BJ Fogg, director of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford, has created a program called “3 Tiny Habits” that encourages participants to work toward goals with a series of very small steps that escalate over time.

Research shows spending time outdoors with plants and animals can support mental health in patients with depression, anxiety, and other illnesses. “Ecotherapy” puts those studies into practice.

Unkempt backyard pools can breed millions of disease-carrying mosquitoes. The Santa Clara County Vector Control Office uses an aerial photography system to track and treat those stagnant swimming holes.

Pediatricians in East Palo Alto are seeing more hungry children, as more parents report they can’t afford their next meals. School lunch programs aren’t available in the summer, adding to the problem.

Cindy Hofen runs a Palo Alto business helping seniors sort through a lifetime’s worth of possessions and move into assisted living facilities. As baby boomers age, there is increasing need for her services.