April has arrived, and with it comes National Volunteer Month! It’s time to celebrate the spirit of giving back, and what better way to do so than by becoming a volunteer with Community Bridges? With a plethora of opportunities to make a real difference in the lives of your neighbors, now is the perfect time to join our community-driven initiatives.
Delivering Meals to Seniors
Imagine being the friendly face that brightens up someone’s day with a nutritious meal and a warm smile. Our Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County program relies on the dedication of volunteers like you to ensure that older adults in our community receive the nourishment they need. We need more drivers to help alleviate the work we have to alleviate hunger for seniors locally.
Meals on Wheels volunteers embody community spirit by generously donating their time, saving about $200,000 annually that can go toward the meals we provide. Without their support, it would be a struggle to meet the needs of the growing older adult population in Santa Cruz County.
By volunteering just a few hours of your time each week, you can help combat loneliness, provide wellness checks, and ensure that no older adult goes hungry.
Mentoring Youth for a Brighter Future
Every child deserves a chance to thrive, and you can be the guiding light that helps them reach their full potential at Nueva Vista Community Resources in Santa Cruz and Live Oak Community Resources in mid-County.
Whether it’s assisting with homework, helping with recreational activities, or simply offering a listening ear, your support can make a world of difference to low-income youth in our Santa Cruz County community.
We need volunteers to help mentor youth during these activities to help strengthen our community. These programs keep local youth active and learning throughout the year! Every year, we provide more than 1,800 hours of youth programming, guiding children through personal, family, environmental, and community issues while equipping them with invaluable skills that will resonate throughout their lives.
Join our Summer Fun program or after-school initiatives and become a mentor that shapes the future of Santa Cruz and Live Oak.
Keeping Kids Fed and Nourished
Childhood hunger is a harsh reality for far too many families in our area. With the Summer Lunch program, operated by La Manzana Community Resources in Watsonville, we strive to ensure that no child goes hungry when school is out.
The Summer Lunch program served thousands of meals over the last three years, helping combat local childhood hunger and its deleterious impacts on the area’s youngest residents.
When school districts close for the summer many students who are not attending ongoing educational programs miss out on what sometimes is their only complete meal. It is estimated that more than 30 million children across the U.S. (about the population of Texas) depend on free meal programs such as these and it’s even more critical when the traditional sources of that access are closed for summer.
By volunteering to serve meals in South Santa Cruz County, you can play a crucial role in combating food insecurity and empowering our youngest residents for success.
Supporting Food Distributions for Those in Need
For many families, access to nutritious food is a daily struggle. Join us in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide free supplemental groceries and nutritional awareness to our community.
Whether you lend a hand at our recurring food distributions at Nueva Vista Community Resources in Santa Cruz or Mountain Community Resources in Felton, you’ll be making a direct impact on the lives of those in need.
Our food distributions at Nueva Vista Community Resources are held on the First and Third Wednesdays of every month, from 2:30pm to 5pm. Our food distributions at Mountain Community Resources are held every Thursday, from 10:30am to 11:30am. Anyone is welcome to attend either distribution. We feed nearly 150 households during each distribution.
The distributions include at least 50% fresh produce, much of it organic. Protein sources include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese. Rice, pasta, bread, tortillas, nuts, dried fruit and oil complete the menu. Clients are also offered many canned or packaged items that can be stored for use during the various power-outages, floods, and fires that have occurred in our community recently.
Joining our Board for Strategic Impact
Are you passionate about making a lasting difference? Consider serving on Community Bridges’ Board of Directors. We’re seeking individuals with expertise in legal matters, finance, community outreach, and more to help shape the future of our organization.
We have six Board Meetings each year. They are held on the third Wednesday of the month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm in a hybrid fashion. We also have strategic planning retreats with our board members that allow for their vision and skills to be reflected in the direction of Community Bridges’ impact on the community.
How to Sign-Up
This Volunteer Month let’s unite as a community and harness the power of giving back. Join us at Community Bridges and embark on a journey of meaningful impact. Together, we can build a brighter future for Santa Cruz County.
Ready to make a difference? Apply to become a volunteer at communitybridges.org/volunteer today!
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