Sen. Blakespear Names Somos TIAS Senate District 38 Nonprofit of the Year
Lisa Montes (left) and Amy Bryan started Somos TIAS.
SACRAMENTO – Sen. Catherine S. Blakespear, D-Encinitas, has selected Solana Beach-based Somos TIAS as the 2026 California Nonprofit of the Year for Senate District 38.
Somos TIAS is a volunteer organization of concerned community members who provide support, including legal advocacy, essential supplies and groceries, to families facing immigration enforcement. TIAS stands for Take Inspired Action Siempre (Always, in Spanish).
“Somos TIAS provides help and hope for immigrant families who need it the most,” Sen. Blakespear said. “This rapidly growing grassroots organization is made up of neighbors helping neighbors in true community spirit across North San Diego County. I am thrilled to name Somos TIAS as Senate District 38 Nonprofit of the Year.”
The group was co-founded by Amy Bryan and Lisa Montes, who are often referred to as the "Aunties" (Tías in Spanish), and now has chapters in eight San Diego County cities. Somos TIAS has brought together volunteers from all backgrounds to focus on keeping neighborhoods safe, when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is active in them.
They monitor the courts and support detainees and their families in many ways, including getting passports for children, finding immigration attorneys, writing letters to detainees and making diapers, medications and other supplies available when and where they are needed.
Said Bryan: “Our mission is simple, to build stronger, safer, and more inclusive communities by providing those in need with what they need, when they need it.”
This is the 11th year of the California Nonprofit of the Year initiative, a statewide effort to highlight nonprofit organizations and the valuable work they do. Each year, state legislators are asked to select a nonprofit from their district to recognize, and the groups are honored with an awards luncheon at the state Capitol. The luncheon this year will be held on May 20.
“We are grateful for the work of SOMOS TIAS and want to extend our congratulations for this well-deserved recognition,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits). “Nonprofits are among our country’s most trusted organizations and an integral part of civil society. There’s likely never been a more important time to lift up the contributions nonprofits make within the communities they serve.”
Nonprofits play important community roles by being problem-solvers, innovators, helpers and advocates, but they are also a major economic force. According to “Causes Count 3.0,” a new report by CalNonprofits, the nonprofit sector is now the third largest employment segment in the state, with approximately 1.5 million employees. Collectively, the state’s 110,000 nonprofit organizations generate more than $430 billion in revenue each year.
The Nonprofit of the Year program is sponsored by CalNonprofits in partnership with the California state Senate and Assembly select committees on the nonprofit sector.
Sen. Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.
