THANK YOU MEMBERS for believing in the greater good, for putting community needs above self, and for understanding the power of collective giving and action. Your votes and contributions directly assisted in making a difference during this pandemic.

It is our honor to announce that $50,000 in The Women’s Fund COVID-19 Emergency Grants has been awarded to the following community organizations:

Pathways to Hope for Children (PHC) – $25,000 to fund a Family Resource Parent Partner to help with a rapidly increasing backlog of vulnerable women seeking employment, daycare and mental illness assistance.

Project: Pathways to Hope for Children has received an influx of self-referrals into their Family Resource Center since the shelter in place order. Self-referrals are primarily women in the community who are working two jobs or no job, have no daycare, suffer from mental illnesses triggered during this time, are frightened of COVID-19, and are trying to make it all work. These are the most vulnerable in our population that have nowhere to turn. Having a Family Resource Parent Partner to assist with these dramatic increases in calls is very important; these calls include self-referrals from those admitting a lack of essential parenting tools in the home. The position would also provide additional guidance and resources for those in desperate and immediate need during our current economic crisis.

Shasta Family YMCA – $15,000 to continue to provide discounted emergency day care camp through the end of June and possibly beyond for children of health care providers and other essential workers.

Project: Continue funding for a camp providing discounted day care for children of essential workers, primarily single mothers performing critical work in the community. Working hours have been extended while school has been canceled, increasing the number of children needing childcare. Funding is requested to keep the camp operational and in compliance with protective health guidelines at least through the end of June with plans underway to expand beyond that date.

Dignity Health Connected Living – $5000 to support the Food Bank at Mercy Oaks campus in Redding, specifically targeting feminine hygiene and incontinence products, diapers and other personal care items not covered by other funding.

Project: Funding would provide products not otherwise covered with food bank funding such as feminine hygiene and incontinence products which are now in extreme demand at the Food Bank at the Mercy Oaks campus. Funding would also apply to diapers and other sundries for low income women unable to afford to buy in larger quantities. These items are frequently requested and will be added, by request, to food distributions at the Redding distribution site directly to individuals via drive-through service and through community partner organizations, such as Shasta Community Health, Hill Country Clinic, and First Five
Shasta.

California Heritage YouthBuild Academy (CHYBA) – $5000 to assist students seeking high school diplomas in meeting basic needs such as transportation, housing and food to keep them on course to a diploma and employment.

Project: CHYBA serves students 18-24 years old seeking high school diplomas outside the conventional school environment. The COVID-19 restrictions have left many of CHYBA’s students in need of greater assistance with a wide variety of needs in order to maintain and complete their studies, including: basic needs (e.g., transportation, housing costs, food, etc.); communication (e.g., devices allowing for Zoom meetings and virtual learning, plus access to job interviews, counseling, etc.); workforce development (e.g., resume preparation, mock interviews, etc.); and outreach (e.g., access to mental health and support services). Funds may also be used to supplement CHYBA’s micro-loan program previously funded by The Women’s Fund.

These additional awards will not affect our 2020 grant cycle. Because of our forward-thinking founders, our endowment will help provide additional grant awards for the 2020 grant cycle.