People We've Worked With
"I have been working with them for the past 3 or 4 years – as soon as I took on the [Adopt A Family] program… they adopted a lot of our families, and provided gifts for each family member. It was so awesome, and we were very grateful, and our families were all happy with their Christmas gifts. I really appreciate all the work that they put into the program and each one of their volunteers was so sweet and so kind. The day they turned the gifts in, they were very organized, and managed to have two vans full of Christmas gifts! Thank you so much to the Student Volunteer Center – without them we could of not done this program. I really love and really appreciate them and let them know the families were so happy with all of their Christmas gifts."
Pat Gorman - Jesus Mary and Joseph Home
“The Student Volunteer Center has helped us in many ways. One wonderful thing they did was fund, build and organize an organic garden at the homeless shelter. Students built planter boxes, and planted a variety of vegetables. Now we have a sustainable organic garden that feeds homeless residents and the terminally ill residents. The Student Volunteer Center has also helped organize and work in our yard, garden, and storage area to keep it clean and neat. Another big event was the Human Race. They have participated to help raise funds and awareness for our shelter and raised around 500 dollars. During our Christmas drive they were also wonderful. They took names and wishes at our shelter and provided them with beautiful gifts. Regular UC student volunteers that come and work at our shelter also help in a variety of ways from tutoring, to child care, to play groups, to assisting our house manager and preparing rooms for new residents. They are also consistently helping our director in many ways as well as getting the word out there about our program and asking for donations and things for children at the shelter. They also do one on one with children and residents as well. A number of volunteers that have become part of extended family have graduated but continue to keep in touch, which is an amazing thing. We really appreciate everything that the Student Volunteer Center has done for us.”
One HUGE asset our organization needed was a website. SVC helped our dreams come true by approving a grant to create our website and maintain it for 10 years! The support SVC has given us is incredible, and we are extremely grateful for their commitment to public service. This month, when the director of our non-profit travels to Chicago to attends the nation’s biggest conference for oncology, she will be handing out business cards with a flashy new statement: abchealthgroup.org
Thank you for recognizing the need of the Santa Cruz homeless and playing a huge part in bridging the gap in their access to technology. This grant not only improved the Empowerment Center resources, but it boosted morale; turning "I'm sorry we can't" into "sure let's do that." It makes a world of difference. I couldn't have done it without the SVC's constant availability and generosity.
Healthy Girls Santa Cruz aims to empower adolescent female-identified individuals through the promotion of self-esteem, leadership, and community-building. With the help of a supportive group environment, we work to foster a desire for self-discovery over the lifespan as well as an appreciation for giving back to the community. We’re a group designed for girls and we talk about the things that matter. Relationships, bodies, emotions, drugs and alcohol - the list goes on.We make art and we help our community. We’re about discovery, learning, and all around feeling good:about ourselves, others, and the world. We’re about power, finding yours and noticing when it’s being denied to you or others and working to get that power back. We’re here to love, respect, and grow. The Student Volunteer Center grant has allowed us to have the proper materials to execute our group activities. We are currently running four different groups serving diverse students populations in Watsonville and Santa Cruz. As the year comes to an end the SVC grant has allowed us to pass along art supplies, journals and the physical
tools to continue the groups next year as Jacqui and myself go off to graduate school. Students at UC Santa Cruz, UCSC Psychology Field Study, The Santa Cruz County Office and the middle/high school girls all benefit from Healthy Girls. As the founder of this program I look forward to seeing the program grow and prospers as students from UCSC expand the program next year.
