California Blueprint includes funding to support Neighbor-to-Neighbor networks and Climate Action Corps, engage more older Californians in volunteer programs

SACRAMENTO – Today on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national day of service, Governor Gavin Newsom encourages all Californians to honor the civil rights leader by taking part in a volunteer opportunity to improve their community.

“On this day, we take a moment to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and his vision of a beloved community. He believed that everyone has a part to play in creating a kinder, united community,” said Governor Newsom, who issued a proclamation declaring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. “California is at its best when communities are empowered and every individual can play a role in creating that beloved community.”

As part of the California Blueprint, Governor Newsom has proposed additional investments in California’s service and volunteer programs. The Blueprint includes:

Expanding Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Volunteering Programs 

• Engage more older adults in volunteer service that benefits schools, families and communities across the state.
• Support the goals established by California’s 10-year Master Plan for Aging, and establish national models that demonstrate the power, value and success of older adult volunteerism.
• The Foster Grandparent Program will pair older adult volunteers with children of all ages for intergenerational mentoring, tutoring and connections.
• The Senior Companion Program will connect older adults to address social isolation, and create peer-to-peer support systems in independent living.

Building Neighbor-to-Neighbor Networks in California 

• Expand the state’s existing volunteer infrastructure and bolster the statewide Neighbor-to-Neighbor initiative to recruit, train, equip and organize neighbors to address community needs.
• Harness the community mobilization and connections resulting from the pandemic to build upon this organic service model to respond to crises like floods, fires and other rapid-response disasters and community needs.

Increased Ongoing Funding for the California Climate Action Corps 

• Permanently fund the country’s first statewide Climate Action Corps Program at its existing funding level of $4.7 million to help empower Californians to take meaningful action against the harshest impacts of climate change.
• Support the mission of empowering youth to engage in service that advances climate actions in their communities, cultivates change and leaves a lasting impact.
• This nation-leading program will continue to enable Californians throughout the state to engage in climate action, be it through service positions, volunteer opportunities or individual action.

Throughout the pandemic, the Administration established programs mobilizing communities to take care of each other, and training individuals to work within their own communities to be a part of the solution. The Administration also launched campaigns encouraging communities, and locally-based organizations to help engage individuals to address various aspects of the pandemic, including public awareness campaigns.

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