Our Mission
To provide comfort and support for people who seek asylum and refuge. Our volunteers connect personally and accompany individuals and families as they navigate challenges such as: immigration court, finding shelter, getting health care, and securing work. We pool resources that support their goals and help them to heal from trauma. We are committed to the truth that every human being is worthy of a safe place to live and thrive.
“As a state senator, I hear stories of immigrants fleeing from violence. I know it is not just having resources, it is the ability to connect refugees in an unfamiliar land to those resources…For these reasons, I support the efforts of Santa Cruz Welcoming Network.”
— John Laird, California State Senator
Our Story and Perspective
The breakdown of the U.S. immigration system and the heart-wrenching stories from our southern border with Mexico have left many of us deeply anguished. Asylum seekers are turned away without the chance to present their cases. Immigrants are stranded at the border, falling prey to violent gangs. Thousands are detained in privately run detention facilities under deplorable conditions. Families are separated at the border—or lose their lives while seeking safe harbor.
While we recognize the need to work for major change in the U.S. immigration system, we also see an equally urgent need to directly support immigrant families as they settle into a new and unfamiliar place. They need support navigating a foreign system to meet their basic needs, and all too often they face inhospitable treatment due to biases fueled by political rhetoric and misinformation.
In 2019, this sense of urgency and collective anguish moved us to action, leading to the formation of the Santa Cruz Welcoming Network. From the beginning, our network of volunteers has operated on the belief that when our local community is given the opportunity to respond positively to this crisis, they will rise to the occasion. Over the past years we have seen this belief affirmed time and again.
At our core, we are guided by the unwavering recognition of every person’s dignity and humanity. We are committed to cultivating Santa Cruz as a welcoming community for all.
Today, given the political landscape, this community-building work is more important than ever.
“Our ability to understand and respond to big policy issues [in immigration] is hampered by biases that are based in misinformation, racism and stereotypes—things that we really have to work to break down and understand so that we can become more responsible global citizens. And the Welcoming Network is leading that charge here in Santa Cruz County.”
— Heather Rogers, Public Defender, County of Santa Cruz
Our Approach
New family referrals typically come from public school officials, local nonprofit service agencies, key community partners, and organizations working at the border. We begin by meeting with the families to understand their needs and to determine whether the Welcoming Network’s resources can provide meaningful support.
If there is a good fit, we assign a dedicated volunteer team to accompany the new family or individual. This team coordinates assistance and facilitates connections within the larger Network.
Teams focus on supporting families with essential needs such as housing, schooling, healthcare, and quality legal aid. Volunteers also provide specialized expertise, such as translation support, language lessons, computer assistance, or help with filling out legal forms. In some cases, we offer temporary financial assistance while families or individuals work towards stability. All those we have accompanied are eager to work, and our goal is to help them become self-sufficient contributors to our shared community.