Why We Support Housing Matters
Written by Paul Mooney, Co-Founder of Longstock, an annual music festival supporting Housing Matters and Champion Donor Circle Member with Linda Clark Johnson
Our relationship goes back to 2000, when I was asked to remodel the Women with Children Cottage on the Coral Street campus. It was then that I realized what the Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center was attempting to do for our unhoused community in Santa Cruz.
Fast forward to 2009, when a member of our Longstock family suggested we turn our annual music event into a charitable event. We chose the Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center as our beneficiary.
It has occurred to us here at Longstock that while we celebrate music, friendship, and community each year, there are many people in our own community who are simply trying to find a safe place to sleep, a warm meal, or a path back to stability. We believe that a community is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable members.
Over the years, we’ve watched the organization grow into Housing Matters while remaining true to its mission of providing hope, dignity, and opportunity to those experiencing homelessness. We’ve seen firsthand the compassion, professionalism, and dedication of the staff and volunteers who work every day to help people rebuild their lives.
Supporting Housing Matters has become more than a charitable contribution for Longstock—it’s part of who we are. We are proud that our annual event can help provide resources that make a real difference for individuals and families in Santa Cruz County.
We support Housing Matters because we believe everyone deserves the chance to move from homelessness to hope, from uncertainty to stability, and from surviving to thriving. We invite others to join us in supporting an organization that continues to make our community stronger, one life at a time.
When people drive down Coral Street and see the line of tents and unhoused individuals, it can be difficult to look beyond what is visible. What they don’t see is what happens behind the fence at the Housing Matters campus.
The dedicated staff at Housing Matters provide services that truly change people’s lives. Their work offers hope, stability, and a path forward for those experiencing homelessness. That is why the investment made by the Longstock Family is so meaningful—it supports real, lasting change in our community.
The time, talent, and financial support donated by musicians, artists, volunteers, and staff make this mission possible. Being part of this effort is the most meaningful thing we can do with our lives, and we are proud to stand behind Housing Matters and the life-changing work they do every day.