United Services Agency Dedicated to support our communities at Santa Cruz By Ngan Nguyen May 19, 2026 Santa Cruz, West Cliff Drive. Photo credit: Flickr Our Story and Mission United Services Agency is a nonprofit organization based in Santa Cruz, California. Our establishment can be traced back to the 1970s with the collaboration between two friends: Dr. Paul Lee and Reverend Herb Schmidt. The two founders seek to uplift community ideas and sponsor an array of progressive projects within the...

Reflections on Decades of Campus Ministry at UCSC By Sahasra Akula July 19, 2026 Reverend Herb Schmidt was a courageous campus pastor and community organizer. He dedicated over 60 years of ministry. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1960 to serve the Messiah Lutheran Church. He quickly became a central figure. Throughout his career his work was focused on faith, social justice, and a deep commitment to helping students. Experience at UCSC 1968 was the year Pastor Schmidt accepted a call to serve as...

Reverend Herb Schmidt By Sahasra Akula June 19, 2026 On the surface, Reverend Herb Schmidt was what many imagined a pastor to be, someone who was soft-spoken, caring, and thoughtful. However, his work and astounding contributions in Santa Cruz have made him become something larger. He was not just a campus organizer, but a mentor and community builder. Schmidt has always thought of others first before himself. In his final days his family told him how much they would miss him after he passed...