Women's Fund of SB announces grant winners

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

During its annual awards luncheon, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara dished out grants totaling $600,000 to eight local nonprofits and service agencies yesterday, a record amount in its four-year philanthropic history.
Under the wind-rippled canopy of El Paseo Restaurant, about 150 members joined the award recipients for a presentation of the grants, which remained a closely guarded secret until the last moment.

Jo Gifford, chair of the fund’s oversight committee, launched the ceremony by citing a newspaper article stating that those who give to charity are happier than those who don’t.
“You must be the happiest, least-stressed and least-depressed women in Santa Barbara today,” she told the crowd. “…In just four years of our existence, we will have donated $1,425,000 for vital needs affecting women, children and families on the South Coast.”
Natalie Orfalea, chair of the Orfalea Fund, which offered matching funds in the amount of $300,000 this year and about $240,000 last year, announced to standing applause that the Orfalea Fund will again match the Women’s Fund donations up to $300,000 next year.
As Melissa Brooks, chair of the fund’s research committee, announced the eight grant recipients, representatives from each group came forward to offer their thanks and describe how funding will benefit their programs.
Meichelle Arniz, executive director of Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara, described the story of Nicole, a baby born several months early and suffering from prenatal exposure to methamphetamine. Through Angels Foster Care, Nicole received two loving parents recently adopted her into their family.
A grant of $85,000 from the Women’s Fund will allow the foster care agency to hire a licensed social worker to recruit, screen, train and support 20 similar foster families, doubling the number of infants and toddlers placed through the program last year.
Casa Pacifica, which offers residential treatment, emergency care and support to children and families in the Tri-County area, received a $55,000 grant yesterday. CEO Steve Elson accepted the award, telling the audience the funds will be used to purchase three compact sedans for caseworkers and mental health professionals to deliver emergency services to youth in crisis.
“My wife tells me that it’s women who rule the world and women who change the world,” Elson said. “Today, that is clearly true.”
Bill Batty, executive director of Family Service Agency, stepped forward next to receive a $95,000 grant to assist the 211 human services helpline. Batty said the award will provide one-third of operating costs for the hotline, which offers assistance and information about community services and access to crisis counseling and suicide prevention.
He told the story of a Gulf War veteran who called the hotline after drinking heavily and taking pills, telling the operator that he had a loaded weapon and wanted to commit suicide. After the operator engaged with him and sent law enforcement to his home, the man decided not to kill himself, later thanking the agency for saving his life.
Batty, after explaining that federal funding will expire this year, described the Women’s Fund grant as desperately needed gap funding.
Girl’s Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara received $55,000 to expand its reach to include a teen mentoring program. Currently, the organization only serves girls up to age 12. Now, executive director Monica Spear said Girls Inc. will be able to offer teen programs to girls up to age 18.
LuAnn Miller, of Isla Vista Youth Projects, accepted a $60,000 award that will allow the service agency to hire a family advocate and a counseling intern for one year. She said the gap funding will be essential, as state funds were eliminated last year, to keeping Isla Vista children from low-income families healthy by providing regular medical and dental care.
“Each donation we receive reaffirms our dedication to serve the community,” Miller said.
People’s Self-Help Housing took home a $50,000 grant to bring a third educator to its year-round mentoring and education program that serves children in low-income families. Executive director Jeannette Duncan said participants have seen marked improvements in their grades after just a semester in the program.
Storyteller Children’s Center received the largest award of the afternoon, a $150,000 leadership grant to its $2.5 million expansion campaign launching this year. Executive director Terri Allison said the funds will help establish a second center on De la Vina Street and will serve 1,000 homeless and at-risk children during the next decade, offering free early childhood education.
“One in every five children in Santa Barbara County lives in poverty,” she said. “…For every child who joins Storyteller, we must place one on our waiting list.”
Finally, Kathleen Baushke, executive director of Transition House, stepped up to the podium to accept the eighth grant, of $50,000, to provide gap funding for the salary of a case manager. She said the homelessness prevention expert will work one-on-one with at-risk families, offering rental assistance, money management, and advice to alleviate poverty and help families keep their homes.
In closing, oversight committee and founding member Carol Palladini urged the women in attendance to join the Women’s Fund again this year and invite their friends to join as well.
“In our first year, by simply sending out a letter, we got $140,000 and it’s been uphill since,” she said. “…We simply want you to do more of the same. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing … effectively and collaboratively giving away large amounts of money.”