Each year we open the District 9 Star Application with the hopes of highlighting our community’s unsung heroes. We spread the opportunity to apply far and wide so we can hear stories of people doing great work throughout our community — stories that deserve to be uplifted.
My team and I always look forward to reading all the stories that are submitted about those who are making a lasting difference in the lives of others within District 9 and throughout San José. After the application window closes, we review all submissions and assess each nominee’s positive impact on our community.
We are honored to share these stories with you and take this opportunity to spread positivity, altruism, joy, love, and kindness in our own corner of San José.
Below are the three individuals nominated and then hand-selected by myself and my team to be recognized as the 2024 District 9 Stars.
Kathy & Jim Kleinsteiber
The Kleinsteibers are a husband and wife team who have worked tirelessly since 2022 to develop a previously underutilized area of Kirk Park and transform it into what we now refer to as the Kirk Park Gardens in San José.
Through their efforts, the overgrown area of Kirk Park has since been revamped into a community garden filled with plants and flowers attracting birds, bees, and butterflies.
Their hard work in partnering with the City’s Adopt-a-Park program through PRNS secured funding for supplies and materials, starter plants, and even signage used to educate the community on topics such as what attracts pollinators and how to spot a butterfly cocoon.
Kathy and Jim’s efforts to engage the community have also fostered volunteerism, drawing neighbors of all ages to help with garden upkeep at community workdays on Wednesdays and Saturdays each week.
Their work goes far beyond beautifying as they also host educational classes, provide free milkweed plants and seeds to increase the monarch population, share a monthly newsletter, and have also helped initiate a second garden at Houge Park.
Their efforts in fostering welcoming, vibrant spaces for volunteerism and environmental education in our community do not go unnoticed.
Aneesha Janbandhu
Aneesha Janbandhu is a local high school junior who is the founder and president of the Sunshine and Hope Foundation, a non-profit focused on helping underserved and special needs children in the community.
Founded in 2022, the Sunshine and Hope Foundation was born with the goal of providing hands-on activities and supplies to the community after a passion for volunteerism was sparked by her time at another local organization, Animal Assisted Happiness which provided animal interactions to youth with special needs.
Aneesha has always been drawn to the sciences and knew how crucial opportunities for exploration are to igniting curiosity in the science field for others.
After doing some research and speaking with our local librarians about what kind of programs were missing, she learned that she could fill a gap by offering interactive programs focused on biology and chemistry through her first initiative, the “Science Academy”.
In the past year and a half, she has served over 350 kids through her “Science Academy” initiative, by combining her passion for science and hope for more inclusive access to educational opportunities.
Aneesha has shared her passion with the community and continues to diligent journey to improving access to educational opportunities for all in our neighborhoods.
Sinclaire Bradley
Sinclaire Bradley is a passionate high school junior in San José who has an extraordinary dedication to sharing her passion for art with both our young and aging population in the San José community.
Through her free painting classes for children, teens, and seniors at our libraries and community centers, Sinclaire has empowered numerous participants to explore their creativity and helped them realize that anyone can learn to paint.
Despite a busy high school schedule, Sinclaire made it a priority to make art accessible and enjoyable for all by proactively reaching out to my City Council office earlier this year proposing the idea of free art classes at our community facilities and requesting a grant to ensure they could be provided at no cost to those who signed up.
In addition to Sinclaire’s generosity and commitment to the community, she is also an exhibitor at Silicon Valley Open Studios and an officer of her school’s National Art Honors Society, where she gained experience and expertise in planning and running monthly paint nights.
Sinclaire has a passion for the arts just like I do and I have loved watching her bring her community together through not only her creativity but her efforts to increase opportunities for the local community to participate in the arts.
Thank you to everyone who nominated a member of our community, all of this year’s nominees, and the 2024 District 9 Stars. You have all made such a positive impact in our corner of San José. I am extremely grateful that we have the pleasure of celebrating and honoring these wonderful individuals year after year.
I am truly proud to call all of you District 9 residents and now three more community members our District 9 Stars!
