Programs

Steven and his family illustrate how Direct Services lead to Community-Building, which leads to empowered residents working together toward long-term change.

When working at the neighborhood-level, increasing access to resources inspires mutuality and trust. Unidos then enhances social cohesion through events and community service, resulting in community pride and connectivity that builds collective hope for change. With that newfound hope, Unidos builds resident power through advocacy and representational leadership. This results in resident leadership influencing the neighborhood’s access to resources through equitable changes in society. With each rotation through this cycle the movement is increasing holistic wellbeing.

Access to Resources

  • We start with Increasing Access to Resources not only because these resources are needed, but also because change happens in relationships and doing this work allows us to build trust.

    Increasing Access includes:

    A Door-to-Door Resource Promotion program

    Providing one on one support like Care Navigation and Healthcare Referrals.

    Filling gaps in services through our own Child and Youth Development Programs.

    Current Programs include: Elementary Homework Help, Youth Study Hour, Summer Day Camps and a faith-based weekly program, Unidos Youth.

    We also develop partnerships with other local groups to help increase kids’ access to valuable experiences like Ballet classes, Technology classes, Agriculture, Chess and Horseback Riding.


    These are just a few examples. We stay flexible so that we can leverage new opportunities for community benefit.

  • YOUTH

    ACCESS TO RESOURCES

Community Building

  • And these direct services lead to more relationships in the community so that TOGETHER we can strengthen the social fabric, both residents and their partners. 

    City-wide events like Día del Niño (the Day of the Child) and Fiesta Mexicana are opportunities to bring the neighborhood together and celebrate Mexican-American culture. (95% of residents in the Capistrano Villas identify themselves as having Mexican heritage.)

    At Parent Panels, staff from public schools come learn from moms in our neighborhood to help bridge that gap.

    At weekly adult education workshops, adults learn about rotating topics taught by professional partners, so they can bring that information back to their friends and neighbors.

    The Unidos Christmas Store provides a little financial boost to our neighbors each December by offering Christmas gifts at half price, not just for selected families but for the whole community.

  • Community

    Service

Resident Voices

  • And with that social fabric strengthened, more residents want to get involved to work together, looking upstream from the challenges they face to seek long-term solutions. 

    Unidos believes that every person made in God’s image has a right to an opinion, to expression and to be an active agent of change in their community. We facilitate resident empowerment and open up spaces for our neighbors to shine.

    Read more here about the current priorities of Resident Leaders.

  • Advocacy

    Housing

Current Programs

  • Homework Club

    We serve elementary students twice a week with highly individualized academic support. Most of our students do not have an English-speaking parent at home to help with homework.

  • Unidos Youth

    At this weekly program, middle and high school students build community. Their schedule rotates with one Wednesday focused on spiritual health, another on mental health, another on physical health and various guest speakers.

  • Enrichment Classes

    We offer a rotating menu of enrichment classes for children: Cooking, STEM and more!

  • Día del Niño

    This annual event is a cross between a resource fair and a cultural festival and serves over 1000 people.

  • Neighbor Events

    Our monthly Neighborhood Breakfasts and Neighborhood Clean-Ups are a helpful entrypoints into our community.

  • Elementary Field Trips

    Whether it's an art museum, a whale-watching trip or a local farm, our Elementary field trips provide new experiences.

  • Riding

    We provide exposure to horseback riding for children and youth. Our partnership with Surf and Turf Therapy serves 30 students with free lessons.

  • Summer Day Camps

    We provide students opportunities to participate in faith-based day-camps at local partner churches.

  • Youth Study Hour

    This weekly program provides a safe, quiet place with steady internet access for middle and high school students to study and receive academic support.

  • Youth Field Trips

    Youth Field Trips include college visits and leadership conferences.

  • Youth Workshops

    Unidos Youth partners with mental health organizations and others to provide a rotating menu of classes.

  • Sleep-Away Camps

    Students can opt into a faith-based overnight camp in the mountains for a week in the summer and a weekend in the winter.

  • Adult Workshops

    Monday nights, guest presenters from a variety of local agencies and non-profit organizations come to Casa Unidos to share their information and resources with adult residents in our community. Topics include Financial Stability, Parenting, Mental Health and more.

  • Promotoras

    Our "Promotoras" go door-to-door, promoting resources like healthcare, worker rights and special events.

  • Exercise Classes

    We offer a weekly class of either Yoga or Zumba, taught by volunteer, professional instructors.

  • Resident Advocacy

    We coordinate opportunities for residents to use their voices to impact issues they care about. We visit city council, school board trustee meetings and more.

  • Forums

    Three times a year we gather our neighbors to ask for their input on a variety of topics.

  • Parent Panels

    Twice a year, staff from Marco Forster Middle School come to Casa Unidos where parents teach the teachers about our community, helping to build understanding and empathy.

  • CLC Core Team

    Weekly a team of dedicated adult residents meet to strategize their advocacy for housing affordability.

We believe in collaboration! One agency, one school, one family, one church cannot make lasting, systemic comprehensive change alone. We need cross-sector collaboration where we each do what we do best and leverage our connections for community benefit. The Intersections Initiative funded the launch of the South Orange County For All (SOC4A). Unidos participates in this collaborative and we just completed a project together to help launch a housing initiative addressing the housing instability of our neighborhood of focus.