Approach:
The Love Kids Committee will identify and deliver a mix of hands-on and strategic projects each year that improve the well-being of children in Chico. The focus will be on partnerships — working alongside organizations already serving youth and families — to fill gaps, create welcoming spaces, and champion solutions where Love Chico’s “quiet doer” model adds value.

Typical process:

1.          Project Selection: Committee reviews community needs and existing programs to identify opportunities where a short-term project or collaboration could make a meaningful difference.

2.          Partner Coordination: Love Chico coordinates with local agencies, schools, or nonprofits to plan and deliver projects — supplying volunteers, materials, and light funding.

3.          Implementation: Volunteers and partners complete the selected projects, ensuring they align with Love Chico’s values of respect, care, and community impact.

4.          Recognition: Projects are completed quietly — with subtle acknowledgment (a plaque or brief feature) that celebrates community collaboration rather than individual credit.

Sample Projects:

1.          Foster Youth Focus – Comfort & Care Kits and Room Renewal
Partner with child welfare agencies or CASA to assemble Comfort & Care Kits for foster youth and refresh a visitation or transition space with new paint, furnishings, and a youth-designed mural. This project brings warmth and dignity to children navigating difficult times.

2.          Child Care Expansion Project – A Case Study in Partnership
Collaborate with First 5 Butte County and Valley Oak Children’s Services (VOCS) to assess Chico’s child care needs and support efforts to expand provider capacity. This could include contributing to a Chico Child Care Expansion Report, modeled on the Stanislaus 2030 framework, that maps local deserts, identifies facility and workforce gaps, and helps launch a “Grow Your Own Provider” mentorship program.

3.          Back-to-School Readiness Initiative
Partner with local schools and service clubs to provide essential supplies and personal care kits for students experiencing housing or economic insecurity. Include volunteer workdays to assemble kits, add personalized notes, and deliver them quietly to counselors or teachers for distribution.

Goal:
To strengthen Chico’s children and families by focusing on dignity, access, and opportunity —