The Collaborative Bulletin is created by Jasmine P. Corena & Likhi Rivas

Message from the CEO

We've reached March 2024, celebrating Women's History Month and St. Patrick's Day!


This month is packed with events. We hosted a Climate Resiliency Summit featuring speakers from UC Davis and UC Merced addressing the challenges of climate change, emphasizing the importance of data collection and community engagement. Miriam Nuno and Irva Hertz-Picciotto provided an excellent overview of the significance of community participation in these conversations. Yury Garcia, Post-Doctorial with UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities as Data Scientist share importance’s working with community. Ingrid Brostrom and Paul Almeida discussed the value of conducting surveys with the community on climate change. Mayor Rey Leon shared the remarkable achievements of Huron City in addressing climate change, while Joel Diringer highlighted the impact on agricultural workers. Seventy community members attended, asking questions and expressing interest in joining the Climate Change Committee. We've accepted the challenge and are collaborating with stakeholders to organize this committee. Stay tuned for more updates.


We also launched our first English language classes with 14 attendees, expecting more to join as word spreads. The Southwest Modesto Plan Community Workshop 3 will finalize the blueprint for the future development of West and South Modesto, with a meeting scheduled for March 14th from 6pm to 8pm. Our second Poetry Night at the Center promises an evening filled with emotion and verse on Friday, March 22nd, from 6pm to 9pm, with coffee and tea provided.



Additionally, the People's Plan/El Plan del Pueblo has completed numerous community surveys and focus groups to gather input on the future vision for Stanislaus County, yielding valuable results. Our calendar is buzzing with activities, including Fitness Classes starting March 18th from 9am to 10am and a Tobacco Presentation on March 22nd at 11am. Vibe West Modesto, our agency's podcast program, has garnered great success, even receiving coverage from Modesto Bee. The King/Kennedy Memorial Center is buzzing with activity, and April promises another month filled with events. Visit our website, Facebook, and Instagram for more information and activities at the Center.


Perfecto Muñoz

Chief Executive Officer

February Monthly Recap

Empower Your Finances

Our VTAI team partnered with El Concilio, FIRM, How Money Works, and the Rainbow Center to provide resources on financial planning. Step into a world of possibilities at our upcoming workshop. This includes obtaining or renewing your ITIN and strategically saving for your children's college education.


The immigration team from El Concilio California presented immigration services for immigrants, refugees, asylees, dreamers, victims of domestic violence, and low-income immigrants.


Black History Month Luncheon

The King Kennedy Board of Directors and the City of Modesto hosted their annual Black History Month Luncheon. This afternoon was filled with cultural richness, historical significance, and heartfelt celebrations. This event is a tribute to the spirit and invaluable contributions of the Black community throughout history. The aim of the event was to foster unity, appreciation, and understanding while highlighting the achievements that have shaped our shared narrative.

Program Spotlight:

California Workplace Outreach Project

The California Workplace Outreach Project is dedicated to empowering workers of all fields, ages, and backgrounds. CWOP provides various resources that strive to educate workers and employers in high-risk industries about labor laws related to workplace health and safety protections, how to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and other flu like viruses, and other key resources. The primary focus of the California Workplace Outreach Project (CWOP) is information dissemination and education outreach to workers about the impacts of COVID-19 in the workplace, paid sick leave benefits rights, workers compensation, discrimination, workplace health and safety, and employee protections. CWOP also supports with filing wage and workplace violation claims. There are no eligibility requirements to be supported by CWOP. If you would like to find out more about what resources are available through the California Workplace Project, we invite you to attend our Workers Rights Workshop on March 24, 2024 from 1 pm to 3:30pm at the West Modesto Community Collaborative [View flyer in community news].

Employee Spotlight:

Likhi Rivas


Likhi Rivas grew up in South Central LA, where culture was in every corner. She is an older sister who cares for her younger siblings paving the way for herself and her family. After high school, she headed to the Bay Area for college at UC Berkeley, majoring in Legal Studies and minoring in Conservation and Resource studies.


Her time at UC Berkeley exposed her to new perspectives and challenges as a first-generation Latina in a new city. Despite this, worked with the School of Public Health, and wrote about environmental justice for The Leaflet, the a student-ran newspaper. Likhi graduated in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Legal Studies.


In the summer of 2022, Likhi joined the West Modesto Community Collaborative (WMCC) as a project coordinator for the ORALE Project. She quickly became an essential member, contributing to multiple projects and initiatives. Alongside her work with ORALE, she participated in the California Mortgage Relief program and became the lead project coordinator for the Valley Thrive Awareness Initiative. Likhi also helped establish the Green Room Theater Club, now a thriving youth program, where she now serves as the Associate Instructor.


Likhi's role within WMCC extends to Communications Coordinator, where she ensures the organization's voice is heard across different platforms. Her contributions are marked by her talent, positivity, intelligence, creativity, and kindness, making her indispensable to WMCC. She has created inclusive spaces where everyone feels accepted and heard, leaving a lasting impact on the organization and its community.

Community Spotlight:

Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS)

What is PEARLS?

The Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) educates older adults about what depression is and helps them develop the skills they need for self-sufficiency and more active lives. The program takes place in six to eight sessions over the course of four to five months in an older adult’s home or a community-based setting that is more accessible and comfortable for older adults who do not see other mental health programs as a good fit for them. 


PEARLS is one of only a handful of programs that focuses on helping older adults develop the skills they need to maintain their health, happiness, and independence. The program is part of a cultural shift in how depression is managed by and for aging community members. 


What does PEARLS Offer?

  • Empower older adults by teaching them skills necessary to take action and make lasting life changes so they can lead more active and rewarding lives.
  • Offer a client-driven team-based approach.
  • Allow collaboration with older adults in their homes or other accessible community settings during six to eight PEARLS sessions over the course of four to five months.
  • Improve quality of life, as well as reduce depressive symptoms.


PEARLS History

PEARLS began in the late 1990s when the director of Aging and Disability Services, the area agency on aging for Seattle and King County, approached the UW Health Promotion Research Center for a way to serve older adults with depression, including those served by the agency’s home- and community-based services program and/or those who might not have a clinical diagnosis of depress. Depression is high among older adult who are homebound; when we analyzed data from 16,032 elders receiving HCBS in Washington state in 2005, two-thirds met criteria for clinical depression. Older adults do not need a depression diagnosis to participate in PEARLS. In fact, we know depression can appear as sadness, frustration, loneliness, or loss of interest in activities someone once loved.


Check out these videos to learn more:


Upcoming Events

Community News

Have something to share? For inquiries please email our Communications Director: Jasmine P. Corena

jcorena@westmodestocollaborative.com

For more information, call our main office at 209-522-6902.

Stay Up-To-Date with West Modesto

Vibin' with West Modesto

West Modesto Community Collaborative and The Community Builders Project present Vibin' with West Modesto! The groovin' podcast is here to lead through equity, advocacy, and kindness by informing the community on different resources offered, upcoming events, and what West Modesto Community Collaborative is doing in your community. What changes do we want to see in our community and where is it happening? The co-hosts Jasmine Corena & Likhi Rivas want to continue learning about what the West Modesto community needs and wants.

LISTEN IN

Check out Vibin' with West Modesto and their feature in the Modesto Bee!

Click Here

Want to stay updated?! Follow us on social media or visit our website:

Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Web