Wine Country Marines & San Mateo County SAL Partner with Almond Elementary School
- James Brown
- Sep 26
- 2 min read
This week, Almond Elementary School welcomed a special group of guests to their campus:
Sheriff Christina Corpus, Assistant Sheriff Sergio Enriquez, Chairman James Brown (Chair of both the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League and Wine Country Marines), along with Marines from the 23rd Marine Regiment (Sgt. Marissa Escobedo) and Recruiting Station San Francisco (Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Naula and Staff Sergeant Angelina Monnette).
The 4th grade class of Ms. Samantha Nguyen hosted the group as part of a learning experience about law enforcement, the United States Marine Corps, and how community partners work together to support local youth. Their focus was on the Shop with a Hero program—an initiative jointly organized by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League and Wine Country Marines. This program pairs deserving children with law enforcement and military service members for a day of mentorship, connection, and holiday joy.
The students asked thoughtful questions and showed tremendous curiosity about how Shop with a Hero impacts families in need. Even more inspiring, the class has decided to organize a fundraiser to directly support the program—demonstrating that leadership and community service truly can start at any age.
To close the visit, Sheriff Corpus presented each student with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Challenge Coin, while Marines followed with military challenge coins—a tradition of respect, unity, and inclusion that left the students smiling from ear to ear.
Wine Country Marines is proud to stand alongside the United States Marine Corps, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League and our law enforcement partners in bringing programs like Shop with a Hero to life. Together, we are building bridges between our military, law enforcement, and the next generation of community leaders.
You can learn more about the program by clicking here: Shop with a Hero
