Sacramento County Community Service & Support Digest

Emery Unified took a targeted approach, including paying teachers extra to stay after school and tutor students.

State audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades-old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections.

The financial aid application for undocumented students is cumbersome and confusing, and many students aren’t completing the forms. A new law streamlines the process.

Federal funding for domestic violence shelters and housing programs is declining. Advocates want the state to step in, but with a record projected deficit new spending is unlikely.

Despite a few improvements, results show students are still struggling on several fronts.

All but two California counties are delaying their implementation of a new law that makes it easier for a court to place someone in involuntary confinement if they can’t care for their own medical needs or personal safety.

Look no further if you seek local small black businesses to support this holiday season.

Sacramento County is celebrating 35 years of Gifts from the Heart. Since 1988, the tradition has grown to support thousands of people in Sacramento County.

Organizers of Sacramento County’s next Point-In-Time Count say they need at least 500 volunteers to help survey the region’s homeless population in January. Survey results are used to determine state and federal funding for homeless services.

The 40-foot holiday-themed bus celebrates SacRT’s 50 years of service and brings holiday spirit throughout the Sacramento region.

The California Faculty Association is seeking a 12 percent pay increase, while university officials counter with 5 percent in each of the next three years.

In 2020, the state agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit that claimed too many students were not learning to read. As part of that agreement, the state spent over $50 million on 75 schools with the lowest reading scores.

San Diego-area nonprofits and faith organizations struggle to provide for tens of thousands of migrants border agents have released on San Diego streets.

The 40 Acre Conservation League has recently acquired hundreds of acres of land in Placer County, 70 miles northeast of Sacramento—a significant step toward making outdoor experiences more inclusive.

Most undocumented college students in California are not eligible for DACA anymore, creating new dilemmas for students and colleges around employment, financial aid and the threat of deportation.

A longstanding resident was honored with a Good Neighbor award during a Citrus Heights City Council meeting for her service to children in the community.

Sacramento leaders celebrated the completion of a 158-unit affordable housing community in the central city last week, a project that honors the prominent late developer Ali Reza Youseffi.

Residents of Planada and Pajaro want state aid to help alleviate debt incurred from rebuilding after January floods. Local officials want some money to go elsewhere.

Millions of people across the state struggle to pay electric bills as California regulators decide on proposed rate increases. PG&E wants a rate hike to bolster the safety and reliability of its services.

A signature community initiative led by ABC10, the Stand Against Hunger holiday fundraising campaign begins Nov. 6 and continues until Dec. 17.

Greater Sacramento NAACP President Betty Williams and five other members of the organization were suspended last week for alleged financial misappropriations, according to documents obtained by the Sacramento Observer.

State law requires community colleges to spend at least half their general fund on instructors. But administrators say they want more flexibility to pay for the growing need for student services.

Dr. Ernest Uwazie, director of the university’s Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution, facilitates life-changing conversations between victims and offenders.

The Cherry Tea Collective—a club of artists, writers, photographers and other creatives—publishes a zine related to a specific charity organization. This year’s choice is Sacramento Loaves and Fishes.

Tiny homes are increasingly California cities’ shelter option of choice — but how far they go in solving homelessness is a contentious question.

After years of planning a broadband system to bridge California’s digital divide, officials deprioritized some low-income areas due to unexpected costs. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s committed to funding the entire network, but advocates are skeptical.

Despite an influx of money to counter learning loss during the pandemic, English language arts and math test scores remain low.

Toni McNeil recalls growing up on the south side of Stockton, where a sign outside the housing project where she lived read, “Stockton, Someplace Special.” She says, “Right under the sign folks were selling dope, smoking dope and banging.”

With the growing use of AI, campus officials are trying to set clear guidelines for college application essays.

Local nonprofit UniverSOUL Cafe has opened a culinary youth kitchen to address food insecurity in North Sacramento after receiving a $100,000 city grant.

The facts of climate change can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair. Some California activists are creating communities for people to talk about those feelings.

The first of its kind in the California Capital Region, United Way started its guaranteed income program in 2021 with a $10 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.