Businesses play an important community service role in Santa Cruz
County by leveraging their resources to support community service
organizations. Employers make direct contributions and motivate
their staff to invest in the community as well.
Donate and offer company resources - Donate to community
service organizations and events or offer products, services, or
the use of your facility. Donate used or surplus equipment.
Encourage employees to volunteer and donate - Recognize
employee volunteers. Match employee giving. For example, a local
business promotes employee giving through a local United Way program
(479-5466) by matching employee contributions. Another business
gives employees time off to do volunteer work. Take on a signature
cause for your company that all employees can get behind.
Host events - For example, a local restaurant hosts a dinner
for volunteers of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Enlist suppliers or customers - Encourage suppliers and
customers to get involved with community service organizations that
your company supports.
Mentoring, internships, and work-study - Help improve the
future labor pool by providing mentoring, internship or work-study
programs. Introduce students to new career paths and contribute
to job training.
Support economically distressed areas - These areas are
identified by high unemployment, poor infrastructure, and minimal
access to capital. Consider locating your business in US Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designated Enterprise Zones.
The City of Watsonville is a designated HUD Enterprise Zone which
means that businesses that locate there earn special tax incentives.
Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County
www.scvolunteercenter.com/volunteer/default.asp
Provides an extensive list of volunteer opportunities in Santa Cruz County.
Community Bridges/ Puentes de la Comunidad
www.communitybridges.org
Offers:
Meals on Wheels
Volunteers are always needed for home delivered meals. Meals
are dispatched from 10:00 am - noon, Monday -Friday from their
kitchen location in Live Oak. Opportunities for business
involvement with their "Let's Do Lunch" program are also
available. Meals are delivered to your business for dispatch
near the business location. Dining sites are great places to
get to know the seniors in your community. Assistance at the
site with meal service, phones, clerical support or entertainment
is welcomed. Call (831) 464-3180
Elderday
Welcomes volunteers of all ages, talents, and abilities. (831) 458-3481
Dominican Hospital
www.dominicanhospital.org
You can make a difference at Dominican by volunteering as little
as four hours a week. The Hospital is open 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, so there are times available to fit almost
anyone's schedule. Call the volunteer office at 831 462 7740
or email dvolinfo@chw.edu for more information.
Habitat for Humanity
www.webglow.com/habitat/volunteer/index.htm
Fill out an online volunteer application at the website or call:
(831) 685-1005
Barrios Unidos
www.barriosunidos.com
E-Mail: barrios@cruzio.com, (831) 457-8208. Call to find out about
volunteer opportunities. Your business can help youth by providing
access to multimedia technologies for at-risk youth who are making
positive changes in their lives.
Centro De Familia / Familia Center
http://iccs.csumb.edu/html/community/famres/fc.html
To volunteer or for more information call (831) 423-5747 Monday-Friday,
9-12, 1-5
New Life Community Services
www.infopoint.com/sc/orgs/newlife/page2.html#volunteers
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties
www.thefoodbank.org
Homeless Garden Project
www.infopoint.com/sc/orgs/garden/involved.html
426-3609. The mission of the Homeless Garden Project is to employ
and train homeless people in Santa Cruz County within a community
supported organic garden enterprise.
United Way of Santa Cruz County
www.unitedwaysc.org
United Way of Santa Cruz County builds partnerships and secures
resources to address critical needs and solve community problems
in Santa Cruz County. Although part of a nationwide network, United
Way of Santa Cruz County is an independent not-for-profit organization
committed to improving the quality of life for the people of Santa
Cruz County.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County
www.santacruzbbbs.org
Provides quality mentoring services to children in Santa Cruz
County. Children matched with caring adult mentors are far more
likely to stay in school, away from drugs and alcohol, and out of
the juvenile justice system. Having a Big Brother or Big Sister
makes a big difference in the life of a child.
Valley Churches United
www.vcum.org/mission.html
The Valley Churches United Missions is a coalition of community
and church volunteers coming together to perform humanitarian acts
by providing direct aid assistance in the form of food and shelter
to San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley residents in their time of
crisis. Their programs include: Food Pantry, Crisis rent/mortgage
assistance, crisis utility assistance to avoid shut off, crisis
medical and dental assistance, senior low income food distribution,
USDA monthly food distribution, Senior low income food distribution,
disaster relief center.
Centro De Familia / Familia Center
iccs.csumb.edu/html/community/famres/fc.html
To volunteer or for more information call (831) 423-5747 Monday-Friday,
9-12, 1-5.
Live Oak Family Resource Center
www.communitybridges.org/liveoak.html
1438 Capitola Road Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 476-7284
email: lofrc@cbridges.org
La Manzana Community Resources
www.communitybridges.org/lamanzana.html
521 Main Street Suite Y
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 763-3105
Mountain Community Resources
www.mountaincommunityresources.org
231 Main St./P.O. Box 105
Ben Lomond, CA. 95005
(831) 336-2553
volunteer@mountaincommunityresources.org
Davenport Resource Service Center
www.cabinc.org/DRSC/
P.O. Box 97
Daveport, CA 95017
(831) 425-8115
drsc@cabinc.org
