Oceanside CA— Oceanside Charitable Foundation (OCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, today announced $63,300 in grants that will increase support for underserved residents in the community and provide more opportunities for youth and families to thrive. The grants were announced at the Annual OCF Grant Awards Celebration at the Oceanside Museum of Art on May 9.
“Oceanside is known as one of the most diverse communities in the region, with a long history of civic participation and engagement among those who work and live here,” explained Vince Alessi, Board Chair of OCF. “By giving together through the Oceanside Charitable Foundation, individuals and organizations are strengthening their commitment to the community and investing in solutions that develop and enhance the Oceanside they envision.”
The 2018 grants underscore the importance of supporting all residents in Oceanside, particularly underserved youth. For example, grantee Encuentros Leadership is a nationally-recognized organization which grew out of the concern that high school graduation rates are the lowest among Latino boys in comparison to other ethnic groups. In Oceanside, Latino residents make up more than one-third of the population and the Encuentros Leadership Young Emerging Latino Leaders Program increases opportunities and developmental support for the thousands of Latino youth in the region.
By supporting Encuentros Leadership, OCF members recognize the importance of education and its connection to a successful career. Thanks to grant support, the Young Emerging Latino Leaders Program will help provide the Oceanside leaders of tomorrow with the tools they need to thrive today, and into the future.

The full list of 2018 grantees include:

Encuentros Leadership ($15,000)

The $15,000 grant to Encuentros Leadership will support the Young Emerging Latino Leaders Program, which is a mix of five culturally relevant programs developed by Encuentros Leadership to strengthen the culture of learning, enhance service leadership, and improve self-esteem and self-worth among Latino males within the Oceanside Unified School District.

Move Your Feet Before You Eat Foundation ($4,300)

The $4,300 grant to Move Your Feet Before You Eat will support the Lap Trackers Program for students at Oceanside Unified School District. Leveraging lap tracking technology, Move Your Feet Before You Eat will establish running programs that will teach elementary school students how to be proactive about their health and behavior.

Oceanside Museum of Art ($15,000)

The $15,000 grant to Oceanside Museum of Art will help local youth experience the beauty of art and rich visual imagery that is critical to early childhood education and development. The grant will allow Oceanside Museum of Art to provide opportunities for students from all learning abilities, styles, and levels of English language use.

Studio ACE ($9,000)

The $9,000 grant to Studio ACE will help fill the arts gap among youth in Oceanside by offering arts enrichment programs throughout the community. The purpose of the program is to enhance art education offerings in the community without placing the burden on parents or the Oceanside Unified School District, which has limited arts education for students until high school.

Trauma Intervention Programs of San Diego, Inc. ($10,000)

The $10,000 grant to Trauma Intervention Programs of San Diego, Inc. will support the Crisis Intervention Program, which provides support and assistance to those traumatically affected in emergency situations. The grant will help expand volunteer support to handle the increasing number of daily requests from partnering agencies and maintain a substantial volunteer base for large critical incidents.

Voices for Children ($10,000)

The $10,000 grant to Voices for Children will support the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) Program, which transforms the lives of children in foster care by providing them with adult advocates who can help ensure their needs are met. With the support of an advocate, a child in foster care is more likely to succeed, receive vital services, and find a safe, permanent home.
OCF is supported by local philanthropists and businesses dedicated to improving the quality of life and meeting emerging needs in Oceanside. Since 2007, members have granted more than $500,000 to nonprofit organizations working in the community to grow a more vibrant region.
To become a member of OCF, visit the website or contact Trudy Armstrong at trudy@sdfoundation.org.