July 2022 Letter from CCF Board Chair Justin Peek

It was so wonderful to see so many Carlsbad Charitable Foundation (CCF) members in person at our annual Grants Celebration! Held at the gorgeous home of Jodi and Rusty Wallis, it was a truly grand celebration – a special debt of gratitude to Jodi and Rusty.

If you were not able to attend, CCF awarded $90,755 to seven local nonprofits that provide opportunities to invest, celebrate and enhance the community of Carlsbad.

Our goal with this grant funding is to invest in projects that will improve and preserve the quality of life for those who live, work and play in Carlsbad for generations to come.

Here is our list of 2022-2023 Grantees:

• $29,070 to the Assistance League for its program to address the needs of elementary school children, K-5, who are in need of school clothing.
• $16,180 to Equation Collaborative +BOX for its Local Greens Pilot which will provide fresh locally grown produce to food-insecure students and their families on a weekly basis.
• $10,000 to Showers of Blessings to expand the capacity of its health services and provide for other needs of Carlsbad’s homeless community.
• $10,000 to Coastal Roots Farm to provide Carlsbad students with customized on-site and virtual Environmental STEM & Nutrition Education Programs.
• $13,000 to the Community Resource Center for its CRC Food & Nutrition Center to provide healthy food and access to other CRC supportive social services to 220 low-income Carlsbad residents.
• $7,500 to Mama’s Kitchen for its home-delivered meal service to improve the health and well-being of Carlsbad individuals and families who are vulnerable to malnutrition due to critical illness.
• $5,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad for its Village Clubhouse – Farmer’s Market Project, a hands-on approach to improving the long-term diet and knowledge of agriculture for low-income children in Carlsbad.

Please know that your generosity is making a difference in the lives of so many. None of us can do it alone, yet together we can make a great impact on the community that we love.

We are better together!

Justin Peek
CCF Board Chair

Grantee Spotlight: Women’s Resource Center (WRC)

Thanks to the generosity of CCF members, 2021-2022 grantee Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is happy to report how the incredible partnership with CCF mitigated the struggle our Carlsbad community members are experiencing due to the pandemic.

“Emergency Services are fundamental to our mission and became our most critical function when COVID hit,” said Lauren – Jane Stephenson, Director of Development and Business Services for WRC.

“We recognized we needed to expand our program to serve the breadth of struggling individuals and families who have been impacted by COVID-19 to cover larger expenses no matter the incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault.

“In addition, we broadened the type of relief offered to meet the needs of families and vulnerable community members that are experiencing food and financial insecurity,” she added.

“We could not be more grateful to partner with Carlsbad Charitable Foundation in order to meet the needs of Carlsbad residents. Together, WRC and Carlsbad Charitable Foundation served a total of 43 families.

“Seven were provided with partial or full rent support, another seven families were provided with partial or full financial support for their utility costs, and two families were provided financial support to cover internet billing costs.

“In addition, 27 families were given gas cards ranging from $25 to $50 during the grant cycle. Gas cards were imperative for families to maintain employment, care for their children, and connect to additional resources like WRC,” Lauren added.

Member Spotlight: Mary Ryan

Mary Ryan is a retired Territory Manager and Infection Control Trainer in the dental field.  She has been a part of the Carlsbad community since 1982 but was unable to commit to community engagement due to covering a four-state territory.

Mary was motivated to join CCF because of its’ philanthropic mission and to engage with like-minded citizens of Carlsbad.  In addition to joining CCF, Mary was recently selected to serve on the Carlsbad Tomorrow Growth Management Committee.

Mary is now fulfilling her decades long dream of being more involved with her community.