The Silicon Valley Sponsoring Committee (SVSC) is a non-partisan network of civic associations, faith-based organizations and nonprofits that come together to effect change on a larger scale than we could alone. We identify shared issues affecting our communities (such as housing insecurity, mental health issues and closing the technology divide) and build long-term relationships across lines that often divide us. We are a "sponsoring committee" because we are in the early stages of building an organization.

ECA has been working on community organizing for over seven years and is a founding member of the Silicon Valley Sponsoring Committee. We are active in the Strategy Team and support the organization financially. We have found that we are using many community organizing skills as we transition to the Church of the Future. Our Sponsoring Committee has recently helped to ensure the following:

• On May 5, we joined with 7 other IAF organizations across the state to rally 1,200 people to call on Governor Newsom to do more for essential workers during the pandemic. In June, we celebrated a huge win as Governor Newsom signed a budget expanding the California Earned Income Tax Credit to undocumented workers.

• Due to COVID-19, millions of households in California were at risk of homelessness. In partnership with the Diocese of San Jose and Catholic Charities, we offered workshops to help tenants and landlords access the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 funds, plus get more time and flexibility to get funds to families who missed rent due to the pandemic.

For more information and to learn how to get involved, visit their website linked below.

Silicon Valley Sponsoring Committee is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, the nation’s largest and longest-standing leadership development and organizing network. The IAF believes that a healthy democracy requires the active participation of ordinary people. IAF invests heavily in the identification, training and connecting of leaders whose capacities and skills may be further developed with careful mentoring and challenge.

ECA has taken advantage of training provided by the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) on how to organize institutions in the community to work together to build power to act and influence decision-making. These skills include one on one focused conversations, house meetings, research actions, and accountability sessions. These skills help us connect across divisions of politics, age, gender, race, nationality, and more, to move forward making a difference in ordinary people’s lives. Regional organizing committees like ours pay IAF staff to assist and guide our development and actions.

For more information and to learn how to get involved, visit their website linked below.

Village House Made a Difference
ECA participated in the Village House program for three years to provide day centers to medically fragile women who were unhoused. It was a very rewarding ministry to help these women feel comfortable in a safe environment, to share a meal and conversation over activities like puzzle building, and to give them hope that they were not forgotten but loved.

Matt Mahan, our District 10 City Council Member, shared an encouraging word with Village House organizers from the City Council meeting on January 12, 2020. There was a survey of the homeless community to learn what kinds of services they thought were needed to better serve the homeless community. Matt Mahan reported, “What stood out to me was church shelters being on the list of requests. I share this both to encourage you that Village House made a difference and to encourage you to consider bringing back the shelter in the future.”

Our involvement with Village House changed us as a church. The experience helped us understand how much alike we all are and showed us the beauty of accompanying others in their walk in life. We are also grateful to hear it made a difference in the lives of our guests. Because of Covid-19, Village House closed the program, but the people and churches involved in Village House continue to have the desire to serve our homeless neighbors.