With your support and trust, CAB reached almost 11,000 people in the past year. It was our honor to be of service as we kept families housed, supported aspiring citizens with their immigration cases, and trained future workers in job readiness as they overcame barriers to employment.  We also got creative; the increasing complexity of COVID-worsened poverty required programmatic innovation. We found new ways to authentically engage with indigenous language speaking and immigrant communities, to develop enriched connections with local youth and their families, and to meet the needs of housing-insecure and unsheltered people across the county.

In the coming year, we invite your continued support as we work to: 

• Elevate experiences: During our Community Action Plan process we’ll focus on “voces del pueblo” (community voices), listening to BILPOC experiences of poverty across Santa Cruz County.
• Learn from data: We’ll build more efficient data systems for all CAB services so we can develop stronger data informed solutions to better guide programs and measure our impact.
• Lead with equity: We’ll finalize CAB’s Equity Policy Statement which will both ground and expand our vision for systemic transformation; and we’ll implement CAB’s second cohort for our Equity Academy, building staff’s capacity and understanding in Community Action Agencies’ roles in the larger movement for economic justice.
• Explore development: We’ll create a Facility Acquisition Subcommittee to explore possible social purpose real estate opportunities.
• Nurture networks:  We’ll keep building strength and momentum in critical policy areas with our Community Action partners, regionally, statewide, and nationally.
• Reinforce CAB’s commitments:  We’ll continue cultivating the Thriving Immigrants Collaborative; ensure whole family care and critical linkages in each of our CAB programs; and fortify CAB’s role as a strategic and service-focused partner in the areas of housing and homelessness, immigration, employment and emergency support. We’ll also continue to create strategies for overall agency wellbeing, because we know that when we feel good, we do good!

The work ahead sparks excitement and hope for our community’s future.  We invite you to be an active partner with CAB by volunteering, donating, and engaging in our movement. We do this work together!  ¡Adelante CAB, Adelante Comunidad! 

With sincere gratitude – Mil Gracias,

MaríaElena De La Garza
Executive Director