Statement from Columbia Community Care on Recent Executive Orders

From Executive Director Erika Chavarria and CCC’s Board of Directors

At Columbia Community Care, we remain steadfast in our mission to create authentic connections and community partnerships and to listen, and respond by providing resources and programs, while respecting the inherent dignity of every person. 

Since the Executive Orders issued in January, we have heard from many community members who are concerned about the impacts of those orders on our CCC families, programs, and operations. It is our promise to continue to uplift and support the most marginalized and oppressed in our community, no matter the challenges that come our way. We were founded on the principles of equity and justice, inspired by Erika’s own students—young people who have faced systemic obstacles, inequities, and injustices, yet continue to persevere.  Their resilience and the resilience of so many of our friends and neighbors is what fuels our work every day, and we will not waver in our commitment to them. We cannot. 

The recent executive orders are a stark reminder of the injustice that persists in our society. They will not deter us. We will continue our efforts to provide critical resources through youth mentorship programs, community outreach, and hunger relief—programs designed to address the very disparities these policies exacerbate. 

Many have reached out with concerns about the impact of these orders on our funding. While the majority of our support comes from local county grants and generous community members who believe in our mission, these new policies create uncertainty. We now, more than ever, ask for your continued support so we can maintain the vital services so many rely on. Columbia Community Care has always highlighted the deep equity gaps in our society, and we have also demonstrated the power of love, solidarity, and collective action to overcome them. That will not change. We remain steadfast, unwavering, and committed to justice.

Now more than ever, we need each other. Together, we will persist.

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