On The Move

ON THE MOVE ("OTM") PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITIES AND MOBILIZES EMERGING LEADERS TO TAKE ACTION IN PURSUIT OF SOCIAL EQUALITY.

VOICES OUR INDEPENDENT CHOICES FOR EMANCIPATION SUPPORT ("VOICES") IS A YOUTH-DEVELOPED, YOUTH-LED EMANCIPATION CENTER, FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING CURRENT AND FORMER FOSTER YOUTHS' TRANSITION INTO HEALTHY ADULTHOOD. VOICES PROVIDES COMMUNITY CENTERS WHERE FOSTER AND OTHER SYSTEMS-INVOLVED TRANSITION-AGED YOUTH HAVE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND WELLNESS SERVICES. VOICES' APPROACH BLENDS YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WITH SUPPORT SERVICES THAT YOUNG PEOPLE NEED AS THEY LEAVE SYSTEMS OF CARE. VOICES' YOUTH ARE ACTIVE LEADERS IN COACHING THEIR PEERS, GUIDING THE EVOLVING VISION OF PROGRAM DELIVERY AND ADVOCATING FOR YOUTH VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY. EACH CENTER FOCUSES ON EMPOWERMENT AND ACTION, MOBILIZING MEMBERS THROUGH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT CHALLENGE COMMUNITIES TO BUILD BETTER AND MORE INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT YOUTH, CAREGIVERS AND PROFESSIONALS. TODAY, THOUSANDS OF TRANSITION-AGE YOUTH UTILIZE VOICES' PEER-BASED RESOURCES TO FIND CONNECTIONS AND BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR THEIR FUTURES. VOICES' SUCCESS IN HELPING TRANSITION-AGE YOUTH TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY BY LEADERS SEEKING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THIS POPULATION. OVER THE LAST 16 YEARS, VOICES HAS SUCCESSFULLY FOUNDED PROGRAMS IN NAPA, SONOMA, SANTA CLARA, MONTEREY, AND SOLANO COUNTIES AND LEADERS FROM 20 DIFFERENT CALIFORNIA COUNTIES HAVE VISITED A VOICES' PROGRAM SITE TO LEARN ABOUT THE VOICES' YOUTH ENGAGEMENT MODEL WORKS AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT IT HAS ON YOUNG PEOPLE.

NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE, LGBTQ CONNECTION, INNOVATIONS COMMUNITY CENTER, ON THE VERGE, AND OTHER PROJECTS.

NAPA COUNTY RECOVERY CENTER ("NCRC") OFFERS BILINGUAL/BICULTURAL SUPPORT FOLLOWING DISASTERS IMPACTING NAPA COUNTY. SHORTLY AFTER THE DEVASTATING NAPA FIRE COMPLEX IN 2017, ON THE MOVE MOBILIZED A TEAM OF STAFF TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND BILINGUAL/BICULTURAL LONG-TERM DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT. BUILDING UPON ON THIS EXPERIENCE, THE NAPA COUNTY RECOVERY CENTER NOW RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY NEEDS RESULTING FROM ALL DISASTERS PROVIDING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES, EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND CASE MANAGEMENT. AS TRUSTED MESSENGERS, NCRC STAFF SERVE AS LIAISONS FOR LATINX AND INDIGENOUS SPEAKING COMMUNITIES WHO WOULD OTHERWISE NOT ENGAGE IN DISASTER RELIEF SUPPORT DUE TO THE MISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT AND INABILITY TO NAVIGATE GOVERNMENT SERVICES.

LA PLAZA (ALSO KNOWN AS NUESTRA CULTURA) IS A LATINX CREATED AND DIRECTED WELLNESS PROGRAM IN SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA. LA PLAZA IS BUILT ON THE ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING THAT CULTURE HEALS--LA CULTURA CURA. LA PLAZA IS A WELCOMING PLACE FOR GATHERING MEANT TO CREATE A NEW CULTURAL NORM FOR WELLNESS AS WELL AS A PRACTICE SPACE FOR EMERGING LEADERS TO TRY OUT NEW SKILLS AND ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY CAN LEARN TO DESIGN AND LEAD HEALING ACTIVITIES FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. LA PLAZA IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT PAIRS CLINICAL, THERAPY-BASED SERVICES WITH FAMILIAR HEALING PRACTICES AND CULTURAL ARTS EXPERIENCES THAT INVITES ALL TO CLAIM THEIR OWN ABILITY TO HEAL. THROUGH ART, FOOD, COMMUNITY, DANCE, POETRY, AND STORYTELLING THE PROGRAM DRAWS ON HEALING PRACTICES THAT ARE BOTH TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL. LA PLAZA BRINGS A NEW, CULTURALLY RELEVANT WELLNESS STRATEGY TO LATINX PEOPLE BY CREATING COMMUNITY, BELONGING AND SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THAT PROMOTE SELF-EXPRESSION, RESILIENCY, HOPE, AND JOY.