Spændende opdatering om Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund

Kære Ventura County Community Foundation-familie,

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” — Seneca

This simple truth is at the heart of the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund. It reflects our core belief that every person matters, and that even the smallest act of kindness can spark hope and make a meaningful difference in the life of another.

Since launching this collaborative effort with our partners just one week ago, we have seen an outpouring of love and support. Because of you, more than $105,000 has already been donated (including pledges) to help our neighbors. We have also received heartfelt messages filled with encouragement, personal stories of resilience, and moving affirmations that this fund is both timely and deeply needed. Your generosity is not only financial, but also a powerful reminder that we are not alone, and that our community stands together.

Thanks to your support, we are now opening a simple and streamlined application for local nonprofits and educational partners to request emergency grants. The funds you have contributed will go directly to trusted organizations providing urgent assistance with food, rental assistance, transportation, childcare, and more. Our goal is to move resources swiftly and compassionately to where they are needed most. We promise to keep you updated as grants are made so you can see the impact of your generosity firsthand.
From the beginning, this effort has been about more than raising money. It has always been about lifting one another up. Choosing care, courage, and compassion in uncertain times. Honoring the dignity of every individual. And, recognizing that generosity is the foundation of community resilience.

Thank you for showing what it truly means to be a community. We will always remember how you stepped forward to help us live our shared values—trust, transparency, equity, compassion, excellence, tenacity, and authentic connection—and turn them into meaningful, lasting action.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to contribute, we invite you to join us. There is so much more we can do together to help.
Med stor taknemmelighed,

Vanessa Bechtel
Præsident og CEO, Ventura County Community Foundation

---

Thank You to Our Partners!

---

Apply for Funding!

The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund provides rapid assistance to families and small business owners through trusted nonprofit and community partners. A dedicated VCCF committee—comprised of respected local leaders—ensures the transparent and thoughtful distribution of resources to address Ventura County’s most urgent humanitarian needs.

Our top priority is to support access to food, shelter, and essential services for local families, while also helping our broader community navigate the economic ripple effects of this multipronged crisis.

---

---

Kay Wilson-Bolton, Real Estate Broker and Property Manage

This September will mark Kay Wilson-Bolton’s 50th year as a resident of Santa Paula. During this time, she has been an active member of the community, involved with everything from the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce to the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley. She even served as Mayor of the City of Santa Paula.

Kay wears many hats and is an established real estate broker and property manager as well as the Chief Financial Officer for the Spirit of Santa Paula. She recently shared with us why she’s a champion of the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund and how she’s trying to do her part to show our neighbors they are not alone.

“The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund allows us to share a common thread of compassion and do something today.”