Voices for Children has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Price Family Charitable Fund. The grant will launch VFC’s early assignment of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Program which attempts to match volunteer advocates with children in foster care as soon as the children enter the system. The one-year funding supports human resources as well as paying operational and evaluation costs for the early assignment effort. The gift also supports VFC’s overall goals of building the program so it can serve more children in San Diego County. “The Price Family’s generous support moves our organization closer toward our ambitious goals of our Serve Every Child initiative, aimed at providing CASAs to every foster child who needs one by 2016,” said Sharon Lawrence, VFC’s president and CEO … The Breast Cancer Prevention Fund has awarded $75,220 to the Community Clinics Health Network. The funds will be used to provide screening, diagnostic mammography and ultrasounds for low-income and uninsured women under the age of 40. CCHN serves as the third-party administrator for the funds and works with community clinics to provide needed services to their clients. “We are deeply honored to receive the grant and continue our collaborative efforts,” said Stephen O’Kane, CEO of CCHN … The Art Pratt Foundation awarded a $9,000 grant to Home of Guiding Hands for the upgrading of the kitchens, replacing cabinets, appliances and countertops. HGH owns and operates 31 community based homes for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities … Union Bank and KPBS held the 2011 Cultural Diversity Partnership awards ceremony at the Balboa Theatre. The ceremony recognizes and pays tribute to local heroes from eight communities who are making a difference by improving their workplace, profession, neighborhood, community, region and the world. The honorees were recognized in categories including Black History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month and LGBT Pride Month … The San Diego County Medical Society Foundation received a $50,000 grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation, a private family foundation with headquarters in Los Angeles, to support a program designed to provide specialty health care services for the uninsured in San Diego County. Project Access San Diego is supported by a network of local specialist physicians, hospitals, surgery centers and service providers who donate their time and expertise to ensure the continued care of this segment of the population … Orchestra Nova received a total of $30,000 in challenge grants from HME, a locally based company. “We are proud to be one of the sponsors of Orchestra Nova,” said Harry Miyahira, founder of HME. Orchestra Nova exceeded its 2011 fundraising goal and ended the year in the black. The funds will be used for general operating expenses and for extensive musical education programs …The American Heart Association, San Diego Chargers and the Santee School District kicked off the NFL Play 60 Challenge on at Rio Seco School in Santee. Students from nine of the Santee district’s schools pledged to be more active. The program will culminate on March 26-29 with special Jr. Chargers Training Camps held at two locations in the school district. The camps featured drills and activities designed to keep kids active and moving … The Aseltine School received a $25,000 grant from the Melvin Garb Foundation. Aseltine has launched the Founders Club Campaign with a goal of raising $44,000 by June 30, in order to earn an additional $24,000 challenge grant — a total of $68,000 to support the special services and programs which help Aseltine students overcome their disabilities and accomplish their goals. To date $10,000 has been raised from Founders Club donors.
Please send Kudos and Giving items to Joyce Glazer at jglazer@sdbj.com.
