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This Giving Tuesday Community Bridges is Strengthening Families, Nourishing Community, and Meeting Growing Needs!
We’re thrilled to have you here as we embark on a mission to profoundly impact the lives of our neighbors in Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County.
Let’s Catch the Giving Wave this Giving Tuesday!
At Community Bridges, our commitment to fostering a thriving community knows no bounds. We proudly operate 10 crucial programs spanning 21 sites, serving a diverse and vibrant community of 22,000 residents. Our programs, meticulously designed to address the gaps in the social safety net, are a testament to our unwavering dedication to the well-being and progress of our community.
But we can’t do it alone. We rely on the support of generous donors like you to keep the heart of our mission beating strong. Together, we strive to create a community where every person can unlock their full potential. We believe that this vision can be realized through the delivery of essential services, ensuring equitable access to vital resources, and advocating for health and dignity at every stage of life.
As we celebrate Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in this endeavor. Your contribution, regardless of size, will play a pivotal role in making our community more resilient, compassionate, and prosperous. Together, we will strengthen families, nourish our community, and meet growing needs.
We are dedicated to Strengthening Families, uniting parents, children, grandparents, and individuals in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley. With a focus on building safe, healthy, and compassionate communities, we provide a diverse array of vital services and resources through our Family Resource Collective centers and our family of comprehensive programs. From food distribution and crisis assistance to mental health counseling, parent education workshops, public benefits enrollment assistance, youth tutoring, and much more, we tailor our support to meet the unique needs of each family and individual.
We’ve been passionately Nourishing Community since our inception in 1977. We stand as a steadfast advocate for food and nutrition services, committed to ensuring that every member of our community has equitable access to healthy, affordable, and nourishing food. We provide essential tools to parents, children, grandparents, friends, and neighbors, facilitating access to vital food resources and nutrition support. From transportation and healthcare to older adult day health care, early education, and a wide range of classes covering breastfeeding, nutrition, parenting, and literacy, we’re dedicated to uplifting our community’s well-being.
As we approach Giving Tuesday, it’s clear that the need in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley is growing at an alarming rate. Recent statistics from the California Budget & Policy Center indicate that over 60% of households in California earning less than $35,000 have struggled to meet basic expenses, including food, housing, and medical costs. Moreover, childhood poverty has more than doubled nationwide in the past year and the number of older adults dying of malnutrition is also spiking. Community Bridges’ family of ten programs stands as a bulwark, working cohesively to ensure that our local community members don’t fall through the cracks.
—Desmond Tutu
This Giving Tuesday, your donations will work together to support vital local services. Each milestone we unlock together provides resources that create a vibrant and caring community. Join us today to help ensure that all our neighbors feel connected and supported. Help us reach our Giving Tuesday goal of $30,000 to ensure that everyone in our community has equitable access to resources that allow them to live with health and dignity across every stage of life.
Here is what your contributions will support:
A simple cup of coffee, a drink of water, or a quick snack may seem trivial, but for a struggling parent and their child, it can be the catalyst for an entirely different day. Your generous contribution during Giving Tuesday will directly impact families in need at our five Family Resource Collective sites.
With the first $5,000 of proceeds, we ensure that our centers remain stocked with these basic provisions, empowering families to navigate their daily challenges. These seemingly small resources go a long way, offering a moment of respite and nourishment to thousands of local residents each year.
Our centers are not just places; they’re safe havens where our neighbors can access essential amenities like phones and computers. It’s a lifeline that connects them to the support and resources they desperately need. Your donation is the key to unlocking this gateway of hope and opportunity for families who rely on our assistance.
Every day, many of us wake up with the privilege of access to our most fundamental needs: food, clothing, hygiene, and clean laundry. It’s easy to overlook the significance of these essentials until circumstances force us to go without. These basic necessities are the building blocks of our well-being, influencing how we perceive ourselves and interact with the world.
In Santa Cruz, our center stands as a beacon of hope, providing vital support to those in need. We offer food and clothing pantries, providing nourishment and warmth to individuals who would otherwise go without. Meanwhile, in Felton, we go the extra mile by offering shower and laundry facilities, aiming to restore dignity and respect to those who rely on us to meet their daily needs.
Your support is a lifeline for our neighbors, offering them a second chance with each new day. By helping us reach our Giving Tuesday goal of $10,000, you become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of those who need it most. Join us in this mission, and together, we can ensure that no one must go without these fundamental necessities.
Every year, Community Bridges’ Family Resource Collective reaches thousands of households across our region, recognizing that the future of our community depends on the strength and resilience of our families. Together, we are shaping a brighter tomorrow by investing in our children today.
Within our centers, we are dedicated to providing families with the tools they need to thrive. We offer evidence-based parenting classes, workshops, and support groups that foster healthy and enduring connections between parents and children. By building these strong bonds, we are sowing the seeds of a more harmonious and prosperous community.
But our commitment doesn’t end there. Our afterschool and tutoring programs are empowering local youth, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to forge their path to success. In doing so, we are nurturing a generation that will not only achieve their goals but also contribute positively to their communities, making our shared future brighter and more promising.
The need for our services has never been more critical, particularly among women and parents facing unprecedented crises. By helping us achieve our Giving Tuesday goal of $20,000, you can make a profound impact on our community.
Our bilingual mental health counseling and free employment and housing legal assistance services are lifelines for those who find themselves at a crossroads. Your donation can be the difference between despair and hope for local residents seeking one-on-one support for their mental wellness, housing stability, and employment opportunities.
Your contribution goes beyond a mere financial transaction; it’s a lifeline that bridges the gap to a better quality of life. Together, we can ensure that our neighbors, especially women and parents facing hardship, have equitable access to the resources and support they need to overcome their challenges and thrive.
Community Bridges’ Family Resource Centers are a lifeline to our community, serving as beacons of support and assistance for those who face literacy challenges and/or are mono-lingual. We are deeply committed to helping individuals and families navigate their day-to-day needs, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Our centers are synonymous with compassionate advocacy, skillful navigation, and expert case management. We provide vital support with housing and employment applications, assist in securing CalFresh food vouchers, and guide individuals through the complex process of Medi-Cal healthcare enrollments. We also extend our services to help with Unemployment and Social Security claims, addressing the multifaceted needs of our diverse community.
Your support for our centers is an investment in a stronger, more inclusive community. We believe that a community’s strength is measured by the resilience of its households and families. By standing with us, you are promoting a more equitable society, where all individuals, regardless of their literacy levels or language barriers, can access the support and resources they need to build a better future.
Community Bridges has been at the forefront, tirelessly providing essential services to the residents of Santa Cruz and Monterey County throughout the relentless challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, CZU Fires, and the destructive Winter Storms and Floods. In the face of increased costs of living, displacement, and unemployment, we remain unwavering in our commitment to our community.
Each day, families grappling with the weight of unprecedented challenges find solace and support through our dedicated and compassionate staff. They gain access to our invaluable drop-in resources and receive guidance in long-term case navigation. We are here, resilient and steadfast, ensuring that no one faces these adversities alone. Together, we stand as a beacon of hope, providing the assistance and strength our community needs to overcome even the most formidable obstacles.
519 Main Street
Watsonville, California 95076
Phone: 831-688-8840
Fax: 831-688-8302
Email: info@cbridges.org
Community Bridges is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Federal Tax ID number: 94-2460211
