Blog
Stay informed with news and updates from Canal Alliance programs and read about the impact of our work on the Latino immigrant community.

Marin County’s Census Response Rates Rise
Posted: January 14, 2021
A year before the 2020 census was to take place, Marin County granted the Canal Alliance funds to conduct census outreach across the county. The project lead, Stephanie McNally, the advocacy and policy senior manager at Canal Alliance, got to work with partners and nonprofits, especially in historically undercounted areas, to make a plan. Then the pandemic hit and it all went out the window.

Volunteer spotlight: Nancy Curran
Posted: January 12, 2021
For over 20 years, Nancy Curran has demonstrated her dedication to Marin’s immigrant community by serving as the Canal Alliance Citizenship Class instructor. Through her volunteer service, she has helped, hundreds (if not thousands) of clients become U.S. citizens!

Citizenship Test Independent Study Resources
Posted: December 18, 2020
Prepare for your naturalization interview and the English and civics tests using these online resources.

Omar Carrera of San Rafael’s Canal Alliance wins a North Bay Business Journal Nonprofit Leadership Award
Posted: December 15, 2020
Omar Carrera is a strategic thinker and social entrepreneur with more than 18 years of experience in business operations management in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.
Marin Voice: Bold, innovative actions for pandemic survival, recovery needed now
Posted: December 14, 2020
In the first peak of COVID-19 in July, Latinos in Marin County (most of whom reside in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael) accounted for almost 80% of cases, while only comprising 16% of the overall population.

Marin renters, businesses allotted $3.2M in pandemic aid
Posted: December 11, 2020
Marin County and the Marin Community Foundation will distribute $3.2 million in emergency rental assistance and financial aid to small businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Volunteer spotlight – Pellie Anderson
Posted: December 9, 2020
Pellie Anderson began volunteering with UP! (University Prep) in 2018. Since then, Pellie has provided students with homework support, study skills, and organizational skills for two hours every week.

UP! alumni turned staff member
Posted: December 9, 2020
Cat Melgar currently works part-time as a Youth Program Assistant with our college access and success program, UP! (University Prep). Although she has been working at Canal Alliance since July 2020, she has been involved with us for over 10 years as an UP! Student and graduate.

Here’s why Marin continues to be the Bay Area’s most segregated county
Posted: December 8, 2020
A new UC Berkeley study showing that Marin County leads the Bay Area in segregation. The report from UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute found that six of the 10 most racially segregated municipalities in the Bay Area are in Marin County.