We Are All Part of the Safety Net

May 1, 2016

On Friday, April 15th of this year, we learned about the kind of community we have in Sunnyvale. That day, there was a three-alarm fire at the Twin Pines Manor Apartment complex. Our City’s Public Safety Officers immediately worked to save everyone’s life. The American Red Cross and City of Sunnyvale staff set up a…

From Homeless to Hopeful

November 1, 2015

Two years ago, Patrick and Sandra had to move out of their Sunnyvale apartment when the rent went up more than 25 percent. For a while they tried staying in motels, but that was also too expensive, so eventually they set up camp in a local park in Sunnyvale. They officially became homeless on their…

No Child Dreams of Being Homeless…

May 1, 2015

People living on low incomes are juggling all the time. It doesn’t seem possible, it doesn’t seem fair that any child is without a safe place to live, but it’s happening here in Sunnyvale. Children and their families are living in cars and teens are “couch surfing” by crashing with friends or relatives. Two or…

Tough Choices

November 1, 2014

People living on low incomes are juggling all the time. According to Second Harvest Food Bank, 62% of low-income clients have to choose between food and housing—sadly, food often gets left off the table. Hourly workers in jobs without paid sick leave come to SCS for one-time rental assistance when they are ill and don’t…

Raising Sunnyvale’s Bottom Line!

May 1, 2014

Sunnyvale Community Services and community leaders have come together to support raising the minimum wage in Sunnyvale. The proposed ordinance will increase the minimum wage for workers in Sunnyvale to $10.15/hour, matching the minimum wage in San Jose, with increases tied to the annual Consumer Price Index. Sunnyvale City Council will vote on the planned…

What Recovery?

November 1, 2013

As Sunnyvale’s economy booms, something else is happening all around us—most people are getting poorer. The cost of living in Sunnyvale is skyrocketing, with average rents now over $2,000/month. But low-income workers and seniors living on fixed incomes have not received raises. Federal Government Sequestration is slashing food and housing benefits for the most needy.…

Poverty that Spans the Generations

May 1, 2013

When the U.S. Census Bureau ranked all 50 states in the new “Supplemental Poverty Measure” last November, California had the highest poverty rate in the nation, with 23.5% of California residents living in poverty. According to the federal report, nearly 1 in 4 people cannot afford the basics of food, shelter, and health care in…

Getting Real

November 1, 2012

The Need in Sunnyvale is Greater Than Ever People don’t usually associate Sunnyvale with poverty or people in need, but these figures prove otherwise. We helped 6,981 of our neighbors last year with food or financial aid, equal to 5% of the population of Sunnyvale. 96% of our clients have extremely low to low incomes,…

From Head to Toe

June 1, 2012

Help Sunnyvale Kids Be Ready for School Did you know that when school is out, half of Sunnyvale’s school children are hungry? 47% of Sunnyvale’s children qualify for free or reduced school meals, and during the summer months, they miss the balanced nutrition they get during the school year. That’s why Sunnyvale Community Services is…

One in Four are at Risk of Hunger

November 1, 2011

It’s rare for us to see starvation in our community, but hunger is all around us. Hunger means a child doesn’t eat breakfast, or a senior goes without dinner so they can fill their prescription. Workers making minimum wage look for 99-cent specials at fast food restaurants. One in four people in Santa Clara County…