Clara County has launched an aggressive campaign to encourage residents to get involved for the sake of thousands of abused and neglected children.

The county receives 17,000 reports of child abuse every year. “We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Supervisor Don Gage in a written statement. “If we do not defend our children, we cannot free them from the cycle of abuse that so many have been pushed into.”

The Department of Family and Children’s Services has new brochures in English, Spanish and Vietnamese that list resources and tips on how to prevent and report child abuse. Resources include: Family and Children Services, 292-9353; Community Child Care Council, 487-0749; Gardner Family Care Corp., 287-6200. The child abuse hotline for the Gilroy/Morgan Hill area is 683-0601.

Safeway Raises Funds for Local Programs

Morgan Hill – Safeway, with two local grocery stores at 840 E. Dunne Ave., and 235 Tennant Station, in Morgan Hill, has launched a month-long campaign to raise funds for community-based programs to assist people with physical and developmental disabilities.

The company hopes to raise $5 million for Easter Seals – one of the most well respected organizations dedicated to helping people with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. 

“Easter Seals is one of the leading providers of community-based services for individuals and families living with a disability,” said Larree Renda, Safeway executive vice president and chair of The Safeway Foundation. “They are a trusted brand when it comes to helping people with disabilities overcome obstacles and lead normal, productive lives.”

In the Bay Area, Safeway stores will raise funds in support of Easter Seals Bay Area’s Kaleidoscope Program in Dublin and for its Early Intervention Program in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Kaleidoscope is a unique after school program for children with disabilities. 

The Safeway campaign coincides with Autism Awareness Month, an Easter Seals program to raise awareness about autism services and treatments available to families.

Easter Seals is the largest provider of services and support for children and adults living with autism. More than 1.5 million Americans live with autism. As many as one in 150 children are diagnosed with the condition each year.

Safeway is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America. The company operates 1,761 stores in the U.S. and Canada and reported annual sales of $40.2 billion last year.

Details: Brian Dowling, (925) 467-3787 or visit www.easterseals.com

Alain Pinel Realtors Buys Brokerage

Two of Northern California’s most venerated real estate firms have joined forces when Alain Pinel Realtors (APR) acquired San Francisco-based brokerage Ritchie Hallanan April 4.

Alain Pinel Realtors also appointed Timothy Murray, a 29-year real estate veteran and former president of Pacific Union Real Estate, as vice president and regional manager for San Francisco and the North Bay.

The union gives Saratoga-based Alain Pinel Realtors an immediate and long sought-after, major presence in San Francisco by association with a San Francisco boutique realty firm that has important ties to the city. The deal comes with a bonus, too. Ritchie Hallanan’s St. Helena office is part of the acquisition, thus giving Alain Pinel Realtors’ direct access to the North Bay for the first time and the lucrative real estate markets in the North Bay’s wine region. The addition of Tim Murray will help APR implement a strategic plan to compete and win business in new areas. 

Joseph Gartland Moore and David Papale – Richie Hallanan’s owners, were each named director of agent development for Alain Pinel Realtors new San Francisco office.

“The real accomplishment today is in bringing together three great entities in Ritchie Hallanan, Tim Murray and Alain Pinel Realtors, while retaining Joseph Moore and David Papale as part of the management and production team. Their respective ties and deep roots in the city, combined with our regional coverage, financial resources and family-owned operating style gives us the presence in San Francisco and the North Bay we’ve been looking for,” said Knapp.

Monetary terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The two Ritchie Hallanan offices will now operate as Alain Pinel Realtors.

With the expansion, the company will have 25 offices in eight Northern California counties and more than 1,200 real estate agents.