Oceanside CA— Oceanside Charitable Foundation (OCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, awarded $60,000 in grants to three local nonprofit organizations at its 9th Annual Grants Celebration on May 23 at the Oceanside Museum of Art.
This year, OCF supported programs that prevent hunger and homelessness, or aid individuals currently homeless in the Oceanside community. The programs funded include: Oceanside Senior Nutrition Program with the Oceanside Senior Citizens Association ($10,000); Care for Hungry and Homeless Neighbors program with Brother Benno Foundation ($25,000); New Directions Transition Housing—Turning Hope Into a Home project with Casa de Amparo ($25,000).
“Over the past nine years, OCF has granted more than $369,000 to 29 local nonprofits to advance the Oceanside community,” Beverly Holtz, Board Chair for OCF, shared. “Through these grants, we are rejuvenating the bonds of our community by bringing people together to address essential needs. The many grantee success stories, such as the Transitional Youth Academy with Interfaith Community Services, are a testament to this mission and the efforts of our members.”
In 2015, Interfaith Community Services received a $10,000 grant to support its Transitional Youth Academy (TYA). The program empowers low-income and at-risk students to achieve their academic and career goals, as well as lead active and healthy lives. TYA supports Oceanside students by providing intensive mentoring, leadership development, career training and paid summer internships to ensure vulnerable students not only graduate high school, but also enroll in college.
“Grant support from the Oceanside Charitable Foundation significantly transformed the lives of vulnerable youth in Oceanside,” Caitlin Kosec, Interfaith Community Services Grants and Communications Manager, expressed. “To date, funding has provided 54 students with the unique opportunity to participate in exciting outdoor trips and therapeutic horseback riding experiences. It is important to understand that these students have typically never been exposed to, nor previously experienced any interaction with the great outdoors. These experiences had a profound effect in encouraging students to overcome unimaginable barriers to successfully achieve high school graduation.”
OCF is dedicated to improving the quality of life and meeting emerging needs in Oceanside by increasing responsible and effective philanthropy; building a community endowment for the benefit of the region; providing funds annually to community organizations and causes, and giving the community a vehicle for legacy planning and gifts that will benefit Oceanside now and forever.
Learn more about becoming a member of OCF here, or contact Trudy Armstrong at (619) 814-1312 or e-mail trudy@sdfoundation.org.
About the 2016 Grantees:
Casa de Amparo
New Directions Transition Housing—Turning Hope Into a Home
The grant of $25,000 will support the provision of wraparound services provided by the New Directions Transitional Housing program. Services include housing for former foster youth (ages 18-25) in Oceanside, who are currently experiencing homelessness. Casa de Amparo was established in 1978 with a mission to support those affected by and at risk of child abuse and neglect through a range of programs and services that promote healing, growth and healthy relationships.
Brother Benno Foundation
Care for Hungry and Homeless Neighbors
A $25,000 grant will provide 5,000 meals for those in need, as well as support rental assistance for 30 Oceanside families and utility assistance for 50 families. Founded in 1984, Brother Benno Foundation started as a soup kitchen and has grown into a multi-faceted social services agency that helps pull vulnerable families and individuals out of the cycle of poverty. Brother Benno Foundation is run primarily by volunteers and includes services that support the hungry and homeless through prevention, coordinated entry and tailored programs.
Oceanside Senior Citizens Association
Oceanside Senior Nutrition Program
The grant of $10,000 will go toward providing nutritional, well-balanced meals to seniors in Oceanside who may not otherwise have access to healthy food. The Oceanside Senior Nutrition Program was started in a local church and now provides services at the Country Club Senior Center. Last year, the organization served 12,901 congregate meals and provided 30,962 home-delivered meals.