community collaborations
8. Community organizations run drives to collect basic necessities, school supplies, toys and holiday gifts for our participating families. Read more...
9. Special groups collaborate with us to run fundraiser events for Sunday Friends. Read more...
10. Corporations, schools, religious institutions, social and charitable groups work with us to design and implement special activities, from art to cooking to educational projects. Read more...
11. Teens and college students implement their Internships, Senior Service Projects, Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, Eagle Scout Awards and more through Sunday Friends. Read more...
12. Scientists and engineers engage the children in science experiments, math games, computer learning and building electronic circuits; Musicians teach piano and other instruments to children; Athletes promote exercise. Read more...
13. School Districts provide facilities and refer families who are good fits for Sunday Friends to our programs. Read more...
Over the years, Sunday Friends has become a gateway to many services and forms of education in the community. We provide the warm, safe, structured, reliable and rewarding setting in which education and hands-on support efforts can succeed. Within our programs, we offer many forms of direct education – and, we also invite our partners to bring expertise beyond what we already provide. They bring it right to our families at Sunday Friends on Sundays.
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Our Community Collaborations come in a variety of forms:
1. Experts in a wide variety of fields bring education to our families through our Classes. Read more…
2. Health organizations bring health and nutrition services directly to our families at our Health Station. Read more…
3. Community experts offer one-on-one consultations for our family members in the areas of: Path to College, Enriching Summer Activities, Job Prep, Child Development Assessments, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Safety, Legal Issues, Financial and Credit Management and Crisis Advocacy. Read more…
4. University departments collaborate with us to measure our results and professionally evaluate the effectiveness of our programs. Read more…
5. Foundations and Clubs collaborate with us to make it possible for families to earn rent subsidies and education scholarships. Read more...
6. Other nonprofits regularly donate significant items for our families to earn, including bikes, school supplies and holiday gifts. Read more...
7. Organizations provide program materials, including food for our families. Read more...
Our Program Evaluation demonstrates how successful Sunday Friends is with Community Collaborations.
See Group Opportunities
We are always open to new ideas from community contributors. Contact Us
collaboration details
Experts in a wide variety of fields bring education to our families through our Classes. During the past few years, Sunday Friends has welcomed class teachers from:
Parenting Effectiveness & School Support
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Montessori Schools
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Parents Helping Parents
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Parents’ Place
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Project Cornerstone
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San Jose Public Library
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San Jose State University (multiple departments)
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San Jose Unified School District Faculty
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Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE): Parent Engagement Dept.
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Santee Family Resource Center
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Summit PS Charter School
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Alum Rock Counseling Center
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Appleseed Montessori
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Biblioteca Latinoamericana
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Encouraging Literacy
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FIRST 5 of Santa Clara County
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Gardner Family Resource Centera
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GenParenting
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Growing Smart Kids
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Hand in Hand Parenting
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Health Trust Family Resource Center
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Health Trust Family Resource Center
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Kaiser Permanente
path to college
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Evergreen College
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Foothill College Family Engagement Institute
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Hispanic Development Corporation
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Mission College
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Presentation High School
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San Jose City College
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SJSU Educational Opportunity Program
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Third Street Community Center
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UC Berkeley Center for Educational Partnerships
Mental/Emotional Health & Stress Management
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Santa Clara County Mental Health Department
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Santee Family Resource Center
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Valley Medical Center Suicide & Crisis Services
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Community Center for Health & Wellness
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Hospice of the Valley
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Kaiser Permanente
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Kara Grief Support
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Kidango
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Mosaic Consulting and Coaching
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
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Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services
Employment Services
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Center for Employment Training
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Goodwill of Silicon Valley
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Price Waterhouse Coopers
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Santa Clara/San Benito Counties Building & Construction Trades Council
Community Involvement & Violence Prevention
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San Jose Police Dept. – Crime Prevention Unit
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Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services
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SJSU Mexican American Studies Department
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SJSU Political Science Department
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South University Neighborhood Association
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YWCA Silicon Valley
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Alum Rock Counseling Center
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California State Assembly Member Ash Kalra
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Kaiser Permanente
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Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence
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Sacred Heart Community Services
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San Jose City Council member Raul Peralez.
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San Jose City Council member Tam Nguyen
Health & Nutrition
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American Ninja Warriors
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Foothill Community Health Center
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Healthier Kids Foundation Kaiser Permanente
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Latinas Contra Cancer
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Palo Alto Medical Clinic
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Santa Clara County Public Health Department
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Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
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Silicon Valley Bike Exchange
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SJSU Nutrition & Food Science Department
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Project Sentinel
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Sacred Heart Community Services
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Santa Clara University School of Law
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State Farm Insurance
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United Way Silicon Valley
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CET Immigration Services
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Comerica Bank
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Greenfield Draa & Harrington Law Practice
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H&R Block
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Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center
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Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
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Law Office of Sergio H. Benavides
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National Hispanic Association of Realtors
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Price Waterhouse Coopers
Financial Literacy & Legal Rights
And many individual psychologists, therapists, lawyers, doctors, nurses, college counselors, technologists, financial experts, teachers, employment counselors and community leaders. You can view the list of topics these community experts have taught on the Practical Skills page.
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Foothill Community Health Center: Conducts glucose, dental, Vision and hearing screenings within our programs, teaches classes on obesity and heart health, and refers family members in need to affordable follow-up services at their clinic.
Healthier Kids Foundation: Provides vision screenings and also consults with our families one-on-one to help them enroll for health insurance – MediCal or Healthy Kids – or to help them make appointments at affordable clinics.
Santa Clara County Public Health Department: Teaches an effective, practical series of classes in various aspects of healthy eating and nutrition.
Kaiser Permanente: Provides resources for education to support violence prevention, mental and emotional health and healthy parenting. Also, Kaiser health professionals come periodically to answer our families' health-related and health insurance questions. A Kaiser Health Educator teaches classes, a Kaiser OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner provides Women’s Health Consultations, and a Kaiser-associated acupuncturist helps to address our family members' pain.
Palo Alto Medical Clinic: Teaches classes on health and nutrition, answers our families' pediatric health questions and supports our Health Station.
The American Heart Association teachers Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) classes and provides heart health screenings.
The Junior League of San Jose teaches nutrition through hands-on food preparation and learning projects.
SJSU Nutrition and Food Science (NUFS) Department: Students create and implement nutrition-themed programming within our programs with the guidance of NUFS instructors.
Lions Clubs – from San Martin through West San Jose – provide vision and hearing screenings and follow-ups.
1. Health organizations bring health and nutrition services directly to our families at our Health Station.
Experts from the UC Berkeley Center for Educational Partnerships, Mission College, San Jose City College, Evergreen College, The San Jose Unified School District, San Jose State University’s Educational Opportunity Program, Mexican American Studies Dept. and
Political Science Dept., Presentation High School, HS2 Academy College Counseling, and the Hispanic Development Corporation: Provide classes and one-on-one consultations for families on the Path to College as well as connections to enriching Summer Activities for youths.
Health professionals from Kaiser Permanente conduct Women’s Health Consultations and pain/stress management consultations.
The Santee Family Resource Center (FRC): Implements Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), which are child development assessments along with referrals for parents of young children.
The Health Trust Family Resource Center teaches special FIRST 5 curriculum classes for parents of young children.
The Santa Clara County Mental Health Department, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Kara Grief Support, and Kaiser Permanente: Provide classes and private mental health consultations for our families.
The Crime Prevention Unit of the San Jose Police Department, Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, and the YWCA Silicon Valley Outreach Program, and Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services: Bring classes and consultations to our families on topics of domestic, dating, sexual, gang-related, and other kinds of violence.
Project Sentinel, The Santa Clara University Law Center, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Sacred Heart Community Services, the Katherine and George Alexander Community Law Center, the Center for Employment Training Immigration Services Dept., the SJSU Political Science Department, the Claro Legal Team and a number of individual lawyers and city councilmembers: Provide classes and one-on-one consultations on immigration, family, housing, employment and criminal law.
United Way of Silicon Valley, ASIAN Inc, Price Waterhouse Cooper, State Farm, H&R Block, Comerica Bank and lawyers from the Santa Clara University Law Center: Teach classes and provide consultations on topics including family budgeting, credit ratings, tax reporting, saving money, paying for cars and college, avoiding predatory lending and scams and teaching financial responsibility to your children..
A team of Sunday Friends Advocate: Helps family members in crisis to follow up on referrals and gain access to community help.
2. Community experts offer one-on-one consultations for our family members in the areas of: Path to College, Summer Activities, Financial, Women’s Health, Pain and Stress Management, Child Development Assessments, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Legal Issues (including housing and immigration) and Crisis Advocacy.
Santa Clara University and San Jose State University, Departments of Sociology, Justice Studies, Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Communications and Education Departments:
3. University departments collaborate with us to measure our results and professionally evaluate the effectiveness of our programs
Have partnered with Sunday Friends over the years to design, implement and analyze survey-based evaluations of the effectiveness of our programs. Please see our Program Evaluation page for the most recent information.
Harbourton Foundation, Waddell & Reed Employees, and Integrated Device Technologies: Contribute every year Sponsor scholarships for our college students, enough to help them pay for their books and living expenses.
The Office of Councilmember Johnny Khamis, the Sathaye Family Foundation, and Harbourton Foundation: Support our Path-to-College classes and guidance counseling sessions. They also help us pay the fees that accompany our youths’ applications for testing (SATs), college admission and financial aid.
Air Systems Foundation, the Office of Councilmember Johnny Khamis and the Sathaye Family Foundation: Support our Path-to-College classes and guidance counseling sessions. They also help us pay the fees that accompany our youths’ applications for testing (SATs), college admission and financial aid.
The Good People Fund: Helped Sunday Friends develop the Rent Relief project in 2009. Since then, we have collaboratively made it possible for families to redeem applications, thoughtful essays and saved tickets for rent, paid directly to their landlords. See our Rent Relief page.
4. Foundations and Clubs collaborate with us to make it possible for families to earn rent subsidies and education scholarships for summer activities and for college.
Kindergartners from Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun in New Jersey collected socks for Sunday Friends’ kids on Mitzvah Day
Silicon Valley Bike Exchange (SVBE): Brings volunteers together every month to refurbish donated bicycles. They ensure the safety of the bikes and then deliver them to organizations, including Sunday Friends.
5. Other nonprofits regularly donate significant items for our families to earn, including bikes, school supplies and holiday gifts.
In Sunday Friends, children use their well-earned tickets to "purchase" bikes. In addition, the SVBE also teaches a series of Bike Safety Workshops for children and their parents throughout every summer at Sunday Friends.
Family Giving Tree: Provides backpacks and school supplies for children to earn every fall. They also provide toys every December for family members to earn, select, gift wrap and give to loved ones as presents on Christmas morning.
The Bishop Store of the Church of Latter Day Saints: Provides basic necessity products for families to earn.
Good360: Makes it possible for Sunday Friends to acquire baby and household items through local retailers for families to earn.
Coherent Inc., the Silicon Valley Realtors Charitable Foundation, UserTesting and PG&E: Donate school supplies or funding for school supplies (along with many other organizations and community groups).
Throughout every year, community groups – school, corporate, faith-based, community service and more – collaborate with Sunday Friends to collect the items that our families work the hardest to earn.
7. Community organizations run drives to collect basic necessities, school supplies, toys and holiday gifts for our participating families.
See our Basic Necessities Drive page for the list of organizations and groups that collected Basic Necessities for our families during the past year.
See our Back to School Drive page for the list of organizations and groups that collected Backpacks and School Supplies for our families during the past year.
See our December Holidays page for the list of organizations and groups that collected Holiday Gifts for our families during the past year.
Target: Target stores in the Bay Area host our annual Holiday Shopping Sprees. They also give us a shopping discount!
8. Special groups collaborate with us to run fundraiser events for Sunday Friends.
The National Charity League (NCL) and - Almaden / Blossom Valley, Orchard Valley, Willow Rose, Saratoga/Los Gatos, Stanford - and the Young Men's Service League (YMSL) Alpine and Rancho chapters: These mother-daughter and parent-son groups collaborate with us in the holiday seasons to implement our Holiday Shopping Spree Events.
Silicon Valley Capital Club, UserTesting, the Sereno Group, Whole Foods Market, Legacy Collective Belong Tour, Nritya Seva Dance Performance, National Association of Real Estate Property Managers (NARPM), Indian Community Center Sevathon, local P.E.O. chapters, San Jose Host East Valley Lions Club and Illusive Comics and Games: These are some of the organizations who chose Sunday Friends as a beneficiary of their fundraiser events during the past few years.
Nearly every Sunday Friends program includes a guest group that has prepared a special, meaningful project. Regular contributors are:
9. Corporations, schools, religious institutions, social and charitable groups work with us to design and implement special activities, from art to cooking to educational projects.
National Charity League (NCL) - Almaden / Blossom Valley,Orchard Valley, Willow Rose, Saratoga/Log Gatos and Stanford
Young Men's Service League (YMSL) - Alpine and Rancho
Junior League of San Jose, Done in a Day and Kids in the Kitchen projects
Stanford University Volunteers in Asia (VIA) Program
Holy Spirit Parish, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Evergreen Presbyterian Church
Ever Trust Bank
Rotary Clubs
High School Clubs, especially Interact, Leos, Keys, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Red Cross and more
Service Learning groups from college classes
Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops
Bring Me a Book Foundation
Xi Iota Zeta
Some recent projects have included:
Enhancement of the computer education curriculum for our programs.Collection and refurbishing of laptops for our programs.
10. Teens and college students implement their Internships, Senior Service Projects, Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, Eagle Scout Awards and more through Sunday Friends.
Collection of children's books and implementation of a reading program with take-home book reports.
Creation of educational board games for use in the program.
Introduction to yoga and taekwondo.
Themed, art-based service projects.
Themed, educational food preparation projects.
Sewing education and projects
Individuals and groups bring their special talents to our programs to introduce the children and families to music, exercise, science and more.
Some key collaborations are:
11. Scientists and engineers engage the children in science experiments, math games, computer learning and building electronic circuits; Musicians teach piano and other instruments to children; Athletes promote exercise.
MathShelf: The designer of this excellent iPad-based math learning system for young children successfully engages preschoolers and kindergarteners in math exercises every program.
Qalaxia and Elevate Tutoring: These collaborating organizations bring creative and popular tutoring activities into each of our programs.
Google: Google’s “Made with Code” team teaches computer programming within our programs.
Society of Women Engineers: This organization provides science kits and help with running experiments with children in our programs.
Juniper Networks and Younicos: Juniper and Younicos employees have played key roles in the development and implementation of our Computer Education for Families and Children curriculum.
EqOpTech: This nonprofit collects and refurbishes used laptops then donates them to Sunday Friends for our participating youths to earn. They also teach programming and other computer education classes within our programs.
MathAndCoding: This group teaches computer programming through creative board games within our programs.
American Ninja Warriors competitors and Amigos de las Americas teach creative fitness classes for both children and parents.
The San Jose Unified School District and the Franklin McKinley School District: These school districts provide rent-free facilities, educational support and referral of families to our programs. They make our programs possible!
12. School Districts provide facilities and refer families who are good fits for Sunday Friends to our programs.