This Week on the Central Coast...
Two counties team up to tackle homelessness, Shared Adventures held its annual Day at the Beach, and a local student proceeds to the finals in a speech competition
Monterey and San Benito Counties come together to tackle homelessness
Monterey and San Benito Counties are hosting a Homelessness Summit where they hope to share ideas which will help control the amount of individuals experiencing homelessness. The two groups are meeting virtually next week to discuss their ideas.
The Director of Community Development for Salinas said that the number of people either experiencing homelessness or at risk of doing so, is unique to the two counties. “Local leaders say about 80% of the homeless population comprises individuals originally from the area.” The counties are hopeful that the summit will provide some fresh ideas for the crisis.
Shared Adventures hosted a special beach event for people with disabilities
Every year, Shared Adventures in Santa Cruz hosts a beach event for people with disabilities. The beach was lined with plywood panels to allow for easier traveling via wheelchair and volunteers “that have expertise in ocean sports” helped the participants enjoy numerous activities, including kayaking and scuba.
Years ago, the event started small, with only around thirty volunteers lining up pallets on the beach to serve as a ramp. “The event was sheer chaos until the carpenters union came along,” said one of the volunteers.
The event is well-loved by participants and their families and caretakers. The hard work of the groups involved allow the families to experience a unique trip to the beach together, something that would normally be difficult, if not near-impossible, to do on their own.
Alisal Student makes it to the finals in Mikva Soapbox Speech Competition
Harry Ordiano will be the first student in our area to earn a spot in the finals of the Mikva Soapbox Speech Competition, a national competition with thousands of participants.
Mikva encourages young people to speak out about challenges in their communities. The goal is to encourage students to become involved in their communities while teaching and reinforcing useful public speaking skills. The chief of strategy and impact for Mikva said “voting may start at eighteen, but you can’t turn a switch on for a young person and say ‘now is the time that we care what you think’”.
Ordiano’s speech focused on his hometown in the East side of Salinas. He wants the city to address the heavy crime that has negatively affected the image of the area and offered some ideas to work towards that goal. He encouraged the city council to fund public projects that would give young people a place to go after school, such as recreational centers. City Councilmember Tony Barrera said they would “be focusing on prevention and intervention. And we’re talking about putting millions of dollars towards that.”