October 2021 Letter from ECF Board Chair Ken Lounsbery

Greetings All,

As we welcome fall, we would traditionally have been gathering at our annual Grants Celebration. However, in an abundance of caution, breakthrough cases, the variants and our children and grandchildren not being vaccinated, we did not gather in person.

If you were unable to attend our online event, I want you to know exactly where your funds are making an impact in our community!

Our 2021 grant focus addressed mental health and behavioral issues created by the pandemic. The focus was “Improving Social and Emotional Well-being in the Community” for programs that address any of the following issues: Social Isolation, Anxiety, Depression, Suicide, Abuse and support of our youth.

We awarded $228,000 to the nine following organizations:

Alabaster Jar Project, Alabaster Jar Project’s Resource Center

The $28,000 grant will support the Alabaster Jar Project’s Resource Center to continue serving and providing survivors of human trafficking with part-time employment opportunities, housing, therapy, peer-support and community resources.

Solutions for Change, Case Management and Counseling

The $18,000 grant will help families affected by homelessness, addiction, generational poverty, trauma and domestic abuse to secure full-time employment opportunities, as well as stable housing, family reunification and emotional and mental support.

Outside the Lens, Leadership Through The Lens

The $23,000 grant will continue to support the organization’s partnership with the San Pasqual Academy to provide youth with internship and 1-on-1 industry mentorship opportunities, while helping close the gap of quality-arts integrated education to students.

Center for Community Solutions, Shelter Services: Supporting Escondido’s Emergency and Recovery Domestic Violence Shelters

The $30,000 grant will help support the organization’s capacity to meet current needs through a full spectrum of shelter services and related hotline crisis assistance to current victims and survivors of domestic violence.

Community HousingWorks, Equitable Access to Academic Supports for Escondido Youth

The $18,000 grant will help improve children learning development programs and support the organization’s apartment communities to create a safer place to learn, grow and thrive just footsteps away from their homes.

North County Lifeline, HERE Now – Escondido Part-Time Parent Partner

The $15,000 grant will help support the organization’s mission to identify, address and prevent youth suicide by providing mental health programs and other community resources to foster safer school environments.

Palomar Family Counseling, The Family Resilience Project

The $33,000 grant will help extend treatment, assistance and promote long-term social and emotional support to 45 women and their children who have been exposed to or at risk of experiencing domestic violence.

HealthRIGHT 360, NCSH Serenity Village Children’s Playground

The $33,000 grant will help develop the construction of a new, state-of-the-art children’s playground to provide residents of Serenity Villages a safe, organized play area to enjoy fresh air and the outdoors — all essential facets for emotional, social and cognitive development.

Tariq Khamisa Foundation, Peace Educator Mentoring

The $30,000 grant will enhance the program by providing middle-school youth with mentoring services and social-emotional learning opportunities to inspire middle-school youth with the principles of accountability, compassion, forgiveness and peacemaking.

It is now time for our Secret Santa program! The checks can be made out to Escondido Community Foundation (ECF), noting Secret Santa in the memo line.

Checks can be mailed to:

The San Diego Foundation
Attn: Trudy Armstrong
2508 Historic Decatur Road, Ste. 200
San Diego, CA 92106

If you have friends you think might join us in making a difference in our beloved community, please share our ECF video.

Contact Trudy Armstrong at trudy@sdfoundation.org or (619) 764-8602 to assist in inviting friends or colleagues to be ECF members.

Your commitment to preserving and protecting the future of our community through your donations to ECF is making Escondido a better place to live, work and play.

Please know how much your generosity is appreciated,

Ken Lounsbery
Chair, Escondido Community Foundation

Member Spotlight: Rick Paul

Rick Paul is very active in the Escondido community. He has participated in many community enhancement projects, served on the boards of several local nonprofits, and is currently an Escondido Planning Commissioner.

He joined ECF 13 years ago as one of the first 100 founding members.

“Almost every year I serve on ECF’s Grants Committee. I get to learn first-hand about our local nonprofits and where I might be able to help them be more successful. I have seen the benefits of pooled philanthropy and have become a huge fan,” shared Rick.

Become a Member

Nonprofit Spotlight: Escondido Creek Conservancy

Since 1991, the Escondido Creek Conservancy has worked to preserve and restore the Escondido Creek watershed. Generous funding from ECF allowed the Conservancy to continue providing environmental education to all third grade students in the Escondido Union School District, despite COVID-19 restrictions.

The Conservancy was able to convert the entire program into a virtual format, while maintaining the exciting and interactive features of the original experience.

“I love the program. What a great way to get the children involved in caring for the earth with the area around them,” said one teacher. “My students were excited and are looking forward to when they can actually do the hikes.”

This school year, the Conservancy is excited to continue using some of the virtual materials developed with ECF funding, while also returning to in-person trips to nature.