What an Extraordinary Step Up Marin!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebration of 60 years of impact, resilience, and community last Friday at Step Up Marin! Surrounded by friends, supporters, partners, and neighbors, we honored six decades of working together to build a Marin where every child, family, and older adult has access to opportunities and what they need for well-being.
Keynote speaker Anne Lamott inspired us with a heartfelt call to care for one another and stay connected to our shared humanity, even when the work is challenging. Community Courage Award recipient Atenea Portillo-Hernandez shared her powerful story and the bright future she has built through determination and community support.
Together, we celebrated not only how far we’ve come, but also the community we are continuing to build. Every day, with the help of people and partners like you, people of low income across Marin are accessing nutritious food, stable housing, high-quality early education, workforce opportunities, and the wraparound programs that help create lasting stability. We’re shifting narratives about the face of poverty, and we’re creating new systems, new policies and laws that help everyone here in Marin to reach stability and have a pathway to thriving.
As we continue celebrating our 60th anniversary throughout 2026, we invite you to be part of the anti-poverty movement that is building here. Your investment helps ensure that people in our community can build strong foundations and create bright futures.
DONATE TODAY
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PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT
The Power of Early Childhood Education in Marin
Early childhood education sets the foundation for a lifetime of opportunities. But in Marin, too many families do not have access to high-quality child care that could make a world of difference toward breaking cycles of poverty. By partnering with centers like Papermill Creek Children’s Corner in Point Reyes Station, Community Action Marin helps to support those children and families most in need.
Leveraging federal Head Start dollars, CAM helps to ensure that children receive the quality education they deserve. This decades-long partnership has helped people and changed lives. Papermill Creek utilizes indoor and outdoor learning spaces to spark creativity and develop social-emotional learning skills. Head Start investment by CAM makes it possible to reach more people in the local community.
“Early education programs enrich the lives and minds of children and allow them to experience autonomy early on,” shares center director, Lourdes Romo, whose own daughter was once enrolled at Papermill Creek. “Our community is small, but stretched out over miles and miles. We serve a large number of children whose families work in the community.”
We are proud to partner with Papermill Creek. Their work with children and families is helping to move Marin County one step closer to creating more equitable outcomes for families of low income. Together, we are working to create a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
WATCH A DAY-IN-THE-LIFE AT PAPERMILL
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ADVOCACY
Critical Food Support Continues for Marin Families
After a law signed last July went into effect on April 1st, many noncitizens found themselves without some of the critical support they rely on for food. CalFresh, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides more than 15,000 Marin County residents with financial support for groceries. Thanks to state and private funding, residents who have become ineligible for federal assistance will still receive support.
“Food insecurity is an injustice,” shares Robin Pendoley, Community Action Marin’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. “It remains a central focus of our work to ensure our neighbors are supported with direct services and advocacy for policies that deliver on the notion that food access is human right.”
Community Action Marin firmly believes in equitable access to the vital services that help families thrive. We are proud to continue supporting the health and well-being of our neighbors.
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ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Connecting Neighbors to Critical Support Across Marin
Our Benefits Enrollment Center is on the move across Marin! Our team is sitting down one-on-one to support our neighbors in accessing the Low Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and PG&E assistance programs. To date, these efforts have resulted in 8 LIHEAP application approvals, securing $8,100 in financial assistance. This support helps families keep the lights on and ease monthly expenses.
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Thank You for Standing with Us
Every success you’ve read about this month is made possible through your belief in our mission. Whether you volunteer, partner, donate, or spread the word—you are part of an anti-poverty movement building equity, opportunity, and thriving futures in Marin.