Welcome to The Collaborative Bulletin!

May provided another valuable opportunity for the agency to highlight its accomplishments and plans. We hosted a Cinco de Mayo luncheon that brought together community leaders and partner agencies to celebrate this important holiday. The event featured three student speakers who shared their experiences as Hispanic individuals during these challenging times. Hearing these three unique life stories offered a meaningful reflection on what it means to be American. To me, their voices reflected what this country represents. The following day our Cinco de Mayo community gathering was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate culture, connection, and community. Residents, families, and partners came together to enjoy music, delicious food, and plenty of laughter in a welcoming and festive atmosphere. 

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 The month of April launched us into spring with many activities organized by West Modesto Community Collaborative. Our agency implemented “Move your Body for Mental Wellness”, a successful walking program that brought community members together to engage in physical activity and connection. For more information, please visit our website. The Wellness Walk takes place on the first and third Friday of every month. Participants meet at our temporary location, 529 California Ave, at 9:00 a.m. to walk the Helen White Memorial Trail. 

 West Modesto Community Collaborative also once again participated in Equity on the Road, held on the California State University, Fresno campus. This program has been around for 10 years, rotating between Sacramento and communities throughout the Central Valley. Its purpose is to highlight the many challenges faced by vulnerable populations in the region. 

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March was a great month for the agency. We continued to receive acknowledgment from local officials and community-based organizations throughout the county and the Central Valley for the impactful work we provided to our community. We also saw growth in our partnerships with healthcare organizations. I was especially proud to highlight our strong partnership with Sutter Memorial Health and the many wonderful individuals we connected with there. These achievements were a direct reflection of the WMCC team's strength and commitment to serving our community. 

WMCC was proud to have two board members recognized at this event: Jocelyn Cooper, our Board President, and Nancy Martinez, who had recently been elected to the WMCC Board of Directors. It was an honor to support these outstanding leaders for their commitment to serving vulnerable communities in West and South Modesto and throughout the county. 

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West Modesto Community Collaborative achieved important milestones. During the month of February, we organized our first “Heart to Heart” Community Wellness Event through our Health Equity Initiative with the support of our partners: Sutter Health, the American Heart Association, Golden Valley Health Centers, Central Valley PACE, and WIC. The goal was to promote collaboration with the vulnerable communities of West and South Modesto and to expand access to health resources and education. It is our vision to continue this partnership to offer health education on topics such as diabetes, childhood obesity, women’s health, hypertension (high blood pressure), and other chronic diseases in underserved communities.

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 In the month of January, we have seen more programming activities. Our youth program has over sixteen students from Mark Twain and Modesto High School. Maribel Torres, our staff member, has a number of great programs planned for the students. We’re excited about the possibility of organizing another talent show to highlight the artistic talent of these students; more information will be forthcoming. Our Baby Thrive and Lightning Bugs are off to a great start this 2026 year. The programming offered includes health education, nutrition, and managing chronic diseases, just to name some of the activities offered by the agency. 

 The agency continues to see families seeking food assistance in record numbers. In one week, we provided over 250 food gift cards for families in distress. This relates to new regulations on eligibility for the CalFresh Program. We do not see any relief coming soon; we are doing our best to work with the Food Bank and FIG to fill in the gaps for food. 

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 The agency has wrapped up another successful year of activities, programming, and services. At the same time, 2025 was a challenging year due to ongoing issues such as food insecurity; the continued lack of affordable housing; limited access to healthcare, youth services, and economic development; immigration challenges; and barriers within financial institutions. With new federal guidelines, many individuals’ healthcare coverage and food assistance will be impacted. 

As we move forward, the future of the agency’s services and programming will include expanding and clearly explaining the services of our Wellness Center, with support from Community Health Workers (CHW–Mental Health), Community Advocacy training, and the objectives outlined in the People Plan Report. Healthcare access and chronic disease education will be an important part of our strategic plan for 2026–2027. 

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