By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
California Connects Regional, the statewide series of convenings hosted by the Governor’s Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC), made a stop in Sacramento on Oct. 21.
The Sacramento meeting was part of an eight-city tour organized by the governor’s office to encourage service and collaboration in communities across the state, and to support community-based organizations as they impact the people they serve.
Held at the Hilton Arden West Sacramento hotel, the California Connects event in the capital city brought together community leaders, state agencies, and local partners to strengthen regional collaboration and improve access to state resources.
Josh Fryday, who leads Gov. Newsom’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GO-Serve) and the state office of California Volunteers, laid out the essence of the series and what it offers.
“It’s a perfect example of how Washington, D.C., is shutting down, and California is stepping up. We’re going to make sure that our communities know about resources for those who are food insecure,” Fryday told California Black Media (CBM). “It’s also a place where we need volunteers and community members to step up.”
Fryday continued, “Our office is working closely with food banks around the state of California to make sure that they have the support that they need when we see the increase and need of the results that are coming down from D.C.”
Fryday led the COVID-19 Task Force to support food insecure communities and food banks across the state and launched the nation’s first statewide Climate Action Corps.
The OCPSC is the official entity coordinating California’s most important public awareness and community engagement initiatives. It is housed within the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and is part of the GO-Serve.
About $80 million has been allocated by the state as part of a coordinated effort involving GO-Serve and California Volunteers, which includes mobilizing the California National Guard to assist food banks in managing the expected surge in demand.
The goal of the California Connects series is to strengthen regional networks, foster collaboration, and provide organizations with the tools and resources to better serve their communities.
The stop in Sacramento included comprehensive interactive workshops and discussions focused on building partnerships, accessing funding, and creating a more connected California. Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) was one of the guest speakers.
“Strong, connected communities don’t happen by accident, they’re built through partnerships like the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications, which bring state resources and trusted local voices together to make real change where it matters most,” Ashby said.
The series featured components are the individual, day-long regional events held across California to connect community organizations, state agencies, local leaders, and philanthropic partners.
Within hours, participants learned to create connections across their regions, link communities to resources, raise awareness about the California Service Corps, and invest in the power of storytelling to strengthen public presence.
“The key element is that we are making a concerted effort to break down silos, to engage people differently, and bring people together,” Fryday said. “We are living in a disconnected and isolated society right now. Now, the state of California is working hard to address that. That’s what people are responding to, and we’ve had great turnout across the state.
The cities selected by Go-Serve are chosen to ensure OCPSC can work with a diverse set of organizations to reach “historically underserved populations and gather insights unique to those regions,” said Aubrie Fong, OCPSC’s executive director.
The series has made stops in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Riverside, Oxnard, and San Diego, and will conclude on Nov. 18 in Fresno. Sacramento City Councilmember Karina Talamantes welcomed partners to the gathering in her city.
Talamantes, who was raised in rural Glenn County, has an extensive background in and knowledge of volunteering and community service. California Connects is essential to the Sacramento region and across the state because of the multiple languages spoken by the state’s residents, she said.
“Having information, resources, and programs available in different languages is important to live up to our values of a state that values diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Talamantes said. “It’s all about action, how we move forward, and implementation of our values in California. This is a convening of community leaders that are saying, ‘I want to be a part of the solution.’”
GO-Serve is a new California state government agency established in July 2024. For more information about California Connects Regional convenings, visit https://ocpsc.ca.gov/regional-convenings/
