Our view: Neighbors support fund helps keeps kids in school
Questo articolo è stato pubblicato originariamente dal Pacific Coast Business Times.
Ventura County is responding to adversity the way it always does — by building a broad coalition to restore a sense of community.
That’s why we were pleased to see corporations, nonprofits, local governments and educational institutions create a fund to support families and businesses who’ve been hit hardest by the immigration raids and the lingering effects of natural disasters.
In announcing the Neighbors Support Fund on July 28, Ventura County Community Foundation said the County of Ventura, Ventura County Office of Education, Economic Development Collaborative, Ventura County P-20 Council, Weingart Foundation, Ventura County Economic Development Association, Ventura County Credit Union, Museum of Ventura County, Montecito Bank & Trust, Premier America Credit Union, County Schools Federal Credit Union, McCune Foundation, and others, had pledged support.
“The well-being of our residents is at the heart of everything we do at the County of Ventura,” said Dr. Sevet Johnson, Ventura County Executive Officer. “By mobilizing trusted local organizations to provide direct relief, this fund helps stabilize families and safeguard the essential services that sustain our communities.”
“Time and again, the Ventura County community has come together in the face of hardship,” said Vanessa Bechtel, president and CEO of VCCF.
In a statement, VCCF said the fund was designed to jump-start school attendance, which has fallen by double-digits, help nonprofits cope with overwhelming demand and help small businesses hit by workforce disruptions, stabilize their operations.
“Economic stability depends on the well-being of our workforce and the health of our local businesses,” said Bruce Stenslie, president and CEO of EDC.
This is not an easy undertaking and we were pleased to see the mayors of Thousand Oaks and Santa Paula extend support. It was encouraging to see support from County Supervisor Jeff Gorell, a Republican and former state legislator.
The Neighbors Support Fund is an attractive alternative because 100% of the money raised will go to support families, nonprofits and small businesses. And at time when charity rip-offs are running rampant, VCCF is an organization with a solid reputation for handling COVID support, wildfire relief and other community support fundraising efforts.
Yes, there needs to be accountability. And the Neighbors Support Fund should not let its mission creep into other areas.
But history has shown that small grants today can bolster an economy and keep families from going hungry or losing access to shelter. More information at vccf.org/neighbors.
Note: The Business Times is a member of the EDC-VC board and the P-20 council. Our Business Times scholarship fund is part of the Destino Hispanic Legacy Fund at VCCF.