Across California, advocates are supporting immigrants at risk of detention by attending court, monitoring ICE activity, helping with legal paperwork, and assisting families with online hearing requests.

As KQED reports, court accompaniment is one of the most immediate and effective tools for supporting immigrants. Volunteers attend hearings, offer administrative support, and stay alert of ICE activity. If someone is detained, the volunteer will contact a legal team or a rapid response network — often quickly enough to intervene. In one recent case, a volunteer observed ICE agents detaining someone outside a Sacramento courtroom and was able to identify the individual and contact support. A pro bono lawyer arrived, and the man was released later that day.

Organizations like NorCal Resist and La Raza Centro Legal train volunteers on how to safely and effectively participate in accompaniment work. No legal experience is needed, just a willingness to learn, listen, and be present. In some cases, accompaniment can also help court staff and judges feel more accountable when proceedings are under observation.

Lawyers are also working to reduce the need for in-person court appearances by filing motions to move hearings online using the WebEx platform. Any applicant can request this by submitting a "Motion to Change Hearing Format" to their court. While not guaranteed, these requests are more likely to be granted if they include a reason — such as difficulty with transportation or caregiving responsibilities. Here's a PDF guide. Local nonprofits often assist with the process, and bilingual volunteers are especially helpful.

Counties throughout the Bay Area have rapid-response, 24-hour hotlines, with volunteers verifying reports of ICE activity, dispatching legal help, and working with families if someone is detained. San Francisco’s hotline is 415-200-1548 and Alameda 510-241-4011. The full list is here.

If a loved one has been detained by ICE, KQED has a guide on how to search the federal detainee database, contact field offices, or call detention facilities. Advocacy groups like Freedom for Immigrants also help families navigate the system.

Additionally, as Broke-Ass Stuart writes, businesses can post “No ICE Access” signs in nonpublic areas, helping workers understand their rights and signaling that warrantless enforcement is not allowed inside. They don’t guarantee safety, but they do make it more challenging for ICE to operate unnoticed. The signs were adapted by a Redditor from the original United Farm Workers version.

Printable Sign Posted by Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, link to Google Drive PDF in comment
byu/orangelover95003 insantacruz

As Teen Vogue reports, some groups are also focusing on spreading the ACLU's Know Your Rights materials — flyers, posters, and videos that explain how to respond during an ICE encounter, in multiple languages — aimed at helping counter misinformation, ease panic, and empower community members.

Finally, digital projects like The ICE List and the BlockICE app enable volunteers to contribute from their computers or phones by researching agents, translating reports, and organizing data. These tools help track enforcement patterns, document abuses, and share critical information with those affected. Anyone can submit photos, documents, or tips — and all contributions are reviewed before being published.

Image: Google Maps

Related: New App Lets Users Crowdsource ICE Agent Sightings, Trump Administration Goes Apoplectic

Many Bay Area arts and nonprofit organizations are facing sudden federal funding cuts from the NEA and AmeriCorps, forcing urgent budget changes and putting key creative and community programs at risk.

Since early May 2025, over 80 Bay Area arts groups—including established institutions like Berkeley Repertory Theatre, SFJAZZ, American Conservatory Theater, and smaller organizations like The Lab and San Jose Taiko—have had grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) rescinded or drastically reduced. These grants, awarded under the Biden administration, ranged from $10,000 to $85,000 and totaled over $2.5 million for local groups.

As East Bay Times reports, the canceled grants reflect a dramatic shift in NEA priorities—now favoring projects tied to “American heritage” themes like the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, AI training, and support for veterans, churches, and Tribal communities. Many affected Bay Area groups say the cuts feel politically motivated, excluding projects highlighting diversity, equity, inclusion, and works by minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

For example, Opera San Jose lost a $25,000 grant for its bilingual production of Zorro, despite the NEA’s stated goal of supporting Hispanic-serving institutions. Similarly, Oakland’s Omnira Institute had a $10,000 grant withdrawn for its Black-Eyed Pea Festival celebrating Black music and art.

Smaller nonprofits are especially vulnerable. The Oakland Theater Project lost half of a $30,000 two-year grant that was intended to fund a world premiere stage adaptation of Moby-Dick, forcing the company to reconsider its production ambitions. San Jose Taiko’s $25,000 grant for educational videos was also rescinded, though the group plans to appeal.

In addition to the NEA cuts, AmeriCorps recently announced deep reductions in funding for service programs that many Bay Area nonprofits depend on, as reported by KQED. AmeriCorps supports community engagement initiatives, volunteer coordination, and educational outreach that often serve as lifelines for smaller cultural organizations. The cuts threaten to reduce staff capacity, limit programming, and hamper outreach efforts at a time when community connection is vital.

Local nonprofits that rely on AmeriCorps members to help with youth arts education, event staffing, and community workshops are bracing for the impact. Many groups warn that without this support, their ability to sustain ongoing projects and expand access to underserved audiences will be severely diminished.

San Francisco arts nonprofit Creativity Explored (CE) posted about the cuts on Instagram:⁠

Over the years, AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members have become part of the fabric of CE. Losing AmeriCorps means losing some of our capacity to take new risks and develop new programs that meet community needs. It also means losing a pipeline of passionate VISTAs who have often gone on to become supporters, partners, and even valued members of our staff. Design.⁠

At the same time, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), has quietly rescinded millions in grant funding to small and midsize arts organizations. ⁠NEA funding doesn’t just support the arts—it fuels jobs, mentorship, visibility, and voice. It provides vital support to organizations large and small, established and cutting-edge, including work by artists with disabilities, BIPOC creatives, and emerging artists.

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Oakland’s Creative Growth echoed CE’s statement, “Support from AmeriCorps and the NEA has helped orgs like us expand access, take creative risks, and build pathways for people.”

Arts leaders caution that while these organizations may survive, the combination of NEA and AmeriCorps funding cuts jeopardizes innovation, commissioning new works, and serving diverse communities—potentially reshaping the cultural landscape of the Bay Area for years to come.

Image via Creativity Explored's website

This week's notable humans include San Rafael resident, retired SFFD lieutenant, and dedicated volunteer John Chung; San Francisco author and historian Beth Winegarner whose work aims to remember the forgotten; and Walnut Creek's Anya Gupta, 16-year-old founder of Key Future News.

At just 16, Walnut Creek’s Anya Gupta is a dual-enrolled high school and Diablo Valley College student and founder of Key Future News (KFN), a youth-focused news nonprofit with nearly 200 videos on YouTube. According to The East Bay Times, Gupta launched KFN to simplify news for Gen Z, covering topics like tech, politics, and future careers.

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Gupta writes, films, edits, and promotes her content independently while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She also serves on the Contra Costa Behavioral Health Board and plans to grow her team and audience on social media. Gupta hopes to attend Berkeley’s Haas School of Business after she graduates from Diablo Valley College next year with the ultimate goal of building an informed and empowered community of young people.

I decided to name the channel Key Future News in the aspect that KFN news is the ‘key to your future,’ That’s what we’re going for now — predictions of future industries, what your future will be like, interviewing professionals on their predictions, things to do and know right now to change the future.

San Francisco author and historian Beth Winegarner's work aims to remember the people of San Francisco who’s history has been long forgotten. Her most recent project documents the lives of the forgotten girls who were incarcerated in the city’s Magdalen Asylum, once located where SF General Hospital now stands.

KQED writes that the institution first opened in 1856 by the Sisters of Mercy as a refuge for sex workers and later evolved into a place where “wayward” girls — often petty offenders, unsupervised teens, or anyone deemed “morally suspect” — were confined. Winegarner’s research was sparked by sensationalized newspaper clippings that she found while researching her 2023 book San Francisco’s Forgotten Cemeteries and grew into a larger effort to transcribe registers, collect census records, and name those the system sought to shame or erase.

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The girls’ stories are often heartbreaking or surprising: one ten-year-old stole a purse to buy dolls and candy; another traveled alone, stayed in fine hotels, and rode horses in Napa. Some were institutionalized for racist or arbitrary reasons, like being present in a home where a Black man was present or being labeled “incorrigible” — a term Winegarner believes often masked neurodivergence.

Babies born there were routinely sent to a nearby Catholic orphanage with high infant mortality. Most girls did embroidery rather than laundry, and few left without adult help or marriage. Winegarner aims to restore their identities and ensure they’re not forgotten.

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San Rafael resident John Chung has been honored with the 2025 Richard O’Brien and Mary Ferrario O’Brien Public Service Award for his extensive volunteer work in youth sports, music, and public service.

According to Marin Independent Journal, Chung, who is a retired San Francisco Fire Department lieutenant, has supported San Rafael’s school music programs for over a decade, helping with concerts, providing technical expertise, and organizing transportation and equipment for student performances. He also managed the sound system for the school district’s annual HeadsUp Carnival for 10 years and launched fundraisers to help sustain arts and athletics programs.

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Chung’s background in music includes his longtime role as manager of the professional jazz fusion band Hiroshima, which helped him develop skills in production, sound, and logistics — knowledge he generously shares with local schools.

Chung also stepped in to coach the San Rafael High School boys’ golf team in 2023 to prevent it from disbanding, despite his children never having played on the team. Under his leadership, the program has grown, and he continues to lead innovative fundraising events such as home concerts and speaker series.

In addition to his youth-focused efforts, Chung serves on the San Rafael Fire Commission and volunteers during major incidents. City officials praised his unwavering dedication and the positive impact he’s made throughout San Rafael.

Image via YouTube

Previously: Notable Humans: Susan Kare, Designer Of Mac’s Earliest Icons — And Its Friendly Aesthetic

Want free donuts and a cup of coffee tomorrow morning? Then trek up Twin Peaks to help set-up the Pink Triangle Saturday from 7 am - 9:30 am. In addition to caffeine and sweets, you can also score a free Pink Triangle t-shirt and rub elbows with City Hall wonks.

Break-down help is especially needed on Sunday afternoon, 5 pm- 8 pm. For more details and contact info, go here.

Commemoration ceremony starts at 10:30 am Saturday.

SFist already mentioned the sure-to-be-popular All You Can Dance For $5 event happening at LINES Dance Center tomorrow. Here are five more of our top weekend picks, along with a lovely gallery.

White Elephant Preview Sale: Oakland Museum's huge annual White Elephant Sale is coming up on March 3rd and 4th, but this Sunday from 10 to 4 p.m., you have the chance to get first dibs on some fabulous items, including several vintage silk wedding gowns, gallery quality prints, musical instruments, books, sports memorabilia, and anything else you can imagine. Check out their gallery of stuff that will be on sale tomorrow.

From A to Zin: For those who might not have been able to afford the Zinfandel Festival's other more high-brow events that were happening this week, perhaps this fun afternoon tasting event on Saturday is more your speed ($49-60). Touted as "the world’s largest single varietal tasting," you'll get to sample from hundreds of barrel samples, new releases and premier Zinfandels, as well as rub shoulders with winemakers from each of the Zinfandel growing regions.

San Francisco Civic Symphony: Have a seat in the lovely Empire Ballroom at Sir Francis Drake Hotel on Sunday afternoon, while enjoying a free concert by the oldest community orchestra on the West Coast, which consists of musicians of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. Sunday's show will feature selections by Mozart Strauss, and Beethoven.

'Acknowledged' Photography Exhibit: Photographer Joe Ramos will share 55 portraits out of the 1,000-plus he's taken so far as a volunteer portrait photographer for Project Homeless Connect, giving "a personal face to homelessness and a voice to the people depicted in the photographs." The exhibit opens on Saturday morning at the main library and runs through March 24th.

Surfrider Clean Up: Help clean up Baker Beach on Saturday morning with the folks at Surfrider. House of Bagels will be donating some bagels and cream cheese to fuel your efforts. Participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves, grabbers, or buckets.

Been thinking about volunteering? Have valuable skills to offer? Always wondered what it's like to be on a "board of directors?" Then hit up The Board Match 2011 tomorrow evening and find the nonprofit of your dreams. Choose from over 170 Bay Area organizations, large and small, focusing on everything from the environment to arts to youth. They need you.

Employed Prospective Volunteers: Hit up your company to let you volunteer in their name. In other words, get paid to volunteer!

Unemployed Prospective Volunteers: Learn new skills, beef up your resume, and make loads of new contacts! (OK, we're convinced.)

The Board Match
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
4 to 7 p.m.
Moscone West, Fourth and Howard Streets, San Francisco
Free! Bring your friends!

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Obamas are encouraging us to help our fellow citizens in need. The Obama website has a handy database and map of volunteer events in the Bay Area, as wells as Inauguration parties (shown in orange on the map).

For those who have to work on Monday, check out what's going on this weekend. On Monday, clean up your neighborhood (or someone else's), give blood, drop off canned goods (or help out) at a food-drive near you. Or you can drop off clothing, personal items, snacks, and bedding at Pink Diamonds Gentlemen's Club for their We Are Our Brother's Keepers Clothing Donation. Or create your own volunteer event or Inauguration party!

Starting today, homosexual pride fans, the Pink Triangle folks need help setting up that large, pink, equilateral triangle on one of the hills of Twin Peaks. Won't you help them? This year's promises to be the biggest yet, with girth like you've never seen before. The massive queer symbol "will be so large this year it will be visible from 20 miles away."

Oh my.

Set-up is this Saturday morning, 7 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. And according to thepinktriangle.com, "Pink Triangle t-shirts, coffee, and donuts will be provided for all those that get up early to help out." Plus, all of your favorite local fruits (e.g., Assemblyman Mark Leno, Senator Carole Migden, Supervisor Tom Ammiano, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Treasurer José Cisneros) will be on hand to blather on endlessly about... whatever.

So, for you handful of gays not staying up the entire weekend with your gal pal Tina, this would be an excellent opportunity to get your civic pride on, meet some go-getters, and help put together this truly awesome and truly large piece of SF decor. Go here for more details.

Remember; if you don't volunteer, you will be branded a homophobe. Something to think about.