VCCF Disaster Relief Update & Grant Awards to Local Nonprofits
Dear Ventura County Community Foundation Family,
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.
- Help of 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)
- Habitat for Humanity ($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
- Salvation Army ($20,000) for basic services and emergency relief for families who have lost homes
- ThomasFireHelp.com ($3,000) for their technology design, development, and server space. (This service helped facilitate needs caused by the disaster for 51,000 individuals to-date)
- Ventura College Foundation ($4,950) for support of single parents who were victims of the Thomas Fire
- Rubicon Theatre ($6,755.50) to cover the costs of mandatory cleaning in response to the Thomas Fire
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme ($7,700) to cover the increased costs of childcare due to school closure as a result of the Thomas Fire air quality
- Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Cal Lutheran ($2,500) to cover the costs of convening nonprofit organizations during the recovery period. We want to thank Dena Jensen for her leadership and immediate response efforts during this time.
- Humane Society of Ventura County ($65,567.77) to cover vet bills and staff supplies as result of the Thomas Fire
- National Disaster Search Dog Foundation ($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 website.
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.
Thank you again for your commitment to our community. We will continue to keep you updated on our response efforts. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me anytime if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Vanessa