-
santa clara county measure bYES ON EOPPORTUNITY TO WORK
SAN JOSE
san jose measure e
california prop 55
2016 SACRED HEARTVOTER GUIDE
california prop 58
THE GIVING HEARTSACRED HEART COMMUNITY SERVICE FALL 2016
INSIDE directorʼs message 2 the truck stops here 3 fundraise for
the heart 3 perspective from the heart 4 2016 voter guide 5
pack-a-back 2016 6 practicing mindfulness 8court rules on
immigration 9 10+ years commitment 10 help la mesa verde grow
11toward a better bus system 12 community building legacy 13
housing is a human right 14 volunteer connect 15 voter outreach 16
en español 17-32
PACK-A-BACKOn August 12, the Learning Center at
SHCS was a bustling school supply store where 3300 children
eagerly
picked out a brand new backpack and filled it with all the
supplies they will
need to start the school year off right. [CONTINUED ON PAGE
6]
A C O M M U N I T Y U N I T E D T O E N S U R E E V E R Y C H I
L D A N D A D U L T I S F R E E F R O M P O V E R T Y
THE GIVING HEARTSACRED HEART COMMUNITY SERVICE . 1381 SOUTH
FIRST STREET . SAN JOSÉ CA . 95110408.278.2160 .
WWW.SACREDHEARTCS.ORG
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
MY ADDRESS HAS CHANGED MY NAME IS MISSPELLEDI RECEIVED DUPLICATE
COPIES PLEASE REMOVE MY NAME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST
b y t h e n u m b e r saverage apartment rent in San José second
quarter 2016;
percentage of Americans who support requiring communities to
ensure 20% of housing is affordable to families earning less than
$50,000/year;
support for expanding housing for low-income families with
children;
households in Santa Clara County that earn less than
$50,000;
rank of Santa Clara County in US for number of homeless (est.
6556 in 2015).Sources: City of San José Department of Housing, How
Housing Matters Survey John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation, American Community Survey, Santa Clara County Homeless
Census and Survey.
[74%][$2,503]
[27%][80%]
[9th]
Over 3300 students descended on Sacred Heart in August to select
backpacks and school supplies
c r i t i c a l n e e d sVolunteersDiapers [sizes 4-6]Infant
formulaBlanketsSleeping bagsPop-top canned foodsBackpacks [adult
sized]Men’s underwear [new, L-XXL]Men’s shoes & work
bootsHygiene items [full-sized shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.]Art
supplies [new, gently used]
upcoming eventsPhone Banking for Measure ASept-October:
Tues/Wed/Thurs: 6-8:30pm, Sat: 9am-noon [p16]Dia de los Muertos
CarnivalOctober 22: 5-8pmElection DayNov 8Holiday Program Reg
DayNov 4: 9amThanksgiving DistributionNov 21/22/23
photo by marco lillo
see page 5 for details
get out VOTEtheVOTER OUTREACH FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Sacred Heart believes
that EVERYONE should
be able to live in a
safe, healthy, and
affordable home.
Help us call Santa
Clara County voters
between now and
NOVEMBER 8.
TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYSTHURSDAYS from 6-8:30PM
SATURDAYSfrom 9AM-12PM
YES ON MEASURE AFor additional information on how to get
involved contact Mathew Reed at [email protected].
santa clara county measure a
16
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The Truck Stops Here!
SAC
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1381S. FIRST STREET
[@alma]SAN JOSE . CA
95110
BOARD OF DIRECTORSJason Rodriguez . President Hewlett-Packard
Company
Molly McDonald, Esq. . Vice President Santa Clara University
Jonathan Noble . Treasurer Microsoft Corporation
Jorge Gonzalez . SecretaryCommunity Leader
Eric BonesteelSan José State University
Chava Bustamante,Latinos United for a New America
Megan Doyle County of Santa Clara
Ann Grabowski City of San José
Monica GomezNotre Dame High School
Deacon Steve Herrera Archbishop Mitty High School
Felicia MadsenThe David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Bridgit McGarrySaint Lawrence Academy
Gary SerdaCisco Systems
Matt ZunigaBellarmine College Preparatory
Start a fundraiser today involving you, your family, your
company, or a team to support Sacred Heart! Our online fund-raising
pages are easy to create and personalize. Get your friends and
family to support by sharing through email or social media.
You can fundraise by pledging your birthday, having a
fundraising page for our holiday program, or �nding your own
creative way to fundraise like running a half marathon--the
possibilities are endless.
Megan taught a Music Enrichment Class for our Summer Academy.
She also raised the money to purchase keyboards and supplies for
the class. Through Sacred Heart’s online peer-to-peer fundraising
page, Megan raised an astonishing $2,390 toward this project!
LOVELY BUNS!FOR SALE
DECIDE INVOLVE DONATE WELL DONE!how to help friends and family
the proceeds You are awesome!
Yes!!!
“Online peer-to-peer fundraising is one of the most e�cient,
e�ective and environmentally-friendly ways to reach out to more
potential donors. It was not hard to set up, and I was able to
customize, edit and update the fundraising page accordingly for my
music outreach program.” -- Megan
“We decided that a fun way to celebrate our turning 50 this year
would be to throw ourselves a 50’s Sock Hop. On our invitation, we
told our guests: ‘No presents please. If you wish to make a
contribution in celebration, we have a donation page for Sacred
Heart.’ It was simple. We raised $611! We had a fantastic party and
were thrilled with our friends' response to the fundraising
opportunity.” -- Marc and Becky Jedel
Are you interested in creating an online fundraiser for Sacred
Heart? Contact Jill Mitsch, Funds Development Manager at
[email protected] or 408-278-2196.
FUNDRAISING Guide to for Sacred Hea
rt
Our truck had repeated costly mechanical problems this year and
is at the end of its useful life. This isn't surprising considering
the amount of use it gets. In five years, the truck--which has
200k+ miles on it--- has
picked up over 1.3 million loaves of bread to distribute to
families in our community. During the holidays, the truck gets
used for toy and bike pick-ups, as well as storing hundreds of
turkeys for the holiday food box distribution.
Our Board of Directors has launched a new campaign to replace
it. Are you interested in helping? We have corporate sponsorship
opportunities available as well as opportunities for groups and
clubs to host their own "The Truck Stops Here" fundraiser. Our goal
is to raise $125,000 to purchase a new truck. For more info,
contact Jill Mitsch at (408) 278-2196 or by
[email protected].
Of course, I was running late.
Weaving through traffic on our way to my nine-year oldʼs theatre
camp, she asked me to turn up the volume on the radio. In the
rearview window I saw her brow furrow as she stared out the window
listening intently to a report about the WNBA rescinding the fines
imposed on players who wore black warm-ups in support of the Black
Lives Matter movement.
“Thatʼs not fair. The women were going to get fined, but the men
did not.” She professed, “I think they were protesting something
important.”
I queried her about what kind of statement the players were
making and she explained that “African American people were shot by
police and the players were trying to say that itʼs not good! I
donʼt understand why the boy basketball players wore their t-shirts
and then they tell the girls not to!”
I took a long breath, accepted that we were not going to make it
to her camp on time, and pulled over. She was confused about why we
were stopping, but I said itʼs OK, that this was important.
There was a lot to unpack, but we started a conversation.
She has recognized that some people are not nice to people that
donʼt look like them or speak the same language. We talked about
different examples that she observed.
We discussed different ways people respond to problems. I
explained that some people use protest. She jumped in, “like the
marchas!,” recalling immigrant rights marches we have participated
in.
We identified other ways people try to make things better:
voting, changing laws, “like Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez,” she
said.
I suggested that sometimes we need to get people to start
talking about the problems so we can learn from each other, “like
wearing a shirt that says something important,” she offered.
I returned to her observation about how the women were initially
disciplined for their protest but the NBA players were not. I
wasnʼt sure what to say, how to delve into persistent institutional
sexism. I just asked her if she thought it was fair and she shook
her head emphati-cally ”no.”
I affirmed that I didnʼt think it was fair either, but that I
was proud of the players, both the men and the women, for saying
something. They did it knowing they could be punished or ridiculed.
Standing for what you believe is not always easy.
“Some people donʼt say anything because they are scared, but if
we donʼt say something we canʼt make it better,” she concluded.
I sat there in silence.
I dropped her off, feeling relieved, and more than a little
proud of the values she has started to internalize. I was feeling
pretty good about myself.
But as I sat there reflecting on the privileges afforded me by
my class, my education, my gender, my citizenship, it felt more as
if I had a tidy little conversation with my daughter about
something in the news.
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGEit’s time for
the conversation
I did not have the conversation that so many black parents have
with their children about how to deal with police. I did not have
to talk with my child about how her body can be perceived as a
threat and how authorities are often given license to subjugate
those bodies through force, lethal force, if they deem necessary. I
did not have to explain that law enforcement carry the same biases
and fears as everyone else and sometimes act on those beliefs in
tragic ways.
This last weekend, we were in the car again, and my daughter
shared with me that one of her classmates had described something
she said as “racist.” She explained that some kids were describing
crayon colors and she referred to one as “skin-color.” He called
her out on it. I asked her how that made her feel and she expressed
how upset she was about his character-ization: “he was wrong to say
that.”
I queried her about whether the crayon color was really
“skin-color.” She said that she understood that there were lots of
different colors of skin and that even hers is darker than the
“peachy” crayon, but she defensively replied, “I call it skin color
because itʼs what I was taught. Itʼs not racist. Itʼs not my fault.
Itʼs what I was taught.”
It broke my heart to not validate her anger at her classmate.
She was hurt and she shut down.
It can be hard to pinpoint how deep and widespread certain
belief systems are established, and how innocuous or pernicious
these beliefs manifest themselves in our world. However, it is
apparent just how important these conversations are–in our
families, in our faith communities, in our work-places, and in the
public sphere.
Itʼs time.
“If we donʼt say something we canʼt make it better.”
Itʼs not too late to pull over and have the conversation.
Sinceramente,
Poncho GuevaraExecutive Director
32
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4
PERSPECTIVESThe Tale of Two Valleys ContinuesWealth
concentration has consequences
Though income inequality dropped during the great recession in
2008, it reached record highs again by 2013, and remains above the
national average[3]. The Bay Area is home to some of the wealthiest
individuals and most powerful corporations in the world, and as a
partial consequence, now also reflects the highest housing costs in
the nation, where the median rent for a two bedroom apartment is
over $2500/month, and median cost for a two bedroom home is
approximately $750,000[4]. For those left out of the profitable
tech sector, people are squeezed between frozen incomes and
skyrocketing housing costs. Indeed, San Jose recently
shut down the largest homeless encampment in the nation (“the
jungle”)[5], and struggles to find afford-able housing solutions
for the over 4000 homeless in the city and the countless families
living in insecure or otherwise overcrowded housing
arrangements[6].
FORMALLY TRAINED IN SOCIOLOGY, EDUCATION, AND HUMAN
RIGHTS, DR. ARMALINEʼS WORK AND SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS ADDRESS
SOCIAL PROBLEMS AS
THEY RELATE TO POLITICAL ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY, CRITICAL RACE THEORY, TRANSFORMATIVE
EDUCATION, AND INEQUALITY. ARMALINE IS THE DIRECTOR OF
THE SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM AND IS AN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STUDIES.
One undeniable effect of our current global economic system has
been the concentration of wealth into the hands of a very
privileged few.According to data from Oxfam International[1], today
only 62 individuals control as much wealth as over half of the
global population—3.6 billion people-combined. The wealth of this
minis-cule owning class rose by 45% since 2010, while the bottom
50% of the global population watched their share of wealth fall by
38%. Though “free market” politicians and think tanks at times
point to the drop in “extreme poverty” around the world in recent
decades[2], data clearly demonstrate that the global poor are
completely excluded from the benefits of “economic growth.” As
Oxfam reports, “since the turn of the century, the poorest half of
the worldʼs population has received just 1% of the total increase
in global wealth, while half of that increase has gone to the top
1%.”The San Francisco Bay Area—San Jose and the Silicon Valley in
particular—undeniably reflects similar economic patterns and
effects. Over the last 30 years, income inequality increased in the
Bay Area at a greater rate than the rest of the country.
G U E S T E D I T O R I A L S F R O M C O M M U N I T Y L E A D
E R S A B O U T P O V E R T Y I N S I L I C O N VA L L E Y
by William Armaline, PhD
For those left out of the profitable tech sector, people are
squeezed between frozen incomes and skyrocketing housing costs.
In sum, our global and local economies are largely
charac-terized by extreme wealth inequality. Locally, wealth
inequality is exacerbated by a cost of living (particularly
housing) out of pace with the rest of the country, and argu-ably
unsustainable on the long term for most working people. The long
term economic and social health of the region will largely depend
on our collective ability to address this persistent challenge.
[1]
https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/bp210-economy-one-percent-tax-havens-180116-summ-en_0.pdf.
[2]
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21578665-nearly-1-billion-people-have-been-taken-out-extreme-poverty-20-years-world-should-aim.
[3] “Income inequality in the San Francisco Bay Area” (June
2015):
https://www.jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/income-inequality-2015-06.pdf
[4] “Tale of Two Valleys” report:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ohr/Publications/Documents/HR-Report.pdf
[5]
http://billmoyers.com/2015/11/06/silicon-valley-is-trying-to-fix-its-homelessness-problem-but-its-slow-going
[6]
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_29815290/san-jose-homeless-housing-senter-road-draws-criticism.
F R O M T H E H E A R T
5
YES ON EOPPORTUNITY TO WORK
SAN JOSE
2016
SA
CRED
HEA
RT VOTER GUIDE
Measure E requires employers with 35 or more workers to offer
part-time employees more hours before hiring new employees. Sacred
Heart supports this measure because it will allow part-time workers
to earn more money without having to take on additional jobs. We
believe this will contribute not only to financial stability, but
will also contribute to family well-being by creating more
predictable work schedules and benefits.
california proposition 55Proposition 55 will extend, for 12 more
years, the existing tax on people earning over $250,000. This will
preserve $4-$9 billion in funding each year for California K-12
schools and community colleges. Every day at Sacred Heart we see
the impacts of school crises on the lives of low-income people.
Voting YES on Proposition 55 will mean more funding for schools in
our lowest income communities.
Prop 58 gives schools the flexibility to use effective teaching
strategies that support English language acquisition for all
students, the opportunity for English speakers to learn a new
language, and for English Language Learners to be taught in their
first language. Research shows teaching kids in their primary
language helps them succeed in school and learn English. Many
children in Sacred Heart programs are English-language learners and
will benefit from Prop. 58.
Santa Clara County has a housing crisis. Measure A is a $950
million Affordable Housing Bond that will create housing
opportunities for thousands of the most vulnerable members of our
community. At Sacred Heart we see daily the material and
psychological effects of homelessness and the high costs of housing
on our members. Join us in supporting Measure A, because all people
deserve the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy affordable
home.
santa clara county measure a
Measure B will provide funds to improve our transportation
system. For the past two years Sacred Heart leaders have been
organizing for equitable transit such as affordable fares and
improved services for seniors and people with disabilities. Voting
yes on Measure B will help our members that use transit and
para-transit every day.
santa clara county measure b
san jose measure e
california propostion 58
5
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2016 2016
pa
ck-
a-b
ack
driv
e p
artne
rs
PLUS MANY MORE GENEROUS FAMILIES,ORGANIZATIONS &
INDIVIDUALS
With 3,300 children who received backpacks, this year’s
Pack-a-Back program was bigger than ever, and we looked to our
broader commu-
nity for help. The sponsor logos you see on our website, our
flyers, and banners represent the groups that stepped up to make
a
difference, and we would like to express our heartfelt thanks
for their generosity.
MDI and Intel marshaled financial resources and an army of
volunteers to collect hundreds of backpacks, complete with
supplies. They spent months planning their drives, and then
helped out on distribution day to make sure each child got just the
right backpack.
Bank of America is a long-term Pack-a-Back supporter that once
again rallied its South Bay branches to collect a truckload of
supplies, and then volunteered in every aspect of the program.
Newcomers Bergeson LLP and The Boris and Vera Bogart Foundation
provided critical finan-cial support so that we could purchase
items in short supply and ensure that each child had the school
supplies they needed.
Also new this year were Federal Realty Invest-ment Trust and
Kendra Scott from Santana Row — both hosted very successful events
that invited their community to collect school supplies for
Pack-a-Back.
Thank you to every single one of our sponsors and supporters. We
look forward to sharing stories on our Facebook page and in our
email newsletter this month. When we total up all
the work, over 1,000 people and organizations will have helped
make sure each of 3,300
students walks to school prepared and proud.
6 7
[CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1] Pack-a-Back has been steadily growing
for more than a decade - this year’s turnout was the highest number
of students ever served by the program, and more than three times
the number of backpacks distributed
in 2006.
Education is more important to our families now than ever as the
gap between earnings and the cost of living continues to grow in
Silicon Valley. For many of the low-income families we work with,
more than 80% of paychecks go to rent alone, with little left for
essentials like clothes, food, and school supplies. This is why our
families are actively involved in our children’s education, using
the Pack-a-Back program to show our children how important being
prepared for school is for all families to create a
better, brighter future.
With their brand new backpacks full of pencils, folders, crayons
and supplies, Flor’s daughters were excited for the first day of
school. As part of their annual ritual, they laid their clothes out
the night before, admired their new box of pristine Crayons, and
waited with anticipa-tion for the start of the new school year. Her
youngest daughter, Adriana, started kindergarten this September and
received her first backpack this year from Pack-a-Back. Last year,
she watched her sisters receive backpacks, and burst into tears
because she wanted one too. So this year, Adriana was thrilled to
pick out a Princess Sophia backpack. She loved learning in Sacred
Heart’s Early Childhood Education program while mom was in ESL
class and she dreams of being a doctor or
nurse when she grows up.
We want all kids to dream big, and believe that every child
deserves to start the school year with the tools they need to
succeed. In addition to providing children with essential school
supplies, the Pack-a-Back Education Campaign
supports Sacred Heart’s education programs.
pack.a.back
EDU
CA
TIO
N C
AM
PA
IGN
Los Altos United Methodist ChurchMen's Division
InternationalOpera SoftwarePeninsula Bible Church, Willow
GlenRegional Medical Center of San JoseRotary Club of Los
GatosSacred Heart of Saratoga ParishSaint Mary's of Los Gatos
ChurchSanminaSanta Clara County District Attorney's Of�ceScout from
Santa Clara UniversitySims Metal ManagementSnap On DiagnosticsSt
Vincent de Paul, Holy Family ChurchStevens Creek VolkswagenSwift
Real Estate PartnersThe JourneyUnitarian Universalist Fellowship of
Los GatosXilinxZebra Technologies
8X8 IncorporatedA Happy Village
AARP Chapter 5151Bank of America
Bellarmine College PrepBergeson LLP
Blach ConstructionChegg
Family Giving TreeFederal Realty Investment Trust
First Congregational ChurchGirl Scout Troop 60032
Golden Trust Financial CorpHabla Language Services
Holy Spirit ChurchHudson Paci�c Properties NorCal
Jan Marini Skin ResearchJoint Electrical Industry Fund
K ForceKendra Scott
KickFireKLA-Tencor
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
The Boris and Vera Bogart Foundation
photos by marco lillo, shcs staff
-
PRAC
TICING MINDFULN
ESS
This summer, 100 elementary school students wrapped up 5 weeks
of Summer Academy with a �eld trip to the beach for a day of
seaside fun, but our education program-ming isn’t all fun and
games. On the one hand, they are structured to bolster core
academic learning with math, language arts, and technology courses.
Just as critically, our education programs are designed to o� set
the impact of oppression and poverty-related stresses faced by our
students, including barriers to higher education. One way we
accomplish this is by developing mindfulness practice.
Sacred Heart’s Mindfulness activities teach students habits of
resilience, or ways they can adapt to the challenges in their lives
and persevere in the face of adversity so that they can continue to
work toward their dreams.
The Mindfulness curriculum was created by Dr. Barbara Burns, a
developmental psychologist from Santa Clara University who, along
with her students, has worked with Sacred Heart sta� since 2012 to
incorporate mindfulness and stress management techniques in our
education programs. The model was created speci�cally to help
children understand their reactions to stress and improve their
ability to focus and respond. Students practice and lead
mindfulness exercises for each other through daily meditation and
other activities.
The project has been a resounding success: students consistently
report that they focus better in the classroom and manage their
emotions better. With generous support from the Bella Vista
Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and the Klarich Family Foundation we
are expanding Mindfulness training throughout our Self-Su�ciency
programs, including a pilot project with parents of infants. After
all, resilience is the very foundation of self- su�ciency, and a
key tool for surviving the challenges in life.
8 9
leaves immigrant families in limbo
supreme court
To learn more about Sacred Heart’s campaigns for immigration
reform, visit us online at sacredheartcs.org/immigrantrights
On June 23rd, the Supreme Court of the United States announced
its much anticipated decision on the case United States vs.
Texas.
In 2014, President Obamaʼs executive actions on immigration were
to allow about five million undocumented family members to apply
for programs that would protect them from deportation and provide
them with temporary work permits. The action focused on keeping
families united: particularly, adults who were brought to the U.S.
as children and parents of citizens and lawful permanent
residents.
The disappointing ruling, a 4-4 deadlock, means that both
programs, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Expanded
(DACA+) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful
Permanent Residents (DAPA), remain blocked.
Although neither program was a pathway to citizenship, eligible
families were hoping to--at least temporarily--be able to live and
work with dignity without the constant fear of deportation and
family separation. In Santa Clara County alone, an estimated 50,000
individuals would have been eligible for DACA+ and DAPA. Thatʼs
thousands of Sacred Heart and Silicon Valley parents who were
hoping - and preparing through our document preparation workshops -
to gain better employment opportuni-ties to improve the quality of
life for their families.
While the June outcome is disappointing, it does not impact the
original DACA executive action of 2012. DACA recipients will not be
impacted and can still apply for renewal. Those who are eligible,
but have not yet applied are still encouraged to apply.
source: www.immigrantintegrationsv.org/what-we-are-learning
-
1110
la mesa v er d
e
GR O
W
HELPYou
might have seen La Mesa
Verde’s (LMV) organic garden beds on the west side
of Sacred Heart’s parking lot: they exploded with zucchini,
cucumbers, and
chiles this summer. About 500 families tend gardens just like
these in their yards, harvest-
ing hundreds of pounds of beautiful vegetables as part of the
tight-knit La Mesa
Verde community.
The gardens are a way for people who can’t always a�ord organic
produce to grow their
own. Not everyone has space for a garden, so last year members
formed the LMV
Organizing Committee. The Committee banded together to advocate
for a new
ordinance in the city of San José. Passing an Urban Agriculture
Incentive Zones
ordinance, or UAIZs, would give big tax breaks to property
owners who allow
community gardens on their vacant lots, giving apartment
dwellers the chance to
grow food, beautify neighborhood eyesores, and build safer
communities.
Last year,
LMV mem-bers made their
voices heard, convinc-ing City Council members
to put UAIZs high on their priority list for 2016. We are
nine
months through the year and the ordinance is still not in place.
If the Council does not take action soon, we will have to wait
another year, keeping vacant, blighted lots empty and hopeful
families without garden space for even longer.
You can help La Mesa Verde take action: make sure your
councilmember knows that you care about increasing commu-nity
garden space in the city, and that the time to pass this ordinance
is now. Contact the La Mesa Verde Organizing Committee by emailing
[email protected] to get involved.
10 YEARS+“What brought me to Sacred Heart Community Service was
a promise and an opportunity. The promise was embedded in amazing
values of social justice forged through decades of dedication to
the poor in this valley. The opportunity was to more fully live out
those values by lifting up the voice and leadership of those who
are struggling, to build solidarity among the wider community
against the injustices that diminish us all, and to strengthen our
e�orts to walk with the poor on a path to stability and hope. What
has kept me here are the people -the members, colleagues, leaders-
whose commitment and sacri�ce are building a more just and
equitable community, one worthy of every child including my own.”
PONCHO GUEVARA executive director 10 years
Com
mitm
ent t
o a
Caus
e“I �rst came to Sacred Heart as a participant in the English as
a Second Language program. After I had my baby, I came back as a
teacher’s helper in the preschool. Now my kids are older, and I
still work with other parents and also lead volunteers who teach
ESL.” MARIA GALLARDO education coordinator 15 years
“We want our volunteers to know that they are doing more than
just putting an apple in a bag-
-they are truly making a di�erence in people’s lives.” TERRI
WEST outreach manager 10 years
“The thing that I am really most proud of now, is working with
parents and guardians to be advocates for their children, and to be
leaders in their community that push for not only their families,
but for their whole commu-nity.” ROBERTO GIL education manager 10
years
“I work with families a�ected by domestic violence. I go to
court with them, create safety plans, and prepare restraining
orders. It means a lot to me to be someone
they know will be on their side.”KARINA VASQUEZ family support
program coordinator 12 years
“When I started working here my son was �ve and he has grown up
with me working here. A lot of the values that we hold true here:
dignity, compassion, respect, community, and volun-teerism - those
are the values I want to instill in my son.” LAURA DIAZ family
support program manager 10 years
“What makes working here really interesting is getting to meet a
new person every single day. Everyone comes here with a di�erent
story.” MONICA DELFIN housing program lead 18 Years
“The �exibility of the housing program allows me to help
di�erent families in ways that really change their lives. I have
always wanted to be a social worker
and this work experience has given me a very strong foundation.”
ROSANNA MEDINA housing & home energy assistance program
coordinator 26 years
11
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Buses: The backbone of the South Bay.
GROWING NEED, SHRINKING SERVICE
MARGARITA’S HOME
COMMUNITY CENTER
A nutritious lunch
A round of cards with friends
A reason to get out of the house
to senior centers around the city. We are concerned that nobody
wants to hear about seniors, and seniors’ needs.” — Margarita
1988 2000
GIVE PEOPLE SERVICE, AND THEY WILL COMEVTA increased service by
7% and saw a
25% increase in ridership between 1988-2000.1
14% SERVICE CUTS
SINCE 2000
9% DECLINE in speed of service system wide
30% DECLINE in ridership 1 1 VTA Facts: Current Bus System Data,
July 2015
1
“Many of us are on a �xed income. We need a great bus system,
and the outreach services
In one summer, RUTU and USAC collected over 600 surveys and
signatures on buses and at bus stops, at our agency and at 12
senior centers, and among their own networks of transit users.
Another 1,500 surveys were collected from allied organizations in
the Transit Justice Alliance. In the fall, we held 4 county-wide
community meetings to engage over 400 people.
By winter, the results translated into our collective asks:
1. Extend and enhance services for seniors and people with
disabilities2. Expand the current subsidized bus fare program3.
Increase the frequency of VTA’s top core routes to 15 minutes or
less4. Build safe and digni�ed bus stops such as shelters and
lighting
We put these demands on the table; local communities should have
a say in how their money is allocated through a transparent public
process. We are also working closely with VTA staff to identify
other funding sources to improve this system. Nonetheless, $500
million is a great start to build a more environmentally conscious,
ef�cient, and equity-oriented transportation system.
YES ON MEASURE B“I use the bus to go to my doctor appointments
in San Jose, Gilroy and Morgan Hill. I also use public transit to
go to the store. The bus is very important for me to move around my
community and all over the county.” — Alejandro A., Gilroy
Moving People SUPPORTING SENIORS
PHARMACY
COMMUNITYCENTER
GROCERYSTORE
SOCIALSERVICES
GRANDCHILD’SSCHOOL
MEDICALCLINIC
CHURCH
FRIEND’SHOUSE
BANK
Over 1 in 4 county residents will be over age 60 1 by 2030.
1 in 4 Santa Clara County seniors lives near poverty line.2
SAN JOSE
MORGAN HILL
GILROY
An active lifestyle
Independence
Access to my community
Buses for an Aging, Active Population
FEDERAL POVERTY LINE
5,300 county seniors live below the
federal poverty line
1 Council on Aging Silicon Valley, 2012 • 2 2008-2010 American
Community Survey Estimates
Leaders from two of our organizing committees, Renovadores
Unidos por la Transportación Urbana (RUTU) and United Seniors
Action Committee (USAC), were instrumental in shaping equitable
transportation policy.
Voters will now determine whether we will see about $6.5 billion
dollars generated over the next 30 years for transportation
funding. This will come from the proposed ½ cent sales tax that is
heading to the November ballot.
However, housing and transportation are the top two expenses for
our families, which prompted RUTU and USAC to ensure that the
community voice was heard. Our active participation moved the
Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to prioritize $500 million of
the proposed tax to improve transit operations.
ORGANIZINGFOR A BETTER BUS SYSTEM
If you live in Santa Clara County, you can help by voting this
November 8:
I am continuously inspired by our caring sta�, dedicated
volunteers, and generous donors who are passionate about Sacred
Heart and the next generation of our work. In my �rst year, I have
learned that there is a rich history here at Sacred Heart -- some
of our volunteers have been here for over 30 years! They truly eat,
breathe, and live our values of building community with dignity,
compassion, and respect for all people.
Together, we are planning exciting initiatives and programs, and
as donors WE can be a part of that future. I invite you to join our
Legacy Society by including Sacred Heart in your will, trust, or
other estateplans.
Legacy of Community BuildingOur Legacy Society helps you leave a
lasting impact on our community for generations to come. If you are
consid-ering a planned gift on your own behalf or in honor of a
loved one, or would like more information on how to do so, we would
be honored to know of your intentions and have you as a member of
our Legacy Society. Contact Jill Mitsch, Funds Development Manager,
at 408-278-2196.
12 13
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We are deeply impressed by the talent and generosity of Sacred
Heart volunteers. Marco Lillo, a volunteer and profes-sional
photographer, was recently featured in the Spring/Summer edition of
Bay Area Nonprofits Magazine. Not only did he take pictures for our
holiday programs, he also took beautiful portraits of families in
our education programs.
VOLUNTEER CONNECT
The Sacred Heart Youth Leadership Group is a group of 6th, 7th
and 8th graders that work together to develop their leadership
skills and organize ways to take leadership within their community.
This spring they organized a blanket drive to benefit our Sacred
Heart community.
"We are encouraged to volunteer in our communities, it's a
wonderful part of the Cisco culture! All Cisco employees are given
"Time to Give" hours; 40 hours to dedicate to our communities. I
choose and
continue to come back to Sacred Heart because the volunteer
services are immedi-ately and directly consumed by the com-munity.
It's very satisfy-ing! One moment I am packing up lunch bags
and the next moment families are taking those very same lunch
bags home. I believe in the tremendous work this organization does
for our community and I am proud to be a Sacred Heart volunteer!"
Nathalia Perez.
Every Tuesday and Thursday June Tablak makes peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches for our homeless lunch program. She is also proud
to tout to her friends that she is our oldest pantry volunteer at
the age of 94!
Emirita Salazar is a member of our Bus Rider Justice Committee,
RUTU. As an everyday bus rider, she wants to make sure folks who
depend on public transportation for work, childcare, and school can
continue to access it.
Earlier this year, volunteers from Federal Realty helped out in
our warehouse. Federal Realty is also a new partner for Pack-A-Back
2016.
Sacred Heart recently partnered with Tenants Together to host
legal clinics with volunteer attor-neys from Perkins Coie LLP. The
firm has participated in a training program to offer legal
consulta-tion and possible litigation support for tenants with
significant habit-ability issues in their apartments.
To address Silicon Valley’s growing housing crisis, we believe
that solutions should include both more a�ordable housing and also
e�orts to keep local families in their current housing. On April
19th, 2016, our mobilization forced the San José City Council to
make the �rst real changes in the Apartment Rent Ordinance since
1979.
These new renters’ rights included:
• Lowering allowable rent increases
• Creating an anti-retaliatory eviction ordinance
• Creating a long overdue enforcement program
The Council’s action came at the end of an inten-sive campaign
that was spearheaded by the Sacred Heart Housing Action Committee
(SHHAC) and the newly formed Renters’ Organiz-ing Committee (ROC),
resulting in a coalition of organizations collectively mobilizing
thousands of tenants and supporters. This broad coalition of
groups, the Silicon Valley Renters’ Rights Coali-tion, includes
housing law experts, representa-tives of faith communities and
labor, long estab-lished a�ordable housing advocates and other
community members. SHHAC and the coalition were able to convince
the Council to make rent-ers’ rights a high priority for the
Council’s work plan and then to direct the Department of Housing’s
sta� to develop a reform ordinance. Sacred Heart is committed to a
more inclusive community for all people and we will continue to
�ght for the rights of renters in our city.
Our next campaign will be to pass a $950 million A�ordable
Housing Bond which will be on the November ballot. We will be phone
banking and walking to talk to voters from now until election day.
Look for details on our website at sacredheartcs.org/events .
YES ON MEASURE AIf you live in Santa Clara County, you can help
by voting this November 8:
Rosa Leon is an active leader in Sacred Heartʼs Family Support
Program and the Colectivo (SHCS Leader-ship Colective). Rosa became
a Domestic Violence Advocate for Sacred Heart, successfully
organized Family Supportʼs Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Campaign in October, and is currently assisting with the Childrenʼs
Art Healing workshops.
Sims Metal Management sponsored our June memberʼs event to show
their support of our volunteer program here at Sacred Heart. Sims
is a wonderful partner of our agency, and we are so thankful for
everything that they have done for our community through
volunteering and donating.
The fantastic group from Accenture did an amazing job setting up
for the Member Celebration in June
14 15
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santa clara county measure bYES ON EOPPORTUNITY TO WORK
SAN JOSE
san jose measure e
california prop 55
2016 SACRED HEARTVOTER GUIDE
california prop 58
THE GIVING HEARTSACRED HEART COMMUNITY SERVICE FALL 2016
INSIDE directorʼs message 2 the truck stops here 3 fundraise for
the heart 3 perspective from the heart 4 2016 voter guide 5
pack-a-back 2016 6 practicing mindfulness 8court rules on
immigration 9 10+ years commitment 10 help la mesa verde grow
11toward a better bus system 12 community building legacy 13
housing is a human right 14 volunteer connect 15 voter outreach 16
en español 17-32
PACK-A-BACKOn August 12, the Learning Center at
SHCS was a bustling school supply store where 3300 children
eagerly
picked out a brand new backpack and filled it with all the
supplies they will
need to start the school year off right. [CONTINUED ON PAGE
6]
A C O M M U N I T Y U N I T E D T O E N S U R E E V E R Y C H I
L D A N D A D U L T I S F R E E F R O M P O V E R T Y
THE GIVING HEARTSACRED HEART COMMUNITY SERVICE . 1381 SOUTH
FIRST STREET . SAN JOSÉ CA . 95110408.278.2160 .
WWW.SACREDHEARTCS.ORG
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
MY ADDRESS HAS CHANGED MY NAME IS MISSPELLEDI RECEIVED DUPLICATE
COPIES PLEASE REMOVE MY NAME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST
b y t h e n u m b e r saverage apartment rent in San José second
quarter 2016;
percentage of Americans who support requiring communities to
ensure 20% of housing is affordable to families earning less than
$50,000/year;
support for expanding housing for low-income families with
children;
households in Santa Clara County that earn less than
$50,000;
rank of Santa Clara County in US for number of homeless (est.
6556 in 2015).Sources: City of San José Department of Housing, How
Housing Matters Survey John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation, American Community Survey, Santa Clara County Homeless
Census and Survey.
[74%][$2,503]
[27%][80%]
[9th]
Over 3300 students descended on Sacred Heart in August to select
backpacks and school supplies
c r i t i c a l n e e d sVolunteersDiapers [sizes 4-6]Infant
formulaBlanketsSleeping bagsPop-top canned foodsBackpacks [adult
sized]Men’s underwear [new, L-XXL]Men’s shoes & work
bootsHygiene items [full-sized shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.]Art
supplies [new, gently used]
upcoming eventsPhone Banking for Measure ASept-October:
Tues/Wed/Thurs: 6-8:30pm, Sat: 9am-noon [p16]Dia de los Muertos
CarnivalOctober 22: 5-8pmElection DayNov 8Holiday Program Reg
DayNov 4: 9amThanksgiving DistributionNov 21/22/23
photo by marco lillo
see page 5 for details
get out VOTEtheVOTER OUTREACH FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Sacred Heart believes
that EVERYONE should
be able to live in a
safe, healthy, and
affordable home.
Help us call Santa
Clara County voters
between now and
NOVEMBER 8.
TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYSTHURSDAYS from 6-8:30PM
SATURDAYSfrom 9AM-12PM
YES ON MEASURE AFor additional information on how to get
involved contact Mathew Reed at [email protected].
santa clara county measure a
16