Supervisor Martinez to speak to North County Dems
Fifth District Supervisor Monica Martinez will be the guest speaker for the Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Martinez will discuss work being done to improve the County’s ability to mitigate challenges resulting from state and federal funding cuts.
Club members will also continue efforts to support flippable Congressional Districts in California. Heidi Hall, who is running for Congress in the state’s third Congressional District, will speak to club members via Zoom.
Club meetings begin at 6:30pm and are held at the Scotts Valley Water District Community Room located at 2 Civic Center Drive. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
Registration opens for county’s longest-running job fair
Santa Cruz County’s longest-running job fair returns Oct. 30 to the Boardwalk’s Cocoanut Grove, and employers looking to hire top talent from across the region are encouraged to sign up.
Hosted by Access 2 Employment, a nonprofit founded in 1990 to help all Santa Cruz County residents advance their careers, the Access 2 Employment Job Fair provides leading local employers and staffing agencies a chance to share information about openings and opportunities with the local labor force. Prior exhibitors include the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Joby Aviation, Santa Cruz Metro, County of Santa Cruz, Big Creek Lumber, Cabrillo College, California Highway Patrol, Manpower, Martinell’s, Santa Cruz City Schools, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers and more.
Employers from every sector are welcome to sign up at access2employment.com. Sponsorships are available. Discounts may be available for public sector and nonprofit employers.
Job seekers of all ages and abilities are also welcomed to pre-register for the event. In addition to access to dozens of employers, attendees will have access to free resume review and other support for those navigating the job market.
Access 2 Employment’s mission is to increase labor force participation for all. Access 2 Employment is a volunteer-based organization made up of representatives from various local agencies and businesses with a common goal—to improve the economic outlook of Santa Cruz County by linking job seekers with employers and employment resources.
Community Action Board among Dignity Health award grantees
In response to California’s escalating homelessness crisis—where over 171,000 individuals are experiencing homelessness—the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County has been selected as one of four community-based organizations (CBOs) to receive a portion of Dignity Health’s second round of $1 million in funding through its Homeless Health Initiative (HHI).
This funding will support the expansion of interim housing services—short-term housing with supportive resources—to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable populations in Santa Cruz County.
Guided by Dignity Health’s Research & Equity Advisory Council for Housing Insecurities (REACHI), which includes individuals with lived experience of homelessness, the grant ensures that community-led insights inform the strategies to address housing insecurity effectively.
“This housing initiative is about more than just providing shelter; it’s about investing in the health and well-being of our communities,” said Julie J. Sprengel, California President of CommonSpirit Health. “By supporting these community-based organizations and listening to the lived experiences of those who have faced homelessness, we can create lasting solutions that transform lives and build stronger, more resilient communities for all.”
As part of this funding, the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County will operate a 34-bed low-barrier navigation center called “Recursos de Fuerza” in the Pajaro floodplain encampments. This facility will provide immediate access to safe, stable interim housing along with wraparound services such as housing navigation, case management, employment support, and healthcare access, all aligned with the “Housing First” model to end homelessness.
