2009 Grants, Focus Area: BASIC NEEDS

The Center for Violence-Free Relationships
 $10,000

The “Shelter from the Storm” program provides services that include emergency housing in the Center’s safe house, food, clothing, and other basic needs, along with crisis counseling and advocacy with social services and the criminal justice system.

El Dorado County’s domestic violence call volume has surpassed California state rates for the first time. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s office reports that law enforcement currently receives three domestic violence calls per day. In 2008, the Center assisted over 1,000 clients, in person, and served over 2,000 in crisis due to domestic violence with 68% of clients being low income.

Boys and Girls Club of the Western Slope
 $8,000

The summer program is designed to help youth acheive their full potential by providing them opportunities that support them to succeed. The program offers one trained youth development professional for every 15 youth. This low ratio gives staff members the opportunity to work closely with youth to develop their self-esteem, resistance to negative influences, physical wellness- including good nutrition- and social skills development.

The Placerville clubhouse hosts the largest segment of low-income members providing basic shelter during the day, nutritious food and opportunities for developing constructive skills and competencies within a supportive environment. They are offered opportunities to develop new roles and responsibilities to help counteract the acting out that many kids are experiencing due to the added stress experienced at home and in the community.

Food Bank of El Dorado County
$7,000

The program provides food delivery to homebound, older adults on El Dorado County’s western slope. The program targets those older adults who are unable to access regular food distribution sites due to an inability to drive, disabilities, or care giving responsibilities.

After a simple application process, individuals are placed on a once-a-month food delivery schedule. Food supplied includes nutritional food items that meet the dietary requirements of older adults. Delivery is done by trained volunteers, who set a route so that consistency is built in the deliveries and relationships can be established between homebound older adults.

Upper Room
$5,000

The Upper Room is wholly coordinated and staffed by dedicated, unpaid, trained volunteers. The Upper Room provides a four hour, midday respite for their clients: those in need, the poor, the homeless, the lonely, families and seniors.

Daily meal service begins at 4pm and ends at 5:30pm. The Upper Room currently serves in excess of 3,000 meals monthly. During the calendar year, 2008, the Upper Room served over 42,000 meals, including in-house servings and box lunches. 2009 meals were estimated to number 49,000 served.