According to Project Homeless Connect, which includes corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies, the organization began in San Francisco in 2004 “when Mayor Gavin Newsom challenged his county workers to create a better system of care for the homeless community.” In Santa Cruz, Project Homeless Connect is “a service filled day that aims at widespread social justice for homeless.”
Since 2004, Project Homeless Connect “has spread to more than 220 cities in 3 different countries to become a national best practice model with great success in getting homeless families off the streets and breaking the cycle of poverty. Rather than being a band-aid event, it is a transformational experience not only for the guests, but also for the volunteers, agencies, and businesses that participate.”
On April 17th, the third annual Project Homeless Connect Santa Cruz was held inside and outside the Civic Auditorium on Church Street in Santa Cruz. Hundreds of people, most of whom are experiencing homelessness, and therefore typically marginalized and criminalized in our community, were provided with a wide range of services and some goods.
Hundreds of people participated in the 7th Annual Last Night DIY New Year’s Parade on December 31st, 2011 in downtown Santa Cruz, California. Hundreds more lined Pacific Avenue to watch and document the grassroots New Year’s Eve celebration created by the community. The event has become both a homespun, family-friendly alternative celebration and a controversial embarrassment for the city.
On December 3rd, a meeting was convened inside the 
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November 26th marked the 57th day of Occupy Los Angeles, which is the largest standing Occupy encampment in the nation. The occupation is located at Solidarity Park (formerly known as City Hall Park) in downtown Los Angeles. 
On November 19th, Occupy Oakland held a rally and march which began at Oscar Grant Plaza (aka Frank Ogawa Plaza) located at 14th and Broadway in Oakland. Thousands of people wound their way through Oakland, including around Lake Merritt, before stopping to set up a new occupation in the park and empty lot on 19th and Telegraph in the Uptown neighborhood and entertainment district. As of 11:30pm, the camp was intact and there were no reports of clashes between police and demonstrators. 
