If you’re receiving public benefits in California, programs like CalWORKs often require you to participate in approved activities to continue receiving support, including access to healthcare through Medi-Cal. The good news is that these activities don’t always have to be traditional employment. In many cases, volunteering can count toward your required hours, helping you stay compliant while continuing to receive benefits.
Under CalWORKs’ Welfare-to-Work program, participants may be required to complete weekly hours through activities like job training, education, or community service and volunteering. These requirements are designed to help individuals build skills, stay engaged, and work toward long-term stability. For many people, especially those navigating barriers like homelessness or transportation challenges, volunteering can be a practical and meaningful way to meet those obligations.
This is where organizations like Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC) come in. Volunteering with TCCC, whether helping at the shower program, laundry services, food distribution, or outreach events, can provide structure, connection, and a pathway to meeting program requirements. It’s also an opportunity to build relationships, gain experience, and stay connected to resources that support your next steps.
If you’re part of a program like CalWORKs and want to maintain your benefits, including medical coverage, talk to your case manager about whether volunteering can count toward your required hours. It’s a simple step that can help you stay covered, stay engaged, and stay moving forward.
Our board members play a vital role in shaping the vision and impact of our work, and our Treasurer, Dom Nkunku, is a powerful example of what it means to lead with purpose. For the past three years, Dom has been driven by a deep passion to serve his community, bringing both heart and perspective to TCCC’s mission.
What Dom values most about being part of TCCC is the opportunity to make a real, tangible difference in people’s lives. Whether it’s helping provide immediate essentials like food and shelter or supporting long-term solutions like job training, mental health care, and housing, he finds fulfillment in seeing hope restored. For Dom, the work goes beyond services. It’s about treating every individual with dignity, compassion, and respect.
One experience that stands out to him is helping a young mother and her two children transition from living in their car to stable housing. With the support of TCCC programs, she was able to access temporary shelter, job assistance, and childcare. Watching her move from fear and uncertainty to stability and confidence was a powerful reminder of why this work matters, not just for individuals, but for entire families.
Dom hopes more people understand that even small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact. A meal, a conversation, or simply being seen can help someone feel valued again. He believes that by building awareness and compassion, we can break down stereotypes around homelessness and create a more supportive community for everyone.
Outside of TCCC, Dom describes himself as passionate, reliable, and optimistic. He is a pastor, speaks nine languages, and enjoys cooking traditional Congolese dishes as a way to connect with others and share his culture. When asked what historical figure or celebrity he’d have dinner with if given the chance, his answer was, “I would love to sit down with Jesus Christ. His teachings on love, forgiveness, and faith have changed millions of lives, and I would love the chance to ask Him questions directly and learn from His wisdom. It would be the most life-changing dinner conversation ever!”
On his days off, you’ll likely find Dom exploring new places, taking road trips, or discovering local favorites like Magellan Restaurant.
We’re grateful for Dom’s leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to serving others. His dedication continues to help move TCCC’s mission forward and strengthen the community we all share.
Two members of Tracy Community Connections Center’s Street Outreach team, Elizabeth and Gavin, recently completed the Passenger Assistance, Safety and Sensitivity (PASS) Driver Training Program, an important certification that strengthens our ability to safely transport the clients we serve.
The PASS program, developed by the Community Transportation Association of America, is widely recognized as the industry standard for safely assisting passengers who may require additional care. The training focuses on proper transportation procedures for individuals using mobility devices, older adults, and people with medical or accessibility needs. It is commonly used for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), ADA paratransit services, and other specialized transit programs that serve vulnerable populations.
During the training, Elizabeth and Gavin spent the day learning how to safely assist passengers and properly operate our ADA-accessible van, ensuring that clients can be transported with dignity, safety, and respect. This certification helps ensure that when our outreach team provides rides to appointments, services, or housing placements, clients receive the careful support they deserve.
We’re proud of Elizabeth and Gavin for completing this training and continuing to expand the ways TCCC can support the community. Their dedication helps ensure that transportation is never a barrier for people who need help accessing critical services.
Interested in volunteering with our team? Learn more about opportunities to help members of the Tracy community.
Every week, Tracy Community Connections Center receives a generous donation of food from McDonald’s, offering support that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we serve. For the past couple of years, these food donations have helped us offer consistent meals and snacks to our shower and laundry clients. But as the program grew, sorting the food became a bigger job than our staff could manage alone.
That’s where Redemption Road Church stepped in. In recent months, their team has graciously allowed us to use their kitchen as a sorting space, creating a welcoming hub where volunteers and TCCC staff work side-by-side to organize the weekly donations. This partnership has transformed the process into an accessible and impactful volunteer opportunity, giving more community members a hands-on way to help.
The sorted food is then served at our Tuesday/Thursday laundry program, also located at Redemption Road Church, with any extras delivered to our Monday/Wednesday/Friday shower program at New Heart Church. Thanks to McDonald’s, Redemption Road Church, and our dedicated volunteers, our clients can count on having something to eat when they come for these services.
We’re deeply grateful for this ongoing partnership and the community spirit behind it. If you’d like to get involved in food sorting or volunteer with TCCC, we’d love to welcome you. Get in touch!
Deb has been a part of Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC) since its very beginning, first serving as staff and now contributing as a Board Member and volunteer. Inspired by a deep passion for helping those in need, Deb has devoted her time and energy to supporting TCCC’s mission of providing essential services and resources for the homeless in Tracy.
What Deb loves most about being part of TCCC is the dedication and care she sees in every team member, from Executive Director Carrie Grover to the Case Managers, Street Outreach team, and fellow Board Members. She recalls one particularly impactful moment from her time as Street Outreach Director, when she was offered a chair to sit and talk with small groups outside their tents. These conversations allowed her to build personal relationships, learn clients’ names, and truly understand their needs. Deb wishes more people knew just how much every TCCC staff member and volunteer genuinely cares about the people they serve.
Deb Padaong (center, in checkered coat) with staff and volunteers at TCCC
Outside of her work with TCCC, Deb describes herself as loving, faithful, and happy. She has a unique passion for Hawaiian culture and has been teaching Ho’omana Hawaiian Hula for the past 13 years. On a relaxing day off, you might find her in her pajamas watching a good movie, and when asked about her favorite local spot in Tracy, she laughingly replies, “Costco!” If she could have dinner with any historical figure or celebrity, it would be the late Luther Vandross, whose music she describes as deeply touching and inspirational.
Deb’s dedication, compassion, and joy make her an invaluable part of TCCC. Her story reminds us of the power of genuine connection and the difference one caring individual can make in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
Considering volunteering with TCCC? Click here to learn how you can get involved.
