Salinas Nonprofits and Charities

Volunteering with Save the Whales has been a rewarding and eye-opening experience. A highlight of my service was guiding students through “Dee the Whale,” the near life-size inflatable whale. Many had never been to the beach before, so stepping inside Dee the Whale made ocean conservation feel real and memorable. Seeing their faces light up reminded me how powerful hands-on education can be. Beyond the Dee presentations, I’ve helped with watershed demonstrations, community cleanups, gardening events, and school presentations. These activities bring conservation directly into underserved communities and give students opportunities they might not otherwise have. It’s inspiring to see how quickly they connect once they can interact with the material. Save the Whales offers meaningful opportunities to learn, grow, and make a positive impact. I’m grateful to be part of their mission and look forward to continuing my work as they inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.

Great experience volunteering with the Food Bank. I did my high school community service hours there and I will be coming back to help out during my free time!

I had heard about the Read to Me Project as an organization that helps prevent low literacy in Monterey County. What I didn’t know until my children were part of the program last year, was that Read to Me Project not only works to bring reading levels up for students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade but they also work to set up the next generation of kindergarteners for success by having these older siblings read to their little ones at home on a regular basis. <br>My son was in 5th grade last year and his class participated in the Read to Me Project. One day, he came home with a book that he was going to read to his little sister who was a 1st grader that year. She was still struggling to decode the letters correctly and would often get confused with the sounds of certain letters. <br>Over the course of only a few weeks I noticed how my daughter’s reading improved thanks to the reading sessions she did with her brother. Her confidence improved as she was better able to recognize certain letter combinations and associate them with the right sounds. Both children seemed to really cherish these nightly get-togethers where they’d sit at the kitchen table and work through the pages of a book together. <br>I highly recommend the Read to Me Project and the work they do with elementary students and their younger siblings as it provides youth with a great way to improve their literacy levels while offering a way to have quality bonding and family time. If you are a parent reading this and have a child in 4th, 5th, or 6th grade, ask you school to have the Read to Me Project be part of your child’s activities.

A great organization doing wonderful things for our youth in the community.

Nothing more satisfying than giving to those who need the most. Consistent dedication to serving the homeless community in China Town. I am grateful for a place like this as they have helped me in my time of need and now I can give back.

https://www.dorothysplace.org<br> <br>With love, respect and compassion, the Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra, Dorothy’s Place, provide essential services and transitional support to people experiencing the injustice of homelessness and extreme poverty.<br>We do this through our four programs: Dorothy’s Kitchen, the Drop-In Center, Streets to Homes, and House of Peace Transitional Residence. It’s our highest priority to serve the people of our community who are struggling to get on their feet because of issues they may not have been able to control. When those experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty are taken care of, our community and society becomes a better place and more value is added to the economy. We believe our efforts are bringing long-term change.<br><br>On behalf of Dorothy's Place and the people we serve, we want to thank One Warm Coat for including us in this year's Burlington Coat Drive. You did, indeed, "Deliver Good" to the families in need in Salinas, California.<br> <br>Dorothy's Place provides a seasonal pantry for families who work in the local agriculture industry. During the winter the local growers shut down for four to five months and the workers are unemployed unless they migrate to Southern California or Arizona. Many of the workers have young families and they come to our pantry each week, stand in line outside, rain or shine, patiently waiting to receive a box of food. We provide basics such as rice, beans, and fresh produce as available. The pantry serves up to 250 households each week.<br> <br>In January we gave gifts to the families during the pantry. One Warm Coat and the Burlington Coat Drive allowed us to provide 75 coats to children who came to the pantry with their families. They were surprised, grateful, and very happy!<br> <br>The 65 adult coats we received were given to our neighbors, many of whom live in tents and in vehicles in the encampment surrounding our Drop-In Center. Though our climate is mild, our area has many cold nights in the 30s and 40s during the winter. The coats were much appreciated by our guests.<br>We are sending a photo of our grateful recipients (from behind to protect the children) and photos of the gracious and enthusiastic staff at the Burlington store in Gilroy, California who helped with the Coat Drive. <br> <br>

Our beautiful infant son was born in 2011 and 3 days later he came home. Kinship was right there to help us navigate thru the entire process. He is 9 now and growing like a weed. Thank You, Kelly&Elizabeth H.

Previously United Ways would collect money and distribute to other charities. They do not do this now and have not done so for years. They are literally collecting money and keeping it till they figure out what to do with it. Paying staff salaries and misreporting fundraising costs. Your dollars are going towards the six figure CEO salary.<br>

This organization provides transportation for Seniors and the Visually-Impaired who can no longer drive. Becoming a volunteer for ITN is the most rewarding job I've ever had. The Member riders are so appreciative and so pleased to see me every time. They often say how much they love the service - every time they ride! And, they say it has made such a difference in their life. <br>If you can give one or two hours a week to be an ITN Monterey volunteer driver, you will have a wonderful experience and meet some very interesting, very happy people! Nancy, Carmel

Thank you for the access to this website. I am in a graduate program in Business. I would like to share with everyone that this nonprofit is giving me data to complete my homework! <br>The Natividad Medical Center is a beautiful center with very kind and professional health care providers. <br> <br>Margo Enos RN, MSN, MHA, PhN <br>Lifelong Learner & Lovin' It! <br>Stay Well

The National Steinbeck Center has <br>a robust history of programming <br>that embraces its mission—“to tell the story of <br>John Steinbeck’s rich legacy and to present, create, <br>and explore stories of the human <br>condition.” This is more important than ever as U.S. public schools are become further distanced from <br>a literary curriculum. <br> <br>It's exciting to know that under the direction of the National Steinbeck Center, The Steinbeck Institute for <br>Arts and Culture (formerly known <br>as Sherwood Hall) is now hosting arts events. The Institute aims to unite Monterey county residents and <br>its guests by providing a space <br>and opportunity to experience arts, <br>culture, and entertainment. <br> <br>The Steinbeck Festival is always a wonderful experience, and I hope the May 2012 Festival with the theme of "A Voice" will be a great success!

Hello everyone, My name is Ernest Howard and I work with Peacock Acres staff and youth. I must say this is a wonderful organization that accompanies current and former Foster Youth through their individual life journeys while maintaining high character standards and expectations for them to follow. This is wonderful work that facilitates growth for us all! <br> <br>Thanks,