Carlsbad CA— Carlsbad Charitable Foundation (CCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, marked its 12th year of giving by granting $73,000 to four nonprofit organizations with programs that will strengthen community engagement among youth and seniors in the Carlsbad region.
According to a Stanford University study, aging adults can play a critical role in the lives of younger people and offer resources that cannot be found in a book or on the internet. From learning new skills and passing on wisdom to simply playing a board game, intergenerational relationships and mentorships can encourage, inspire and entertain youth and older adults alike. The 2019 CCF grants aim to bring these book-end generations together to strengthen community engagement and advance quality of life across Carlsbad.
The grants were bolstered by a strategic partnership with CCF and The San Diego Foundation Age-Friendly Communities Program, which contributed $25,000 to maximize the impact of the four grant programs. The news was announced at the Annual Grant Awards Celebration on April 25 at the home of members Dr. Bruce and Sheri Sachs.
The 2019 grantees include:
San Diego Dance Theater ($30,000)
The grant to San Diego Dance Theater will support the Intergenerational Dance Program in Carlsbad, a series of classes, rehearsals, residencies and performances that will take place at locations throughout the community. The goal of the program is to build community and provide an enriching opportunity for seniors and students to share the joy of movement together while promoting the health and well-being of each individual. Together with local artists and experienced choreographers, intergenerational dancers will explore the history, geography and themes of Carlsbad through dance.
Kids for Peace ($18,000)
The grant to Kids for Peace will support the Grandfriends Kindness Project, which builds connections between younger and older Carlsbad citizens by creating opportunities to work together to create a culture of kindness. Hosted at the Carlsbad Senior Center and other off-site locations, Kids for Peace members will connect with their senior “Grandfriends” to perform acts of kindness throughout the community, such as taking a board game to a senior center or writing thank-you notes to local firefighters.
New Village Arts ($15,000)
The grant to New Village Arts will help bring VERBITAS, a documentary theatre program, to two Carlsbad high schools and one San Dieguito Union high school as an education pathway for teens and seniors to connect through the arts. Teachers will lead students on a journey of discovery and connection as they pick a topic that focuses on issues impacted the local senior community. Youth participants will interview older adults and create a theatre production that reflects their intergenerational conversations.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad ($10,000)
The grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad will support the Rancho Carlsbad Garden Mentoring Program, an intergenerational gardening initiative for elementary and middle-school students. Each week, Carlsbad youth join older residents in Rancho Carlsbad to work in the garden and harvest vegetables together. The goal of the program is to provide youth with the benefit of stable, older role models and mentors, while allowing seniors the opportunity to be physically active and teach future generations.
“For more than a decade, the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation and its members have identified and supported local solutions that solve the most pressing needs in the community,” shared Sandy Lund, CCF Board Chair. “The 2019 grants invest in programs that create unique opportunities for youth and seniors in the community to engage with one another and advance quality of life for multiple generations of Carlsbad residents.”
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 $870,000 to over 50 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 Estela Mitrani at estelam@sdfoundation.org.