Oceanside CA— Oceanside Charitable Foundation (OCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, awarded $53,000 in grants to five local nonprofit organizations at its 9^th Annual Grants Celebration on May 4 at the Oceanside Museum of Art.
This year, OCF supported programs that helped vulnerable and at-risk youth in the Oceanside community. The programs funded include: New Directions with Casa de Amparo ($25,000); Basic Needs/My First Home with Just in Time for Foster Youth ($10,000); Safe Space with North County LGBTQ Resource Center ($10,000); School Pantry Program with Feeding San Diego ($5,000); Fire Safe Kids with the Burn Institute ($3,000)
“Over the past nine years, OCF members have come together to grant more than $450,000 to organizations strengthening our community,” shared Beverly Holtz, OCF Board Chair. “OCF was founded for Oceanside, by Oceanside, to benefit Oceanside causes. The work OCF grantees are doing is a strong testament to this commitment, including grantee Casa de Amparo.”

Casa de Amparo is a current and former grantee that embodies the mission of OCF and its grantmaking. The organization supports individuals impacted by and at risk of child abuse and neglect, through a range of programs and services that promote healing, growth, and healthy relationships. Through the Casa de Amparo New Directions Program, local youth ages 18 to 25 who are foster and former foster youth are able to participate in a housing program that addresses the challenges of transitioning from foster care to independent living.
“Through the New Directions Program, we are working not only to prevent future homelessness but show youth how to be integrated within the Oceanside community,” explains Amy Oden, Grant Writer from Casa de Amparo. “By providing life skills and access to resources for some of our most vulnerable youth, our hope is that this target population will participate in improving the neighborhoods in Oceanside.”
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.