Public service runs deep in Sonia Bustamante’s family. Her father, Cruz Bustamante, is a former speaker of the California Assembly, as well as a former lieutenant governor. “My family is very politically active in the Central Valley,” she said in a phone interview. “Growing up, I saw how some communities get the short end of the stick in resources.”
After graduating from Cal Berkeley, she looked for work that would honor her family’s service tradition. She became a labor organizer, then worked as legislative director for Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle. She then joined Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia’s office, where she remained for 10 years, becoming chief of staff and working on a number of important initiatives.
As of December 2025 she is director of The SAFE Center / Centro SAFE, part of the Immigrant Action Network. “It was time for me to step into a leadership role,” she said.
In a statement about Bustamante’s time in his office, Gioia said, “I am deeply grateful for the countless contributions she has made to our community. She helped lead our efforts to form an Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, and to establish programs to provide immigrant healthcare (Contra Costa Cares) and protect immigrants at risk of deportation (Stand Together Contra Costa).”
Last June, Contra Costa County announced a $5 million investment to create the SAFE (Services and Access for Everyone) Center, described as a new community hub designed to connect immigrant individuals and families with resources, support and opportunities. The county announcement said, “Contra Costa County is home to more than 300,000 foreign-born residents—over one-fourth of the county’s population. They are teachers, nurses, artists, students, entrepreneurs and essential workers who contribute more than $16.8 billion to our local economy.”
The center itself doesn’t provide services, Bustamante said, but instead refers people to multiple providers who offer legal services, access to education, health care—including mental health—financial relief and food, transportation and job opportunities. Providers include the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance, Family Justice Center, Healthy Contra Costa and the Latina Center, among others. Referrals can assist people in signing up for MediCal, obtaining needed food or dealing with deportation and asylum issues, for example. The Center continues its efforts to find multilingual workers who can assist speakers of some of the many languages spoken in Contra Costa County.
Bustamante cited a recent case in which someone called the center. “They did not speak English, and they were terrified,” she said. “They were arrested in Alameda County while driving for [one of the food delivery services], and didn’t know that Alameda County has its own resources, including access to a public defender.” The SAFE Center successfully referred the caller.
Asked if she felt that some people are reluctant to reach out in the current political atmosphere, Bustamante agreed there is a culture of fear. “It is harder for people to fully trust,” she said. “We reassure people; we are as transparent as possible.” The providers have long histories of service in the communities most in need.
The center is still in the process of reaching out to various communities to alert them to the services it provides. Spanish-language media has run some stories featuring it, and Bustamante and her staff continue to build out their social media network. The center sets up booths at community events and participates in a mobile legal clinic.
The Safe Center will also offer co-working and consultation spaces to service providers with limited office space. It will, Bustamante said, aid in collaborative fundraising and advise providers on how to best tell their own stories and develop content.
It will continue to seek additional provider partners as it pursues its mission of helping people who may feel threatened and forgotten, Bustamante said. The SAFE Center currently operates out of a provisional space in Richmond. For more information call 925.418.8585 or visit oursafecenter.org.
