Isabella Project Newsletter - June 2025

Dear Isabella Project Families, Friends, and Neighbors,

Though I don’t live in Santa Paula, serving on the Isabella Project Steering Committee has made me feel deeply connected to this special community. Each meeting feels like stepping into a circle of trust, where voices are heard, hearts are open and bold ideas are given space to grow. It’s a gift to be part of something so meaningful.

Santa Paula’s agricultural roots, strong sense of kinship and willingness to lead with vision have set a powerful example for other towns across the state. What’s unfolding here is more than a pilot—it’s a movement. A movement to make early childhood education accessible, holistic and deeply rooted in community care.

As a mother of both a young child and a young adult, I know the weight of finding safe, nurturing care. I’ve questioned formal childcare, and witnessed the tireless work of families—especially in agriculture—who deserve better options. That’s why the Isabella Project means so much to me. It’s building a model where early education is not a privilege, but a right, and where every child is honored from the very beginning.

Around the world, many cultures greet children first, viewing them as sacred beings—carriers of ancestral wisdom, closer to the divine. Historically, early education was often reserved for the wealthy, but in many traditions, it was woven into the fabric of everyday life. That’s what we’re creating here: a system that reflects the community’s values.

One of the most exciting examples is the new community garden and food forest coming to the Harvest at Limoneira community, with support of the Organic Garden Club of Ventura County, thanks to the vision of Darcy Lober and many others. It’s not just a garden—it’s a classroom, a sanctuary, a place where children can grow alongside the food they harvest, connecting to their environment and themselves.

I believe that faith-based organizations can and must play a more active role in the village it takes to raise a child. With deep spiritual roots and strong relational ties, churches, temples and spiritual centers can be sanctuaries for childcare, early learning, parenting workshops, meal distribution and so much more. In Santa Paula, many of these institutions already stand ready to help—they just need the call.

That call is now.

As committed Isabella Project members, we can all play a role in spreading that call by serving as ambassadors for our mighty mission. At our last committee meeting, we received great talking points and a tool kit to talk about the Isabella Project. I have found the tools so useful and I encourage everyone to use them.

This is a community-led solution for a community-wide need. It asks all of us—parents, educators, volunteers, faith leaders, neighbors and more—to show up, speak out and contribute however we can. Santa Paula is showing the world how powerful that can be. Early childhood shouldn’t depend on socioeconomic backgrounds—it should reflect our shared values. Thanks to our community’s leadership, we’re seeing how a small town like Santa Paula can spark big change.

Rev. Jamey Sinardi

Isabella Project Steering Committee Member