Multicultural family resource center opens in Watsonville Sunday

WATSONVILLE — A new bilingual, multicultural center for families will open its doors Sunday in Watsonville. The center, called Raíces y Cariño, or RC Fam for short, will be a hub for family activities, classes and educational workshops for parents and children in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. However, the center is more than just a place for classes and activities, but an oasis for families who need respite from the rigors of parenting.

“There are many organizations in the county and tri-county area that provide support for parents, but there isn’t one place where you can go when you’ve had a bad day and you’ve done everything for your baby but they’re just having a fussy day,” said Julianne Bellin volunteer and organizer with Raíces y Cariño. “This will be a place where parents can go and sit down, have some tea, and be around other people that can help.”

The grand opening of the RC Fam center begins at 3 p.m. Sunday and will feature an open house with raffles and a provider resource fair. There will also be a taco truck across the street from the space. The event will allow community members to familiarize themselves with the space, which will house various activities from support groups for parents to postnatal yoga and sign language workshops for babies.

The founding directors of the center, Nora Yerena and Juliana Reyes have long careers of supporting and educating families. Yerena, a doula and mother of six, is also a founding member of the Monterey and Santa Cruz Maternal Mental Health Task Forces and has worked as a parent educator for families in recovery with the Parenting Connection of Monterey County since its inception. As the co-coordinator of Santa Cruz County’s Nursing Mothers Counsel she’s helped educate numerous families in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties.

“I’m proud to bridge three counties of resources,” said Yerena. “We are breaking down intergenerational trauma and institutional racism by bringing together different families, cultures and languages. By bringing all of us together, we are influencing each other for the better.”

Educator and RC Fam Director Reyes is a proud immigrant and mother. She has worked as a coordinator for Pájaro Valley Unified School District, parent educator, consultant for First 5 and teacher for Head Start. She’s volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and with Monarch Services, is on the Delaveaga School Site Council and District English Learner Advisory Committee and leads a Spanish playgroup at Live Oak Resource Center. Reyes sees her work at RC Fam as a natural continuation of her efforts to support families.

“This stage of life can be very beautiful and also vulnerable,” said Reyes. “Mothers need support and a village.”

RC Fam works in partnership with community organizations such as Birth Network of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County Public Health Department, Positive Discipline Community Resources, Bay Area Babywearing Network, Parenting Connection of Monterey County, Shared Adventures, We Get It, MENtors, Fit 4 Mom, GrooveaRoo and the Nursing Mothers Counsel.

The center is also partnering with individuals to provide classes and free support groups ranging from grief support, fatherhood wellbeing, maternal and natal mental health, lactation support, birth plan workshops, and activities such as queer game nights, and tabletop roleplaying for parents. The spacious center features rooms dedicated to private mental and physical care appointments, a babywearing library, and a small group room with enrichment toys for young children.

“There’s going to be something for everyone,” said Bellin. “And if we don’t have it yet, we’ll make sure that we get what the community wants and needs.”

For information visit rcfam.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Multicultural Family Center, Raíces y Cariño Grand Opening.

When: Babywearing Lending Library from 1-3 p.m. Sunday; Grand Opening from 3-5 p.m., Sunday.

Where: 1205 Freedom Blvd. #3B Watsonville.

Cost: Free.