Program Host
Office of the Public Defender
The Office of the Public Defender is proud to act as the program’s host and manager, providing administrative management and coordination to the funded partners, in order to help ensure the success and longevity of the program. Ali Saidi, Deputy Public Defender Immigration Attorney with the Office of the Public Defender, helped develop the program and now serves as the Director of Stand Together CoCo.
For more information, visit http://co.contra-costa.ca.us/1555/Public-Defender
Partnering Organizations
The network is a multi-agency partnership lead by Catholic Charities of the East Bay and including Bay Area Community Resources, Centro Legal de la Raza, International Institute of the Bay Area, Jewish Family and Community Services, Monument Impact, and Oakland Community Organizations, all under the administrative supervision of the Contra Costa County Office of the Public Defender.
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Rooted in compassion and human dignity for all, Catholic Charities of the East Bay works with youth, children, and families to promote self-sufficiency, strengthen families, and pursue safety and justice. Our programs help people facing difficult circumstances so that they can move forward in life with greater independence.
Welcoming the Stranger — Immigration legal services so that people can live and work without fear and refugee resettlement and support services for people fleeing violence or persecution;
Fostering Self-sufficiency — Financial assistance for qualified families and seniors facing eviction; family literacy programs to help people gain skills that improve opportunity;
Healing Trauma — Crisis counseling, victim support, restorative practices, and training to help individuals, families and schools in the aftermath of homicide or pervasive violence; support for children overcoming the trauma of trafficking.
For more information, visit http://www.cceb.org/
Monument Impact
Monument Impact (MI) was founded in 2001 to address the many social, economic and political barriers that impact low-income immigrants living in Concord’s Monument Corridor. Given the opportunity to engage in identifying solutions to the challenges they face, our community members possess the leadership, social connections and drive to build a vibrant and healthy community. Our mission is to actively engage residents in training and tools that promote economic self-sufficiency, civic engagement, health and safety, community connections, and lifelong learning.
This past year, Monument Impact served well over 12,000 local residents through these inter-related programs:
Workforce Development: Our workforce programs focus on economic advancement and serve 250 people annually. They include Technology classes (beginner through advanced Career Track); CalWorks job readiness for refugees; emerging business support; and our long-standing Day Labor Program. These programs offer multiple pathways for community members to improve their income. In addition, ESL and professional development augment skill-building for residents to secure better paying jobs and promotions.
Community Engagement: We work with community leaders to build their leadership and advocacy skills. Residents identify issues of great concern and then advocate for policy to improve our community. MI also offers immigration legal services in partnership with Jewish Family & Community Services as well as our free Monument Community Shuttle. As part of Stand Together CoCo, we look forward to strengthening civic engagement across communities in Central Contra Costa.
Healthy Community: Our evidenced-based mental health program, Mentes Positivas en Acción (MPA), is led by trained community promotores. Designed to reach Spanish-speaking residents who self-identity as living with stress and depression, MPA reaches 140 people a year. Our Monument Moves program, also led by promotores, offers weekly physical activity and monthly nutrition workshops in the parks to 160 people annually.
For more information, visit http://www.monumentimpact.org/.
Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay
Rooted in Jewish values and historical experiences, and inspired by the strengths of the diverse communities we serve, Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay (JFCS East Bay) promotes the well-being of individuals and families by providing essential mental health and social services through every stage of life. Since 1877, JFCS East Bay has served as a vital safety net in the East Bay, serving seniors and their families, children and parents, and refugees and immigrants of all religions, races, and backgrounds.
JFCS East Bay provides services in three principal program areas:
- Refugees & Immigrants: JFCS East Bay resettles refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, the former Soviet Union, and African countries who are fleeing violence and persecution. The agency helps refugees find new homes, secure jobs, enroll in school, access medical and mental health care, and adjust to their new lives in the U.S. JFCS East Bay also has a comprehensive immigration legal services program.
- Children & Parents: JFCS East Bay provides mental health services for preschool-age children who live in poverty and have been exposed to violence and trauma. Most of the children served are African Americans and Latinos living in Oakland.
- Older Adults: JFCS East Bay helps seniors age with dignity and security in their own homes. The agency offers aging consultations, home care, meal delivery, financial assistance, counseling, social opportunities, and more. JFCS East Bay also provides specialized support for 260 Holocaust survivors living in the East Bay.
For more information, visit https://jfcs-eastbay.org/
Oakland Community Organizations
The Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) is a broad-based organization of 40 congregations and 15 schools, representing over 40,000 families across Oakland, committed to building a powerful multi-faith, multi-racial, intergenerational, and prophetic force for racial and economic justice in Oakland and the East Bay. Since 1977, OCO has collaborated with other allied organizations in serving residents of the East Bay – primarily people of color and low-income persons – to address a wide range of issues. OCO is a part of the PICO National Network, a coalition of progressive faith-based community action organizations whose primary mission is to train leaders in the community and provide training and tools in order for people to become economically self-sufficient, healthy and safe, civically engaged, connected to each other, and committed to lifelong learning.
For more information, visit http://www.oaklandcommunity.org/
International Institute of the Bay Area
The International Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA) provides high-quality immigration legal services, education, and civic engagement opportunities to immigrants, refugees, and their families as they join and contribute to the community. With its eight offices throughout the Bay Area that provide legal immigration and other services, as well as through its collaborative efforts with local and regional service providers, IIBA effectively serves immigrants and their families. We offer immigrants the information and assistance they need to understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities. Because of IIBA’s services, more immigrant families obtain stable immigration status in the United States.
For more information, visit https://iibayarea.org/
Bay Area Community Resources
BACR is a non-profit community agency founded in 1976 whose mission is to promote the healthy development of individuals, families and communities in the Bay Area. We have offices in Antioch, San Rafael, Richmond, Oakland, San Francisco, and Napa. BACR has longstanding experience delivering successful child, youth and family services in Contra Costa County, where we have delivered services for over 25 years. Last year, BACR provided intensive direct services to more than 35,000 children, youth, and adults. BACR’s programs include organizing and policy, after school programming, youth academic support and enrichment, youth leadership, employment training, national service, behavioral health, and community health initiatives.
For more information, visit https://www.bacr.org/