Santa Clara County Local News: Community Service & Support


All Local Community Service & Support News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, says the organization researches areas of need to help donors direct their contributions.
What Is a Community Foundation?

By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption:
Celebrating Veterans Every Day

About 1.8 million veterans live in California. Here are some organizations dedicated to serving the needs of those who served America.

Image caption: Stand Down events provide veterans with valuable resources including housing assistance, medical care, and a solid community of support.
Veterans in Need ‘Stand Down’

At hundreds of Stand Down events throughout California, veterans agencies and organizations come together to deliver life’s necessities.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

02/06/2025
Image for display with article titled Rotary Awards $70k to Gilroy Community

The Rotary Club of Gilroy, at a Jan. 28 meeting at the Lodge on the Hill, celebrated the recipients of $70,000 in grants for local schools and organizations.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

01/31/2025
Image for display with article titled San Jose Health Fair Provides Resources to Homeless Residents

For more than a decade, one California state senator has hosted an annual health and resource fair for homeless people, and every year he wishes he could do more.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

01/23/2025
Image for display with article titled Santa Clara County’s Highest Paid Service Nonprofit Executives

Silicon Valley is one of the nation's most expensive locales and home to dozens of nonprofit organizations, which need to keep up with costs of living.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

01/10/2025
Image for display with article titled Gilroy Assistance League Accepting Grant Applications

Gilroy Assistance League is accepting grant request applications through Feb. 21. The local nonprofit considers grant requests that directly benefit youth organizations, programs and schools in Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill, says a press release from Gilroy Assistance League.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

01/08/2025
Taking advantage in the local commercial real estate slump, Goodwill of Silicon Valley recently purchased a large, empty office building in north San Jose. Read on for details.

Morgan Hill Times logo From Morgan Hill Times...

12/27/2024
Image for display with article titled HomeFirst Brings Holiday Joy to Families

HomeFirst—a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending homelessness—hosted a festive gift distribution at Royal Oak Village in Morgan Hill.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

12/26/2024
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS ARE proving that they play a vital role when it comes to public safety in California. The California Reentry Institute, directed by Collette Carroll to help potential parolees, has graduated more than 230 incarcerated individuals in San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

12/19/2024
Image for display with article titled Google Gives San Jose $5M for Community Benefits

San Jose has received another infusion of cash from Google, adding to the community benefits pot.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $5 million payment from the tech company as part of its community benefits agreement in the Downtown West project. About $4.25 million will be put into the Community Stabilization and Opportunity Pathways Fund and distributed through a grant program.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

12/18/2024
Image for display with article titled How Much Are Silicon Valley’s Top Service Nonprofit Leaders Paid?

In Silicon Valley, top executives at the helm of multimillion-dollar nonprofits are paid well — not unusual in a region where competition is steep and the cost of living is one of the highest in the nation.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

12/18/2024
Blood donations drop over the holidays, but demand at hospitals remains the same. Beginning today, Stanford Blood Center is offering $20 gift cards and a chance to win a $3,000 grocery gift card through the season to donors at their mobile collection units.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

12/13/2024
Image for display with article titled Grant Helps Expand Childcare Services in Gilroy

A grant of $1,749,800 from the Valley Health Foundation will help the YMCA of Silicon Valley expand and enhance childcare services for families in Gilroy.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

12/12/2024
Image for display with article titled South Valley Unites for Farmworkers

On a recent December afternoon, about 30 volunteers gathered at St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista to give their efforts to the sprawling, multifaceted Farmworker Caravan—an annual holiday donation drive for families in need in five counties.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

12/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Mission 10 Race Scheduled for Jan. 25 in San Juan Bautista

The 41st annual Mission 10 Race will take place on Jan. 25, 2025. This year’s race will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Hollister, which sponsors and organizes the Mission 10 event.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

12/08/2024
Image for display with article titled Doing Good: Kiwanis International

Founded as a business organization in 1915, the Kiwanis Club now serves millions of children worldwide.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

12/05/2024
Image for display with article titled Silicon Valley Lawmaker Revives Food Benefits Program

Thousands of families will be able to shop for free fresh fruit and vegetables, after a Silicon Valley lawmaker obtained needed funding.

Morgan Hill Times logo From Morgan Hill Times...

11/30/2024
Image for display with article titled Morgan Hill Gears Up for Giving

For many, the holiday season is a time of giving and generosity—a spirit that is alive and well in Morgan Hill as the community plans to step up to help their neighbors.

Morgan Hill Times logo From Morgan Hill Times...

11/25/2024
Image for display with article titled Boys & Girls Club Appoints Edith Ramirez to Board of Directors

Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley, a nonprofit youth services group providing after-school voluntary activities for young people through clubhouses across the valley, announced this week it has appointed Morgan Hill Assistant City Manager Edith Ramirez to its board of directors.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

11/24/2024
Image for display with article titled Where Silicon Valley Residents Can Get Free Thanksgiving Meals

Numerous organizations are making sure people looking for a hot meal this Thanksgiving don't go hungry.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain View Voice...

11/22/2024
Learn how you can help local programs as they struggle to meet an increase in need of food assistance.

California Local Pin Marker From Palo Alto Online...

11/21/2024
The Food Closet in Palo Alto has been serving the needy for over 40 year. Learn how you can help them help others by donating or volunteering.