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Santa Cruz County Community Service & Support Digest



Supervisor-elect Monica Martinez Resigning as Encompass CEO

11/20/2024

Anticipating certification of her election to the 5th District seat on the Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors, Monica Martinez is resigning as CEO of local nonprofit Encompass Community Services. Read on to learn what's ahead for her and Encompass.

Longtime Santa Cruz Comics Store Needs Your Help

11/20/2024

Comicoplolis has been serving the Santa Cruz community for 27 years from their downtown location but are in need of of help. This is where you come in. Read on to learn how.

Help Stuff the Bus Food Drive

11/19/2024

Learn how you can donate to the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District "Stuff the Bus" holiday food drive on December 5.

November Volunteer Opportunities in Santa Cruz County

11/14/2024

Lookout Local's list of 10 opportunities for you to volunteer in the community this November.

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County Seeks Donations

11/06/2024

With more than 65,000 residents relying on their services, Second Harvest Food Bank enters the holiday season in urgent need of donations.

GivingTuesday Explained

11/04/2024

Learn more about the annual fundraising day on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this year falling on December 3.

Donate to Support Santa Cruz County Recreation Scholarships

11/01/2024

Your donation to County Park Friends will help raise $30,000 for scholarships so local youth can participate in Santa Cruz County parks and recreation programs. Click to learn more.

Santa Cruz County to Distribute $3.44 to Local Community Nonprofit Programs

10/31/2024

Learn more about the 28 community nonprofit programs selected to receive the funding and a summary of the Collective of Results and Evidence-Based (CORE) process used to select recipients.

Live Oak School District and Community Bridges Renew Lease

09/19/2024

Live Oak School District and Community Bridges signed a two-year lease allowing the nonprofit to continue running its Meals on Wheels program from district property on Capitola Road.

Groundbreaking Celebrated for Harvey West Supportive Housing Project

09/17/2024

One September 17, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the start of construction of a 120 unit supportive housing development in the Harvey West neighborhood in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Community Health Holding 50th Anniversary Party

09/06/2024

Celebrating 50 years, nonprofit health care provider Santa Cruz Community Health will be hosting a fundraising gala at the Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz on Octtober 5.

Digital NEST Celebrates 10th Year

08/27/2024

A look at Digital NEST as it celebrates a decade of service to Central California youth.

Changes Ahead for Pajaro Valley Arts

08/20/2024

Pajaro Valley Arts has a new executive director and is ready to embark on fundraising to renovate and upgrade the site of its new headquarters in downtown Watsonville.

Guaranteed Basic Income Programs Proliferate Across CA

07/12/2024

Beginning Monday, 150 households in Fresno County are expected to receive a $500 prepaid card to spend on anything they’d like — no strings attached. It will be the first of 12 monthly recurring payments those Southwest Fresno and Huron residents will receive as part of a guaranteed basic income program for low-income families.

92 Local Nonprofits Receive Community Foundation Santa Cruz County Funding

05/30/2024

Community Foundation Foundation Santa Cruz County announced the distribution of $1.9million in grants to 92 local nonprofits in its latest grant award cycle.

First Cleanup Day Cleans Up 1,500 Pounds

05/21/2024

Santa Cruz County's first cleanup day held on May 11 had 431 volunteers from 30 organizations collecting 1,548 pounds of litter.

New CASA Volunteers Sworn In

05/19/2024

18 new volunteers were sworn in as as Court Appointed Special Advocates following their 35 hour training.

These California Schools Connect Kids to Community Services. Will They Survive Budget Cuts?

05/16/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the community school initiative with $4.1 billion in grants to connect students and their families to medical care, counseling and other services.

New Government Center Opening in Watsonville

05/14/2024

In advance of the opening of the new Santa Cruz County government center on Westridge Drive in a few weeks, the Human Services Department announced it was moved in and ready to provide services.

Rotary Raises $90,000 for Treasure Cove Inclusive Playground

05/04/2024

The Capitola Aptos Rotary Club presented a check for over $90,000 to County Park Friends which is fundraising for the Treasure Cove Inclusive Playground at Jade Street Park.

Teen Kitchen Project Grows

05/01/2024

The Teen Kitchen Project is building a new kitchen space in Soquel to expand meal production capacity to meet demand from those in need.

Tiny House Village Construction Set for Summer

04/24/2024

A 34-unit tiny home village for people displaced when Pajaro was flooded will begin construction in Watsonville on a church-owned parcel in Watsonville.

Downtown Streets Program Expands to Boulder Creek

04/12/2024

The Downtown Streets Program is growing to 8 teams in the County with the start of a new 6 month pilot program in Boulder Creek on the Highway 9 commercial corridor.

Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley Awarded Grant

04/07/2024

Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley was awarded a $2M by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Fundraiser for Pajaro Valley Education Foundation Set for April 18

04/02/2024

A dinner and silent auction fundraiser for the Pajaro Valley Education Foundation is set to take place on Aril 18 at Jalisco's, 618 Main Street in Watsonville.

Ryan Coonerty Announced as New Executive Director at Leadership Santa Cruz County

03/26/2024

Former Santa Cruz city council member and county supervisor Ryan Coonerty has been named as the new Executive Directory, taking over from Interim Executive Director Dave Vincent.

County Supervisor Zach Friend Honored at Luncheon

03/21/2024

The retiring District 2 County Supervisor received the Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award from the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau and Agri-Culture at the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon.

15 Stories of Incredible Santa Cruz County Women

03/19/2024

A celebration of Women’s History Month highlighting 15 Santa Cruz County women.

Community Bridges Puts Senior Center Purchase Offer on Table

02/20/2024

A local nonprofit said it has made an offer to purchase a senior center in Live Oak while a representative from the school district that owns the site says it isn’t quite ready to make definitive moves.

Watsonville Hospital, Second Harvest Partner to ‘Nourish’ Local Community

02/16/2024

Harnessing their collective expertise, two nonprofits in South Santa Cruz County have joined forces to provide resources to families in need and fight against regional inequities.

Santa Cruz Sobering Center Reopens After Hiatus

02/04/2024

After halting services for about four years, a sobering center that county leaders say is a critical boon to the community, local health care providers and law enforcement is back online in Santa Cruz.

City of Capitola Marks a Big Anniversary

02/03/2024

Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown muses about the 75th anniversary of the city’s incorporation as a time to reflect on history while considering the opportunities that lie ahead.

Featured

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These organizations are dedicated to serving the needs of those who served America.
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Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
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.
Working together with many volunteers, this crew feeds 65,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month.
California’s Oldest Food Bank Pays It Forward
California’s first food bank has helped residents of Santa Cruz County for more than 50 years.
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