Hello everyone, my name is Emily Rangel, and I am a student at California State University Monterey Bay CSUMB. I am currently going into my senior year and working as an NPC intern through my field training program in Collaborative Human and Health Services.
This week we will be shining the member spotlight on The Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County (CAB). They have recently announced their Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP) has been “selected by the California Department of Social Services to distribute legal filing fee scholarships to more than 1,200 Central Coast residents this year.” This will keep an astounding $657,130 in the household budgets of local immigrant families.
These funds will cover U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services filing fees for:
- 1,039 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants
- 197 Naturalization applicants
Furthermore, CAB is offering their scholarship recipients free legal services to renew DACA or apply for US citizenship at no cost to them. CAB is currently offering assistance by accepting. applications for those who identify as low- and moderate-income California residents. In order to apply, please reach out to the Immigration Project (SCCIP) 831-724-5667 if you are interested. Funding is limited, so CAB is encouraging those with interest to call and begin the application process right away.
“CAB’s mission is to partner with the community to eliminate poverty and create social change through advocacy and essential services. The mission of CAB’s Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP) is to promote the well-being of the immigrant community in Santa Cruz County and the Pájaro Valley. SCCIP accomplishes this by helping immigrants acquire legal status, reuniting immigrant families, and making US citizenship more accessible to eligible immigrants. SCCIP has provided competent and professional legal services, advocacy, and community education and information on the Central Coast for more than 30 years.”
Thank you to CAB for supporting the community by providing programs and resources for those who seek assistance and support. The Immigration Project will support those who are inquiring about changing their legal US legal status, which comes at a cost and is not accessible to many individuals. However, this program supports and makes obtaining legal status or US Citizenship more accessible for individuals.