Central Coast organizations call for support on Giving Tuesday

(KION) Dozens of organizations, from children's programs to shelter services, are calling on the community to support their causes this Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that encourages people to do good in their communities, including something as simple as helping out a neighbor or donating to a nonprofit.

There are dozens of campaigns to give across the Central Coast this year.

As the pandemic continues, Giving Tuesday has gone virtual this year with organizations hosting fundraisers on social media. After the fires tore through parts of the Central Coast and the pandemic, local organizations say this support is now more important than ever.

Camp Krem in Boulder Creek was left in ruins after the CZU lightning complex fire tore through the beloved camp for children and adults with disabilities.

But now, the camp is relying on help from the community to rebuild. Director Christina Krem estimates they’ll need about $5 million to rebuild, everything from cabins to the dining hall.

“Pretty much everything at camp either needs to be rebuilt or it needs to fixed, so we have a lot of work to do,” Krem said. "It’s definitely daunting, but I am not feeling discouraged because it’s evident that we have an amazing community.”

They hope to raise $16,000 this Giving Tuesday and so far people have pitched in more than $5,000, which will help them continue virtual classes and make sure campers can return in the future.

Over in Watsonville, the Pajaro Valley Shelter Services is also asking for help from the community so they can continue serving homeless families.

They have about 100 children and their parents living at the shelter, and serve mostly hispanic and latino families, which is a community that has been hit hard by the pandemic.

“These are folks who are suffering disproportionate impacts from COVID-19, in terms of health and job loss,” Pajaro Valley Shelter Services Executive Director Michael Johnson said.

Johnson told KION they get approximately 96 percent of their funding from donations and community support, which helps them continue housing families and helping them find permanent homes.

In Monterey County, Youth Orchestra Salinas, known as YOSAL, also gets most of their funding from donations along with grants. The program offers free music lessons to underserved youth.

Donations help them purchase instruments for the hundreds of students they serve and keep the orchestra playing strong.

But beyond the music, they learn skills that last with them through life.

“There’s discipline, there’s perseverance, there is failure, and you learn all these things that help in life,” YOSAL Director of Programs and Education Ameena Maria Khawaja said.

These are just some of the many organizations pouring into the community across the Central Coast. If you'd like to donate to an organization you know this Giving Tuesday, try checking out their website. Many organizations have 'donate' tabs on their website or they've launched Giving Tuesday fundraisers on Facebook.

To donate to the organizations we mentioned in the newscast tonight or to find out more information, click the links below:

Camp Krem: https://campingunlimited.org/donate/

YOSAL (Youth Orchestra Salinas): https://www.yosal.org/donate

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services: https://www.pvshelter.org/shelter-to-home-2020/