Community Safety Nets

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Community Safety Nets

Whether its local youth seeking a safe place to grow and thrive, or refugees from halfway around the world looking for a better life, these organizations are serving as community safety nets and helping people feel at home here.  

Encompass Community Services

This year, Encompass is celebrating 50 years of offering behavioral health, early childhood education, and housing support services in Santa Cruz County. 

Encompass CEO Monica Martinez has been at the helm for ten years now, having previously served as executive director for Housing Matters. 2024 is looking bright for the organization, Martinez says, as long-planned projects are underway. The Santa Cruz Gives fundraising drive helps organizations with their ‘Big Idea’ project for the next year. Encompass plans to use funds to expand its Thrive Hive in 2024. 

The Thrive Hive is a drop-in resource center located at its Santa Cruz facility that provides services for individuals involved in its Transition-Age Youth (TAY) program. The center will have an outdoor area into a “healing garden” where young people can grow vegetables, spend time outside and engage in activities like meditation. 

“As you can imagine, youth who are caught up in systems like the foster care system, the probation system or experiencing homelessness often don’t have a stable and consistent resource where they can kind of have a one-stop shop access to everything that they need,” Martinez says.

Martinez says that the number of people seeking services has increased since the Covid pandemic and wants the community to know that Encompass is a safe place for youth to come get connected with services or even just hang out.

“We have really worked hard to create a space that is ‘no wrong door.’ Anybody who comes in can seek services there. Whether they are experiencing homelessness or coming out of the probation system,” Martinez says.

Encompass also has plans to break ground on a new behavioral health center in South County for 2024. The organization recently got its accreditation from the Commision on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) as a provider of clinical behavioral and rehabilitation services.

“We don’t want to be a kind of second-standard, sub-tier level of services. We want people to have the quality that they deserve. We want people to be treated with dignity and respect,” Martinez says.

Santa Cruz Welcoming Network

The Santa Cruz Welcoming Network has been providing comfort and support for people who seek asylum from war zones or persecution since 2019. 

The all-volunteer network has helped individuals from places like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Central America and Colombia. Volunteers connect personally with each asylum seeker and assist them in navigating the immigration process, securing work and housing, and getting enrolled in school. They have 100 volunteers in the county working to help refugees feel like they belong.

Paul Johnston is a retired sociology professor and volunteer with the Welcoming Network. He says that the organization started when members of Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz came together to help a refugee seeking asylum. The word spread among immigrant communities and the group added volunteers to help with the growing need.

“I think a lot of people feel a great deal of compassion and, more than that, sometimes anger and frustration about what’s happening on our border and what’s happening to people who are trying to make their way through Latin America toward our border,” Johnston says. “It’s just horrifying.”

The organization is fundraising for 2024 to continue providing basic assistance to asylum seekers and to build a legal defense fund. The legal process for asylum seekers is long and costly, with attorney and application fees in the thousands of dollars. The Welcoming Network partners with other community organizations such as Catholic Charities to match refugees with legal aid.

Johnston says that the last few years have been a learning experience for the volunteers. They don’t have a traditional staff and rely solely on individuals willing to give their free time. With the federal government now considering curbing the intake of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, Johnston feels their work is now more urgent.

“We have to turn to each other and I think that’s part of the secret of what’s made everybody develop such competency. Also, Santa Cruz has a lot of retired folks with a lot of skills, who are looking for meaningful stuff to do,” Johnston says.

Other Community Organizations:

Association of Faith Communities

Association of Faith Communities is a network of over 30 faith communities in the area that helps individuals experiencing homelessness. The organization shelters over 150 individuals annually through their Faith Community Shelter and Safe Spaces parking program. 50% of program participants move to permanent housing, according to AFC. The group also distributes over 11,000 pairs of new socks annually and provides over 1,500 hot showers annually with our mobile shower trailer.

For its Big Idea in 2024, AFC is raising money to provide laundry services for their more than 150 program participants. AFC is also currently working to develop an 8-bed family shelter that will provide families with private rooms and bathrooms.

Community Bridges

Community Bridges (CB) is a nonprofit that runs 10 programs in the county to provide essential services for families experiencing financial difficulties. The organization provides access to resources like food distribution, health education and financial assistance. In the last year, CB   has served 22,000 community members, 80% of whom earned incomes below the federal poverty level.

For its fundraising drive for 2024, CB is raising money to expand its Elderday Adult Day Health Care program, which empowers elders to live with greater independence and dignity. The program supports indoor and outdoor activities at a new facility in Watsonville, including physical activities and mental stimulation for elders with dementia.

The Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries

The Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries support the Santa Cruz Public Libraries through fundraising, volunteer services and advocacy. The organization’s goal is to help enrich county residents through accessible and diverse library programs.

For Its Big Idea in 2024, FSCPL is fundraising for its Boundless Minds program which provides access to books, materials and programming to 450 individuals incarcerated in the county jail. About 70% of incarcerated individuals read at 3rd grade level or below and literacy programs can help them not only read at a higher level, but create connections that help prevent recidivism. The program will also provide books, materials and library space for the development of a book collection for Juvenile Hall.

Grey Bears

Grey Bears is committed to improving the health and well being of local seniors through food and meal deliveries, volunteerism, resource conservation and recycling programs. U.S. Census data shows Santa Cruz County has the fastest-growing senior population in California. 

For its fundraising drive in 2024, Grey Bears is working to create the Santa Cruz County Senior Night Out series, which will organize events to foster social connection. Grey Bears is partnering with other community organizations to bring about 12 monthly events in 2024 that focus on maintaining healthy bodies and minds.

Mare Rescue Heals Horses And Program Participants

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Mare Rescue Heals Horses And Program Participants

Animal communicator Cindie Ambar volunteers weekly for Pregnant Mare Rescue in Watsonville. 

PMR is a temporary horse sanctuary committed to rescuing pregnant mares and orphan foals from abuse, advocating for the humane treatment of all horses. Ambar, of Heartsong Animal Healing, is a local animal communicator and healer and has seen horses from all walks of life, former Olympic athletes, mares used to make female hormones, and discarded horses. 

“All have been traumatized, some so severely abused or neglected that it takes a great deal of healing work and loving kindness to heal. This includes an understanding of trauma reactions and symptoms, as well as the ability to provide appropriate and compassionate support,” Ambar says. “PMR works with the horses by giving them the space and time they need to heal and allow the horses to take the lead in their own journey.”

She explains that the PMR sanctuary is different from most rescue facilities, which have a trauma-informed perspective when working with horses and provides from two to six hours of pro bono healing work and communication on a weekly basis. 

Ambar provides healing with Reiki energy since it’s a modality that can support multiple animals at the same time. Trained in 18 different healing modalities, she uses her skills to create physical, emotional, and behavioral healing for the horses on an individual basis. 

She recalls a profound healing experience for a filly named Lady. At six months of age, Lady was untouchable. Ambar made progress on the first two visits, but on the third, something remarkable happened. 

“I had been with the horses for almost twenty minutes when Lady started to close her eyes. This meant that I had established a great deal of trust, and she felt safe enough to let her guard down. She continued with eyes closed, starting to drop into sleep,” Ambar says. “She slept standing up for about half an hour, then would open her eyes, stretch, close them, and go back to sleep. After that session, we were able to connect physically.”

While her contributions make a tremendous difference, she attributes much of PMR’s success to farm manager, Denna Kelley, referring to her as “The Horse Whisperer of Santa Cruz County.” 

Kelley’s passionate journey with horses began at the age of six when she was drawn in by horses’ elegance, grace, and powerful presence. She had competed in many Equine disciplines over a period of 20 years but after getting married and starting a family, she disconnected from the horse world and began a career helping adolescents suffering from addiction and alcoholism. 

In 2012, after suffering a severe injury on the job, her dreams of continuing as a professional clinical technician ended. Suffering from depression after her injury, she began volunteering with Pregnant Mare Rescue, believing that getting back to horses was vital to her recovery. Observing the horses’ healing process sparked a personal healing journey that was far beyond anything she thought was possible. 

As the healing began, the depth of Denna’s progress was profound. Recognizing the power of reciprocal healing occurring organically, deepened her understanding of the horse and human relationship, laying out new pathways for deeper healing not only for horses but humans. 

She now manages the Pregnant Mare Rescue Sanctuary, where non-ridden and retired rescue horses reside, grazing in their beautiful eight-acre pasture. She gives guided tours offering meditation with the horses, as well as conducting programs for children and adults. She is also developing healing workshops to be offered as the pasture space evolves to facilitate these amazing Zen experiences. Denna speaks of horses as being magical and deeply grounded in a realm we can all aspire to connect to more often. 

“They assist in healing through their innate wisdom and are incredible teachers that guide us on a spiritual journey,” Denna says. 

Pregnant Mare Rescue, Watsonville – pm*******@****************ue.com

408-540-8568 Visiting hours by appointment only.

Extreme Weather Alert Sent To Residents Ahead Of Wednesday

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Extreme Weather Alert Sent To Residents Ahead Of Wednesday

On Christmas Eve, Santa Cruz County residents who signed up for CruzAware, the county’s alert system, received an extreme weather alert. 

The alert cautions residents of a rainy week starting Wednesday, along with heavy winter surf conditions, and a probability of coastal flooding. 

According to county spokesperson Jason Hoppin, the areas the county encourages to prepare for flooding include the lower lying areas around East Cliff Drive and the Rio Del Mar flats. The National Weather Service for Monterey currently predicts wave heights of 30ft, which, on top of the high tides, increases the chances of those coastal areas flooding, Hoppin says. 

The timing of this alert will likely feel all too familiar to residents: the severe weather and flood warning is reminiscent of the floods that happened nearly exactly a year ago. Last year’s floods resulted in county-wide damage.  

“It’s not quite what we saw last January, but if you did flood last year, prepare for flooding again,” Hoppin says. “I would guess East Cliff will be flooded at some point in the next few days.”  

Hoppin says one of the primary concerns is the heightened risk of sneaker waves paired with tourists and visitors who might not be as accustomed to surf precautions. Sneaker waves are a disproportionately large coastal wave that can often appear without warning, catching unsuspecting beachgoers off guard. 

“On Thursday, there’s a lower chance of rain, so the more serious concern is tidal run-up that is on Thursday morning, partly because visitors might not realize they’re putting themselves up for serious risk from sneaker waves,” Hoppin says. 

As for Wednesday, Hoppin says the primary concern is gusty winds that will probably take down power lines and block roads.

In preparation for the winter, Hoppin says the county has cleaned channels and streambeds to clear excess vegetations, compacted the Pajaro levee to try and improve integrity, and taken other routine winter preparedness measures around the county since Oct. 15.

To better communicate with unincorporated residents—136,000 people—about severe weather and natural disasters, the county launched CruzAware in June. There are around 9,000 people signed up to receive alerts, Hoppin says. 

“The system is more responsive to our needs and allows us to send out messages to residents more quickly,” Hoppin says. 

Helpful resources:

To find sandbags for floods, visit: 

dpw.santacruzcounty.us/Portals/19/Documents%20and%20Forms/Sand%20and%20Sandbag%20Locations_11_20_23.pdf 

Local road closures (unincorporated only): www.sccroadclosure.org. Local highway conditions: www.cruz511.org.


Sign up for local emergency notifications: cruzaware.org

Miramar Restaurant Could Return To Santa Cruz Wharf

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Miramar Restaurant Could Return To Santa Cruz Wharf

The Miramar Fish Grotto restaurant could return to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf with a brand new design and new ownership in the next few years.

The Historic Preservation Commission, which reviews new buildings that might change heritage structures, saw preliminary plans for the new restaurant on Wednesday night. 

Currently, the Humble Sea pop-up occupies the site. 

Fuse Architects presented the project. Fuse’s other projects include the interior of Verve downtown. The city is in negotiations with Mark Gilbert of the Firefish Grill and the Dolphin to lease the new building. In February, Gilbert got the go ahead from the city to draw up the plans for a two-story restaurant.

The old Miramar restaurant was opened in the late 1960’s, closed in 2015, and razed in 2019 due to general disrepair, according to Development Manager David McCormic. 

The proposed two-story building will be on a 7,000 square feet lot, and includes an outdoor deck with a roof, an exhibition kitchen, an oyster bar, with 450-500 total seats. An indoor and outdoor staircase will lead to the roof. 

“That’s larger than the UCSC dining hall,” said Commissioner Frank Zwart.

The interior plans have the building split up into distinct areas to facilitate a different experience everytime you come, said architect Dan Gomez.

Even though the building is divided into different functional spaces, the design went to extreme ends to keep the building open to the front which Gomez called a “one-sided main street.”  Large glass windows on both sides of the building are meant to invite people in and let people see out. This is in contrast to the wharf’s opaque architecture from the 1980’s, and a return to the fish-stalls of the past.

The design of the building is meant to evoke the different eras of wharf buildings: vent stacks to disguise the elevator they propose, redwood-slabs at the main entry, and the original Miramar neon signage if the restauranter wants to keep the name.

“[The sign] is sitting in the wharf yard, in a shed,” said McCormic. 

McCormic is also overseeing the Wharf Master Plan which the City Council will decide on January 9th. The plan proposes new pedestrian walkways on the east and west sides of the wharf (the westward pathway being closer to the water), expanded boat-landings, infrastructure repairs, and a sitting-area at the end of the wharf with a rebuilt historic pavilion. The group, Don’t Morph the Wharf, opposes the plan on environmental and anti-commercialization grounds. 

Commissioners were generally pleased, but Commissioner David Subocz thought the building should be “simplified” and criticized the zinc gabled-roof. It does not conform to the traditional flat-line and flat-roof vernacular of the wharf’s moderne period, Subocz said. 

Dan Gomez pushed back, pointing to several pictures of gabled-roofs on old fishing shacks from the early 20th century. Flat roofs are more work to clean because of the large amount of bird detritus, he said. 

“I think the context here is what would a fisherman do? So I would urge you for a little while at least to take off your architect hat and put on your fisherman hat,” said Zwart about the idea of simplification.

Mark Gilbert says it is “all about the food,” and he  hopes the city will go ahead with his design, but understands that everyone wants their two cents in the process. 

“The offer is on the table. They have a little while to make up their mind. They’ve talked themselves out of a couple other restaurants,” Gilbert said. 

A big consideration for the architects are the southwest winds and often cloudy conditions which is why the outside dining area will be covered. The second floor will allow views of both the Boardwalk and Steamers Lane.

McCormic expects construction to start sometime in 2025. The project will return to the Historical Commission and the City Council in 2024 for approval. Humble Sea Brewery is invited to stay at the site until construction begins. 

Boardwalk’s New Boardwalk

The Seaside Company’s Kris Reyes presented a new wrap-around boardwalk on the beach connecting the colonnade to the picnic area on Beach Street. The Commissioners approved the project unanimously within 10 minutes. 

The project will now be presented to the California Coastal Commission. 

Record Number Of Unhoused Deaths

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Record Number Of Unhoused Deaths

Around 200 people went to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Thursday for the annual Homeless Memorial to pay tribute to the record number of unhoused people who died this year. 

Marie Riggs was among those in attendance.

About seven years ago, Marie Riggs was living in a homeless shelter and addicted to alcohol, wondering how she would survive this low point in her life.

“I was a hopeless mess,” she says. “I had no idea how to live, I didn’t know how to act.”

But Riggs also had a friend in Charles Green, who encouraged her to join a program that would help her get clean. He even drove her to the front door of the program and visited her every two weeks, she says. 

She was there to honor Green, who is no longer in her life. He died this year at 68 while experiencing homelessness.

“He smiled all the time, and he just encouraged,” she says. “He never gave up on me.”

Joey Crottogini, Health Center Manager for the Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP), says that 122 people died this year, a record number and a 40% increase from last year.

The number includes 61 who died from accidental Fentanyl overdoses. 

A recent census counted roughly 1,800 homeless people in Santa Cruz County, a number that does not include those that are doubling up in acquaintances’ homes or “couch surfing,” Crottogini said. 

“What we’re hoping to do today is really honor and celebrate the lives of those that we’ve lost and bring some dignity and respect to them as well. These aren’t just people experiencing homelessness,” Crottogini said. “These are human beings that we’ve loved, that we’ve worked with. They’re family members.”

The event is also intended to  bring attention to the issues affecting unhoused people, Crottogini says. 

“We want to bring attention to the fact that this is unacceptable for our community,” he says. 

David Davis, who produced a report on the county’s homeless population, says that this year’s number living outside decreased from last year, thanks to efforts to successfully house 911 people. 

Still, the number of those that died is sobering, Davis said.

“This is the first year that we’ve eclipsed 100 deaths in a calendar year,” he said. 

A man who identified himself as “Joe” was sitting outside the Civic after the ceremony, sitting on a beat-up backpack and smoking a cigarette. He says he came out of respect for his “brothers and sisters.”

“It could be me they’re honoring next,” he says. 

65 Units Of Affordable Housing Coming To Watsonville

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65 Units Of Affordable Housing Coming To Watsonville

65 units of affordable housing are coming to Watsonville, thanks to a grant awarded to The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO).  

Metro announced that it received a $2,000,000 grant from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments’ (AMBAG) on Thursday afternoon. The funds will be used to redevelop METRO’s Watsonville Transit Center into an affordable, transit-oriented housing development. 

The grant funding will cover the architecture and engineering phase of the project, a two-year process that will begin in January 2024 and conclude in December 2025 with a fully designed, permitted project that will be ready to move to construction. 

The announcement comes on the same day that new METRO services start in Watsonville, bringing the wait time between buses that bring passengers from Watsonville to Santa Cruz down from one hour to 30 minutes. 

Watsonville City Council Member Eduardo Montesino who represents District 1—the district where the affordable housing project is slated to be built—said that the project will address both transit inequity and a need for more lower income housing. 

“It’s going to be great for the community,” Montesino said. “To have those opportunities, for transportation and housing. We’re in a situation where we’re living more than 1 household per unit.” 

Montesino credits the grant and the expansion of services to Watsonville to METRO’s new CEO, Michael S. Tree. Tree took the helm in 2022 and has since had what Montesino calls a vision. 

“I’ve worked for the district for more than 20 years, always been in the cutting mode – cutting services, which have gotten more expensive,” Montesino said. “This is the first time we’re talking about increasing services. He’s getting grants, the community involved, and tap into different resources. It’s actually very exciting.” 

Overall, Montesino said, the new transit hub and affordable housing will be a game-changer for the community.

“Families will be able to afford to live in the community,” Montesino said. “We’re being pushed out more to southern areas. People will be able to stay and still live here.” 

Man Died Wednesday Morning In Highway 1 Crash

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Man Died Wednesday Morning In Highway 1 Crash

The 27-year-old Santa Cruz man died in a Wednesday morning in a single-vehicle crash has been identified as Cesar Ramirez-Garcia.

California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said Ramirez-Garcia was driving southbound at an undetermined speed on Highway 1 north of Morrissey Boulevard at 7:44am.

For unknown reasons, the white 2001 Ford F-150 veered off the roadway and overturned. 

As a result of the crash, the Ramirez-Garcia died Wednesday morning after the driver suffered major injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel, despite their life saving efforts. 

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

“It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs are a factor in this crash at this time,” Murillo said.

CHP Captain Aaron Ching Bids Farewell

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CHP Captain Aaron Ching Bids Farewell

While some retirees may sail off into the sunset, California Highway Patrol Captain Aaron Ching is taking a new approach to that old adage as he prepares to paddle into the sunset. 

Thanks to Neftali Espino of Honeymoon Surfboards and efforts by CHP staff, Ching was handed a new 6-foot handcrafted redwood surfboard on Dec. 15 during a retirement ceremony for him at the CHP Aptos office.

With about 30 personnel on hand, a dispatcher read a final farewell statement over the CHP patrol radio: “We bid you a fond farewell today, after 27 years of exemplary service. You began your journey at the CHP Academy on May 20, 1996.” 

Ching started out as a motorcycle officer and went on to become a sergeant in 2007. In 2013 Ching was promoted to lieutenant and  commander of the judicial protection section.

On top of a list of other duties, Ching became a captain in 2018 and transferred to Santa Cruz area CHP in 2020.

“You have been dedicated to the community and played a number of significant roles as a first responder,” the dispatcher said. “Capt. Ching, you are leaving an indelible mark with the CHP and the community.”

Born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands, Ching moved to California to pursue a career with the CHP. As a captain he has overseen 63 uniformed personnel.

Maureen McCarthy presented a framed certificate of recognition to Ching on behalf of assemblywoman Gail Pellerin’s office.

“I will miss all of you,” Ching said. “This is a bittersweet exit; I will always be thinking of you.”

Street Talk

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Street Talk

What do you love about a rainy day?

Alissa Maya, 31, Herbalist

“I think my favorite part of a rainy day is that it gets people to slow down. Whatever you’re doing, you have to take a moment to pause and be more aware. It’s something that we don’t often do anymore.” —Alissa

Jerry Abreu, 53, Owner, Level Up Video Games

“Being cozy inside, chilling on my family room couch playing a favorite game. I’m a mad scientist with my coffee, so I’ll make an espresso or a latte or a pour-over.” —Jerry

Sarah Abreu, 25, Graphic Designer

“I like that everything feels revived and fresh. Nature feels brighter when it rains. I like being inside with the windows open because I can smell the rain and the fresh air.” —Sarah

Trinity Jones, 22, Artist

“My favorite part of rainy days is no harsh sunlight and no shadows cast. It’s foggy, which I really like, and it’s cold. I really hate super bright sunny days when shadows are super-dark.” —Trinity

Matt Cavalli, 42, Shop Keep at Moon Kissed

”It’s beautiful! Reading books and drinking tea. I like ghost stories, so I’d probably be reading ghost stories.” —Matt

Francine Besson, 37, Asst. Manager at Toque Blanche

“Hot cider with our mulling spice and enjoying the coziness of home. The simmering spiced cider makes the house smell so good, and the Star Anise in the mulling spice really makes it for me.” —Francine

Nonprofits Participating in Santa Cruz Gives: Animal Welfare

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Nonprofits Participating in Santa Cruz Gives: Animal Welfare

The holiday season is marked with gathering friends and family—for many, the umbrella of family often includes beloved furry friends, the pets who sit beside us whatever the holidays bring.   

Below are a few nonprofits participating in Santa Cruz Gives that are finding creative ways to bring shelter animals and people together, and also helping owners keep their pets throughout financial difficulty. 

Organization: BirchBark

BirchBark has overspent its budget for the past year. 

The foundation, which works with lower-income people facing high bills for lifesaving veterinary visits, budgeted $120,000 in grants to provide assistance for people facing unexpected emergency costs. But, in response to a high demand of people needing financial assistance to save a pet’s life, the foundation made the decision to surpass its budget for grants. 

“We provide a service that a lot of people really need,” says Executive Director Donna Odryna.

The organization was founded by local veterinarian Merrianne Burtch, who noticed a troubling trend in her line of work.  

“Her reason for organizing the Foundation was to address something that a lot of veterinarians deal with, which is they have a client that comes in and they’ve got an emergency situation with their family pet, dog or cat most of the time, and they can’t afford it,” Odryna says. “Suddenly, people find themselves with a big health care bill that they can’t afford. Miriam was seeing a lot of pets having to be euthanized, just due to financial hardship.” 

Under the BirchBark Foundation, if a client qualifies, all they have to contribute is 25% of their vet total bill. The vet partner will reduce the fee and make a contribution of 25%, and the foundation will pick up the remaining 50%. On average, the foundation gives out grants for about $1,500—that’s up from what it was just a few years ago, when the average grant size was $1,200.  

The past year alone, BirchBark has provided financial assistance to 90 individual families and provided a total of $133,000 in financial grants. 

The foundation also provides a free grief counseling group to support people who recently lost a pet. In the past year, the organization has supported 200 people dealing with grief over a lost pet. 

Donations to the organization through Santa Cruz Gives campaign will go directly to helping families cover veterinary expenses. 

“The human-animal bond is so important,” Odryna says. “It’s a foundation and a fabric in our community.”

Organization: Unchained

The nonprofit Unchained matches at-risk youth with shelter dogs together to teach positive communication and interaction skills to the youth while saving the lives of dogs.

The eight-week program has kids who are at juvenile detention centers or kids at alternative education high schools help train a shelter dog. 

What Marlo BotelloAepli, the Executive Director of Unchained, sees as she facilitates these kids training dogs is a building of confidence. 

“We find great dogs that are kind of untrained and maybe haven’t gotten a lot of attention themselves,” BotelloAepli says. “The minute you bring the dog, the kid’s shoulders relax. For these kids to have some restorative justice where no matter what happened to get them landed there, they’re not one dimensional, they can still do wonderful things. And for them to see their dog transform over those six weeks or eight weeks is just amazing.” 

Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost moods. BotelloAepli says that she sees kids relax first-hand throughout the course of the program, which makes it the ideal setting for introspection. 

What Unchained wants to explore, with the help of funds raised through Santa Cruz Gives, is connecting with therapists, so that the program might improve kids’ emotional and social well being. A professional facilitator will guide students through structured activities and discussions designed to encourage introspection and self-awareness

“Whatever kids have been put through, maybe have biases against them, and for them to be able to fit with those dogs who also had that rough start,” BotelloAepli says. “We get to have deeper conversations and they can really kind of better understand themselves to the world that they’re in.” 

Other Organizations Helping Animals: 

Below are additional animal welfare nonprofits participating in Santa Cruz Gives.

Santa Cruz SPCA welcomes all kinds of dogs and cats, including those that might be at risk in other shelters—the organization never euthanizes an animal due to long stays or crowding. With donation funds, the organization plans to: see over 500 homeless animals adopted; give away 75,000 pounds of pet food to locals in need; teach 2,672 school children about humane animal care practices; and, host 20,000 hours of soul-nourishing, animal-care volunteer hours.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation wants to expand access to veterinary care for the neediest animals in Santa Cruz County. This would include improved access to spay/neuter services, which improves quality of health, reduce homelessness and overpopulation, and saves lives.

Community Safety Nets

Community Safety Nets
Whether its local youth seeking a safe place to grow and thrive, or refugees from halfway around the world looking for a better life, these organizations are serving as community safety nets and helping people feel at home here.   Encompass Community Services This year, Encompass is celebrating 50 years of offering behavioral health, early childhood education, and housing support services in...
Read more

Mare Rescue Heals Horses And Program Participants

Mare rescue
Animal communicator Cindie Ambar volunteers weekly for Pregnant Mare Rescue in Watsonville.  PMR is a temporary horse sanctuary committed to rescuing pregnant mares and orphan foals from abuse, advocating for the humane treatment of all horses. Ambar, of Heartsong Animal Healing, is a local animal communicator and healer and has seen horses from all walks of life, former Olympic athletes,...
Read more

Extreme Weather Alert Sent To Residents Ahead Of Wednesday

Extreme Weather Alert
On Christmas Eve, Santa Cruz County residents who signed up for CruzAware, the county’s alert system, received an extreme weather alert.  The alert cautions residents of a rainy week starting Wednesday, along with heavy winter surf conditions, and a probability of coastal flooding.  According to county spokesperson Jason Hoppin, the areas the county encourages to prepare for flooding include the lower...
Read more

Miramar Restaurant Could Return To Santa Cruz Wharf

Restaurant Could Return
The Miramar Fish Grotto restaurant could return to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf with a brand new design and new ownership in the next few years. The Historic Preservation Commission, which reviews new buildings that might change heritage structures, saw preliminary plans for the new restaurant on Wednesday night.  Currently, the Humble Sea pop-up occupies the site.  Fuse Architects presented the project....
Read more

Record Number Of Unhoused Deaths

Record Number Of Unhoused
Around 200 people went to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Thursday for the annual Homeless Memorial to pay tribute to the record number of unhoused people who died this year.  Marie Riggs was among those in attendance. About seven years ago, Marie Riggs was living in a homeless shelter and addicted to alcohol, wondering how she would survive this low...
Read more

65 Units Of Affordable Housing Coming To Watsonville

Units Of Affordable Housing
65 units of affordable housing are coming to Watsonville, thanks to a grant awarded to The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO).   Metro announced that it received a $2,000,000 grant from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments’ (AMBAG) on Thursday afternoon. The funds will be used to redevelop METRO’s Watsonville Transit Center into an affordable, transit-oriented housing development.  The grant...
Read more

Man Died Wednesday Morning In Highway 1 Crash

Police Arrest
The 27-year-old Santa Cruz man died in a Wednesday morning in a single-vehicle crash has been identified as Cesar Ramirez-Garcia. California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said Ramirez-Garcia was driving southbound at an undetermined speed on Highway 1 north of Morrissey Boulevard at 7:44am. For unknown reasons, the white 2001 Ford F-150 veered off the roadway and overturned.  As a...
Read more

CHP Captain Aaron Ching Bids Farewell

Capt. Aaron Ching
While some retirees may sail off into the sunset, California Highway Patrol Captain Aaron Ching is taking a new approach to that old adage as he prepares to paddle into the sunset.  Thanks to Neftali Espino of Honeymoon Surfboards and efforts by CHP staff, Ching was handed a new 6-foot handcrafted redwood surfboard on Dec. 15 during a retirement ceremony for...
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Street Talk

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What do you love about a rainy day?
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Nonprofits Participating in Santa Cruz Gives: Animal Welfare

Nonprofits Participating in Santa Cruz Gives
The holiday season is marked with gathering friends and family—for many, the umbrella of family often includes beloved furry friends, the pets who sit beside us whatever the holidays bring.    Below are a few nonprofits participating in Santa Cruz Gives that are finding creative ways to bring shelter animals and people together, and also helping owners keep their pets throughout...
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