SACRAMENTO — Luis Perez, 25, knows firsthand what it means to fall through the cracks. Once navigating homelessness, addiction, and the foster care system, he now mentors youth facing similar challenges through a community-based program—an opportunity he says wouldn’t exist without sustained funding.
“It’s about grabbing a hand and pulling someone up,” Perez said. “We care about the client’s success.”
Perez was among hundreds who gathered in Sacramento on April 23 for the California Connects statewide convening, a state-led effort aimed at connecting underserved communities with public resources through local organizations.
The convening brought together nearly 300 participants from more than 180 nonprofits and dozens of government agencies, highlighting the scale of California’s push to expand access to services ranging from healthcare and housing to education and workforce programs.
State officials say the initiative has invested more than $107 million into community-based organizations, reaching tens of millions of Californians through culturally specific outreach strategies.
At the center of the effort is a reliance on “trusted messengers”—community-based groups tasked with bridging the gap between government programs and the communities they are meant to serve.
But even as officials touted progress, questions remain about whether those efforts are translating into meaningful access—particularly in communities like South Los Angeles.
Brianna Lunar, a second-term service corps member with City Year Los Angeles, sees that work up close. Serving in South L.A. schools, she works as a student success coach, supporting both academic and social-emotional development.
“We’re there all day with the students,” Lunar said. “Not just for academics, but to let them know we see them, we support them.”
Lunar, who grew up in South Central Los Angeles, said programs like City Year are reaching communities that often lack access to mentorship and support.
“As someone who didn’t have these types of resources growing up, it definitely makes a big difference,” she said.
She added that the program’s presence is visible across the community.
“When I wear my jacket, people recognize it,” she said. “Students from other schools come up to me and say, ‘Oh, you’re City Year.’”
Still, the work comes with challenges. Long hours and limited resources can strain staff, and funding uncertainty has already had an impact.
“It would take away a lot,” Lunar said of potential funding cuts, noting that staffing reductions and fewer support resources have already affected the program.
Assemblymember Joaquin Arámbula acknowledged that government programs have historically failed to reach many communities effectively, emphasizing the need for stronger partnerships with organizations rooted in the communities they serve.
“Too often government did not work well enough for our communities,” Arámbula said, describing the need for what he called a “two-way street” between policymakers and residents.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty echoed that concern, noting that policies alone are not enough.
“Government only works when it has an impact in the community,” McCarty said, adding that local and ethnic media outlets—including Black-owned newspapers—remain critical in helping residents understand and access available programs.
For Sheila Lewis of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, the issue is not just awareness—but capacity.
“I’m extremely confident” the programs are reaching communities like South Los Angeles, Lewis said. “But community organizations can only do as much as the funding allows.”
Lewis described the reality on the ground as a balancing act between overwhelming need and limited resources.
“Without the funding, we can’t hire the staff, we can’t provide the resources,” she said. “It becomes a heavy load.”
Her organization operates as a one-stop shop, offering services ranging from workforce development to housing assistance and reentry support—but even that, she said, is not enough to meet demand.
“The need is so great,” Lewis said. “We still cannot serve all the families in the Watts community.”
State officials maintain that the model is working, pointing to the role community organizations have played in reaching hard-to-access populations.
“We know that they are,” said Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer, when asked whether programs are effectively reaching communities like South Los Angeles. “The organizations that were invited are on the ground doing incredible work.”
Fryday emphasized that partnerships between the state and community organizations are essential to ensuring people are aware of available services.
“The state can create great programs, but if people don’t know about them, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Still, questions of responsibility remain.
“I think we all are,” Fryday said. “We all have a responsibility to do better.”
Even with that shared responsibility, uncertainty about the program’s future looms large.
OCPSC is currently funded through June 30, 2026, and has not yet secured renewed funding in the state’s proposed budget.
“That’s extremely concerning,” Lewis said. “It’s like stopping a train in the middle of motion.”
Fryday struck a more optimistic tone.
“Regardless of what happens in the budget, the work continues,” he said.
But for participants like Perez—and service members like Lunar—the stakes are immediate.
After years of instability, Perez he’s working to make sure others don’t have to go through what he did. Lunar, working inside South L.A. classrooms, sees daily how consistent support can shape a student’s path.
“Having someone there for them at an individual level—it makes a big difference,” she said.
As California weighs the future of the program, the question remains whether the state can sustain the partnerships many say are essential to ensuring its most vulnerable residents are not left behind.