2009 Initiative Makes Real Impact, Offering Real Solutions to Real Problems
As we are all aware, challenges in the economy took a toll across all sectors of our communities last year, leaving an increased number of Santa Barbara County families in situations of significant need, not only the most vulnerable but many who had lost jobs and homes for the first time in their lives. The Jesusita Fire made matters only worse. To respond quickly, the Santa Barbara Foundation established the Community Economic Recovery Fund (CERF) to address this emerging need. The Orfalea Foundations, the Cavaletto Charities, the Bower Foundation, and many of our generous donor fund holders and Associates, stepped forward to create this extraordinary philanthropic partnership, thanks to shared values of responding to community issues and social responsibility. A total of $775,000 in grants went to 16 organizations providing food, shelter, and medical service to people facing economic hardship. These awards were structured to take care of immediate needs while contributing to the long term good. An expedited process was devised so that grants ranging from $10,000 to $125,000 could be available quickly to nonprofits on the front lines of helping people find jobs, getting health care, putting food on the table and seeking shelter. The Community Economic Recovery Fund changed the lives of people in need of assistance by providing nonprofit organizations in our community with the opportunity to expand the necessary services they provide. The positive outcomes were palpable as organizations began to update the Foundation with results. - The Foodbank for Santa Barbara County devoted 50 percent of its $125,000 Countywide Impact Grant to supply food to 32 agencies specializing in emergency food distribution. “We were able to provide 500,000 more meals for six months to serve an additional 11,250 households. This grant came at a critical time,” said Foodbank Executive Director Erik Talkin. Approximately $30,000 was also set aside for milk and cheese and other basic items for at-risk children enrolled in Head Start and after-school programs.
- In Santa Maria, the Alliance for Pharmaceutical Access helped people previously forced to choose between paying for food or medications. The Alliance received a $25,000 Innovation Grant, which helped it add more staff to meet overwhelming demand. The organization was able to assist patients with complicated paperwork as they applied for free prescription drugs from major drug manufacturers. By the end of 2009, the nonprofit secured more than $1 million in prescription drugs for local patients.
- Last year, Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People experienced a 36% increase in unduplicated clients for its food program and a 26% increase in its rent and utility assistance program. Without a CERF grant totaling $75,000, People Helping People would have exhausted its basic needs assistance for the year, and the organization would have had to either reduce other programs or deny assistance to families, leading to increased homeless and reduced food and poor nutrition for families and especially children. Executive Director Dean Palius said “We have now doubled the amount of assistance PHP can provide.”
- Toward the end of last year, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics served 2,911 new medical patients, with an average of 485 patients per month. Ninety percent of the patients were below the federal poverty level and 32% were children. Many of the new patients had recently lost jobs and/or insurance for themselves or their family. With a grant totaling $75,000, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics was able to meet the demand for increased medical care services. “We saw a huge influx of “new clients” who we were able to provide with basic and emergency health care services, keeping families healthy and avoiding the need for higher costs of care,” said Cinder Sinclair, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Clinics.
- Transition House used their CERF grant of $25,000 to help cover the costs of the Hotel Voucher Program (HVP) for families needing emergency shelter. Vouchers were given to families or individuals seeking shelter during periods when the Transition House shelter was full.
“Nonprofits are always resourceful, and leaner times have forced us to work even smarter,” comments Sylvia Bernard, executive Director of the Good Samaritan. “In addition to the critical grants, the CERF initiative had us working closer together than ever before – collaboration was not just a phrase.” “Through its forethought and quick response to community needs, the Santa Barbara Foundation and its partners were able to facilitate positive change in our community at a time of tremendous need,” said Ron Gallo. “CERF is an example of collaborative philanthropy at its best.”
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