LOS ANGELES — Community-based organizations across California are feeling the sting of federal budget cuts. Programs that once fed families, housed foster youth, and offered vital community services have seen their funding slashed or disappear entirely.
But state leaders say California is stepping up, determined to keep communities connected and supported through a new statewide initiative called California Connects.
“I really came here so that I can find out what I am missing, because we’re existing But it’s been hard, it’s been really hard, and so we want to start thriving,” said Dr. Dechane Yusef, founder and executive director of E&E Love Foundation in Lancaster, about 70 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The nonprofit serves foster youth with programs ranging from personal hygiene to financial literacy. “I came to learn and to meet people and say, teach me!” she added.
Launched by the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC), the series of gatherings aims to bring community-based organizations together to network, share information about their services, explore state funding opportunities, and strengthen collaboration across the sector.
“As the federal government is attacking many of our communities, it’s important that our communities know that California is stepping up and we are providing resources,” Josh Fryday, GO-Serve Director and California Chief Service Officer, told American Community Media.
During the Oct. 16 events in Los Angeles and Anaheim, facilitator Scott Winter led an interactive exercise in which participants listed their available resources and current needs on sticky notes, creating a collective mural. The activity sparked conversations among organizations, helping them identify potential partnerships and discover opportunities to strengthen or expand their services.
“It is a huge benefit to come and meet many more people and expand your network,” said Erika Robles, founder of United Across Borders Foundation, an organization that provides essential food and school supplies to the community in Santa Ana. She said meeting other organizations in person was inspiring, allowing her to exchange advice, learn from one another’s experiences, and build genuine connections. For her, nothing compares to the warmth of face-to-face conversations.
For California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, who was at the Los Angeles meeting, “this is the time for us to build new partnerships.” She spoke with urgency about the challenges facing communities under Trump’s administration, describing how cuts have hit everything from AIDS protection programs, ethnic studies in schools, to cancer research.
Beyond policy, she said, families are being terrorized right in their own neighborhoods. Her message is clear: this is a collective struggle that requires unity and collaboration. Nine months into a four-year term, she’s not optimistic that the federal government will change course, but she believes communities must. The path forward, she emphasized, lies in working together, sharing resources, and building stronger alliances to protect one another.
Similarly, Anaheim Workforce Development Manager and Executive Director Marco Lucero emphasized the importance of local government partnerships with community-based organizations during an interview with American Community Media.
He described a standout collaboration with Dwelling Place Anaheim, a faith-based organization that operates a community food pantry. For two years, Lucero’s team placed between 12 and 15 interns at the site, helping to strengthen a program built on both service and empowerment. While the organization had a clear vision and a dedicated core team, they needed additional support to expand their outreach.
Interns not only helped distribute food but also encouraged recipients to take part in the process, inviting families to serve their own neighbors. The result, he said, has been one of their most successful projects to date.
The California Connects convenings launched in San Francisco and have since taken place in six cities, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Riverside, and Oxnard, with upcoming sessions in San Diego on November 5 and Fresno on November 18. RSVPs for the Fresno event are open until November 11.
To support participation, OCPSC is providing a limited number of $500 travel stipends for eligible community-based organizations that must travel at least 80 miles one way to attend their nearest California Connects session.
“We really think it’s important to meet people where they are,” said Aubrie Fong, acting executive director of OCPSC, noting that many CBOs have expressed a desire for more regional collaboration. She added that the convenings provide participants with an opportunity to learn about nearby resources and services, with the goal of alleviating the burden on individual organizations through stronger connections.
Organizers also shared information on how participants can access state funding, including the California Grants Portal, a centralized site where organizations can explore open grant listings, review eligibility requirements, and submit applications.
