Our Mission
To help individuals and families achieve stability and transformation in their lives, ultimately influencing and uplifting the surrounding communities.
Our Vision
The vision of Santa Maria Urban Ministry is to feed the body, mind, and spirit — through nutritious food, learning opportunities, critical services, and real pathways for every person to contribute to our community.
Our Values
At Santa Maria Urban Ministry, we are guided by core values that shape our work and interactions:
Community
We believe in the power of collaboration and collective action to support each other.
Dignity
We hold firm to the inherent dignity and worth of each and every individual.
Compassion
We engage with empathy, striving to understand our differences and meet people where they are.
Respect
We celebrate diverse backgrounds, cultures, wisdom, and experiences.
Integrity
We act with honesty, accountability, and transparency in all we do.
Empowerment
We invest in the capacity of individuals and families to lead their own lives and strengthen the communities around them.
Our History
We know our clients by name. We know their children and their grandchildren.
Santa Maria Urban Ministry was founded in 1983 to provide emergency food to families in downtown San Jose, California. Santa Maria has provided a food pantry continuously for more than 40 years.
Since our beginnings, the community has shaped what Santa Maria becomes. Programs have grown here because neighbors asked, showed up, and stayed — addressing immediate needs and building real pathways to stability and long-term change. For neighbors experiencing homelessness, our Warm Hearts Initiative is that first point of contact: bagged lunches, hygiene kits, and sleeping bags through the winter. Every pathway begins somewhere. Every person deserves a dignified starting point.
An outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real, Santa Maria welcomes people of all faiths or none and does not discriminate on any basis.
You must be logged in to post a comment.