VCCF Disaster Relief Update & Grant Awards to Local Nonprofits

Estimada familia de la Fundación Comunitaria del Condado de Ventura,

As we begin the third week of this devastating disaster, I wanted to take a few moments and update you as to how your local community foundation has responded so far.

I previously shared with you that in the first 24 hours of the Thomas Fire, $477,000 had been committed by the Ventura County Community Foundation to support relief efforts, including the American Red Cross Central Coast Region ($264,440), Salvation Army ($160,388), and the Ventura County Community Disaster Relief Fund ($52,172). Later that same week, the VCCF Board of Directors committed another $200,000 towards the overall relief efforts with an emphasis on mid- to long-term support.

Last week, the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation approved a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross Central Coast Region.

I’m now pleased to share that this afternoon the Ventura County Community Foundation Board of Directors unanimously approved the following grants to help address some of the immediate needs of our local nonprofit organizations totaling another $305,473.27. This support is only made possible because of the generosity of local philanthropists.

• Ayuda de Ojai ($20,000) for basic needs of Ojai families in crisis due to the fire
• MICOP for their radio antenna replacement ($5,000) and health outreach for farmworkers ($5,000)
• Hábitat para la Humanidad ($5,000) for housing assistance for those affected by the fire
• Interface for the purchase of a permanent generator for 2-1-1 ($30,000) and support for their emergency 2-1-1 call center ($60,000)
• FOODShare ($5,000) for transportation and food sorting for shelters
• Ejército de Salvación ($20,000) for basic services and emergency relief for families who have lost homes
• ThomasFireHelp.com para su diseño tecnológico, desarrollo y espacio de servidor. (Este servicio ayudó a facilitar las necesidades causadas por la catástrofe a 51.000 personas hasta la fecha).
• Fundación Ventura College ($4,950) for support of single parents who were victims of the Thomas Fire
• Teatro Rubicón ($6,755.50) to cover the costs of mandatory cleaning in response to the Thomas Fire
• Boys & Girls Club de Greater Oxnard y Port Hueneme para sufragar el aumento de los gastos de guardería debido al cierre de las escuelas como consecuencia de la calidad del aire del incendio Thomas.
• Centro de Liderazgo No Lucrativo de Cal Lutheran para sufragar los gastos de convocatoria de las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro durante el periodo de recuperación. Queremos agradecer a Dena Jensen su liderazgo y sus esfuerzos de respuesta inmediata durante este tiempo.
• Sociedad Humanitaria del Condado de Ventura ($65,567.77) to cover vet bills and staff supplies as result of the Thomas Fire
• Fundación Nacional de Perros de Búsqueda para Catástrofes ($65,000) to cover dog boarding expenses and clean-up efforts from the Thomas Fire

Please Note: We are still accepting a limited number of applications for the SUN Fund (Sudden and Urgent Needs) as we have roughly another $50,000 to award. Applications can be downloaded directly from our sitio web.

Meanwhile, we are continuing to focus our energies on raising funds to support the Ventura County Community Disaster Relief Fund, which is focused on addressing the needs created by this disaster in the mid- to long-term. Please visit our website to learn more and/or contribute to this initiative at www.vccf.org.

Gracias de nuevo por su compromiso con nuestra comunidad. Seguiremos manteniéndoles informados de nuestros esfuerzos de respuesta. Mientras tanto, no dude en ponerse en contacto conmigo en cualquier momento si tiene alguna pregunta.

Atentamente,

Vanessa