Circle of Trust

That’s a question we hear from so many people in our community who care deeply about our neighbors and want to know how to help those who are in the greatest need.

We started the Greatest Needs Fund in 2021 to answer that question, provide a flexible way to respond to critical and emerging needs and work with nonprofit partners who can do the most good right now to positively impact our community.

Over the past three years, your generosity has enabled us to make over $1.4 million in grants for emergent needs in health and human services, economic and community development, education, the arts, and the environment.

Maternal Care for Farmworkers

Recently, we’ve helped Watsonville Law Center (WLC) on a groundbreaking initiative with Salud Para La Gente and the State of California to help pregnant farmworkers get access to care, immigration legal assistance, disability and parental leave access, and workers’ rights education—all in their native language. So far, WLC has been able to provide care for 469 clients—70% of whom are undocumented. Through this advocacy, WLC has secured more than $1 million in direct benefits for their clients and their families, including more than 1,000 adults and over 700 children.

One such client is Maria*, a pregnant woman who works hard picking strawberries. She was placed on medical disability by a doctor due to complications from toxic exposure in the fields. A Mixteco speaker, Maria faced barriers to completing her state disability insurance form and didn’t know where she could get help to meet her family’s basic needs including rent. Salud Para La Gente connected Maria to WLC and the team helped her successfully submit an application and secure benefits for her and her family.

* Name changed to protect anonymity.

Employment Training for People Experiencing Homelessness

A grant from the Greatest Needs Fund to the Homeless Garden Project is supporting their transitional employment program, job training, and support services for 25 trainees per year on the 3.5-acre Natural Bridges organic farm on Santa Cruz’s west side. Program participants are working hard to maintain stable employment and stable housing. Last year, 91% of their graduates gained jobs and 83% found housing.

Charles Stange has been promoted within HGP’s year-long transitional employment program. Today, he lives in Watsonville with his partner and their baby boy Ian. He’s currently enrolled at Cabrillo, where he’s pursuing a career as a Drug and Alcohol counselor after his time with HGP. Charles says that the wrap-around support he received not only helped him create a résumé and practice his job interview skills, but also supported his physical and mental health as he’s building a clean and sober life.

Charles shares, “The Homeless Garden Project has significantly changed how I viewed myself, instilling a sense of self-worth and connecting me with a network of like-minded individuals who shared a common goal: finding a path out of despair through hard work, empathy, and community."

Free and Nutritious Meals for Neighbors in Need

Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes has been working to alleviate hunger in South County since 1989. Every day, without fail, a team of dedicated staff and volunteers feed 110 – 140 meals a day to working poor families, farm workers, and elderly, disabled, and homeless people. Loaves & Fishes is also a food pantry and provides education and referrals in collaboration with other social service agencies. They’ve seen a 10% increase in the number of people needing food each of the last five years.

Flexible funding from the Greatest Needs Fund is helping them with a much-needed remodel of their kitchen facilities to meet the growing need. During construction, the team prepares food in a nearby commercial kitchen and then shuttles the meals back for service. Every day, clients share gratitude for the extra effort being made. Many say, “This is the only real meal I get in a day. Thank you for providing seconds.”

Ashley Bridges, the Executive Director shares, “Flexible funding is invaluable for an organization like ours. It allows us to adapt to the community's needs as they arise, like the pandemic and more recently the Pajaro flood relief. Having this flexibility means we can address immediate challenges effectively and plan for sustainable growth, creating stable, reliable support for the people who depend on us.”

A Circle of Trust

Our Greatest Needs Fund is based on a circle of trust. You trust us to know where your giving can do the most good. We trust our nonprofit partners to be responsive to what our community needs. And our nonprofit partners trust us to understand their work and challenges as they generate lasting solutions to support our community's health and well-being.

Thank you for trusting us to be your partner in giving as together, we care for this place we all call home.

Photo: Volunteer and staff team ready to serve lunch at Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes.