About this site

Essential Manzanita is an independent publication launched in February 2024 by Manzanita Works for the people, employers and organizations that we serve. If you subscribe today, you'll get email newsletters about new resources that become available like free Caltrain passes and pedal bikes for your commute, programs that are in the works and content to inspire and cheer you on.

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By signing up, you'll get access to the full archive of everything that's been published before and everything that's still to come. Your very own private library.

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Stay up to date with new content sent straight to your inbox. No overwhelming you with fundraising appeals. No more worrying about whether you missed something because of a pesky algorithm or news feed.

Help shape what would support you

Join a community of essential workers who are working together to support families to live fruitful, dignified lives. You know from your lived experience, what would help you day to day. Let's work on that together.

What is Manzanita Works?

Back in February 2020, a group of union, faith and neighborhood leaders came together to form the Manzanita Coalition, a broad based group working together to address the needs of essential workers. Just one month later, we all became acutely aware of the critical role essential workers play during shelter-in-place. Manzanita Works is the organization that does the work of making that support reality.

Manzanita Works’ mission is to support essential workers and their families to live fruitful, dignified lives. Our programs take the edge off the ways these essential workers’ lives are interrupted as they try to get to work: their commute options, childcare options and more. In thinking about our community in the region, we are dedicated to helping essential workers and their families stay in the area. In the past, our efforts have included securing long-haul shuttles for essential workers to get to work, access to health and child care services, and bikes repair pop-ups.

As a fiscally sponsored project of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, Manzanita Works does collective purchasing and resource sharing with social equity as a founding principal. We organize a mix of public and private employers with civic groups to access and share under-utilized resources and develop new assets. Our newsletter shares what resources and programs might work for you today as well as what's in the works for the future that might interest you.