County support fund launched after immigration raids reaches $1M

This article was originally published by the VC Star. Read the full article on their website.

A county fund to support those in hardship, created after the Trump administration’s immigration raids last July, has reached a milestone of giving out over $1 million in grants to local nonprofits.

Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund just completed dispersing $139,000 in grants to 11 organizations, its sixth round in the act, to help local families and those experiencing financial pain and disruption in the county, according to a news release.

The fund, a coalition of 32 entities including the cities of Ventura et Santa Paula, local foundations such as the Weingart Foundation, and universities such as the California Lutheran University, brought together by the Ventura County Community Foundation, has been able to raise more than a $1 million through donations, the release says.

Nonprofits including 805 UndocuFund, Atlas-Ventura Housing, Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. in Ventura County, City Impact, Help of Ojai, Nate’s Place, People’s Self-Help Housing, Rescue Mission Alliance Ventura County, Safe Passage Youth Foundation and United Parents were among the latest recipients, the release says.

The number of local organizations accepting the grants has now reached 43, the release says.

The funds from the grant support basic living needs such as food, transportation and essential supplies; emergency shelter and rental assistance; and critical services offered by schools, neighborhood centers, business and economic development centers and community-based organizations, among other services for those impacted by hardship, the release says.

Grant funding to Atlas-Ventura Housing is set to give essential household items such as bedding, towels and kitchen supplies to residents who have been homeless and moving into Valentine Road Apartments, a permanent supportive housing community in Ventura, said Leah Lacayo, board chair for the fund.

Grant funding to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Inc. in Ventura County is earmarked for financial assistance to families and seniors struggling to pay with rent, food and healthcare, the board chair added.

Grant funding has been on a rolling basis, Lacayo said.

Information on the fund is available at vccf.org/neighbors-support-fund. The community foundation helps fund a pair of Ventura County Star reporters through its Fund to Support Local Journalism.