Greetings everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying a fabulous summer!

First and foremost, we wish to thank Vince Alessi for outstanding leadership over the last few years. We have been fortunate to have such a vibrant, thoughtful, strong leader in Vince. We look forward to celebrating Vince on August 30, along with our 2022 grantees. Vince led us through difficult times, as we persevered under his leadership, to keep the incredible work of OCF strong, making an impact in our community and keeping our grantmaking robust throughout the pandemic.

Speaking of August 30, our board and committees have been working hard to get ready for our upcoming 2022 grant celebration.

Save the date: Tuesday, August 30!!

We will be at the El Corazon, with both outside and inside seating.  That means air-conditioning, if it turns out to be a hot summer day, and an outdoor option if our guests are more comfortable being outside!  It is a beautiful location with lots of parking. Invitations will be coming soon.

The work that we together do is dependent on your generosity to our community. Thank you for your continued support of Oceanside.

We are excited to see everyone next month!

Beverly Holtz
OCF Board Chair 2022-2023

Grantee Spotlight: Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) is a youth development organization whose mission is to inspire, develop and enrich young people to reach their fullest potential as confident, responsible, caring members of society. They have three priority outcomes for youth: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles.

When the world shut down due to the pandemic, BGCO was the only North County youth development agency to open their doors to support youth and their families for Summer Camp 2020. They continued to provide in-person, all-day programming for hundreds of youths during the global COVID-19 pandemic.  Generous funding from Oceanside Community Foundation supported their Summer Camp opportunities.

The Summer Camp program required additional planning, supplies and staffing requirements that needed to be adjusted multiple times based on changing guidance from Calif. Department of Public Health, the Governor’s Office and the regional San Diego County Office of Education. Staff would not have been able to provide such high-quality summer programming without support from the Oceanside Community Foundation.

Each specialized week of the Summer Camp program ameliorated learning loss and supported youth as they reconnected with peers and adults. Focus was on science, technology, research, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM) concepts, as well as Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Summer Brain Gain program initiatives through project-based learning and disguised learning activities. The use of thematic curriculum provided enrichment in the arts, education, citizenship and leadership, health and life skills, sports, fitness and recreation. The popular “Passport to Fun” theme focused on learning geography, increasing reading comprehension, and expanding communication skills and teamwork through exploring cultural traditions from various countries across the globe. This programming was able to benefit 282 participants. Great futures really do start at Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside.

Member Spotlight: Amber Newman

ECF member Amber Newman

Amber Newman moved to Oceanside with her partner David and their two now-grown children 17 years ago. During that time, they have created businesses, rehabilitated a run-down bar and grill, and advocated for a variety of causes and organizations throughout the community. Some areas of focus have included successfully lobbying for the beginnings of safe access regulations in Oceanside and routinely fundraising for the arts, our local LGBTQ community and low-income high school graduates seeking higher education. They were introduced to the Oceanside Community Foundation about five years ago and were so impressed by the heart of the membership and range of organizations served that they joined that very night. Amber was honored by an invitation to join the membership committee two years later and the board a year after that. She jumped at the chance because it’s not often that you find an organization like OCF, “One that functions for Oceanside, by Oceanside, to benefit Oceanside.” She is proud to be a part of it.