COMMUNITIES ORGANIZED FOR RELATIONAL POWER IN ACTION (COPA) Year Founded: 2003 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 750 volunteers Budget: $420,500 (831) 728-3210 copaiaf.org BIG IDEA: How do you learn to speak effectively about an issue that matters to you? COPA, or Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action, develops everyday people with passion into trained civic leaders. In the past year, COPA has taught 300 leaders new ways to think about power and act relationally, 200 of whom were new to civic leadership. This Big Idea empowers local leaders to work together for a better collective future. “I had never thought of myself as the kind of person who would negotiate with politicians or business experts. Then I was introduced to COPA and learned how to organize people to solve their problems. Through COPA I was able to negotiate with hospitals and county supervisors to make sure some of these positions were set aside for farmworkers in the southern end of our county—my community. I had a seat at the table. This summer I hosted enrollment for Esperanza Care at my church and I watched 75 people—mostly mothers with their children—get access to health care for the first time in years. I am immensely proud of what I have been able to accomplish through COPA.” -Maricela Acevedo THE EPICENTER Year Founded: 2014 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 10 paid, 15 volunteers Budget: $1,069,555 (831) 998-7291 epicentermonterey.org BIG IDEA: Housing, employment, education and health provide the four pillars for The Epicenter and its Big Idea. This nonprofit offers interconnected support that helps youth break cycles of poverty and begin to thrive. The Epicenter mobilizes peer-led street teams to help reduce youth homelessness; drop-in programs provide basic needs like food and clothing and substance abuse prevention services promote healing. This one-stop resource hub helps more than 300 at-risk and system-involved young adults each year. “The Epicenter to me means people that wake up everyday with the mission of making the world a better place, one youth at a time. It is a collection of people with endless love and support in helping the community. They remind you that it is never too late to ask for help and work as hard as they can to help you get where you want. They inspire me every day through their compassion and acceptance of anyone that has the courage to ask for support.” -Darby Dagenais FIRE SAFE COUNCIL FOR MONTEREY COUNTY Year Founded: 2001 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $104,870 (914) 409-8050 firesafemonterey.org BIG IDEA: Do you know what “defensible space” means? How about “fire-safe” practices? As wildfire risk increases, the Fire Safe Council For Monterey County is ramping up its efforts to educate the public on wildfire resilience and help stabilize insurance availability. This nonprofit’s Big Idea emphasizes the importance of engagement from community members to achieve wildfire-adapted communities. Donations to this effort will expand community awareness and participation in Firewise USA® and other preparedness programs. “The Fire Safe Council For Monterey County has been an invaluable partner to the Robles Firewise Group and to many other Firewise communities 66 Monterey County GIVES! 2026 mcgives.com COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICES DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM “Local news is expensive— and vital.” -Susan M., Fund for Independent Journalism in Monterey County GATEWAY CENTER OF MONTEREY COUNTY Year Founded: 1979 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 119 paid, 51 volunteers Budget: $8,988,000 (831) 372-8002 gatewaycenter.org BIG IDEA: For decades, Gateway Center of Monterey County has operated campuses for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Pacific Grove, Marina and Salinas. But after constant use, these facilities are in need of upgrades. This Big Idea builds on the success of last year’s campaign, which funded a critical electrical infrastructure upgrade on the Pacific Grove campus. This Gateway Center Improvement Initiative seeks funds to restore residences, day program spaces and other communal areas in their aging facilities so this nonprofit can continue serving this community. “My granddaughter has been a resident of the Reindollar Home since 2009, and I am deeply grateful for the care and support she has received. The staff always treat her with kindness, respect and genuine compassion, helping her grow in confidence and independence. Knowing she is safe, valued and cared for gives our family tremendous peace of mind. Gateway Center has truly changed her life—and ours.” -Audra Krebs SPOTLIGHT
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