The Louden Nelson Community Center is not named after a community icon named Louden. Through a typographical mix-up, so the story goes, the first "N" in Londen Nelson's name was transposed.
The center is in downtown Santa Cruz and provides free parking permits for the encircling block inside the center at the front desk. Louden Nelson houses a senior computer center, a teen center, and two rooms that can seat up to 127 people for various community and private events. Outdoors, a large playground is a popular spot for Santa Cruz children. An open field is often home to community events including the Juneteenth Celebration.
Occasionally, one can arrive outside the Market Street Senior Center to the sounds of Cab Calloway wafting from the center. The center is intended to be a community gathering place for those ages 50 and older. It is conveniently located just four blocks from a bus stop. The Market Street Theater is the home of the Santa Cruz Follies.
The Child Development Resource Center offers free referrals for child care programs all across Santa Cruz County. The switchboard provides information on free and low-cost care, day care licensing information, and descriptions of local programs. The center also offers classes and workshops for child care providers and families on early literacy, guidance and discipline, health and safety, business practices and infant and toddler development. The office is located on the second floor of the Santa Cruz Office of Education.
Moms Offering Moms Support (M.O.M.S.) is a community organization based on River Street in Santa Cruz. M.O.M.S. is a community of women, children and their families who help and support each other through pregnancy, birth and parenthood. The group meets to discuss the joys, sorrows, trials and triumphs of being a mother, and the organization offers a safe place for women to give and receive support, learn, grow and develop connections with other mothers in the community. Current offerings include a Prenatal Support Circle and a Moms' Support Circle. Check the main site for details on support programs or on meeting schedules and events.
The SPCA is dedicated to ensuring the humane treatment of animals and to educating people about the proper care of their pets. It provides an adoption service, classes for training your dog, pet loss support, vaccination clinics and much more. The SPCA also offers information about wildlife.
First Congregational Church was first established in Santa Cruz in 1857. In the 1950s, the church moved to its current location on High Street.
The church offers two services on Sundays, both at 10:30am. One is a traditional choir service, the other a jazz and gospel service.
First Congregational Church is inclusive and invites anyone to attend. Its policy on inclusiveness states, "We welcome all who seek to walk with God as we have come to recognize in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, denying no one full participation in the life of this church on the basis of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other particular element of his or her total humanity."
The church offers a limited number of parking spaces to UC Santa Cruz students. There is space for the community to rent out for various events.
Santa Cruz Weekly is one of the free alternative weekly newspapers available at locations all across Santa Cruz. The newspaper covers news, entertainment and culture stories relevant to both the locals in Santa Cruz and visitors to the area. In May 2009, the newspaper changed its name for Metro Santa Cruz to Santa Cruz Weekly. It is part of a group of Bay Area alternative weekly publications, Metro Newspapers.
Westside Parent Education Nursery School is located on the same property as Bayview Elementary School. It is run as a co-op and parent participation is mandatory. Students can experience hands-on learning through play in the areas of music, art and science.
Holy Cross Catholic Church was founded as one of the original 21 missions created by the Spanish across California. The church offers a wide variety of outreach programs. The Parish Hall is available for rent to community groups. Holy Cross School, run by the parish, offers a Catholic education for students in preschool through eighth grade.
Our Lady Star of the Sea Church first offered its services in 1947. The Catholic ministry here runs several outreach programs aimed at helping those who are less fortunate in the community. Outreach programs include senior lunches, senior aerobics and a variety of services to help low-income and homeless find shelter and food.
Santa Cruz Elks Lodge offers a place for Elks members to gather. It works closely with the community through special programs, sponsorships, fundraisers and special events. The location hosts weekly bingo games and dinners, as well as birthday nights and community events. A calendar of local events is available at the website listed.
Santa Cruz Community Church calls itself "unlike any other church you may have known." Located on the east side of Santa Cruz near Highway 1, the church shares its property with the Santa Cruz Parent Education Nursery School. The church welcomes people from all walks of life and embraces the diversity of its religious community. The church is led by Pastor Allen Bujno.
Rising International is dedicated to promoting ownership of craft-based businesses by women in impoverished areas of developed and developing nations. The organization focuses on women in high-risk areas such as refugees, homeless women, those with HIV/AIDs and former slaves in former war-torn regions.