One week still remains to participate in the annual Santa Cruz Gives fundraising event, which runs until Dec. 31. Below, Village Santa Cruz County shares the details of the program they hope to fund with support from Good Times readers. Also below, other nonprofits share their “elevator pitch,” explaining what they plan to do with the money they raise. To donate to any of these groups, visit santacruzgives.org.
Imagine: Your friend calls, saying she had briefly blacked out and fallen, hitting her head. She is on her way to Dominican Hospital via ambulance. You rush to the emergency room, ready to offer comfort, only to learn that she’s woozy, in and out of consciousness, and unable to provide the hospital with needed information. You know that she has an out-of-town son, but you have no contact information.
Instead of staying to comfort her, you must get back on Highway 1, driving south to her home during rush hour traffic, hoping that you can locate her meds and critical information when you get there.
Life is unpredictable. A medical crisis, dementia or death can leave everyone scrambling. Critical decisions about health, finances or legal matters are hard enough without the stress of searching for documents and passwords.
Village Santa Cruz County is a nonprofit, peer-support group of volunteers dedicated to aging better by increasing our social engagement, connections and mutual support. We share knowledge with each other informally but also with the community through our newsletter, presentations and workshops.
Our Santa Cruz Gives project for 2026, Preparing for Life’s Transitions: Workshops to Gather What’s Most Important, offers a systematic, proven method to organize and consolidate all essential information in one place—hard copy and digital. Topics covered include personal, legal, medical, financial, insurance, real estate, living options, daily living, crisis plan, home health, hospice and end of life.
Imagine:Your 19-year-old child, off to college for the first time, is in a horrible car accident. The hospital calls to inform you that your child is there and unconscious. You ask, “How are they? What is their status?” The nurse says, “I’m sorry, but I am not authorized to provide you with any information or allow you to make any decisions, unless you have the proper legal forms.”
Proactive planning for life’s transitions can save time, money, and heartache later. This is a gift for yourself and a legacy of care and responsibility for the people you love.
Our Santa Cruz Gives fundraising will raise money for the license and materials to offer this program to the Santa Cruz community. Please support our effort; go to santacruzgives.org. To learn more about Village Santa Cruz County, visit our homepage at villagesantacruz.org.
HOUSING
Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay—“Building affordable homes with a volunteer-led labor force and providing financing at closing for low-income, first-time homebuyers allows us to keep our local families local. For example, we recently provided mortgage assistance to a single-income household of seven and another single-income family of five on their first homes. We also have an affordable housing development to build 13 affordable homes starting in early 2026 in Watsonville on Evan Circle, and with interest rates and construction costs constantly on the rise, we are always seeking more funds to increase the affordable housing supply in Santa Cruz County.” —Scott Thomas, community impact manager
Homeless Garden Project—“Now in its 35th year, Homeless Garden Project is doing what it has long helped their unhoused clients do: find a home. After years of searching for a permanent home, HGP is beginning to cultivate annual vegetable production in its new footprint at its current site, Natural Bridges Farm. Homeless Garden Project hopes to gain the final entitlements needed to purchase 4 acres of farm land to build their permanent, consolidated site on the west side. Also of note is our forthcoming manual, Homeless Garden Project: A Guide to Transitional Employment and Therapeutic Agriculture, so that communities around the world can adopt their innovative model in their community.” —Paul Goldberg
Housing Santa Cruz County—“I spoke to a group of 30 families about housing advocacy, and I saw something heartbreaking yet powerful: a yearning for stability and home held back by barriers. That night, I planted a seed: everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home. When I was invited back a few months later, I saw that the seed had begun to bloom, with hope in their eyes, voices raised, and a belief that change is possible.” —Elaine Johnson, executive director, Housing Santa Cruz County
Long Term Recovery Group of Santa Cruz County—“Five years after the devastating CZU Lightning Fire, many families still face a steep uphill battle to rebuild due to insufficient insurance, with only a fraction of homes completed. Our project—Rebuilding Homes, Restoring Hope—tackles this challenge by mobilizing dedicated volunteers and a licensed general contractor to bring fire survivors home. With your support through Santa Cruz Gives, we can build four homes over the next two years, turning profound loss into a powerful story of recovery and resilience.” —Tonje Wold-Switzer, executive director
Pajaro Valley Shelter Services—“We are helping adults become self-sufficient and end the cycle of homelessness for their children. On average 79% of families that come through PVSS move into permanent housing—those results are more than twice the average for similar programs in SC County. Single mother Ana no longer has to search for a safe place to park the family car each night. She no longer has to put her children to bed in the back seat.” —Benna Dimig
Wings Homeless Advocacy—“Imagine finally getting housed after spending months (or maybe even years) outside, but your children are still sleeping on the floor. For too many of our newly housed neighbors, like Sandra and her two kids, that’s the reality they face on their first night indoors. Wings Advocacy’s ‘Welcome Home’ program aims to change that by delivering beds and bedding so that the first night inside feels like home.” —Naiana Brum
