Contact: Yajaira Ortega, Policy and Equity, Senior Manager, Thrive Alliance
Email: yajaira@thrivealliance.org
We Showed Up. The Fight Continues.
Thrive Alliance joined roughly advocates, community members, and partners on a chartered bus to Sacramento to stand behind San Mateo County's VLF funding request. By the time Senator Josh Becker presented before the Senate Budget Subcommittee, over 100 people had gathered at the Capitol in solidarity for the nonprofit sector and the communities that depend on these funds.
The coalition behind this effort has grown quickly. Since early April, more than 600 people have been plugged in and following the campaign. Assemblymember Diane Papan and Senator Becker have each carried this issue into state budget hearings. Thrive Alliance submitted a letter to the legislature, with more than 20 organizations signing on in support, and regional media have maintained a steady spotlight on the issue.
Here is where things get harder: the California Department of Finance has signaled that it is not moving toward a permanent fix at this time. It is a frustrating development, but it sharpens the case for staying loud and staying visible.
The county is pushing on two tracks: recovering the full $157 million owed and passing lasting legislation so this kind of funding gap cannot happen again in any county in California.
The County Executive's Office wants to ensure the broader community remains informed as this effort moves forward. They are hosting a virtual town hall on Thursday, May 21, to walk through what the Revised State Budget means for the VLF backfill request, where negotiations with the Governor's office currently stand, how Senator Becker and Assemblymember Papan are advancing legislative solutions, and what the path forward looks like across legal, legislative, and advocacy fronts. There will also be time for questions.
Virtual Town Hall
Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 10:30 to 11:30 am | Virtual
Thrive will keep showing up at every table where this can be moved forward. We hope you will, too.
Call to Action: Protect Youth Voice in Behavioral Health
Youth Leadership Council is calling on all of us to act.
The K-12 Behavioral Health Campaign, launched just last November, is already on the chopping block in the Governor's May Revise. The proposed cuts would eliminate $6.7 million in funding for advocacy contracts, ensuring that young people, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, and other impacted groups have a voice in shaping behavioral health policy. Simply put: no community voice, no real solutions.
Budget hearings are happening this week. Email or testify before your Assemblymember and Senator and urge them to reject the May Revise and restore this funding.
TODAY, May 19 at 2 pm | Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health | State Capitol, Room 126
TOMORROW, May 20 at 1:30 pm | Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services | 1021 O Street, Room 1200
Talking Points
The Governor's May Revise proposes cutting funding to the Behavioral Health Commission and eliminating the advocacy contracts it oversees.
These contracts exist to ensure impacted communities have a say in how policies and practices are developed.
This is how young people, LGBTQ+ folks, immigrant communities, and many others make sure their lived experiences shape behavioral health solutions.
Attempting to address the behavioral health crisis without centering the community voice is not a real solution.
Young people across the state are engaged in advocacy visits, the Behavioral Health Services Act, and broader efforts to make pathways to health more accessible.
Reject the May Revise and ensure the $6.7 million is preserved to protect and strengthen the community voice in California's behavioral health system.
The talking points and phone/email script are available. Reach out to Andrea Gil at agil@yli.org if you need additional information.
Get Involved: Voter Engagement and Volunteer Opportunities
Daly City Partnership
Thursday, May 21, and Saturday, May 30, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍350 90th Street, Daly City, CA 94015
Daly City Partnership is currently recruiting volunteers for an upcoming nonpartisan voter engagement canvassing effort focused on increasing voter participation in historically underrepresented Daly City neighborhoods prior to the June 2nd Primary Election.
We would greatly appreciate your help in sharing this volunteer opportunity (flyer attached, link below) with your staff, networks, community members, or volunteers.
Volunteers will help:
Share voter registration resources
Provide basic, nonpartisan guidance on how and where to register
Support greater civic participation and community engagement
No prior experience is needed, and all activities are 100% nonpartisan.
Don't forget to subscribe to Civic Threads, Thrive's latest way to stay connected through quick updates and timely alerts about what’s happening in our community and how you can get involved. Think of it as your direct line to important civic news, opportunities to take action, and ways to stand in solidarity with nonprofits and community members.
This alert system is designed to keep you informed and engaged. We look forward to weaving our community together through Civic Threads and keeping you connected to the issues and opportunities that matter most to you.
If you have content that you would like to share with us through our Civic Threads, please send it directly to Yajaira Ortega.
If you'd like to stay informed and receive notifications in the future, simply click the link below to subscribe.
Thrive is committed to highlighting the incredible organizing power of our local nonprofit and partner communities always and especially during this time. We have created this Community Safety Resources section for Thrive Weekly to do just that. By working collectively and shining a light on our sector's collaborative, caring power, we will lighten each other's loads as we renew ways to safeguard our diverse communities.
