Community Organizations

Santa Cruz has a history of community activism in large numbers. Here's a list of some of them— feel free to add your own.

For groups devoted to pastimes and hobbies other than activism and public service, see Clubs and Interest Groups
For religious organizations, see Spiritual Organizations
For support groups, see Support Groups
For cooperatives, see Co-ops

Agriculture Animals The Arts Art Guilds Dance Literature Music Business Related Children/Family/Teens Community Centers Computer Crafting and Building Cultural/Ethnic African Heritage Native American Education Environmental Food Distribution Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Questioning Health Services Disabilities Drugs and Alcohol Related Women's and Reproductive Services Homeless Services Housing Human Rights and Justice Legal Aid Local/Community Issues Media Nonviolent Communication Political Radical Resources Science Seniors Sports Transportation Unions and Workers' Rights Vegetarian Veterans Volunteers Women Related Links

Agriculture

• Camp Joy Gardens
  

• Community Alliance with Family Farmers
  

• LocalHarvest
  

• Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange

Animals

• American Wildlife Rescue Service
  

• Santa Cruz County Animal Services
  

• Santa Cruz SPCA

The Arts

• Art For Art
  

• Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County
  

• Mariposa’s Art
  

• Pajaro Valley Arts Council
  

• Pajaro Valley Performing Arts Association
  

• Santa Cruz Ethnic Arts Network
  

• Santa Cruz Institute of Contemporary Arts
  

• Santa Cruz City Arts Commission
  

• Santa Cruz Design Innovation Center
  

• Santa Cruz Performing Arts
  

• Santa Cruz Woodworkers
  

• Simply Arts
  

• Tannery Arts Center
  

Art Guilds

• Santa Cruz Art League

• Santa Cruz Handweavers Guild
  

• Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center - Thomas Gallery
  

Also see: Art

Dance

• Dance Odyssey Studio

• Esperanza del Valle
  

• Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz
  

• Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre
  

• Santa Cruz Dance
  

Literature

• Poetry Santa Cruz

Music

• Community Music School of Santa Cruz

• Jazz Society of Santa Cruz County
  

• Kuumbwa Jazz

Business Related

• Aptos Chamber of Commerce
  

• Ben Lomond Business Association
  

• Better Business Bureau
  

• Boulder Creek Business Association
  

• Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce
  

• Consumer Affairs
  

• Downtown Association of Santa Cruz
  

• Felton Business Association
  

• Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce (Watsonville)
  

• Referral Santa Cruz
  

• San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce
  

• Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce
  

• Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council
  

• Santa Cruz Design Innovation Center
  

• Santa Cruz SCORE
  

• Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce
  

• Small Business Administration
  

• Think Local First

Children/Family/Teens

• Above the Line
  

• Balance 4 Kids
  

• Barrios Unidos (Eastside)
  

• Beach Flats Community Center (Boardwalk)
  

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County
  

• Birth Network of Santa Cruz County
  

• Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz (Downtown)
  

• Boy Scouts of America
  

• CASA of Santa Cruz County
  

• Children's Hospice
  

• Children’s Learning Museum
  

• Community Bridges
  

• Divorced Fathers Network
  

• Familia Center (Downtown)
  

• First 5 Santa Cruz County Services and education for families with young children
  

• For The People
  

• Gene Hoularis Waldo Rodridguez Youth Center (Watsonville)
  

• Girl Scouts of Monterey Bay
  

• North Coast Teen Center (Davenport)
  

• O'Neill Sea Odyssey
  

• Padres Con Padres
  

• Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance
  

• Santa Cruz Teen Center (Downtown)
  

• Santa Cruz Toymakers
  

• Second Saturday Network
  

• Shoreline Teen Center (Live Oak)
  

• Ways to Work Family Loan Program
  

• Youth Services

Community Centers

• Felton Community Hall

Computer

• Give-a-Byte

Crafting and Building

• Santa Cruz Bead Society
  

• Stitches from the Heart Knits/crochets/sews hats and blankets for newborns

Cultural/Ethnic

• Chinese Community Association of Watsonville
  

• Hanuman Fellowship
  

• Japanese American Citizens League
  

• Loch Lomond Celtic Society
  

• Pacific Cultural Center
  

• Santa Cruz Hillel
  

• Scandinavian Cultural Center
  

African Heritage

• African-American Resource & Cultural Center (UCSC)

• Black By The Bay
  

• NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch No. 1071
  

• Second Saturday Network
  

Native American

• American Indian Resource Center

• Nastao Nation
  

• Native TANF Program
  

• Pajaro Valley Ohlone Indian Council
  

• Santa Cruz Indian Council

Education

• Association of Mexican-American Educators
  

• Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries
  

• Literacy Center in Watsonville
  

• Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers
  

• Santa Cruz Education Foundation
  

• Santa Cruz Free Skool
  

• Scotts Valley Educational Foundation

Environmental

• Arana Gulch Watershed Alliance
  

• California Alliance to Stop the Spray
  

• California Native Plant Society-Santa Cruz Chapter
  

• Chemtrails911
  

• Coastal Watershed Council
  

• Community Alliance with Family Farmers
  

• Earth First!
  

• EcoCruz The environmental guide for Santa Cruz County
  

• Ecology Action
  

• Friends Of The Harbor Group
  

• Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
  

• Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz
  

• Helping Our Peninsula's Environment They are currently working to stop the Light Brown Apple Moth spraying
  

• Integrated Watershed Restoration Program
  

• Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
  

• Mountain Parks Foundation
  

• Open Space Alliance of Santa Cruz
  

• Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
  

• Peninsula Open Space Trust
  

• People Against Chemical Trespass
  

• Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County
  

• Save Our Shores
  

• Sempervirens Fund
  

• Sierra Club - Ventana Chapter This chapter covers both Santa Cruz and Monterey County
  

• Stop the Spray An on line petition to stop the Light Brown Apple Moth spraying
  

• Surfrider Foundation
  

• Trailworkers.com
  

• Transition San Lorenzo Valley
  

• Transition Santa Cruz
  

• Watsonville Wetlands Watch
  

• Wildlands Restoration Team

Food Distribution

• California Grey Bears A seniors group that distributes food locally and runs a recycling center
  

• Food Not Bombs Serving free vegetarian food to promote peace
  

• Meals on Wheels
  

• Second Harvest Food Bank
  

• Valley Churches United A non-profit group that distributes food, offers rental relief, and performs disaster assistance

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Questioning

Also see: Gay, Lesbian, Bi & Transgender Community

• The Diversity Center
  

• Equality Action Project
  

• Equinox
  

• Gay-Straight Alliance
  

• GLBT Alliance
  

• Lionel Cantú GLBTI Resource Center (UCSC)
  

• Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
  

• STRANGE
  

• Triangle Speakers

Health Services

Also see: Health Services

• Cabrillo College Stroke Center
  

• Doran Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
  

• Health Projects Center
  

• Mental Health Client Action Network
  

• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
  

• Network of Care
  

• Santa Cruz AIDS Project
  

• Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency A county agency that is a great health information resource
  

• Santa Cruz County Red Cross
  

• Survivors Healing Center For survivors of sexual abuse and their allies

Disabilities

• Access Santa Cruz County
  

• Central Coast Center for Independent Living
  

• Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center
  

• Special Parents Information Network

Drugs and Alcohol Related

• Al-Anon/Alateen Support group for families and friends of alcoholics
  

• Alcoholics Anonymous Support groups for people coping with alcohol addiction
  

• Narcotics Anonymous Support groups for people coping with drug addiction
  

• Nicotine Anonymous Support group for people coping with nicotine addiction
  

• Needle Exchanges Exchanges dirty needles for clean ones to reduce needle-transmitted infections and diseases

Women's and Reproductive Services

• Women's Crisis Support / Defensa De Mujeres
  

• Planned Parenthood Local branch of this national organization; providing family planning and contraceptive services
  

• Walnut Avenue Women's Center
  

• Women's Health Center Health services at affordable prices for women and children

Homeless Services

Also see: The Homeless

• Community Action Board An organization to combat poverty, their website lists local shelters and emergency food locations
  

• Homeless Garden Project
  

• Homeless Persons Health Projects
  

• Homeless Services Center An organization that runs multiple shelters
  

• Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom Fighting for the rights of the Santa Cruz homeless and poor
  

• Human Rights Organization

Housing

• Habitat for Humanity
  

• Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz housing assistance for low and moderate income residents
  

• Housing Choices Coalition Assists those with developmental disabilities with housing options

Human Rights and Justice

• ACLU of Santa Cruz County The Santa Cruz chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union
  

• Freedom Advocates
  

• Japanese American Citizens League
  

• Resource Center for Nonviolence
  

• Santa Cruz Peace Coalition
  

• United Nations Association The Santa Cruz chapter of the United Nations Association
  

• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Empowers women and men to work together for peace and justice. Local chapter.

Legal Aid

• California Rural Legal Assistance
  

• Community Options Court referral community service agency.
  

• Conflict Resolution Center
  

• Santa Cruz County Bar Association
  

• Watsonville Law Center

Local/Community Issues

• Action Pajaro Valley
  

• Bread for the Journey
  

• Citizens Organized for Responsible Ecology A San Lorenzo Valley based group
  

• Coalition for Limiting University Expansion A group that seeks to limit the growth of UCSC
  

• Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
  

• Davenport Resource Service Center
  

• Friends of Lighthouse Field
  

• Friends of Locally Owned Water FLOW is a group in Felton trying to transfer control of the water system to the public
  

• Happy Santa Cruz
  

• LRDP Resistance A group that opposes the UCSC Long-Range Development Plan
  

• Mother Grizzlies Against Gangs
  

• Mountain Community Resources Assists with health and human services in the San Lorenzo Valley
  

• The Neighborhood Salon
  

• Omega Nu of Santa Cruz
  

• Pajaro Valley Historical Association
  

• Peace On the Streets
  

• Santa Cruz Meth Project
  

• Santa Cruz Neighbors
  

• Santa Cruz Next
  

• Take Back Santa Cruz
  

• United Way of Santa Cruz County
  

• Valley Women's Club of the San Lorenzo Valley

Media

• Community Television Community Television of Santa Cruz County
  

• Free Radio Santa Cruz Local pirate radio station, 101.1 FM
  

• Guerilla Drive-in Showing free movies and reclaiming public space
  

• Santa Cruz Independent Media Web-based local news

Nonviolent Communication

• NVC Santa Cruz

Political

• Constitutional Tea Party Patriots of Santa Cruz County
  

• Freedom Advocates
  

• Monterey Bay Educators Against War
  

• People's Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County
  

• Raging Grannies

Radical Resources

• Anarchist Library At the Sacred Grove on Soquel avenue
  

• Santa Cruz Anti-Imperialist League
  

• Watsonville Brown Berets

Science

• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
  

• O'Neill Sea Odyssey

Seniors

• See: Senior Services

Sports

• Santa Cruz State Lifeguard Association

Transportation

• Bike Church Bicycle repair/tool cooperative
  

• Bike to Work
  

• Campaign for Sensible Transportation
  

• Community Traffic Safety Coalition
  

• Cyclists for Cultural Exchange
  

• Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz
  

• People Power Human powered transportation for peace and environmental preservation
  

• Santa Cruz Bicycle Industry Coalition
  

• Santa Cruz County Cycling Club (SCCCC)
  

• Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail Trail
  

• The Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Transportation

Unions and Workers' Rights

• Western Service Workers Association
  

• Work Force Santa Cruz County Resources for employers and job seekers, including youth options

Vegetarian

• Vegan Meetup Group of Santa Cruz Potlucks and restaurant treks
  

• Vegetarian Meetup Group of Santa Cruz Potlucks and restaurant treks

Veterans

• Monterey Bay Veterans Inc Non profit that provides disabled veterans and others with marine recreation programs
  

• Veterans Service Office Provides services and resources for veterans

Volunteers

• Habitat for Humanity
  

• Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County

Women

• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Empowers women and men to work together for peace and justice. Local chapter.

Related Links

• Community Donations
  

• Spiritual Organizations
  

• Support Groups
  

• Clubs and Interest Groups
  

• Co-ops
  

• Services
  

• Politics
  

• History
  

• Heated Issues in Santa Cruz

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