2012 ‘Stand Up and Take Charge’ Campaign

On November 16, 2011 over 430 COPA leaders from 24 institutions across the Central Coast, launched the first-ever ‘Stand Up and Take Charge’ campaign with a goal of organizing 30,000 voters in support of a common agenda of issues. Instead of falling victim to our current state of divisive, hyper-partisan politics and withdrawing from civic life, COPA will reclaim our capacity to engage in public life by reaching into and across our institutions to Stand Up and Take Charge as part of a coordinated regional strategy across Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

The 2012 Stand Up & Take Charge campaign is an organization-wide commitment to build:

• A regional agenda of issues
• A core team of 60 Captains
• Who will coordinate the work of 600 leaders
• To reach a long-term goal of 30,000 voters to support, vote and act on COPA’s agenda.

Contact your COPA Core Team leaders to learn how to get involved.

COPA strategizes with Northern CA IAF leaders to build statewide power

On Oct. 23, 2011, fifty COPA leaders joined over 300 leaders from our sister IAF organizations of Northern CA at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco for an economic conference, “Reclaiming Our Citizenship: Taking Responsibility for the Common Good.” Leaders shared success stories and strategies and engaged the thinking of USC Professor Dowell Myers, author of Immigrants and Boomers;  Joe Mathews, co-author of California Crack-Up: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It; Dr. Steven Levy, of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, and Ernesto Cortes, Jr., national co-director of the Industrial Areas Foundation.

Bishop’s Covenant for Peace

On March 23, 2010 Bishop Garcia, in partnership with COPA publicly launched the Bishop’s Covenant for Peace and Gang Violence Prevention at St. Mary’s of the Nativity Catholic Church at the conclusion of a 5000-person Procession for Peace.

The Bishop’s Covenant calls on all parishes to implement strategies to:

1. Connect children and parents with each other and the Catholic Church.
2. Promote trust between our communities and those responsible for public safety. (Police, Sheriff)
3. Create new healthy activities and environments where young people can relate in healthy ways.
4. Bring the power of prayer to our work.

This initiative has expanded to the Central Coast Committee for Building Peace to include institutions of all denominations. The Committee held a Gang Prevention Symposium on Nov. 29th to learn about the power and organizational structure of gangs in order to understand how to organize effectively to prevent our youth from joining gangs. Download handout on Gang Risk Factors.

Salinas Regional Soccer Complex

Proposed Regional Soccer Complex includes indoor arena, 2 lighted turf fields, 8 grass fields, after school programs and community services.

The Salinas Regional Soccer Complex is a long-term project to develop high quality soccer fields and programs in central Salinas that will provide a healthy and safe environment for youth to play soccer, develop life skills and attractive alternative to gangs. The project will address the shortage of fields and parks in the greater Salinas region. The plan is to construct 8 natural grass fields, 2 lighted turf fields an indoor soccer arena for tournaments, educational classrooms, concessions and parking.

COPA leaders have collected over 15,000 signatures to demonstrate broad-based support for the soccer complex. They are currently working with city and county officials to secure funding to construct the complex. 

House Meeting Campaign on the Economy

In early 2011, an institutional house meeting campaign was launched to understand how the economy is affecting our families, identify issues for action and new leaders to engage in organizing effective actions. The focus question of the Campaign is “How are you experiencing the current economy?” Contact your COPA Core Team leaders within institution to participate.