FY26-27 Justice Partner Slate
American Muslim Voice (AMV) – May
AMV is a local, grassroots, nonviolent, inclusive, civil, immigrant and human rights organization. AMV hosts open houses, peace picnics and peace conventions annually to unite neighbors and strangers alike, including the popular EID celebrations. They also provide the Muslim perspective through teach-in opportunities at schools, colleges, universities, places of worship, and peace conventions.
Peninsula Food Runners – June
Peninsula Food Runners’ mission is to alleviate hunger and minimize food waste in the San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Every day, our volunteers pick up and deliver a wide variety of wonderfully prepared and non-prepared surplus food to community organizations that feed their clients in need.
Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action (new partner) – July
PICA is a Regional Working Group of California Interfaith Power and Light which was formed in October of 2014 with members from about a dozen congregations from the San Francisco Bay Peninsula area. At their monthly meetings, PICA members work to
- reduce the carbon footprint at their facilities by sharing information and best practices on energy, water and resource conservation,
- develop and put on educational programs for their members and the general public, including film showings and talks by scientists, authors and activists; and
- work on local, state and national legislative issues by writing letters and meeting with elected officials.
Day Worker Center of Mountain View (new partner) – August
The Day Worker Center of Mountain View connects day laborers and local employers in a safe, reliable environment. Beyond job matching, the Center provides essential support and growth opportunities, empowering workers to improve their socioeconomic condition through a variety of classes such as ESL and legal rights, as well as hands-on training in technology and job skills. Workers can also enjoy a hot, healthy breakfast and lunch six days a week. Since 1996, the Center has been committed to worker-led advocacy and community service. Our vision is a world of diverse communities where day workers live with full rights and responsibilities in an environment of mutual respect, peace and harmony.
Our vision is a world of diverse communities where day laborers live with full rights and responsibilities in an environment of mutual respect, peace and harmony. Since 1996, we have remained committed to worker-led advocacy and community service.
United Effort – September
United Effort helps homeless people find affordable housing and jobs, and access safety net programs every Saturday from 8:30-10:30 am, and every Wednesday from 8:00-9:00 am, as a complement to the meal, shower, and laundry programs at Hope’s Corner in Mountain View. They also provide job and computer literacy training. United Effort is currently an all-volunteer organization.
Pathwise (new partner) – October
Pathwise is Palo Alto’s only free, non-profit, after-school enrichment program for less-resourced and historically underrepresented middle school students. They serve middle school students in the Palo Alto Unified School District, including low-income, housing insecure, first generation, foster youth, English Language Learners and students belonging to historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. We train high school students to mentor the middle school students.
Pathwise services are located on each middle school campus, offering social-emotional learning (SEL), academic support, and near-peer mentoring in a safe, welcoming space. They extend that support to families through parent education, school guidance, and advocacy.
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HI) – November
IM4HI is a statewide organization that connects clergy and people of faith to the work of social justice in Los Angeles County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Inland Valleys. Working at the intersection of spirituality and social movements, they mobilize congregations to take a stand on issues of social justice like immigration and mass incarceration, and engage people of faith to develop their own leadership so they can stand up against racism, discrimination and the political challenges of the day.
Colectivo Acción Latina de Ambiente (ALA) – December
Colectivo Accion Latina de Ambiente (ALA) was founded on August 1st, 2011, in San Jose. Its founders, Rodrigo García and Omar Núñez, decided to open a space for non-hetero conforming Latinos and Latinas who speak Spanish. From the beginning, ALA was created with the idea of being an incubator for new Latino leaders. The leadership structure is spread out horizontally, where a group of leaders, chosen by ALA’s membership, share the responsibilities of coordination and maintenance of the group. Programs include regular social/support meetings, an annual retreat, and a Spanish-language theater company that reflects Latinx LGBTQ experiences. All who participate do so on a volunteer basis. All funds are raised through events and donations.
Onyxx Village Connection (OVC) – January
OVC is a black-led organization that restores the dignity of underserved individuals and families in East Palo Alto and surrounding communities, building consistent personal connections with love. They feed the hungry, eliminate food waste, and connect the community to resources that could improve the quality of their lives. OVC helps the whole person nurture their mind, body and soul by delivering meals, resources and compassion through mobile outreach and partnerships.
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) – February
SURJ Santa Clara County Chapter is based in San Jose and is part of a national network of groups and individuals organizing white people for racial justice. There are over 150 SURJ chapters and affiliates nationwide. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice, with passion and accountability. Accountability means being in relationship with and taking direction from people of color and working on the issues that matter most to accountability partners, organizations run by people of color.
Heart and Home (H+H) – March
Heart and Home, founded by Stanford students, provides night-time winter shelter for fifteen unhoused women in the general Palo Alto vicinity, and is in its fifth year of being hosted by UUCPA for six weeks each year. Operated by H+H and rotating between Palo Alto houses of faith, the shelter is run by volunteers from the community and Stanford University and is staffed by trained professionals.
Canopy – April
Canopy is a Palo Alto-based non-profit that plants and cares for trees where people need them the most. Their mission is to grow urban tree canopy in Midpeninsula communities for the benefit of all. Their vision is a day when every resident of the Midpeninsula can step outside to walk, play, and thrive under the shade of healthy trees. Canopy continues to have a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. They prioritize tree planting and stewardship, education, and advocacy in communities where people do not have a thriving urban forest due to limited resources, competing priorities, historical development, and urbanization patterns.