The community of Conejo Valley supports one another through times of crisis
Introduction: The strength of a community is best revealed when faced with times of crisis, whether that be natural disasters, economic hardship or political uncertainty. In the past 10 years, the community of Ventura County has seen one another through the good and bad, through destruction and rebirth. In the midst of a time when our nation is heavily divided, Ventura County residents and organizations have made an effort to help out their neighbors, hoping to strengthen our community as a whole.
Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank: Dedicated to ensuring that every family has food on their table and the resources they need, Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank is a food pantry stationed at 95 N Oakview Dr, Thousand Oaks. Anthony Linquata, executive director, has seen a steady increase in Manna’s role in the community since its creation in 1971. The organization started from a garage and has grown to a 8,000 square foot facility, now serving over 15,000 families. “[Manna] was [started in] direct reaction to an economy at the time that was not doing very well, and there were a high number of layoffs from one of the major aerospace companies that were in the area, Rocketdyne at the time,” Linquata said. “It quickly spread throughout the community, because the layoffs and job loss wasn’t just focused on aerospace. It hit everyone in every aspect of the economy in the Conejo Valley in different ways.”
Over the course of 55 years, Manna’s role in the community has grown steadily, but its purpose remains the same. “Any resident of the Conejo Valley that is having some type of hardship, whether it’s temporary or long term, Manna’s pantry is open to them three days a week,” Linquata said.
VC Defensa: After its origin as a text alert system with a few volunteers in January 2025, VC Defensa has rapidly grown into an immigrant justice organization with thousands of volunteers, medical professionals and teachers. VC Defensa focuses on protecting the immigrant and refugee population of Ventura County through its many community safety-driven programs. VC Defensa not only runs morning and daily patrols through neighborhoods to identify and warn people of Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents, but also does everything from giving people safe rides to appointments to driving people down to Mexico for family reconnection. VC Defensa also connects people with lawyers and educators, organizes food and toy drives and holds community workshops.
Within just the East County area of Ventura County, VC Defensa has over 200 volunteers, one of the many avid volunteers being Leonado Martinez. “We pride ourselves on being a very hyper-local organization,” Martinez said. The volunteer-driven force of VC Defensa allows for connection and community amongst immigrant populations. “A lot of our volunteers have made lifelong friendships because they’re born and raised in Conejo Valley, and they feel that the friendships that they’ve made there are connecting them with like-minded people that they didn’t know existed in their area,” Martinez said.
VC Defensa’s work expands beyond the identification and removal of ICE in the community and focuses heavily on community outreach and support. “This work comes from a deep love of our people, not necessarily a hate or a focus on ICE,” Martinez said.
On Campus: Students are a significant population that make up Ventura County, and at NPHS, there are several resources available locally on campus to make sure they can learn in a safe environment. Celia Ortiz, a social worker for Newbury Park High School, aids students on a daily basis. Ortiz provides social and emotional support, along with resources for “Newcomer” students, who have been in the U.S. for three years or less.
During Ortiz’s time at NPHS, she helped kickstart the Panther Closet, which consists of necessities such as clothes, food and hygiene kits and is located in the campus’ Wellness Center. During uncertain times, Celia hopes that the closet can help students focus on what matters most. “We’re going to be able to meet their needs, and eliminate any barriers that can exist, and can impede their education in some way,” Celia said.
How Ventura County has come together in past crises: During times of community-wide crisis, the Conejo Valley has proven its dedication to showing up for its neighbors. Most recently, Manna’s foodbank was a strong support system to families when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] funding was cut from the State of California in November 2025 by the Trump Administration. As a result, CalFresh, a program that provides low-income families with financial support for grocery items, was no longer funded, harming the 15,000 families Manna supports. “So all of a sudden, we had an over 30 percent increase in the number of families that were coming to Manna,” Linquata said. “So we had, on average, 45 new families sign up every month, from October through the end of the year, even through January.”
During this time, Manna was supported by the broader community, which includes its volunteer team of over 400. “This community provided Manna with over 200,000 pounds of food in two months, and so that food was able to go out to individuals who were being affected immediately.”
Manna was also an available resource for families during the Woolsey Fire in 2018, as well as the Palisades Fire in January of 2025. “We were able to support them with getting immediate food to them and to help their families. So Manna has always responded throughout the years, when an emergency has happened, we’re here,” Linquata said. Recently, Manna also became an Emergency Support Center through the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] and Southern California Edison.
Comparing community aide in Minneapolis and Thousand Oaks: Across the nation, particularly in Minneapolis, community members have expressed how ICE raids have put strain on their lives and the lives of those around them. However, in the midst of this chaos, the community of Minneapolis has come together in many ways, from food banks to gathering donations and resources for families who feel unsafe to leave their homes.
In the community of Ventura, Manna has already responded to similar threats that ICE poses to the families that Manna supports. This includes outreach to those affected by raids, connecting with nonprofits that support immigrant communities, and providing them with additional food resources. “We’ve also had some people [who] have become proxies and come and shop for individuals that may have been fearful of going out and venturing out into the community during different times,” Linquata said.
While Linquata has already seen many parallels between the situation in Minneapolis and what is occurring in Thousand Oaks, he believes that Manna is always dedicated to serving the community. “So whether it’s a situation like Minneapolis or a situation that is artificially created by decisions made elsewhere, outside of our community, we’ve been able to respond and meet the need,” Linquata said.
With the presence of ICE in Ventura County, Ortiz has noticed a growing dependence on resources such as ones provided by the Panther Closet. “I think families are very afraid to still leave the house. A lot of people are afraid to work as well, too. So there’s been a high need for basic necessities and I would say, obviously clothing falls under that,” Ortiz said.
Conclusion: As many communities throughout Ventura County are experiencing change, people are working together to remain strong. Organizations throughout the county, such as VC Defensa and Manna as well as on-campus resources such as the Panther Closet are providing the necessary resources to ensure that community members feel safe and capable to persevere through these times of uncertainty.
