Happy New Year Oceanside Charitable Foundation (OCF) members!
OCF had a wonderful 2018 and we look forward to continuing to grow our reach and impact this year.
Thank you to those members that voted in our grant focus survey over the summer, which helped determine the theme for our next round of grantmaking. As many of you already know, for our 2019 grant cycle we looked for human services programs for youth age 13-to-18 focusing on employment development, financial literacy, volunteerism and economic self-sufficiency.
Our Grants Committee has reviewed the applications and is currently doing site visits. We are looking forward to having a ballot with our finalists to the membership sometime in late March.
Thank you to those that were able to join us at the beautiful home of board member Colleen O’Harra. We had many in attendance and heard from past grantee Voices for Children on the progress and impact of its grant.
Since July, we have welcomed five new members. We are grateful to them for choosing to invest in our community with all of us. Below you’ll hear from our next board chair, Dr. Adrianne Hakes, and don’t miss the update from past grantee, Casa de Amparo.
We are always looking to grow our impact in the community. If you know anyone interested in membership, please contact Estela Mitrani at The San Diego Foundation for more information.
Cheers to an incredible and meaningful 2019!
Member Spotlight
OCF member Dr. Adrianne Hakes.
Dr. Adrianne Hakes has lived in Oceanside for more than 40 years. She taught for Oceanside Unified School District for nine years and after her retirement as an administrator in other districts, she was elected to the Oceanside Unified School District School Board and served a total of 16 years.
Her five children and several of her grandchildren graduated from El Camino High. Becuase she hasstrong ties to the community, when she heard about OCF she was eager to join. She has now been a board member for four years.
Dr. Hakes shared, “I like being a part of building a strong community here in Oceanside and being a member of OCF is my way of doing so. Helping choose what nonprofits in our community receive funding from us is an extra bonus.”
Grantee Spotlight: Casa de Amparo
An OCF grantee, Casa de Amparo’s New Directions transitional housing program has provided comprehensive, therapeutic services to 100 foster and former youth, and 20 of their children.
Upon entry into the program, individuals received a fully furnished apartment and paid subsidized rent monthly throughout their stay in New Directions. Each individual was assigned an Advocate, or case manager, who assisted them in accessing medical care, employment and education opportunities, transportation and resources in the community.
Casa de Amparo’s New Directions transitional housing program has provided comprehensive, therapeutic services to 100 foster and former youth, and 20 of their children.
Youth who adhered to program guidelines and requirements received transportation assistance each month through bus passes or gasoline allowance as well as assistance with purchasing groceries.
Funding from OCF allowed Casa de Amparo to provide household items to youth in New Directions and supplies to maintain the services offered in the program. These items met the needs of an underserved population by providing safe housing and employment and educational opportunities, which decrease their risk of homelessness, unemployment and incarceration by helping them create and attain goals, generate income and feel the empowerment of being a self-sufficient young adult.
By providing youth with housing, job training and educational assistance, our members helped Casa de Amparo in their effort to reduce the number of foster and former foster youth who experience homelessness.
Without funding from partnering foundations, like ours, Casa de Amparo would not be able to meet the needs of this at-risk population. We are proud to partner with Casa de Amparo and the good work they are doing in our community.
