Every Spring, AmeriCorps members are asked to dedicate a day of service in honor of Cesar Chavez, an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Typical service days are focused on advocating for farmer’s rights and labor laws, however this year Governor Gavin Newsom asked California Volunteers to provide service opportunities for members and community volunteers around the issue of homelessness. SNAP began to organize volunteer days at local shelters and food banks, when all of a sudden, our plans turned upside down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We were then faced with the challenge of no longer having access to public places or large gatherings.
March 31st, 2020, Cesar Chavez Day, was fastly approaching and members were scrambling to find alternative service plans. But when the day came, SNAP member Lauren Herbine called the cohort together and within one day they were able to collectively create an interactive map of homeless resources in the Sierra Nevada. Members researched each county for shelters and help centers throughout the “Range of Light”. The end result displays over 100 tagged resources and a brochure to help guide you through each county. The 2019-20 SNAP cohort hopes that this resource will provide accessible information and be continuously used to aid Sierra Nevadan’s in need.
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