By Michelle Limpe

When natural disasters sweep across regions repeatedly, it takes a lot of strength and resilience from communities to rebuild their lives. For some folks, it can take a greater effort to reestablish a sense of normalcy due to the lack of resources in the area or their socioeconomic conditions. The Community Adaptation Program (CAP) is a recent initiative by the American Red Cross designed to bring relief to regions that experience high risk of disasters through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations. One of the newest additions to the CAP’s locations across the country was just established in Monterey County, California.

CAP focuses on addressing three key areas through its initiatives: health, hunger and housing. Each CAP team is composed of a manager and two coordinators who work together to foster and sustain the connection between the Red Cross and local partners. The community of Pajaro in Monterey was a strong contender for needing these services due to reoccurring natural disasters that devasted the area. the area.

As a native of Salinas in Monterey County, CAP Coordinator Maria Magaña has witnessed some of these historic events herself.

“I was in high school back then. We had one of the biggest floods during those times where everything froze from the Pajaro River on both ends,” she said. “The same situation happened again in 2023, affecting the residents. We’ve had fires in the area, we’ve had floods, and we’ve had the 1986 earthquake. We saw the need for housing, for food and for the well-being and mental health of individuals experiencing a shocking experience of seeing everything they own getting destroyed.”

Maria has led systemic change and advocacy projects for communities with disabilities within Monterey County. Throughout her career, she has worked largely with the Spanish-speaking and indigenous communities in the region, which continue to be a focal point for her current work with CAP.

“We work with hyperlocal organizations to deliver the best service for the population that is at risk of falling into poverty or is suffering great losses after a disaster. We need to be proactive to invest in organizations that already have the infrastructure within the community,” shared Gabriela Perez Albarracin, CAP Manager for Monterey County.

Gabriela moved from Bolivia and began working with the Red Cross as an AmeriCorps member while learning English. She had worked in multiple regions in California, managing the AmeriCorps program, before taking a position as a CAP coordinator in Lake County. Since then, she has become the CAP manager in Monterey.

Gabriela highlighted that the demographics of a vulnerable population is a key consideration when Red Cross agencies are selecting regions to set up the CAP. Because there are many ethnic groups that speak dialects, the Red Cross intentionally partners with local organizations that are more attuned to the linguistic needs of these groups.

As part of the CAP framework, the team conducts a 90-day community discovery to understand the needs of the residents and build a program strategy. Some services that community members need after a disaster of any size includes health and mental health services, safe shelter, nutritious food and spiritual care.

“We understand that minorities are most affected during a disaster, so we have different kinds of populations that get to be really affected and sometimes we don’t have all the capacity to fulfill all their needs,” she said. “The demographics in Monterey are just really diverse. There is   predominantly a Spanish-speaking population but also a lot of communities who speak Tagalog, Cantonese and other Asian dialects.”

Another consideration is the general industry in the region. According to Gabriela, Monterey is a mainly agricultural area, which causes much of the workforce to depend on day-to-day income. When natural disasters occur, the potential for income can be interrupted.

Through partnerships, CAP aims to provide resources to nonprofits that enhance their services while allowing them to maintain their mission and individual operations. These resources include access to subject matter experts, Red Cross-sponsored training, volunteers, analytical support, materials and monetary grants.

“There are a couple of questions we ask before we invest in an organization because we are very risk averse. We need to make sure that the donor dollars are being spent properly,” Gabriela said. “We make sure that organizations are solid and have roots within the community. Every time we meet with a new potential partner, that is the discovery phase.”

Monterey CAP Coordinator Lucy Rojas, highlighted the importance of these partnerships:

“I am very proud about how the Red Cross approaches partnerships with hyperlocal organizations because they are the ones who know the community best and the people they are serving. That’s another way to see how the Red Cross is coping with the mission of serving this community,” she said.

Lucy has been volunteering with the Red Cross since 2018. She started with Disaster Cycle Services before moving into the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) team. She was then hired onto the SAF team where she deployed to Latvia and has since been working with CAP after returning to California.

To Lucy, it is important to focus on the organization’s needs when she approaches conversations around potential partnerships.

“When we talk about enhancement, it’s about seeing how we can help these organizations. They are the experts, so they know what they need. When we go there to meet with organizations, it’s mostly about learning what they are doing and how they can be supported,” Lucy said.

Maria explained the team’s strategy as they set up these enhancements.

“One of the things that we’ve done is think outside the box on what partnerships haven’t been created that maybe they have not thought of,” Maria said. “The work of a specific agency could open the door for a new possibility. We’re looking at what other partnerships and unique programs can come out of it.”

Gabriela commended Maria and Lucy for their creativity and curiosity as the team engages with potential partners and determines the best way to enhance their work.

While monetary aid is one of the ways CAP can enhance an organization, Gabriela asserted that it is not their primary method.

“Monetary is the one thing that we try to do at the very end. Although money is important to continue services and invest in programs, it runs out,” she said. “That’s where creativity comes along because sometimes subject matter expertise is what is most valuable or connecting them with another agency that will make them stronger. We want these organizations to be self-sustainable.”

As the Monterey team is starting to build up the program, they continue to work to raise awareness for CAP and engage volunteers. They call for the public to get involved with the Red Cross and learn about their work.

“We want folks to understand what CAP is and how it is a part of this big mission. We are located in Monterey County, which limits us geographically, but we are mobile and happy to attend events,” Gabriela said. “Be a part of our activities. A lot can be said about Monterey County’s issues, but it is absolutely amazing how resilient the community is.”

Visit the team’s website to learn more about the Community Adaptation Program and how you can support the Monterey County team.