Community Focus Grants
Big Brothers, Big Sisters of El Dorado County
"Tomorrow's Path Together"
$27,500
“Tomorrow’s Path Together” is a resourceful and ambitious program dedicated to youth detained in Juvenile Hall in El Dorado County.
Adult mentors with compassion for this troubled segment of the population will be trained to address the needs of these youth. These adult mentors will serve as positive role models, instilling hope, confidence, encouragement, faith and trust in these young minds.
It is estimated that it costs $407 per day or about $150,000 annually to keep a youth in juvenile detention facilities for 9 months to a year. In contrast, a youth could receive community-based programming with wraparound services and resources, such as our “Tomorrow’s Path Together” program, for an estimated $75 a day, just 20 percent of the cost of incarceration, according to the national organization “Campaign for Youth Justice.”
The Campaign for Youth Justice shares that early interventions that prevent high-risk youth from engaging in repeat criminal offenses can save the public nearly $5.7 million in costs over a lifetime. Big Brothers Big Sisters of El Dorado County offers the only preventative early intervention mentoring programs in the County.
“Tomorrow’s Path Together” combines the experience and expertise of Big Brothers Big Sisters of El Dorado County, the Superior Court’s Family Court Division and The El Dorado County Probation Department. Each is committed to launching this program and providing support to enable these young people to become positive, contributing members of society, void of criminal activity, drug and alcohol abuse, poverty and domestic violence.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Site Visit Report
Assistance League of Sierra Foothills
"Operation School Bell"
$25,000
Those who were there in 2014 will never forget the speech Sophia gave to the Women’s Fund about her shopping experience at our Operation School Bell event in Placerville. This 8th grader from Markham Middle School expressed her feelings about her first “back to school shopping to get to pick out your very own clothes. The first section we went to was the sock aisle, due to the amount of holes in all of my socks.” Operation School Bell works with 31 schools on the Western Slope of El Dorado County to identify the socioeconomically disadvantaged students in grades K-8 who should attend our shopping events at local Target and Kmart stores. When students arrive at the event they are given vouchers of $70 or $100 to purchase new school appropriate clothes. Sophia’s description at check-in, “When you arrive you are greeted by absolutely lovely ladies who don’t make you feel like you are less than others for being in the program.” Operation School Bell is more than a new wardrobe. These clothes have the power to elevate self-esteem, encourage better attendance and improve academic performance. The program empowers young students to reach their full potential by focusing on school, not their need for basic clothing. Over the years the number of participants increased slowly with small grants, donations and fundraisers. But that is merely 12% of the need on the Western Slope. We are only restricted by the funds available.
Impact Grants
Acorn: for any new western slope nonprofit or a nonprofit that has never received a grant from the Women’s Fund.
Marshall Foundation for Community Health
$6,000
The Cancer Patient Transportation Program operates through Marshall Medical Center to provide rides to local cancer patients who lack their own vehicle or are too elderly or ill to drive themselves. Without our service, these patients would undoubtedly miss appointments, negatively impacting their treatment. This indispensable service is used by members of our community, free of charge, several times a day and is entirely funded by local donations and grant money. Our objective is to ensure every patient, despite their health or financial status, receive equal access to care and gets their best chance at surviving their fight against cancer.
Marshall Foundation Site Visit Report
Human Services: for any nonprofit providing services for human needs.
CASA El Dorado
$6,000
Each year over 400 abused and neglected children are assigned to us by a Judge from the Superior Court. Our role is to match each child with a specially trained Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) who will advocate for them in court and mentor them in life. On average, we are able to do this about 75% of the time. The other 100 children will sit on a wait list, because we lack the volunteers to serve them. The focus of this request is to reduce the wait list by five, with the $6,000 provided by this grant.
Community Benefits: for any nonprofit providing services for the arts, environment, community beautification, animal welfare, or community development.
Placerville Downtown Association
$6,000
Flower Baskets on Main Street, a community beautification project that features colorful, blooming, pollinator friendly flowers in baskets that hang on light poles in the downtown district of Placerville, from June to September. This project serves to enhance the streetscape and instill pride for those that live, work, or visit the historic town. The project engages community partnership that will include Mother Lode Rehabilitation Enterprises and UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County. Flower Baskets on Main Street assists with the vitality of Main Street and fosters a spirit of community teamwork through educational gardening demonstrations.
Placerville Downtown Association Site Visit Report
