Casa de Esperanza Receives Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program Grant

YUBA CITY, Calif., September 21, 2026 – Casa de Esperanza has received a $5,000 grant from Union Pacific Railroad’s Community Ties Giving Program to support domestic violence prevention, education, and crisis intervention services throughout Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa counties.

Casa de Esperanza serves survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and child abuse through crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, prevention and education, and other supportive services. The organization’s work is focused on helping individuals and families access safety, support, and resources while also increasing community awareness and prevention.

“We are grateful to Union Pacific for investing in services that directly support survivors and families in our community,” said Michelle Downing, Executive Director of Casa de Esperanza. “Community partnerships help us continue providing immediate support when someone is experiencing a crisis while also strengthening our prevention and education efforts. Both are essential to creating safer communities.”

— Michelle Downing, Executive Director, Casa de Esperanza

Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program provides small- and medium-sized grants that align with the railroad’s priority cause areas in safety, workforce development, community vitality, and environmental sustainability.

“Union Pacific is proud to support organizations doing the hard work on the ground to improve the quality of life for their communities, including those where our employees live and work across our 23-state network,” said Liisa Lawson Stark, vice president – Public Affairs, Union Pacific Railroad. “Investments in high-quality nonprofits yield growth, prosperity and well-being of the communities we serve.”

— Liisa Lawson Stark, Vice President – Public Affairs, Union Pacific Railroad

Funding from the Community Ties Giving Program will help support Casa de Esperanza’s direct services and community-based programming, including crisis intervention, care support coordination, support with domestic violence restraining orders and court accompaniment, outreach and prevention education, transportation assistance, and educational and outreach materials.

Casa provides a 24/7 crisis hotline, emergency shelter, safety planning, medical advocacy and emergency response for sexual assault survivors, counseling, advocacy, and connections to community resources. Survivors can also receive support with housing, employment, transportation, and other needs as they work toward safety, healing, and stability.

The funding will also strengthen Casa’s prevention and education efforts, helping community members recognize domestic violence and sexual abuse, understand warning signs, and know where to turn for help. Through community presentations, workshops, awareness campaigns, outreach events, and educational resources, Casa works to increase awareness and connect individuals and families with support when they need it.

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