Greetings,
It is hard to believe that we will soon be in holiday season. Due to an abundance of caution with the breakthrough cases, our children and grandchildren not yet vaccinated and not knowing about the variants, we made the very difficult decision to not gather in person at the end of 2021. We are extremely mindful of your health, especially leading up to the holidays. We will definitely be back in person next year.
Great news: our grant guidelines are being released on November 1. If you know of a school or non-profit that would be interested in funding from the 4SRanch~Del Sur Community Foundation, please have them go to our website after November 1.
Your commitment to preserving and protecting the future of our community through your donations is making 4S and Del Sur a better place to live, work and play. Your membership has never been more important! Please know how much your generosity is appreciated.
Be safe and I wish you good health,
Theresa Burke
Board Chair
Member: Michael Zwick
Dr. Michael Zwick is an Associate Professor at Scripps Research. He has been serving 4SCF as a member of the Grants Committee for the past several years. Michael and his wife, Andrea, came to San Diego in 1999 from Vancouver, Canada, and have two daughters and a son. He is passionate about his family, his lab’s work on HIV/AIDS vaccine development, and is grateful to help with awarding grants to non-profit organizations and great people that strengthen our community.
“I joined 4SCF because I want to give some of my time to serve the community where I live, to play my part in making it a better place for everyone. 4SCF has been awarding thousands of dollars each year to worthy organizations, serving children, youths, and adults, and has enriched our community in so many ways,” he said.
Grantee Spotlight: Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County (BBBS of SDC) makes meaningful, monitored mentoring matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), by developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, mentorship has served as a constant lifeline for children in the program, helping them overcome monumental struggles with distanced learning, isolation at home, and tending to their overall health and well-being.
The partnership with 4SCF has allowed BBBS to devote specific staff attention to children in the 4S Ranch/Del Sur community. Despite very different methods of service delivery, professional, trained staff routinely followed through with these participants – offering Bigs strategies to navigate tough conversations, and for Littles and parents, offering guidance for social/emotional, educational, and financial challenges.
“The importance of philanthropic contributions from generous partners cannot be emphasized enough,” shared BBBS of SDC President & CEO, Tina Rose. “With the consistent guidance, positive role modeling, and nurturing support brought by a mentor, each Match is an opportunity to change the life of a child, who in turn, can become a positive influence for their family, their neighborhood, and the world around them.”
