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Cupertino issues proclamation recognizing 51 years of West Valley Community Services
Summary
The Cupertino City Council heard a presentation from West Valley Community Services and issued a proclamation recognizing the nonprofit's 51 years serving Cupertino, highlighting food distribution, rental assistance and client-centered services.
Cupertino Mayor Chao presented a proclamation recognizing West Valley Community Services (WVCS) for 51 years of community service after a presentation from the nonprofit’s executive director.
The proclamation followed a 12-minute presentation from Sujatha (Sujata) Venkatraman, identified in the meeting as WVCS’s executive director, who described the agency’s mission to “unite the community to fight hunger and homelessness” and summarized its services for Cupertino residents. Venkatraman said WVCS operates a choice-market grocery program, a mobile market that serves De Anza College and other West Valley sites, rental assistance and housing referral services, eviction prevention, case management, and advocacy.
Venkatraman told the council WVCS served “extremely low income clients” and cited program-scale numbers: about 1,000,000 meals distributed and roughly $1,000,000 in direct financial assistance during the last fiscal year, and she said WVCS recorded 304 new clients from Cupertino in that period. She also read a client story about a 71-year-old Cupertino resident who received help after identity theft and unpaid rent, describing the nonprofit’s wraparound support including DMV vouchers and financial counseling.
Council members thanked the organization, and the mayor read the proclamation on the dais; a group photograph followed. The item appeared on the agenda as a ceremonial presentation and was noted by staff to be in the meeting packet.
The presentation highlighted WVCS’s volunteer programs (including student service-learning opportunities), grocery-rescue operations and seasonal programs such as back-to-school and holiday assistance that the city supports. The executive director emphasized the agency’s “choice market” model as distinct from a traditional food pantry and framed services as intended to move clients from crisis to stability to self-sufficiency.
Council members did not take formal action beyond issuing the proclamation; no vote was required for the ceremonial recognition.
Cupertino’s proclamation places WVCS’s work on the record and signals continuing municipal recognition of food-security and homelessness-prevention services in the West Valley area.
