48 Monterey County GIVES! 2024 mcgives.com Community & Social Services DONate online mcgives.com and lobbyists and negotiated as equals about my needs, and the needs of my peers and community. Because of COPA, I have agency in the future of my community.” -Ana Luz Acevedo, COPA leader at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Castroville Coalition of Homeless Services Providers (CHSP) Year Founded: 1994 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 9 paid, 459 volunteers Budget: $5,013,927 883-3080 chsp.org Big Idea: Sometimes a Big Idea funds a tangible item or project. And sometimes a Big Idea is truly fueled by a big idea, like Coalition of Homeless Services Providers of Monterey and San Benito Counties’ Lead Me Home Plan. This strategic initiative aims to cut homelessness in half in the two counties by 2026. This nonprofit oversees a biennial point-in-time census of the unhoused community, a labor-intensive data-gathering process required by federal officials to access funding to support solutions. Donations to the CHSP’s Big Idea address homelessness strategically, supporting clean data collection and adoption of best practices to optimize resources and government funding. “This opportunity has helped me be able to bring people together, all with a common goal in our minds. It has really helped my communication skills and enhanced my ability to socialize with others. I enjoy having the chance to collaborate with people in my community.” -Kiara J. Community Association of Big Sur (CABS) Year Founded: 1985 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 35 volunteers Budget: $400,000 595-0072 cabigsur.org Big Idea: The Community Association of Big Sur reports that the region has adapted with resilience to the compounding pressures of climate change and tourism. But support for its Big Idea—the long-term sustainability of Big Sur—needs more help. CABS uses data-oriented initiatives and programs to advocate for the region, organizing community engagement around focus areas like fire-resilient practices, visitation management, sustainable community housing and disaster relief for landslides, wildfires and road closures. “Thank you, CABS, for your generous support this winter season! Each year seems to bring its own unique set of challenges on the Big Sur coast. Though we all take pride in being self-reliant and resilient, sometimes we all need a helping hand. The recent financial aid checks sent to locals stuck between the Regent’s and Paul’s slides are, in my view, an extraordinary gift—one that significantly lifted some of my financial stress, offering a bit of breathing room, which I could not be more grateful for. Knowing that there is an association of good-hearted folks with generous, kind-hearted donors willing to offer a helping hand to a community in need—well, that just makes my heart glad.” -Ashley Seefeldt Community Homeless Solutions Year Founded: 1978 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 61 paid, 75 volunteers Budget: $6,861,722 384-3388 communityhomelesssolutions.org Big Idea: On any day of the year, Community Homeless Solutions’ two domestic violence shelters are ready to welcome those in crisis, often fleeing with only minutes to prepare for their new lives. This nonprofit’s Big Idea—supporting people seeking safety and getting a fresh start after escaping domestic violence—entails helping clients with everything from getting new clothing and shoes to replacing IDs, obtaining legal services, finding employment, getting medical care and finding a new home. Last year, 387 clients transitioned to safe housing. “This program helped my daughter and me at a time when we had nowhere else to go and our only option was to sleep in our car. Thanks to this domestic violence shelter and the wonderful people who work here, we didn’t have to. The stress of not knowing where we were going to sleep was “I have agency in the future of my community.” -Ana Luz Acevedo, Central Coast Interfaith Sponsors (COPA) Central Coast Overdose Prevention Year Founded: 2020 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 6 paid, 5 volunteers Budget: $455,000 682-5008 ccodp.org Big Idea: One of the youngest nonprofits participating in Monterey County Gives! this year is Central Coast Overdose Prevention (CCODP), a project dedicated to eliminating drug-related deaths and supporting families grieving a loss to opioid overdose. CCODP increases access to Naloxone, widely known as Narcan, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. The group’s Big Idea is to install more boxes stocked with Naloxone in businesses and other organizations throughout Monterey County, listed in an online directory, so this lifesaving tool is widely available. This Big Idea also supports Window for Awareness and Hope, a monthly bereavement support group. “Thank you for saving my life by giving me Narcan. You’ve given me a second chance, and now I am in treatment and have a job. This is why what you do matters.” -Mike spotlight
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