54 Monterey County GIVES! 2025 mcgives.com COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICES DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM CATHOLIC CHARITIES Year Founded: 1984 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 45 paid, 40 volunteers Budget: $2,898,795 (831) 393-3110 catholiccharitiesdom.org BIG IDEA: Cuts to federal and state safety net programs have increased requests to Catholic Charities’ basic needs services by 50 percent in 2025. This Big Idea supports resiliency programs for low-income, immigrant and working families, including immigration legal services, disaster recovery, tattoo removal, after-school care, food distribution and health care. This nonprofit provides essential safety net services to the most vulnerable in our community during a period of high demand. Last year, donations to Catholic Charities helped 22 local families avoid homelessness. “As a child, I watched my mom work two jobs, overwhelmed but grateful when Catholic Charities helped our family stay in our home. Their support kept us together during our hardest moments. As I grew older, tattoos on my neck made it impossible to find work, and I was headed down a tough, uncertain path. My mom urged me to try Catholic Charities again, and their tattoo-removal program transformed my life. It restored my confidence and opened doors I never thought possible. Today, I own a landscaping company and employ youth facing similar struggles, offering them hope and a new start. Without this program, I don’t know where I’d be. Catholic Charities gave me more than help—they gave me a second chance to build a better future.” -P. Navarro CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ADVOCACY Year Founded: 1988 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 10 paid, 100 volunteers Budget: $1,600,000 (831) 753-2324 cca-viva.org BIG IDEA: As stressors mount for low-income and farmworker families, the Center for Community Advocacy (CCA) is stepping in. Donations will help fund a multi-year effort to provide free mental health care that meets the comprehensive needs of this community. Services range from one-on-one therapy to mental health support groups, and are available in Spanish, at convenient times and convenient locations. This Big Idea aims to care for our vulnerable neighbors before mental health issues become a crisis. “I am grateful to receive these services; they have been very helpful. Here at CCA I have gotten access quickly. I have attempted to get mental health care before and have been put on a waiting list. I got connected with CCA at the Sanborn Community Center in Acosta Plaza in Salinas when I went there for the food distribution services.” -Rocio Alfaro CENTRAL COAST VETERANS CEMETERY FOUNDATION Year Founded: 2006 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 14 volunteers Budget: $122,242 (831) 218-1780 ccvcf.com BIG IDEA: The Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation provides a dignified resting place for veterans and their spouses. However, there is more to this effort than you may realize. This Big Idea establishes a fund for final placement support, where families can receive financial assistance for costs related to transportation, cremation, burial or required documentation. After they served our country, the foundation wants to make sure loved ones experience no financial barriers while honoring FIRE SAFE COUNCIL FOR MONTEREY COUNTY Year Founded: 2001 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $197,438 (914) 409-8050 firesafemonterey.org BIG IDEA: The volunteer-driven Fire Safe Council For Monterey County works to build local knowledge and action about wildfires. This Big Idea provides educational resources that inspire residents to prepare for fires, including supporting the Firewise USA® program in 56 communities. The 17,000-plus residents of the council’s Firewise USA® communities implement proven methods to reduce wildfire harm, like defensible space, evacuation planning and home-hardening. This nonprofit also represents locals with insurers, advocating for better policies against rising rates. “The Fire Safe Council For Monterey County is at the center of Monterey County’s efforts to protect against wildfire, linking official agencies with a growing number of Firewise neighborhoods through monthly meetings, public events and grants. Since I began the process of having my neighborhood designated as a Firewise community in 2022, Fire Safe Council has provided essential information and support, allowing us to greatly improve our level of preparedness.” -Maxine Balma SPOTLIGHT “I love that every time I walk by, I hear laughter and see people having fun.” -Baylee Rianda, 9, Carmel Valley Community Youth Center
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