Oceanside Charitable Foundation (OCF) members had many accomplishments to celebrate at their 9th Annual Grant Celebration at Oceanside Museum of Art, most importantly granting more than $369,000 since its inception to nonprofits serving Oceanside.
The contributions of OCF members stimulate a sense of common purpose by bringing people together to address essential and emerging needs. The 2015-16 grant cycle supports programs that prevent hunger and homelessness, or aid individuals currently homeless in the Oceanside community.
This year, $60,000 was granted to three 2016 Oceanside Charitable Foundation grantees. The programs funded include: Oceanside Senior Nutrition Program with the Oceanside Senior Citizens Association ($10,000); Care for Hungry and Homeless Neighbors program with Brother Benno Foundation ($25,000); New Directions Transition Housing—Turning Hope Into a Home project with Casa de Amparo ($25,000).
Focusing on Prevention
In San Diego County, over 350 youth age out of the foster care system each year. And if national trends foreshadow what’s next, 37 percent of those San Diegans will experience homelessness by age 24. Casa de Amparo, a 2016 OCF grantee, understands the challenges that many current and former foster youth face, which contribute to their risk of becoming homeless.
Casa de Amparo is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support to those affected by and at risk of child abuse and neglect. The organization’s New Directions program, established in 2008, helps young adults and their families transition from the foster care system to independence through intensive case management and support services designed to prevent homelessness and foster self-sufficiency.
Thanks to support from OCF, Casa de Amparo will have an even greater impact in the community. The 2016 grant will help to provide safe housing, educational, employment, medical, mental, financial, transportation, counseling, life skills and case management support services for a minimum of 64 Oceanside youth.
“Through New Directions, we are working not only to prevent future homelessness, but showing these youth how to be integrated within the Oceanside community,” explains Amy Oden, Grant Writer from Casa de Amparo. “By providing life skills and access to resources for some of our most vulnerable individuals, our hope is that this target population will participate in improving the neighborhoods in the City of Oceanside.”
The program truly embodies OCF’s mission to meet emerging needs by encouraging and increasing responsible and effective philanthropy for all who live, work and play in Oceanside.
Get Involved
If you aren’t a member yet, the Regional Affiliate Program is the perfect way to become an active participant in your community’s growth, wherever you live.
