Monument Crisis Center to Receive the Sustained Commitment Award at the 12th Annual East Bay Philanthropy Awards

Monument Crisis Center

Established in 2003 as an emergency food pantry in Concord, Monument Crisis Center has since grown to one of the most well-established and reliable service providers to low-income individuals in Contra Costa County. From its first opening day in 2003 where 84 families were provided emergency food, they have since grown to serve more than 10,000 clients annually and will be celebrating their 20th anniversary next year.

Over the years, Monument Crisis Center (MCC) has worked closely with the community to identify local needs and expand their programs accordingly, providing a sustained commitment led by compassion, in-depth knowledge, and trust of the local community. They successfully adjusted their food distribution program in Concord in response to the pandemic. As their volunteer program was temporarily suspended, staff took up the work of pitching tents outside their building to maintain their services outdoors. Despite these challenges, MCC increased their services during the Pandemic, reaching out to donors to receive up to 10,000 pounds of non-perishable items daily. Their food distribution program now serves 200 households each day and families can receive food every week.

MCC also has a strong K-12 youth program that includes multiple summer camps as well as in-person and virtual after school tutoring, mentorship, college prep, and career planning programs. In an effort to better serve seniors in the community, MCC is also hosting weekly fall-prevention exercise classes in partnership with Meals on Wheels, conducting weekly wellness checks and birthday wishes, providing countless off-site resources and connections to wrap around services, and returning to their Senior Moments program this fall.

MCC serves as a conduit and hub for other community service partners. Other non-profit partners joined MCC during their outdoor food distributions in 2020 to provide on-site wraparound resources to their clients at a time when many social services were paused indefinitely. This includes partnerships with Catholic Charities, CalFresh, and Contra Costa Public Health, among many others.

Sandra Scherer — Executive Director of MCC

While many things are uncertain, especially for low-income individuals throughout Central and East Contra Costa County, Monument Crisis Center’s dedication and continued commitment to those in need is a constant.

We are so excited to honor Monument Crisis Center with the Sustained Commitment Award at the 2022 Philanthropy Awards on November 17. If you are interested in attending please register here.

Learn More & Register