As the sun sets on 2024 and we turn to 2025 with all the anticipation of a new year, it’s our connections to each other that create the strength and resilience of our community. At the heart of these connections lies our ability to take action together, actions that help us care for this special place we all call home.

I believe that we grow and learn in relationship to each other. I saw this in profound ways back in 2000 when I was the executive director of CASA Santa Cruz County, the nonprofit that trains community volunteers to work one-on-one with children and youth in the foster care and juvenile probation systems.

One little girl I will never forget. She was about five years old and had a case file a half mile long. She was a shattered kid who carried the weight of generational trauma on her shoulders. We paired her with Linda (name changed to protect privacy), a volunteer who devoted time each week getting to know the girl, her situation, and needs so that she could advocate for her in court and at school. It was slow going and difficult for the girl to build trust. About a year later, I saw them together at the office. Linda was radiating joy, and the girl was starting to get a light in her eyes. Through her advocacy, Linda was able to help the girl find a loving, stable and permanent home where she began to thrive.

What still strikes me so many years later is the sense of purpose and connection that Linda found in helping a child find her way in the world. Something just “clicked” for her and she realized that, through this work, both the little girl and she were leaning and growing. Grace Lee Boggs, a civil rights champion said, “We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it’s never a question of ‘critical mass.’ It’s always about critical connections.”

Every day, through our work at the Community Foundation we help build these critical connections — connecting nonprofit organizations to community members who care deeply about making Santa Cruz County a better place. We get to witness the strength of these connections through the tenacity and vision of nonprofit leaders in our community who are driven by a deep sense of purpose to serve others. A public-school educator, who spare moments teaches Mexican folkloric dance to her students to help them connect to their culture and build their sense of pride. A probation officer who coaches soccer youth to provide community and safe space away from gangs and violence. A filmmaker who has created a whole arts ecosystem to lift up stories that illuminate our shared humanity. The steward who creates alliances for the success of farms and of wetlands for future generations. Critical connections.

And we see community members who give of their time, effort and money to support the nonprofits that form the backbone of support for our county. A former venture capitalist who now invests in strengthening democracy through supporting local journalism. A tech innovator who moved back home and is now making sure local youth have the skills, resources and networks they need to launch their own successful careers. A lawyer who has volunteered diligently for over two decades to support nonprofit governance and growth. Critical connections.

Each one of these people and thousands of others have found this connection and sense of purpose — just as Linda did for her CASA kid all those years ago.

As 2025 begins to unfold before us, let’s find ways to feel joy through service to others. Find something that “clicks” for you. It’s these critical connections that fill our hearts, keep us going and help us solve problems that are too big to solve alone.

Susan True is the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.