Carlsbad CA— Carlsbad Charitable Foundation (CCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, marked its 11th year of giving at its Annual Grant Awards Celebration on May 2 at the home of members Yvonne & Carm Finocchiaro. At the event, CCF and its members awarded grants to three nonprofit organizations with programs that will help combat poverty and homelessness within the Carlsbad region.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2017 Point-in-Time Count, homelessness has increased 5 percent in San Diego County over the past year, with more than 9,000 San Diegans living on the streets or in shelters and an estimated 160 living in Carlsbad. The 2018 CCF grants aim to be part of a regional solution by supporting programs that give Carlsbad residents the necessary tools to avoid or move out of homelessness.
The 2018 grantees include:
Interfaith Community Services ($15,000)
The $15,000 grant to Interfaith Community Services will support the Carlsbad Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which provides residents with access to comprehensive programs that empower local youth and families to lead independent and thriving lives. Thanks to the grant, residents will have greater access to critical support, such as employment support, nutrition assistance and housing and social services. In addition, local families struggling with poverty will be provided transportation assistance through bus passes and gas vouchers so they can travel to school and job interviews or work sites to gain or retain employment.
Solutions for Change ($60,000)
The $60,000 grant to Solutions for Change will support the sponsorship of up to six Carlsbad families. Families will be enrolled in the award-winning Solutions University program, where they will be provided vital life skills classes, individualized case management and career preparation. The Solutions University program helps create strong, independent families that are capable of pursuing every opportunity they want in life, from raising a happy family, to creating a successful career, to buying a home and sending kids to college. Once the program milestones are met, the families will move into supportive permanent housing in Carlsbad.
Voices for Children ($15,000)
The $15,000 grant to Voices for Children will support Transitional-Age Teens and Homelessness Prevention (TTHP) Program and provide six Carlsbad foster youth with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for an entire year. Through the program, Voices for Children will help local youth become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. With a CASA by their side, foster teens will be better prepared for a successful adult life outside of the foster care system and will realize their full potential as future community builders and leaders.
“For more than a decade, the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation and its members have identified and invested in local solutions that solve the most pressing needs in the community,” shared Catherine Magaña, CCF Board Chair. “By giving together, our members are demonstrating that the community is united in its effort to combat poverty and homelessness in Carlsbad.”
CCF is supported by local philanthropists and businesses working together to improve the quality of life for everyone in Carlsbad. Since 2008, CCF has granted more than $800,000 to more than 45 programs helping grow a more vibrant community so that families today, as well as the next generation of Carlsbad residents, have a place they are proud to call home.
To become a member of CCF, visit the website or contact Trudy Armstrong at [email protected].