All fund raising by Santa Cruz Cares has gone to build, equip, and operate the Tsakelani Orphan Day Care Center in Soshanguve. Our focus will continue to be towards full funding of this center which, when fully operational, costs $3,500 per month to run ($42,000 per year). 

Santa Cruz Cares receives its non profit status under the umbrella of AFnet Aid and is a 501(c)(3) corporation. Your donations to Santa Cruz Cares will be receipted for tax purposes. Donations made directly to AFnet and/or AFnet Aid will be receipted by AFnet.

If you would like to support a child by providing a monthly amount (If $35 is too much or too little for your budget, any amount will help – or your excess over $35 can help someone else reach the goal.) You can arrange through AFnet to have a regular contribution taken from your checking or savings account – or you can send a regular donation.  Look at www.afnet.org to learn more about AFnet, an incorporated 501(c)(3) organization which means your donation is tax deductible.  Please note on your check sent to AFnet that the donation is for the Tsakelani Orphan Center/Santa Cruz Cares.

4 Ways to Give!  

1. Click below to sponsor a child.

All 68 of Tsakelani's Aids Orphans have sponsors!!! This is exciting news! Because of the excitement for the newly organized sponsorship opportunity ($35 per month) in which sponsors can direct their giving for a specific child, the 43 children already in the program plus 25 newly admitted children have been selected. The Tsakelani Center was built to accomodate 100 children, so now AFnet Aid is in the position to expand the program to serve an additional 32 children. As soon as these children are identified, additional staff hired, and plans made to include the additional chldren, we will once again be seeking sponsors. If you would like to sign up for a child, and do not have strong feelings about age or gender please click on the appropriate button to support a child. If you wish to choose your child to sponsor, please check back here on a weekly basis until we have additional information to post.

If you would like to make a donation by check or other means, please contact us by e-mail at santacruzcares@calcentral.com or phone 831/761-2162. For a more convenient way to sponsor a child, just click below on Sponsor a Child, print the convenient bank deduction form, fill it out and mail it in. The AFnet mailing address is:

AFnet, Inc.
3630 Charter Park Drive
San Jose, CA 95136

3. You can volunteer your time and talents to assist with future events:

Perhaps you aren’t in a position to assist us financially, you still have your heart and hands to offer! Volunteer to serve on one of the committees planning future events. If you are interested in participating, contact us at santacruzcares@calcentral.com or call 831/761-2162.

4. Now you can also donate your old cell phones to help these children!

Join the Great Cell Phone Drive!! Santa Cruz Cares Team members have placed cell phone distribution boxes throughout the Santa Cruz County area. Please start collecting discarded cell phones (Did you or your family get a new phone for Christmas? Or are you ready to switch to one of the new and exciting phones just out?) Collect as many phones as you can and take them to the locations listed on this site and in the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Pajaronian. Santa Cruz Cares will sell them to Pace Butler Corporation and receive money for Aids Orphans; and our environment will be cleared of old cell phones, so our community will be better!

Twin Lakes Church 2701 Cabrillo College Drive Aptos, CA 95003 831/465-3300 Contact: Loren Grossi  831/214-2430 Verizon Wireless 1443 Main Street Watsonville, CA 95076 831/768-1200 Contact: Jeff Spa-Fitness 1100 41st Ave. Capitola, CA 95010,  831/476-7373 Contact: Denise Barnett

Watch this site for more opportunities to serve and donate, and contact us
if you have suggestions for additional fund raisers.