Stanislaus County is home to more than 550,000 residents. Of those, nearly 86,000 (15.6%) live in poverty. More than 47% of the County’s residents are Latino with one-third of all residents speaking Spanish. The impact of COVID-19 on the County has been severe in our community. Unemployment rose to 17% in April 2020. Many small businesses have had to close their doors.

 

The impact, however, has not been evenly spread. More than 73% of positive coronavirus infections are in Latino residents (35% higher than the representative percentage of the County Latino population). Of the successful small business loans in the County, less than 25% went to Latino business owners.

 

Multiple barriers exist for Latinos and other community members in understanding the multitude of resources and processes needed to keep their families safe and their jobs or businesses thriving. While many dedicated organi-zations share resources with their constituents, we lack a centralized approach to collecting, sharing, and updating critical information to families and businesses so consistent communication is available across the community. 

 

Our Response

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In response to this noted and significant need, City Ministry Network (CMN) has formed a community-wide outreach network consisting of existing government, church, nonprofit, and educational organizations who identify and forward important resources and information to a central entity to be curated and published.

 

Within this network, the Stanislaus Community Outreach Network (SCON), with the assistance of the steering committee (made up of trusted partners), and CMN, acting as a convener / administrator, will connect minority and at-risk communities with information and resources that improve their lives. 

 

These groups include under and disinvested community members who have had limited access to real-time information and helpful resources (i.e. women, Latino business owners, People of Color (POC) groups, etc.).

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Grassroots + Creative + Traditional Real-Time Communication

 

SCON will host bi-lingual personnel who collect and distribute real-time, critical information in creative ways to accommodate the needs of the community including those unable to access some technologies and/or transportation.

 

Monthly cross-county community gatherings with featured live speaker, live Q&A and community feedback. This activity will be held virtually until local shelter-in-place restrictions have been lifted.

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How You Can Help

We invite you to join us as a partnering organization and agree to participate in these activities:

 

• Identify, update, and forward key information to the Stanislaus Community Outreach Network

• Distribute curated bulletins and website links to your stakeholders (bi-monthly)

• Agree to publish your logo along with other partners on all communications

• Provide a representative to meet with a SCON steering committee (quarterly)

• Endorse the network as a neutral, centralized communication body to other organizations

 

We need your help to ensure community members receive current, critical information just in time. Currently, we have engaged 12 local partnering organizations and are seeking your participation. If you would like to participate in this initiative, please let us know the information you are willing to contribute.

 

The anticipated time commitment for partner organizations is less than five hours per month.

 

If you are ready to join us in improving the lives of friends, neighbors and colleagues with critical programs and community resources, please complete the form below.

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Partner resource-sharing topics include:

• Health & Safety

• Education

• Small Business Recruitment

• Business Loans & Grants

• Job Training

• Social Services

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SCON Community Outreach Partner Sign-Up