October 2019 Letter from Chula Vista Board Chair Lisa Moctezuma

Greetings Chula Vista Charitable Foundation (CVCF) members. Our fall is off to a fast start and I am happy to share some important updates with you.

We had an exciting Fall Member Mixer at the new Ayres Hotel in Eastlake. Thank you to all who were able to make it! It was a meaningful night connecting with other members and hearing from our grantee ACCION about the impact of its grant from CVCF.

I am happy to report that our Grants Committee has taken the feedback from our members and selected our grant focus for the year. For our 10^th grant cycle, CVCF is inviting organizations and agencies to submit proposals for human services programs related to our aging community, arts and culture programs, or a creative blend of the two focus areas.

We had a jam-packed grant seekers forum earlier this month with more than 20 organizations in attendance! I look forward to seeing the final proposals that come through. If you are interested in joining the Grants Committee, it’s not too late. Please contact estelam@sdfoundation.org.

In January, we will be celebrating our 10^th year of making our mark in Chula Vista. Our grants awarded to date total more than $350,000 and our Endowment balance now exceeds $600,000. This equals a combined charitable impact in Chula Vista of $950,000.

Our goal is to reach $1 million this year, and we can do this with the support of members like you!

Finally, I am focused on identifying businesses to highlight in our community as partners in the good work we do. If you know of any local business that should know about CVCF, your introduction would be very appreciated. It is truly an honor to serve you all.

Thank you for your caring about the causes in Chula Vista!

CVCF members Victor and Sarah Cantu

Member Spotlight

Having lived in the South Bay for more than 16 years, Victor and Sarah Cantu knew they wanted to get more involved and give back to the community where they work, live and raise their family. CVCF provided the perfect opportunity to do so.

They particularly like how a portion of their giving goes to work immediately through grantmaking and how the balance is invested in an endowment – a great way to impact future generations in the South Bay.

Victor is the owner and operator of a local floor cleaning and restoration company, Toro Steam Cleaning, and Sarah is the Director of the Sharp HealthCare Foundation at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. They have three children, Tyler, who recently completed her senior year at California Baptist University in Riverside, Victor, a 5^th grader at Sunnyside Elementary School and Jacob, who just started kindergarten. They also just got a new puppy, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon named Mac.

Grantee Spotlight

CVCF was proud to present a grant of $13,232 in 2017 to the Living Coast Discovery Center for the Science Without Boundaries Wildlife Camps Program. Wildlife Camps provide special recreational opportunities for Chula Vista youth to connect with nature and experience hands-on environmental education.

In partnership with Alpha Project, the grant helped Living Coast provide camperships for 19 low-income and homeless youth residing at the Oxford Terrace transitional housing complex in Chula Vista. The campers ranged in age from 4 to 12, with most participating in two-week camps.

This was the first time Living Coast was able to offer two-week camps with Alpha Project. By offering camps for two weeks, campers had greater exposure to conservation lessons, increasing their motivation to act, build empathy and understanding of the natural world, and reinforce what they learned during the previous week’s camp.

Campers made new friends, experienced new recreational activities, and participated in hands-on, scientific learning. Some kids even swam in San Diego Bay for the very first time in their lives.

We are proud to support the amazing work of Living Coast and the lasting impact it is making on youth in our community.

Thank you for your generous support!

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