King City is known for its booming agricultural production, but in its heart sits the non-profit arts organization Sol Treasures.
It’s a place for the children of South Monterey County to congregate after school, learn about the arts, and even present their own theater productions. In the past they have presented shows like the Little Mermaid Jr, and The Lion King Jr.
Jeff Hindersheid is the Executive Director of Sol Treasures. He said every year a local group called the STAR Foundation of Monterey County provides $500,000 to split up amongst the different art organizations of the county. But this year, after the foundation's executive director came to one of their shows, he and his board decided to donate the full amount to Sol Treasures.
“They're just like, 'You guys are really in the trenches.' This is a very underserved community. We're down here crunching numbers to make even the smallest thing work. We're not paying a lot of people, we rely on volunteers,” Hindersheid said.
Hinderscheid said the money is not meant to pay for staff. The donation will pay for things like props, costumes and sound equipment to improve the children’s experience at Sol Treasures.
Right now, the organization's headquarters is a residential home in King City, but Hinderscheid hopes with this money, the organization can invest in a new facility for the kids to rehearse.
They would need approval from the nonprofits’ board of directors first, so it’s not a sure thing yet.
“In the grand scheme of things, as beautiful as that donation is, we all know that that can go slipping through your fingers pretty fast,” Hinderscheid said.
A potential new building would still be a few years away, he said. Right now, the Sol Treasures kids are busy rehearsing for their newest show, Frozen Jr.
