Join Us
Somos Watsonville is a nonprofit, inclusive, bilingual gathering space, where young people and their families can explore their identities, connect with others, receive support and skills, and engage in fellowship and fun. Guided by the belief that all people are sacred, we are a sanctuary in the city collaborating with community partners to empower people to explore and experience spiritual, emotional, and physical wholeness.
Our Goals:
• Foster multilingual and multicultural community connections in a disconnected world by practicing and modeling the transformational power of radical hospitality
• Create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and safe by infusing a sense of sacredness and creativity into the everyday
• Explore how our spirituality influences who we are and all we do to by opening hearts, minds, and spirits to foster personal growth
• Actively and intentionally collaborate with other community partners to build skills and community to help people withstand hardships
We realize this purpose through the following programs:
Somos Café
A non-profit coffee shop/third space where young people can gather, build meaningful relationships, and participate in community-led recreational and cultural events and activities. We ask for a suggested donation for our variety of coffee, tea, and espresso beverages with the idea that if you have the means, you will pay it forward so that those who are unable to pay will be able to enjoy free drinks.
Study Space
A quiet space with Wifi and resources where students can do their homework, receive tutoring and educational support, learn about college and career pathways, and feel empowered to reach their goals.
Mentorship & Community Support
Our friends and neighbors are our first line of defense from the trials and tribulations life throws our way. Through the simple act of living life alongside one another, we hope to provide the support our community members and their families need to feel whole – spiritually and materially. We are guided by the idea that we have to be before we can do, build, or complete anything. In this space we are free to be who we are, share ourselves, our cultures, and our stories, and become the people we will be next. That’s why we’re called “Somos” – Spanish for “We are.”
Somos Watsonville is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incubated by the Presbytery of San Jose and led by Rev. Julianne Porras-Center.
Here we believe that we are all loved and sacred, whoever we are and whatever we believe. Here we believe that we are made in the image of God. Here we believe that we are the body of Christ. Imagine what we can do together with faith like that!