Oceanside CA— Oceanside Charitable Foundation (OCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, marked its 11th year of giving by granting $65,000 to three nonprofits investing in youth development in the community.
The grants were announced at the Annual OCF Grants Celebration at the California Surf Museum on May 7.
According to the U.S. Census, only one-third of residents in Oceanside have a college degree and more than 16 percent of local youth under the age of 18 live below the poverty line. While the region is known is known as one of the most diverse, vibrant communities in San Diego County, it also faces many challenges, such as high gang activity and high-school dropout rates. The OCF grants aim to eliminate the barriers preventing Oceanside youth from reaching their full potential and increase the number of youth pursuing higher education and careers in the region.
“The 2019 Oceanside Charitable Foundation grants demonstrate a commitment by philanthropists in the region to address the most pressing needs in the community,” explained Vince Alessi, Board Chair of OCF. “By investing in programs that support youth at a crucial time in their lives, the Oceanside Charitable Foundation is advancing quality of life for everyone in our community and developing the next generation of local leaders.”
OCF is supported by local philanthropists and businesses dedicated to growing a more vibrant community and meeting emerging needs in Oceanside. Since 2007, members have granted more than $550,000 to nonprofit organizations working in the community to grow a more vibrant region.
To become a member of OCF, visit the website or contact Estela Mitrani at [email protected].
The 2019 grantees include:
Interfaith Community Services ($25,000)
The grant will support the Interfaith Community Services Transitional Youth Academy, which empowers vulnerable, low-income students in the Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD) who have been identified as at-risk. To ensure the success of these students, Interfaith Community Services provides comprehensive support, such as academic mentoring and leadership development, that enables at-risk youth to beat the odds and successfully achieve a high school diploma.
Oceanside Promise ($25,000)
The grant to Oceanside Promise will supports its Latino Young Men Success Initiative, which is a two-year pilot designed to bring coordinated, comprehensive wraparound support and mentoring to high school youth in Oceanside. Oceanside Latino young men pursue postsecondary education at a lower rate than their peers, and student participants often come from single-parent households and gang-impacted neighborhoods. The grant will help prepare these students for college, career and life through Oceanside Promise’s comprehensive services.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside ($15,000)
The grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside will support its Culinary Arts Program, which provides cooking and hospitality classes to Oceanside youth ages 13-18. The Oceanside restaurant scene is booming, with new restaurants popping up all the time and more than 900 job openings in the restaurant business according to Indeed.com. Utilizing the newly opened Center for Innovation at BGCO, the organization will partner with local restaurants to offer programs for youth during after-school hours. Not only will this project benefit local restaurants by providing them with a qualified applicant pool, it will also pave a way for at-risk teens to avoid gang involvement and gain long-term employment.