Pajaro Valley Shelter Services

06/12/2026

🙌Thank you to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for hosting powerful educational sessions for our participants these past few weeks. Our participants at Pajaro Valley Shelter Services gained insights through workshops focused on understanding mental health conditions and dismantling stigmas. NAMI provided inclusive bilingual classes.

💚Additionally, our staff participated in the "Breaking Stigma, Building Hope" presentation. Thank you, NAMI Santa Cruz County for partnering with us to build a more informed, compassionate, and hopeful community!🫱🏽‍🫲🏽

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Queremos agradecer profundamente a la National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) por impartir valiosas sesiones educativas a nuestros participantes durante estas últimas semanas. Mediante talleres enfocados en comprender las condiciones de salud mental y derribar estigmas, ellos obtuvieron nuevos conocimientos. Además, agradecemos que NAMI ofreciera clases bilingües inclusivas.

💚Asimismo, nuestro personal participó en la presentación "Rompiendo el Estigma, Construyendo Esperanza". ¡Le damos las gracias a NAMI Santa Cruz County por asociarse con nosotros y ayudar a forjar una comunidad más informada, compasiva y llena de esperanza! 🫱🏽‍🫲🏽

06/09/2026

Grateful to MILPA Collective for hosting a beautiful ☀️solar print art activity yesterday with our participants at Pajaro Valley Shelter Services. Led by Programs & Leadership Coordinator, Bernie Gomez, this hands-on workshop provided a creative space for self-expression, wellness, and connection.

Thank you, MILPA Collective, for your incredible dedication, care, and partnership in uplifting families at PVSS! 🌿✨

06/05/2026

Last night was another successful Hope & Home Tenant Education workshop! ✨Families at our shelter dove deep into the rental application process, learning practical skills on providing rental references, financial and rental history and move-in costs.

At Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, we know that housing stability takes more than just a roof over your head. That’s why we host our monthly 12-part Hope and Home series, equipping parents with the tools they need to be strong tenants and make informed decisions about their future housing.🗝️🏡

The complimentary workshops are a core offering available to all eligible participants actively working toward housing stability in our shelter program. To learn more about the wrap-around support and transformative housing solutions we offer - Visit www.pvshelter.org
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¡Anoche tuvimos otro exitoso taller de educación para inquilinos de Esperanza & Hogar! ✨Las familias en nuestro refugio se sumergieron profundamente en el proceso de solicitud de alquiler, adquiriendo habilidades prácticas sobre cómo proporcionar referencias de alquiler, historial financiero y de alquiler, y costos de mudanza.

Aquí en Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, sabemos que la estabilidad de vivienda requiere más que un techo sobre la cabeza. Por eso ofrecemos nuestra serie mensual de 12 partes Hope and Home. Así equipamos a los padres con las herramientas necesarias para ser buenos inquilinos y tomar decisiones informadas sobre su futuro hogar.🗝️🏡

Estos talleres gratuitos son un beneficio clave para todos los participantes elegibles que buscan su estabilidad de vivienda en nuestro programa de albergue. Para conocer más sobre nuestro apoyo integral y soluciones de vivienda, visite www.pvshelter.org.

06/02/2026

So incredibly grateful for the strategic partnership with the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County 💙

We are honored to be one of the nonprofit partners receiving a vital $45,000 grant this year from Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County that donated $2.1 million across 103 community nonprofits.

The 2026 Community Grant from CFSCC this year means Pajaro Valley Shelter Services can keep doing what we do best: empowering local families to remove barriers and build a strong foundations for self sufficient futures.

Thank you to Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, their dedicated donors, and everyone who makes this important work possible! 🏡✨

Read More About Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County 2026 Community Grants: https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2026/05/22/community-foundation-santa-cruz-county-spreads-2-1-million-across-103-local-nonprofits/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSMCfJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrSkNjMkxnYTBtS2lHdk9lc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHraebVqFLE7zJ76pHc8G4s7LV4m2GayIrdWe5GZsGmZk2HQ9nAoIy14d6R4C_aem_4ddt4XHPQCFRen3v4i9aaw

Learn More About Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
www.cfscc.org

Give to your passions. Support effective nonprofits. Create lasting impact.

05/31/2026

As we look back on the excitement from this year’s Mother's Day Walk & Run, we want to thank all of you who participated. We had participants from age 2.5 years old to 87 years young! Congratulations to our 2026 top finishers 💚 🥾🏅:

BRIAN GNERE - 10k M - 39:19*
SANTOS HERNANDEZ - 10k M- 39:19*
RAYMOND RODRIGUEZ - 10k M- 41:46

ADILENE GARCIA - 10k F - 46:36
NANCY EUBANKS - 10k F - 46:50
KAYLA GOMEZ - 10k F - 48:09

BERNIE ASTORGA - 5k M - 18:19
PEDRO FRIEDLEY - 5k M - 18:25
DANIEL SAMPERIO - 5K M - 19:38

SALLY STOIK - 5k F - 21:39
ADELAIDE FRIEDLEY - 5k F - 22:07
COCO FREIDLEY - 5k F - 23:11

If you missed picking up your T-shirt or top finisher medal for your age group please come by PVSS office located at 115 Brennan St, Watsonville, CA 95076. Office hours Monday thru Thursday 9am - 5pm. Friday 9am to 12pm.

Click the link below to celebrate your finish times and see event photos!

https://www.pvshelter.org/mdr

Your support and participation makes all the difference to help share Pajaro Valley Shelter Services' (PVSS) mission—to provide families with a path toward stable, self-sufficient futures through short- and longer-term housing and supportive services. Can't wait to see you next year!

05/28/2026

At Pajaro Valley Shelter Services (PVSS), we guide families out of homelessness through our Three Pillars of Self-Sufficiency: Emotional, Housing, and Financial Stability.

Our May Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) class tackles the deeply rooted challenge of substance abuse in the family, directly strengthening all three pillars:

❤️ Emotional Stability: Parents get a safe space to understand childhood trauma, manage triggers, and heal generational wounds.

🏠 Housing Stability: Emotional healing builds the long-term resilience needed to maintain a safe, permanent home.

💼 Financial Stability: Breaking free from the weight of trauma frees up the mental bandwidth needed to secure employment and achieve financial independence.

We are so inspired by the courage of our residents as they do the hard work

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En Servicios de Refugio del Valle de Pájaro (PVSS, por sus siglas en inglés), guiamos a las familias para salir del sinhogarismo a través de nuestros Tres Pilares de la Autosuficiencia: Estabilidad Emocional, de Vivienda y Financiera.
Nuestra clase actual sobre Experiencias Adversas en la Infancia (ACEs) aborda el problema profundamente arraigado del abuso de sustancias en la familia, fortaleciendo directamente los tres pilares:
❤️ Estabilidad Emocional: Los padres obtienen un espacio seguro para comprender el trauma infantil, manejar los desencadenantes y sanar heridas generacionales.

🏠 Estabilidad de Vivienda: La sanación emocional construye la resiliencia a largo plazo necesaria para mantener un hogar seguro y permanente.

💼 Estabilidad Financiera: Liberarse del peso del trauma despeja la capacidad mental necesaria para asegurar un empleo y lograr la independencia financiera.

Nos inspira profundamente la valentía de nuestros residentes mientras realizan este arduo trabajo.

05/27/2026

Fueled by the best! 🍌☕ A massive thank you to the incredible local businesses who kept our runners and volunteers energized at this year's Mother's Day Walk & Run!Running a race and managing the course takes serious energy. Thanks to your generous donations of coffee, bolillos, bagels, water, apple juice, and fresh fruit, everyone crossed the finish line happy and hydrated.

Please show some love to our amazing food partners who always step up for our community:
D'La Colmena Market & Catering
Martinelli's
Crystal Springs Water
Well Pict Berries


ELPRIMOPRODUCE

05/26/2026

A massive THANK YOU to Council Member Maria Orozco, City of Watsonville, District 3 for doing an incredible job emceeing this year's PVSS' Mother's Day Run! 📣🏃‍♂️ Your community spirit kept our runners pumped up and made the event a huge success. We are so grateful for your support! 🧡

05/15/2026