It no longer becomes a challenge. Announcer but first kennan so, the first time i looked at his resume, i was like, whoa, who is this guy . Announcer a stanford professor heads across the bay, looking to prove a point, and ends up finding a partner in crime. Sam savage first time i walked through his classroom, it was like wed been teaching for 3 years. I just, i dont know how to describe it. Announcer heres nbc bay areas garvin thomas. Garvin thomas thank you so much for joining us. You could easily make a quick list of all the ways in which kennan scott and sam savage are different. What they share, though, is a love of teaching, and that is benefiting more than just their students. Sam most people dont understand, like, how long this really takes. Garvin dr. Sam savage is an expert in the field of uncertainty and risk. Sam i quoted that thing that you had written in a garvin a stanford adjunct professor who corporate managers and utility executives seek out to learn ways to make their companies smarter and safer. Sam and youve got all these extreme views. Garvin its a complex field that sam tell his audience hes discovered a simple way to teach, so simple, 8th graders could learn it. And how does sam know . Sam hey, kids. Garvin well, hes done it. Just a few months ago, sam made his first visit to west oakland middle school. Sam how do you add uncertain numbers together . Garvin he went there to prove his point. He ended up finding a partner in crime. Sam first time i walked through his classroom, it was like wed been teaching together for 3 years. I just, i dont know how to describe it. Kennan that peoples money makes money garvin kennan scott teaches engineering at west oakland. He wasnt about to say, no, when sam came calling. Kennan so, the first time i looked at his resume, i was like, whoa, who is this guy . Garvin kennan knew his students would benefit from a visit by such a highly regarded academic. What he didnt know is how well the two would hit it off. Sam here, give me the dice, kennan. Let me show you what i mean, hoo. Kennan it is like stand up with us. I think, ultimately, more than anything, its unwritten, its unscripted, but its amazing to watch him just captivate the room with his energy and who he is and his knowledge. And then i get to be, like, the colored commentator, you know . I get to come in and be like, hey, you guys, theres a trick up my sleeve. Its called knowledge. Garvin it is, in many ways, an Unlikely Partnership that is benefiting all involved. Kennans students gaining not just knowledge, but confidence with every visit by sam. Sam i wish i had time to find out how you kids got so smart and know all this stuff. Garvin and sam enjoying teaching perhaps more than any other time in his 40year career. Sam and so well have a live contest garvin sam is excited to share his experience in middle school with other experts in his field. But if theres one lesson we can all learn from these two inspiring intellectuals, its that sometimes teaching probability is all about the chemistry. Garvin what do you say to someone who saved your life . Thank you hardly seems enough. Its a question one San Francisco man had weeks to think about before finally meeting the young people he believes are responsible for him still being here. Garvin in this unforgettable city, it is an uncomfortable fact of life. To get through even the simplest of days, one must regularly turn a blind eye to people in crisis. Aaron olvera i dont think you saw it, but i definitely saw garvin this tale though is about three people, very young ones at that, who didnt turn away, and the one man who is forever grateful. Kevin shanahan and its not questioning or wondering. Its they saved my life. Fishermen were around back over here. Garvin Kevin Shanahan is a longtime member of San Franciscos legendary dolphin swim club. On february 21, like so many hundreds of times before, kevin went for a swim in aquatic park. This past crazy winter though has played havoc with the bays tides and currents, and kevin soon realized he was no match for the sea that day and was being swept away. Kevin my only recourse to i need to catch, i need to grab a piling cause im goin under the pier. Garvin kevin grabbed on and yelled for help, unsure if anyone could hear him above the wind and the waves. Male so, it was like garvin but 9yearold aaron olvera did. Aaron right around here. I couldnt quite make out what he was saying because he couldnt say it very well and we were, like, a little far away. Garvin fishing for crabs that day with older brother, fermin, and his girlfriend, jennifer cervantes, the three didnt rely on someone else to do something. They sprang into action. Lowering a rope to kevin, calling 911, and waiting. From the top of the pier, however, they couldnt see kevin below and had no idea hypothermia had begun to set in. Kevin this is it. This is the day. And im kind of accepting the fact that im gonna die today. Garvin a Police Rescue boat, though, soon appeared and kevin was pulled out of the water. The two things he wanted more than anything to get warm kevin are you aaron . Garvin and to thank those brave kids. Kevin you saved my life, thank you very much. My names kevin. Garvin which is just what he got to do. Kevin oh, man, i cant tell you, thank you so much for seeing me and then makin the call, and youre a good man, thank you. Garvin the brothers and jennifer not only getting kevins thanks female thank you and congratulations. Garvin but that of an entire city, showing us all that sometimes, getting involved can mean saving a life. Garvin a dollar can go a long way. In fact, its how one san leandro thrift store is helping Sick Children and their families. Dee gonzalez is the woman behind that store. When she and some friends were trying to open it, dee once cornered the mayor in a bathroom to make her pitch. Shes persistent, she says, because the cause is worth it. Dee look at how cute isnt it darling . Garvin for the past 12 years, dee gonzales has been running the treasures Hospice Thrift shop in downtown san leandro, selling, well, just about anything, charging close to nothing. Dee a whole 50 cents, we can get that. Dee a lady donated all these hats garvin dees got a whole lot she could share about selling secondhand stuff. Dee karenll get that red scarf for ya. Garvin but shes got something even more valuable to teach the rest of us, like how to turn a second choice in life into something first rate. Dee when you find something you love to do, it no longer becomes a challenge. Garvin it all has to do, dee says, with this place, the george mark childrens house, a home away from home for sick and often terminally ill children and their families. Dee, years ago, wanted to volunteer here so she and a friend took a tour. Dee coming home from george mark house, i had to pull off to the side of the road cause both of us were weeping. This is not for us. Garvin thinking of parents losing a child just hit too close to home for dee. She, you see, lost her son to heart disease. Dee im sorry, i cant. Garvin but when that one door closed, dee and some friends decided to open this one. Dee shes been a good customer. Garvin every cent they have made at treasures hospice over the years, after paying their bills, has gone to george mark. And over the years, those cents have added up to quite a few dollars. Dee approximately 250,000 from dollar items. Female in these little tiny increments, what a difference theyve really made up here. Thats a lot of care for our families and children. Garvin dee gives a lot of credit to her team of volunteers, not just for their hard work, but for their companionship over the years, and for helping her prove that plan b can sometimes turn out to be an a plus. Announcer coming up on this bay area proud special, an east bay rescue organization is having big success. How theyve almost singlehandedly lowered kill rates at the shelter. Ann dunn these cats are eminently adoptable. They just need to be in the right environment. Announcer the story next in our bay area proud special. That interesting idea is whats behind oaklands cat cafe, and its having remarkable success. When they say they are saving cats lives, they have the numbers to back it up. Ann her coming back here, i mean, i think shes just really a different cat now. Garvin ann dunn will be the first to tell you shes the last one youd expect to run a cat rescue, particularly if you knew her in college. Ann my closest friends were all doing cat rescue, and i could not have cared less. I could not have cared less. Garvin all that changed, however, one day when ann crossed paths with a single stray kitten. Ann there was this Little Orange tabby, and i always say its like my heart grew three sizes that day. I just, im like, ill keep him. Garvin that rescue led to another. And eventually, ann began to volunteer at Oakland Animal Services. It was there ann saw firsthand that the cats who could handle the caged and noisy shelter environment were easily adopted. But those who couldnt, those who withdrew or became aggressive because of it were considered unadoptable and most likely killed. Ann and other volunteers were determined to help them. Ann cause we see that these cats are eminently adoptable. They just need to be in the right environment. Somebody just needs to give them a chance and get them out of a small cage surrounded by barking dogs. Garvin at first cat town focused on fostering in homes, but ann knew exposure was a barrier to adoption as well. So, 2 years ago, they opened the countrys first cat cafe, a storefront, nocage adoption showcase and coffee. The success has been staggering. Thanks in great part to cat town and anns team of more than 200 volunteers, Oakland Animal Services euthanasia rate has dropped from 42 to 14 . Rebecca katz is the shelters director. Rebecca katz i feel so fortunate to have a partner like ann dunn and cat town because its really resulted in tremendous life saving. Its a collaboration. Its not a conflict. Ann the thing that im most excited about is we have some really small spaces and we have some larger spaces. Garvin things are going so well, cat town is expanding, giving more people, ann hopes, a chance to judge a cat not in a cage but with a cup of coffee. Announcer coming up, a Silicon Valley engineer comes up with an innovative idea to give loads of love. His mission, to help those less fortunate. And Darren Greenwood somebody you dont know is thinkin about ya. Announcer how to you thank the people who saved your sons life . One father grabbed his paintbrush and got to work. Its a best of bay area proud. Food. Water. Internet. We need it to live. For all the streaming and the shopping and the newsing, but most of all. For the this. Internet for one everyday simple price and no extra monthly fees. Usually, though, it means something new in technology. But it also does extend beyond that. An apple engineer has come up with an innovative idea, not just to help the homeless, but put his faith into action. Garvin ron powers is a mechanical engineer by profession, which explains the question of how he was able to pull off such an outofthebox idea. Ron so, what it is, is i got a van, did everything on craigslist garvin turning a used van into a mobile laundromat, complete with two washers and dryers, hookups for power and water when its available, a generator in storage when its not. Ron so i put a tv on a garage door track. Garvin ron even fashioned an outsideofthevan Entertainment System for the clientele of this free service, the homeless of santa cruz. Ron i saw a need there. What i wanted to do is i wanted to restore dignity to people. I wanted to improve health. Ron you have stuff tonight . Okay, awesome. Garvin but the question of why ron, who has a day job at apple, is spending a few days and nights a week driving around the city offering his clothescleaning services, well, that question, ron says, is just as simple to answer. Ron you know, its one thing to wash someones clothes, even to feed them and help them, but its another to feed the soul. Ron what was your name again . Garvin ron says hes someone who his whole life has spent a lot of time studying his faith but a few years ago, realized he wasnt putting it into action. Ron father, i thank you for manos. Ron what it really did is it just changed me. I realized i must have missed a turn somewhere early on. Ron yeah, if you get that, ill put you in for a load right now. Garvin so, when ron came up with the idea of loads of love, his mobile machinewashing ministry, it was a perfect fit. Not just providing a needed service ron lord, we know that you love roger. Garvin but one with some builtin downtime. Ron if you have Something Like their clothes, youve got em for an hour or 2 hours. And so, what happens is, is im here already. Im not goin anyplace. We might as well have a conversation. Garvin whether that conversation leads to any kind of conversion, ron isnt so concerned. Either way, he knows by the end of the night, a load of good will have been done. Garvin now wed like to dip into our archives for a best of bay area proud. Its the story of an east bay father paying it forward in a touching way. It has to do with a mural at a South Bay Hospital and how Darren Greenwood found a way to give back to the people who helped him during a difficult time. Garvin somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 cars drive past the livermore Wastewater Treatment plant on isabel avenue every single day, most of the people in them probably thinking the city paid a professional artist to create the murals they see spanning one corner of the property. Very few would guess it was really the guy in the corner office. Darren yeah, i do get that a lot. When people come out to tour the plant, they say, nice whales. I say, oh, thank you, i painted those. And theyre like, no, no, you had an artist do it. No, no, i, its me. Garvin Darren Greenwood is livermores assistant public works director. And while water has been darrens profession for many years, art has been his hobby even longer. Darren you know, its a nice outlet to relax. Garvin along the way, darrens done a few other highprofile jobs. But none has been as rewarding, he says, as those murals at his workplace. That is, until his latest work. Darren i mean, when else do you get a chance to make a difference to somebody whos sick . Garvin at age 17, darrens son, joe, was diagnosed with leukemia. Kaiser Permanente Santa ClaraMedical Center would become the familys home away from home for the next 3 years. It was something, however, they were given their very first night that stuck with darren, a care package of snacks for new patients and their families, thanks to an anonymous donor. Darren it was the coolest thing that somebody you dont know is thinkin about ya, sorry. So i got to thinkin at that point, what could i do . And i paint, so i figured thats what i could do. Garvin and that is just what darren did. He took 3 weeks off from his job at the Water Treatment plant, and working day and night, covered an entire wall and the ceiling of the pediatric family waiting area. Darren because people there with little kids, and then people sittin, getting worse diagnosises than we got. And if there was some way to take somebodys mind off of that and you just get em out of the moment for a minute, thats worth a lot. Garvin darren says the mural is also a way to say, thanks, to the doctors and nurses who eventually saved his sons life. And what better to celebrate such good work than with such a great piece of work. Announcer coming up, hammer, nails, and lots of ambition. Some small south bay students have a big idea. Their story next in our bay area proud special. [ inhales, exhales ] [ announcer ] cigarettes are not just dangerous when theyre smoked. [ rat squeaking ] theyre dangerous long after. Cigarette butts are toxic. They release chemicals that poison our water. And harm wildlife. And millions. Are polluting our environment. [ sniffing ] [ seagulls squawking ] the people building it are small, too. But theres a lot more behind this oneofakind construction site. Garvin at john sinnott elementary in milpitas female what is your idea . Garvin like many other schools, when a teacher talks about bridge building female listen to steven, hes got great ideas. Garvin she means making connections, not major construction. Female you need to keep each other on track garvin but in rita malspys 6thgrade classroom, when they talk about home building, well, that is exactly what theyre talking about. Rita i always knew i didnt want to be a traditional classroom teacher. Rita this is what i want you to do. Garvin rita, you see, has been a fan of projectbased learning for almost all of her 26year career. Each year, trying to come up with a bigger project for her students to collaborate on. Which is why, this summer, while watching some home and garden tv, rita got her biggest idea yet. Rita i said, what do you think if we try to build a tiny home . And they were like, [gasping] could we do that . And i said, whats stopping us . Female i thought it was very interesting and ambitious. Rita just so we all are on the same page for fridays garvin rita corralled some likeminded teachers to join her, and they were off and planning. Male do you have to buy stuff to put in it . Garvin with the help of an architect and a contractor, ritas students, along with other 3rd, 5th, and 6th graders, are figuring out design, estimating costs, and learning about construction techniques and timelines, all so that by the end of this school year, right outside ritas classroom, a real, permanent tiny home will stand. Male here right there is your shelves along the bottom. Garvin ritas students have fully embraced the project, and love the fact theyll be leaving a tangible legacy at their school. Its what theyll be taking with them into the future though that rita cares most about. Rita one of my students said to me, when i said, the skys the limit. You take your project wherever you want. And this one student raised his hand and said, why is the sky the limit . Why cant we go, i get emotional, but why cant we go higher than that . And when a student says that, then you know that what youre doing is whats really best for your students. And how does a teacher say, no, to that . Rita youre good at thinking outside the box. Garvin rita, of course, has taught long enough to know that a good teacher doesnt. Garvin you can see new bay area proud stories every tuesday and thursday evenings on nbc bay area news at 5 pm. If you know someone who should be featured, id love to hear from you. You can find links to my facebook, twitter, or email on our website. Just scroll down to the bay area proud segment. Im garvin thomas, good night. Francisco neighborhood. Police ch right now at 5 00, a scary scene in a busy San Francisco neighborhood. Police searching for suspects after a rolling gun battle. And americans making their opinions heard after the president s firing of the fbi director. Well have the new nbc news poll. But first, dont doubt the dubs. A wild come back at oracle. These fans jmenniumping for joy. Thank you for joining us on this sunday evening. Im peggy bunker. And im terry mcsweeney. The warriors completed an anazing come back to get a win. Were looking at oracle where