Nonprofit Honored By Assemblymember Lisa Calderon
Whittier, June 23, 2021 – SPIRITT Family Services (SPIRITT) is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon.
SPIRITT is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their tremendous contributions to the communities they serve.
SPIRITT Family Services provides crisis intervention, life skills and hope for a stable, nurturing and healthy family within the Los Angeles County. This past year SPIRITT served 7,933 total individuals, with 81% of all participants surveyed in September 2020 reported an annual household income of less than $30,000.
SPIRITT's CEO, Elvia Torres, received a personal phone call from Assemblymember Lisa Calderon this morning to congratulate SPIRITT, acknowledging the exceptional work and commitment SPIRITT Family Services has to the local community, especially during the pandemic.
"What an incredible human being – Assemblymember Calderon’s values and commitment to residents are in alignment with SPIRITT’s mission to empower families, improve health and well-being, and strengthen communities. SPIRITT’s Board and team members are passionate individuals who give so much of themselves to improving the lives of children and their families in underserved communities from basic needs, educational workshops to intensive treatment services," said Torres. "SPIRITT Family Centers are hubs of love and support for individuals and families".
“The pandemic and shelter-in-place orders of the past year and a half have put nonprofits – usually hidden in plain sight – in the spotlight,” explains Jan Masaoka, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits). “California Nonprofit of the Year is an opportunity for our elected officials to celebrate the good work they see nonprofits doing in their districts, and for everyone to appreciate the collective impact of nonprofits in our communities.”
Additional Background
California Nonprofits Day, now in its sixth year, was formally recognized by 2021 Assembly Concurrent Resolution 80, authored by Assemblymember Luz Rivas, and co-authored by Senator Monique Limón. Each year legislators from across California have chosen a Nonprofit of the Year in their district.
Traditionally, honorees and legislators are invited by CalNonprofits, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector Senator Monique Limón (Santa Barbara), and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector Assemblymember Luz Rivas to a celebratory luncheon on California Nonprofits Day. This year, like 2020, the luncheon was canceled in response to pandemic restrictions, but legislators moved forward with honoring nonprofits doing great work in their districts.
According to “Causes Count,” a 2019 report commissioned by CalNonprofits, the nonprofit sector is the 4th largest industry in the state, employing more than 1.2 million people. Each year, California nonprofits generate more than $273 billion in revenue and bring in $40 billion in revenue from outside of California. The unpaid labor contributed by volunteers at nonprofits is equivalent to 330,000 full-time jobs every year.