Community Programs
Community Programs
All of RCAA’s Adult and Family Services programs and projects operate through a trauma informed, people centered, harm reduction (or hybrid harm reduction) model that focuses on wellness, healing and recovery.
AFS programs receive a wide variety of federal, state, and local funding to operate our unique programs and collaborative projects. It is important for us to recognize our local community partners that continue to support our clients directly and indirectly, and we THANK YOU for your kindness and generosity. Some of these local supporters include: Humboldt Sponsors, Humboldt County DHHS, Providence Health Care, Open Door Community Health Centers, Eureka Rotary, Humboldt Area Foundation, First 5 Collaborative, Lifehouse Humboldt, Eureka Center for Spiritual Living, Moonstone Quilters Guild, Family Resource Centers, and Water Works Park, just to name a few. Additionally, AFS programs collaborate with all service provider agencies on a local, State and Federal level, as our client’s needs reflect and require.
PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN TRANSITION (PACT)
There are 4 confidential, transitional housing sites that consist of 2 large Victorian houses, a small apartment and an annex cottage all located within the City of Eureka that temporarily house and serve referred families. The PACT program is a confidential, 4 month program with a primary focus on finding permanent housing in Humboldt County. There is a small provider group at PACT consisting of: Case Workers, Family Support Specialist staff, a Program Coordinator and Manager. Staff provide holistic case management, rehabilitative and support services for the entire family unit, and additionally community integration activities that promote sacred family bonding opportunities, while working to establish each family’s community membership. This program maintains a focus on healthy and safe parenting and family reunification processes that are unique to each family at the PACT program. Aftercare services are also provided for up to 6 months after our families have obtained permanent housing.
BLUE VIC PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT (Blue Vic)
ONYX PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE FAMILY HOUSING PROJECT (Onyx)
If you are interested in making a monetary donation to any of our programs, you can click on our website donate button and follow the instructions.
TOOTH Program
TOOTH originated from RCAA's Cesar Chavez Healthy Communities Project in 2001. Since 2002, TOOTH has served the preschool and K-6th grade population of Humboldt County children with the support of First 5 Humboldt and Circle of Smiles. After hosting the program for seven years, the California Conservation Corps transitioned the program to RCAA in 2009.
Teaching Oral Optimism throughout Humboldt County, (TOOTH) is an oral health program of the Redwood Community Action Agency, originally directed at providing education and preventive services in daycare and preschool settings, kindergarten, first, third and fifth grades students and their families throughout the community. We currently only teach elementary grade youth and the TOOTH lessons are now taught on ZOOM due to the Pandemic.
Currently, the TOOTH Program is funded by Department of Health and Human Services’ CalFRESH Program, First 5 Humboldt, Humboldt County Office of Education, Northcoast Grantmaking Partnership, Union Labor Health Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Health Resources and Services Administration.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Oral Health lessons will be provided via ZOOM to kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 5th grade students in all elementary schools throughout Humboldt County. The lessons will focus on the following topics:
- Proper tooth brushing & flossing techniques
- Brushing two times a day, for two minutes
- Visiting the dentists and losing teeth
- Germ prevention (hand washing, covering your couth & sharing toothbrushes)
- Nutrition/exercise (importance to teeth, food pyramid, need for exercise/water)
- Tobacco/drug use: gum disease, bone loss & oral cancer (5th grade only)
TOOTH will provide oral health education, dental disease prevention workshops, and dental supplies to caregivers and parents in Humboldt County. This goal will be accomplished by providing workshops at playgroups, school parent night and community health fairs.
“Money! Search and Rescue”
Money difficulties can be a main contributor to that stress in the household. The concerns of keeping safe housing, the lights on and food on the table seem almost impossible. Then add into the mix, attempting to save for rainy day, buying a car, or just putting together a rental deposit. These obtainable goals are just out of reach for so many families and individuals in Humboldt County.
Redwood Community Action Agency (RCAA) has developed a program called “Money! Search and Rescue.”
Money! Search and Rescue is not designed to be a quick fix to money issues, but it is designed to put client in control of their money. It does this by sharing money practices that are informative and road tested. It provides contacts for free assistance to empower the clients with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate a wide variety of money topics. The Money! Search and Rescue curriculum incorporates the Your Money, Your Goals toolkit provided by the Consumer Protection Bureau. Subjects include:
- Banking Basics
- Dealing with Credit Card Debt
- Saving fir Emergencies
- How to Obtain Your Credit Report
- Managing Income
- Setting Financial Goals
- Reducing Student Debt
- Identity Theft and Fraud
The tools presented in "Your Money, Your Goals" (YMYG) are designed to help lower income and economically vulnerable families living in Humboldt County. RCAA is committed to ending the cycle of poverty in our community. Our community has been hit hard economically with the decline of the timber and fishing industries, as well as the recent pandemic.
Many families and individuals are in critical need of the tools presented by YMYG, in order to take control of their financial future.
We not only work one on one with clients but collaborate with other organizations in order to reach the largest number of individuals. The program is nimble enough to be tailored to the community’s or individual’s needs.
Money! Search and Rescue is here to empower participants and reduce the high-level stress that money issues often creates.
This program is made possible by a grant awarded to RCAA from the California Office of Child Abuse Prevention.
Contact Steven Pera, with questions, at (707) 269-2048, or email; spera@rcaa.org


