Pajaro Valley Shelter Services

08/26/2026

Back to School at PVSS means giving back! 🎒✨

We are incredibly grateful to Fernando Lopez and his wonderful team at State Farm for their amazing generosity. They came together before the start of school to collect a mountain of school supplies for our school-age kids, along with cozy morning kits specifically for our parents.

Thanks to their hard work, our kids and parents are completely set up for a great start to the new school year!

We are so honored by our community that cares. Please join us in sending a massive thank you to Fernando and the State Farm team for making a difference for PVSS families! 💙




Lopez - State Farm Agent

08/19/2026

Back to School in Style! ✂️ SAIA Salon in Watsonville, provided children at PVSS with complementary haircuts to get ready for the start of school. Chantelle opened up on her day off to donate her time, talent and love to give our kids a fresh back to school look.

Thank you SAIAH Salon for helping them start the school year confident and cared for!




❤️
Hair Chantelle

08/18/2026

💙 We are so deeply grateful to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, East-West Province for sharing this beautiful reminder of our founding roots.

In 1983, Sisters Susan Olson and Marie Veronica Wagner opened our doors as a safe place for women and children facing barriers to stable housing.

Because of the foundation they laid, we are able to provide families with a pathway to long-term independence through emotional support, housing stability, financial literacy, and career assistance. 💼🏡

We are honored to be a part of your incredible 175-year legacy of ministry and impact.

08/12/2026

We were deeply honored to host our neighborhood's National Night Out last Tuesday! 🚓🌭🚒 A thousand thanks to our incredible board volunteers and hardworking staff. The event was all about fostering connection and building a safer, stronger community.

We loved seeing such a great turnout from our community. Sharing good food and making new connections made it an evening to remember. A special thank you to the Watsonville Police Department and the Watsonville Fire Department for stopping by, hanging out with PVSS, and connecting with the community!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
¡Nos sentimos profundamente honrados de ser los anfitriones del National Night Out de nuestro vecindario el martes pasado! 🚓🚒🌭El objetivo principal de este evento fue fomentar la unión y construir una comunidad más segura y fuerte. ¡Mil gracias a nuestros increíbles voluntarios de la mesa directiva y a nuestro dedicado personal por hacerlo posible!Nos encantó ver una asistencia tan maravillosa por parte de nuestra comunidad. Compartir buena comida y crear nuevas conexiones hicieron que fuera una noche inolvidable. ¡Un agradecimiento especial a y por pasar a visitarnos, convivir con PVSS y conectar con toda la comunidad!

08/11/2026

One week to go! August 18th is the 20th Annual California Giant Foundation Skirt Steak BBQ. Have a delicious meal and support the The California Giant Foundation!

Reserve your lunch today! ⤵️ Every ticket purchased helps make a direct impact right here in the Pajaro Valley.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/skirt-steak-bbq--2026

The annual Skirt Steak BBQ is the largest fundraising event for the California Giant Foundation, California Giant Berry Farms’ 501(c)3 non-profit…

08/07/2026

🏠 Empowering Families, Safer Homes! Last night, participants at Pajaro Valley Shelter Services came together for our monthly Home and Tenant Education Class. July's topic -Keeping Your Home Safe! 🌟

We are incredibly grateful to Pacific Gas and Electric Company for their partnership! Thanks to PG&E, every attendee went home with an essential emergency kit to ensure their family is ready in case of a disaster. 🎒

Inside each essential kit:
🩹 First Aid kit
💧 1-person water filter
🧥 2 emergency yellow ponchos
🔥 2 air activated hand warmers
📱 2 phone chargers (Android and iPhone)
📻 1 emergency crank radio
🎒 1 all-weather emergency bag & whistle
🧼 1 hand sanitizer
📁 1 resource folder

Participants learned how to recognize common hazards in the home and the practical steps to prevent them. As our families work hard toward long-term housing stability, keeping their living spaces safe is top priority. Knowledge is power, but preparation is key.

Thank you to our resilient participants for taking proactive steps toward building safer households, and to PG&E for investing in our families' safety! 🤝❤️



🏠 Familias Empoderadas, Hogares Más Seguros: ¡Educación en Acción!¡Anoche, nuestros queridos participantes de Pajaro Valley Shelter Services se reunieron para nuestra Clase de Educación para el Hogar e Inquilinos! 🌟

Nos enfocamos en un tema vital para cada familia: cómo reconocer los peligros comunes en el hogar y los pasos prácticos para prevenirlos. Mientras nuestras familias se esfuerzan por lograr una estabilidad de vivienda a largo plazo, mantener sus hogares seguros es nuestra prioridad. El conocimiento es poder, pero la preparación es la clave. ¡

Estamos profundamente agradecidos con PG&E por su colaboración! Gracias a ellos, cada asistente se llevó a casa un kit de emergencia esencial para asegurar que su familia esté lista en caso de un desastre. 🎒

Cada kit de emergencia incluye:
🩹 Botiquín de primeros auxilios
💧 Filtro de agua para una persona
🧥 2 ponchos amarillos de emergencia
🔥 2 calentadores de manos activados por aire
📱 2 cargadores de teléfono (Samsung y Apple)
📻 1 radio de manivela para emergencias
🎒 1 bolsa de emergencia para todo clima y un silbato
🧼 1 desinfectante de manos
📁 1 carpeta de recursos

¡Gracias a nuestros valientes participantes por tomar medidas proactivas para construir hogares más seguros, y a PG&E por invertir en el bienestar de nuestras familias! 🤝❤️

08/04/2026

August 18th is the 20th Annual California Giant Foundation Skirt Steak BBQ. Have a delicious meal and support the The California Giant Foundation!

Reserve your lunch at the link below⤵️

The annual Skirt Steak BBQ is the largest fundraising event for the California Giant Foundation, California Giant Berry Farms’ 501(c)3 non-profit…

07/29/2026

Dientes Dental’s Mobile Clinic visited Pajaro Valley Shelter Services twice this month.🦷💖 Dientes makes regular service visits to PVSS through the organization’s Outreach program. We're so thankful to the Outreach team for making this possible.

PVSS participants and their children receive free dental services through Dientes Community Dental Care. Thank you Dientes! Your hard work and dedication continue to make a positive impact in our community.

Keep up the amazing work!

07/27/2026

Breaking Barriers Saves Lives 🤍🌱

Stability starts from within. Last week PVSS hosted powerful classes focused on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Su***de Prevention as a core part of our Emotional Stability Pillar.

Led by our dedicated Emotional Stability Counselor, Mireya Contreras, these sessions provided life-saving insights into:

Understanding Isolating Patterns: Recognizing how trauma cuts us off from others.
Processing Childhood Adversity: Facing past wounds to heal the present.
Spotting Warning Signs: Learning how to identify a crisis before it escalates.
Taking Action: Reaching out, using resources, and rebuilding meaningful connections.

***dePrevention

Rompiendo barreras se salvan vidas 🤍🌱 La semana pasada, PVSS organizó clases impactantes enfocadas en las Experiencias Adversas de la Infancia (ACEs) y la Prevención del Suicidio, como una parte fundamental de nuestro Pilar de Estabilidad Emocional.

Dirigidas por nuestra dedicada consejera de estabilidad emocional, Mireya Contreras, estas sesiones brindaron herramientas vitales para:

Comprender patrones de aislamiento: Reconocer cómo el trauma nos distancia de los demás.
Procesar la adversidad infantil: Enfrentar heridas del pasado para sanar el presente.
Identificar señales de advertencia: Aprender a reconocer una crisis antes de que se intensifique.
Tomar acción: Buscar ayuda, utilizar recursos y reconstruir conexiones significativas.

Estamos increíblemente orgullosos de cada participante que se unió a este espacio tan sensible. Al ofrecer estas clases de forma bilingüe, nos aseguramos de que las herramientas críticas para salvar vidas y construir una estabilidad mental a largo plazo estén al alcance de todos nuestros participantes.

Juntos, estamos rompiendo ciclos y reconstruyendo la esperanza.