Irwin considera a VCCF a sua organização sem fins lucrativos do ano pelo seu trabalho pós-trágico

This piece was originally published on the Thousand Oaks Acorn, e pode ser encontrado aqui. 

Each year, members of the California Assembly are asked to name an outstanding nonprofit to recognize during a ceremony on the floor of the Assembly.

This year, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin selected Ventura County Community Foundation as her Nonprofit of the Year.

“VCCF truly served as a beacon of hope for our community after the Borderline Bar and Grill tragedy and Woolsey/Hill wildfires occurred late last year,” Irwin said.

“Their service as the mainstay of community response in helping collect thousands of donations to support the victims, individuals and various entities affected by the tragic events demonstrated the organization’s vital role in our community,” she said.

VCCF was founded in 1987. Its mission is to build philanthropy in the region by stewarding legacies through good management of the charitable capital entrusted to them.

The organization connects philanthropic resources with community needs for the benefit of all through scholarships, grant making and collaborative partnerships.

VCCF administered the Conejo Valley Victims Fund that was established in conjunction with the City of Thousand Oaks and other entities.

The funds were used to help families who lost loved ones, victims who were physically injured and those inside Borderline when the shooting occurred.

As of late December, the VCCF had paid out $310,000 in cash assistance and $500 in prepaid Visa cards.

The organization also set up the Hill Fire/Woolsey Fire Sudden and Urgent Needs Effort Fund as a means to collect donations to distribute to fire victims.

The foundation was recently honored in a ceremony at the state Capitol.

“To be selected . . . is a tribute to the tremendous impact that our work together has on people’s lives,” the organization said in a news release.