City of Salinas, California sent this bulletin at 09/08/2025 09:30 AM PDT
Welcome to our CASP Digest September 8, 2025
NEXT CASP MEETING
Join us for our next CASP meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 7:00 AM. This will be an in-person meeting at Salinas City Hall. We will have a presentation from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
MARCH & CRUISE FOR PEACE REGISTRATION
Join us for our Annual March for Peace to honor those lost to violence and make a collective call for peace. This year, marchers will be followed by lowrider cars from the Lowrider Council Association, adding a special touch to the march.
The event begins at 2:00 PM with a peaceful march of about one mile, supported by event volunteers and the police department.
Following the march, the celebration continues with a community resource fair running until 4:30 PM. We are seeking agencies that provide health, safety, quality of life, or immigration resources to participate in the fair. As this is an outdoor event, all participating agencies must bring their own tables, chairs, and tents. We also encourage agencies to offer interactive, family-friendly activities.
Agencies are invited to join the march with their staff, youth, and/or volunteers, and are encouraged to bring banners to show their support.
Event Details:
Set-up begins at 1:00 PM
March starts promptly at 2:00 PM
Resource fair runs from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Space is limited - Please register by Monday, September 19, 2025
Together, let’s stand for peace, honor those we’ve lost, and build a stronger community!
CASP Awards Recap Video
Check out this outstanding video created by Alvaro "Coach Al" Venegas and his team at Man 0n A Missi0n, highlighting the 2025 Community Alliance for Safety and Peace (CASP) Awards!
Coach Al served as our inspiring keynote speaker, helping us celebrate the incredible contributions of Dawn Allen, Melissa Edwards, Zacil Pech Hernandez, and Julia Muruato.
Thank you to Coach Al and his team for the uplifting and empowering speech and for creating a video that captures the heart of the 2025 CASP Awards. It’s a meaningful way for us to remember and reflect on this special event.
If you have trouble accessing the presentations, please email brisas@ci.salinas.ca.us for a PDF copy.
Shining in Our Community
2nd Annual Overdose Awareness Symposium 2025 - Sun Street Centers
On the evening of August 21, the community gathered for an impactful and inspiring event, the 2nd Annual Overdose Awareness Symposium, hosted by Sun Street Centers. Far more than just a discussion on a challenging topic, the event served as a powerful platform for raising awareness, connecting individuals to life-saving resources, and uniting Monterey County in the fight against substance-related risks.
Attendees heard from expert guest speakers and were deeply moved by guest testimonials. The stories shared were not only eye-opening but also served as a call to action, equipping community members with the knowledge and tools needed to help protect our youth and support those struggling with substance use.
To ensure the event was welcoming and accessible for all, Sun Street Centers provided a full evening of support, including a free dinner, raffles, child care, and a resource fair featuring local organizations ready to help.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Sun Street Centers and the many partnering agencies that made this meaningful gathering possible. If you weren’t able to attend this year, stay tuned for the 2026 Symposium.
Looking Ahead
Mark your calendars! Here are the upcoming meeting dates.
September 17, 2025 (In-Person): Monterey County Sheriff's Department October 01, 2025 (Virtual): Restorative Justice Partners October 15, 2025 (In-Person): City of Salinas LCS Project Updates
CASP Strategic Plan on Violence Prevention
Click on the image below to view our digital flip e-zine of our Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Prevent and Reduce Violence.
Announcements
Registration is now open for the upcoming Bay Area UASI Public Safety Preparedness Summit.
October 28-29, 2025 Marines’ Memorial Club & Hotel San Francisco
You are welcome to share this linked invitational flyer with your networks. The Summit is a two-day FREE event open to all. Lunch and refreshments will be provided each day.
Speakers and Sessions will feature briefings on the current threat environment, faith-based and law enforcement collaboration, public safety at large special events, and emergency public information communications.
If a wildfire causes an evacuation, people are forced to leave quickly and make decisions under pressure about what to bring and what to leave behind. Households with multiple cars might want to pack into more than one vehicle to save more possessions, but doing so risks causing traffic that can block firefighter access and endanger people, especially in neighborhoods with few exits and narrow roads.
These challenging decisions can have serious impacts on the outcome of a fire, and are what players confront in ‘Firewise Residents,’ one of three simulation games created by University of California, Santa Cruz computational media researchers to build preparedness for a wildfire scenario.
These games can help people think about stressful topics, initiating individual preparedness and larger dialogue. As the games reach more people, researchers hope to spark community-level change, as climate change fuels more frequent and severe wildfires locally and globally.
OTHER RESOURCES:
2-1-1 Monterey County
Click here to look up/learn about Monterey County resources.
ACE's Study
Statistical data from the Child Abuse Prevention Council.
The City of Salinas will only accept applications for job postings that are currently open. To view a listing of our current employment opportunities and apply for positions, please visit our Government Jobs career page.
We're thrilled to announce that First 5 Monterey County is seeking a Finance & Grants Manager to join our team! Please share this news with anyone who you think may be interested.
First 5 Monterey County enriches the lives of children and families by elevating early childhood as a priority, strengthening connections, and advancing quality within a whole system of care and support.
The Finance & Grants Manager role supports F5MC by overseeing day-to-day financial activity, maintaining accurate financial records, and ensuring compliance with financial policies and regulations. The position requires significant financial and accounting skills and experience. This role plays a vital part in managing grants, budgets, contracts, and financial reporting under the direction of the Director of Finance while working closely with internal teams.
By contributing to the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace, you're helping build a safer and stronger community for everyone. All funds will be used for upcoming CASP events and activities, including the CASP Awards, March for Peace, My Life Story Conference, community outreach, and more!
