Guest column by Tim Davis: Two Gilroy nonprofits join forces to help those in need
Joint vision is ambitious, yet essential
Photo by Marty Cheek
St. Joseph’s staff Paul Olvera (left) and Jovonte Jones (right) load a car’s trunk with boxes of food. The need for food among Gilroy residents went from about 100 a day before the pandemic hit in March 2020 to about 600 a day in November.
By Tim Davis
Tim Davis
I am excited to announce St. Joseph’s Family Center and the South County Compassion Center are joining forces to better address poverty-related issues in our community. As the executive director of the Compassion Center, I believe this partnership will significantly impact the lives of those in need.
David Cox, who has served as executive director of St. Joseph’s for more than two decades, shares my enthusiasm for this partnership. He believes that working together we have the power to make a significant impact addressing the devastating effects of poverty on families in the South Valley.
Our joint vision is ambitious, yet essential. We aim to alleviate poverty, reduce food and housing insecurity, bolster support for the most vulnerable members of our community, and provide crucial assistance to those without homes. Ultimately, we seek to create a community where every resident can enjoy an improved quality of life and stability.
The decision to merge resources stems from our organizations’ extensive experience serving South County. With more than 60 years of combined service, both St. Joseph’s and the Compassion Center have become integral parts of our community’s support system.
While St. Joseph’s has been a cornerstone for food assistance, homeless prevention, and supportive housing, the Compassion Center has focused on aiding the unhoused population and facilitating their transition to permanent housing.
By combining our services, we can offer more comprehensive support to individuals facing poverty in southern Santa Clara County. Through shared resources, we aim to enhance our existing programs and reach a wider audience. This collaboration ensures the long-term stability of our united agency and maximizes our ability to create positive change.
I want to emphasize this integration will not alter the accessibility of our programs for those in need. Clients will continue to have direct access to the same services and individuals they have relied on in the past. Volunteers, donors, and partners remain essential to our mission, and their engagement will only grow stronger as we move forward together.
As we embark on this collaborative journey, the newly formed board of directors expresses full support and confidence in our ability to become the premier resource for poverty alleviation in the South Valley.
For those interested in learning more about our collaboration, please visit sjfcandsccc-partnership.org. Here, you can find information, view frequently asked questions, and submit inquiries. Stay tuned for an informational event opened to the public to be announced in the coming months. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.
Tim Davis is the executive director of the South County Compassion Center. He wrote this for Gilroy Life.