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CSA

Mountain View, California

A Day at CSA

(Video Transcript begins in English)

(A woman walking into a building and entering a collection room for donations)

(music begins in background)

(staff seen sorting donations as Tom Myers, Executive Director, CSA, begins speaking)

We started out serving farm workers

(video background scene changes to older black and white photos of farm workers riding into the area in the back of trucks to work)

who were coming through the area to work the apricot orchards and other agricultural businesses in the community.

(video background changes to interview of Tom Myers speaking)

Today though our impacts are really significant. And over the last few years things have changed immensely. And the gap between those that have and those that have not has grown which has made the services we provide so incredibly important. Ahhh… Primarily because those that have not in this current economy are really having a tough time

(video background scene changes to community neighborhood scenes)

(As the video background flashes through different community neighborhood scenes a CSA Client – a young woman – begins speaking)

I would love for people to learn about the different programs that they offer ..umm.. Everything from pre-screening diabetes to ..um.. to helping before school with the backpacks .. ahh.. Christmas time helping with gifts – food pantries – sometimes it’s art and there’s been times where I don’t have money to buy eggs and milk and bread. And it’s the basics – and they are there – it’s the vegetables – there’s different types of food

(video background changes to food baskets being browsed by CSA Clients)

And it’s not old food like people think it is – it’s – it’s good helpful food.

(video background switches to another CSA Client speaking in spanish)

(translated to English)

What I love most about this agency is the people that have been chosen to do this work.

(video background switches to another scene with a CSA Staff sorting groceries into baskets to a young woman, Simone Berkowitz, answering a call)

(video background changes to another young woman, Simone Berkowitz, Challenge Diabetes Program Coordinator, speaking)

I run the Challenge Diabetes Program which provides food and nutrition education to the clients that qualify. We also do a blood screening every August to enroll new clients and then in May we have a test where we see if clients have improved their blood sugar numbers.

(video background changes to typing on keyboard and another CSA Client, an older woman begins speaking)

I’ve been in my house since 1955 approximately

(video background scene switch to the CSA Client speaker)

And if it wasn’t for CSA I would not have been able to live in my house and my family wouldn’t have been able to live in that house either.

(video background scene changes to another CSA Client, an older man)

You can go to a lot of folk around – not they don’t want to help you – I don’t know – it’s just – it’s just different. You know what I’m saying. You can feel the love.

(video background scene changes to an older woman, CSA Staff,  sitting in front of a computer smiling up to people, CSA Clients,  behind her desk as she hands them a card with information as she’s speaking to them about it)

(video background scene changes to another scene with various CSA Staff members working with CSA Clients in a food pantry, another CSA Client, an older woman, begins speaking)

CSA has allowed me to be more independent and fill more

(video background changes to the CSA Client speaking)

empowered. It’s a great service and it’s free. I can’t believe it you know.

(video background scene changes to a CSA Staff Member, a young man, speaking on a telephone behind a desk. Tom Myers, Executive Director, CSA, begins speaking. Young man stands up and greets CSA Clients.)

Every single day we are having an impact on peoples’ lives. But an important impact that can really help improve their lives. And that’s our goal is to make sure that we are making lives better for people in the community. Everyone who is dealing with poverty, whether they are low income, or are homeless, or a senior .. ah.. It’s to make life better for them.

(video background changes to a caption with the following text – music begins playing)

For 60 years, Community Services Agency (CSA) has been providing vital social services for residents of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills.

We understand that hardship can come at any time and knows no age limit. We provide a safety net so that independence and self-sufficiency can be restored and maintained.

Film developed by Google

(Video Transcript Ends)