Note from the Pastor

Each year the church allocates funds in the annual budget to be distributed through the Missions Board to various entities. Most people are probably aware of the charities we help, but for new members and those not familiar with the church budget, the Missions Board thought it would be nice to feature one of these programs.

This month we are featuring Community Action of Ventura County (CAVC). CAVC works throughout Ventura County to help low-income, disadvantaged, and at-risk families and individuals become self-sufficient. The programs it offers fall into three broad categories: weatherization and utility assistance, family services, and legal assistance.

Working in partnership with utility companies and the U.S. Department of Energy, CAVC’s weatherization program helps low-income residents reduce their utility bills and conserve energy by installing in qualified homes energy efficient windows, doors, insulation, weather stripping, refrigerators, furnaces, and fans. The energy assistance program helps county residents pay their utility bills to avoid interruptions in service.

At its main office in Oxnard, CAVC offers a variety of services to low-income families and individuals. The Transition Center is a year-round daytime shelter offering the homeless a safe haven, counseling, support, and referrals for a variety of other forms of assistance. On Thursdays, CAVC distributes fresh produce, canned goods, and other donated foods from its pantry to income-qualified county residents. The Los Compadres program aims to prevent violence and encourage responsibility and self-respect among at-risk young men between the ages of 13 and 24. CAVC also provides low-cost housing for formerly homeless men at the Goldberg House in Ventura. It hopes in the near future to expand this program to include transitional housing for young adults who have “aged out” of the foster care system.

Finally, CAVC’s Legal Department provides no-cost and low-cost legal assistance for county residents in the areas of family law, housing and landlord-tenant disputes, restraining orders, guardianships, conservatorships, civil matters, wills, and general legal information.

Photo courtesy of CAVC.