Community, Care, and Connection on the San Juan Ridge
On an unseasonably warm December day in North San Juan, the Family Resource Center hums with activity as cars line up for food distribution. Just down the hill, Roo Cantada, founder and executive director of the San Juan Ridge Community Library, pauses outside the library, her scooter nearby after a morning of errands and troubleshooting a downed internet connection. It is a familiar rhythm on the San Juan Ridge: neighbors helping neighbors, often with very limited resources.
The library itself is a testament to what dedication and community support can build. Cantada spent years volunteering, creatively fundraising, and steadily expanding the library’s role as a community hub. Inside, books fill nearly every corner. A former card catalog now serves as a seed library. An annex hosts free classes, workshops, and a monthly “Health and Happiness” clinic supported by nonprofit partners and county staff. Everything is intentionally offered at no cost so barriers to participation remain low.
Investing in long-term sustainability for essential rural resources
Recently, the Community Foundation of Nevada County awarded the library a $20,000 grant, helping fund Cantada’s pursuit of a library science degree. The investment strengthens the work she has already started, and helps ensure long-term sustainability for this vital rural resource.
Up the road, the North San Juan Community Center plays a similarly essential role. Through its Free Store, food distributions, health services, and emergency response partnerships, the Center fills gaps for isolated residents. A $20,000 Community Foundation grant will support board training, building organizational capacity and positioning the Center for future growth and impact.
These grants reflect the Community Foundation’s commitment to strengthening grassroots organizations that know their communities best. By investing in local leadership and capacity, the Foundation helps ensure that places like the San Juan Ridge continue to do what they have always done so well: care for one another.
Read the full story on YubaNet.