Community Involvement

One of the greatest benefits of starting Costello Wealth Strategies was that we became a truly local business, and that made us able to work with other local businesses and nonprofits. These are some of the organizations we have been involved with over the years:

Costello Wealth Strategies has supported the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation (formerly called The Heritage Foundation) for almost a decade. The Fairgrounds are an integral part of every community as they provides an opportunity for FFA and 4H participants to show the animals they have spent the year raising, but it also allows local community members to enter everything from artwork to photography to baked goods.

Kendra personally started entering the fair when she was (just shy of) three years old! She held Junior Best in Division titles in several categories; dish gardens, collections, and baked goods. In high school Eric was a member of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) Del Norte County Chapter, and he raised a lamb for the Del Norte County Fair every year!

In the last few years, both Eric and Kendra have even entered Acrylic Paintings in the Fine Arts Division! The Fairgrounds Foundation utilizes a few events throughout the year (a Holiday Craft Fair, spring Crab Feed, and different events around Fair Week in September) to raise money to maintain and improve the fairgrounds property and facilities.

Eric and Kendra are both Rotarian’s with the Capitola-Aptos Club. The Rotary Club of Capitola-Aptos was chartered on April 28, 1965, by extending and redistricting parts of the Clubs in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. The club was originally chartered as “Rotary Club of Soquel” with 27 members! The name has been changed twice over the years to better represent the geographical location of the club and it’s membership. In the 1970’s it became the Rotary Club of Mid-County and finally in 1988 it became what it is today, the Rotary Club of Capitola-Aptos. Our club membership averages around 50 Rotarians.

Eric has been a member of Capitola-Aptos Rotary Club for over 20 years, and has been a board member, treasurer and the Vocational Services Chair at different points during his time as a Rotarian.
The Capitola-Aptos Rotary Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit consisting of funds and endowments donated by our club’s present and past Rotarians. Eric has advised the foundation’s board and managed the foundations investment account since its inception in 2007. In addition to annual scholarships given to graduating seniors who are headed for college that were involved in the Aptos and Soquel High School Interact program, annually the Capitola-Aptos Rotary Foundation gives out a $15,000 scholarship (called the Henry and Vera Piatt Fellowship) to a graduate of a Santa Cruz County high school who is now pursuing a Ph.D. as a UCSC student and is making research strides in STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics).

Eric’s Rotary ties have even transferred to his family! After 15 years as a Rotarian, Eric’s nephew Carter participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) Program by spending a year in Santo Stefano Ticino, Italy (the Milan Metro area) with three Rotarian families. That year as a Rotary Exchange student was so formative that he has continued his education at the University of Milan (after his Rotary exchange year was complete), and even continues to live with the exchange family he met through the Rotary program!
Eric is a member of the Paul Harris Society Fellowship, being recognized by Rotary International in this capacity four times over.

Kendra has been a Rotarian for over 5 years and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Capitola-Aptos Rotary Club, as well as co-chairing the club’s annual major fundraiser.

During the year that Capitola-Aptos Rotary chose LEO’s Haven as the benefactor of the major fundraiser, $140,000 was raised (including a matching funds grant) to build the county’s first all inclusive playground. #AllKidsNeedToPlay As a part of our local Rotary Club, we also work with RotaCare Bay Area, Inc. and have volunteered at the local clinic (located in Live Oak) that operates Tuesday evenings to provide free health care to those in need.

Costello Wealth Strategies is a member of the Pajaro Valley Chamber. Previously we have been involved with the Aptos Chamber and the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Eric has been involved with the American Red Cross, Santa Cruz County Chapter as an at large board member (2003-2012), and in more specialized roles as both the Finance Chair (2005-2006), Vice Chair (2006-2007), and as Chairman of the Board of Directors (2007-2008). During Eric’s year’s as the Vice Chair and Chairman, Eric and Kendra organized and executed a very successful fundraiser, The Red Cross Golf Tournament. The event was always a fun day for those participating, as well as raising money that has been, and will be, critical when those unexpected natural disasters hit. Those unexpected events are the times when the Red Cross’ work is imperative to the community, and also counted on by local government.

Order of Sons and Daughters of Italy In America (OSDIA), Watsonville Lodge #2016. Eric and Kendra joined the Watsonville Lodge of OSDIA in October 2017. OSDIA is a national organization of men and women who represent the estimated 26 million Americans of Italian Heritage. It was founded in 1905 as a mutual aid society for early Italian immigrants, it is now represented with at a minimum of one Lodge in every of the 50 states, and to date the organization as a whole has given more than $164 million in scholarships, medical research, cultural preservation, disaster relief and other causes. Locally our club annually gives the Andrew Malatesta Scholarship to a graduating senior of a Santa Cruz County school who will be going into the Agriculture field, as well as donating $2000-$3000 per year to our local neighbors in need working with the local Salvation Army.

During his career Eric has volunteered with both Meals on Wheels & Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County.

Kendra has supported Unravel Pediatric Cancer.