Spring 2009
Grant Funding Recommendations
March 2009 funding requests $82,880:
Programs within King County
University District Youth Center - Seattle $8,880
· The program provides services to homeless, at-risk, runaway, and street involved youth ages 13-22 to support transitioning to better living conditions. Services include a drop-in center, case management, employment, education and mental health counseling as well as chemical dependency counseling. During 2008, UDCY provided service to 737 youth who made over 5500 visits to the drop-in center where they were able to receive food, clothing, access to hygiene facilities, receive referrals to on-going services, and get respite from life on the street. Primary objectives for 2009 are to provide emergency services for basic needs, case management to assist youth with transition to more stable or permanent housing, counseling services, and employment opportunities. ACC funds will be used for direct client services, pre-employment training, food, and personal care supplies.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Home Care - $ 8,000
· The program located in Seattle’s central district provides early learning educational services for children ages 6 months to 6 years. MLK is prominent in the early childhood care community for excellence and progressiveness in service to low-income children. Emotional support, language, and literacy is a focus in each age group using Creative Curriculum and other annually recognized models. MLK is a community institution that offers children and their families a solid educational base for school readiness. ACC funds will be used for the scholarship fund to support nine children for a period of three months. The scholarship fund is extremely important to provide on-going quality services to families struggling financially.
Adoption Services - Seattle $10,000
· The program serves adoptive parents and children in need of permanent homes. The program works directly with prospective adoptive parents to ensure that they are prepared, educated and able to provide a stable and nurturing home for a child in need. Services include a formal home study, education on what adoption means, supervision of the child’s placement, and assistance with the final legal adoption. ACC funds will be used to offset the cost of providing adoption services for special needs children as well as children who have been in the CCS Foster Care Program.
Emergency Services - Seattle $ 7,500
§ The program provides direct assistance for rent, utilities, and emergency shelter to at-risk, low-income families in the Seattle area. The goal of the Emergency Assistance Program is to help create greater family stability, safety, and self-sufficiency through case management and referrals to other local resources. Each year, the program provides support to approximately 150 families annually. ACC funds will be used to help families with direct financial assistance for utility costs and food vouchers. Additionally the funds will be used toward covering personnel costs for the Emergency Assistance Coordinator.
Emergency Services - South King County $7,500
· The program provides direct financial assistance for rent, utilities, food; clothing, and emergency shelter, families also receive case management services for low-income children and their families in South King County. During 2008, the Emergency Assistance Program assisted 1100 households in South King County. ACC funds will be used to provide direct financial assistance to approximately 40 families in South King County for shelter, utilities, and food.
Programs Outside of King County
Phoenix Housing Network - Tacoma $4,000
· The CCS housing program serves homeless families and their children in Pierce County. The purpose of the program is to provide intervention and safe shelter to families while building skills to prevent future homelessness and increase family stability and self-sufficiency. Phoenix Housing provides therapy and education targeting the emotional needs of the children and their families intended to prevent generational cycles of poverty, violence, and substance abuse. The program is called “Healthy Kids Healthy Lives.” ACC funds will be used to offset the personnel costs for a full-time therapist and support staff as well as costs of program materials not covered by state funding.
St. Mikes Tike’s Child Care and Early Learning Center - Olympia $8,000
· This is a childcare program located in Olympia. The program serves low -income and homeless children ranging in age from six weeks to twelve years old. The program serves an average of 70 children daily and close to 200 children annually from all cultures and backgrounds. The primary focus of the program is to ensure every child grows up in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment; affirm and support a healthy family life, and to provide services for all children regardless of race or religious affiliation. The program is committed to teaching children to be responsible citizens. Each year children participate in community service projects for local shelters, nursing homes and animal shelters by collecting food, visiting elders, and donating books, toys and clothing to families in need. ACC funds will be used to cover the costs of general supplies, replacement of small furniture, provide sack lunches, admission fees for field trips, and offset the costs for swimming lessons for low-income families. Additionally, ACC funds will help support the needs of crisis nursery referred children.
St. Olaf’s Child Care and Early Learning Center - Poulsbo $8,000
· This program provides quality and developmentally appropriate early learning experience to an average of 75 children annually to low-income families in the North Kitsap and Bainbridge area. The mission of the program is to offer help through professional and volunteer services; help others help themselves; and bring about change in the environments that oppress, discriminate and cause human suffering. The primary goal of the program is to provide all children a safe and nurturing environment to develop and prepare each child for success in school. Children and families are referred to the center by Child Protective Services, Tribal Social Services, and childcare centers that are unable to address the needs of at-risk children. ACC funds will be used to replace outdated equipment and broken fixtures. Additionally funds will be used to purchase books and backpacks and, provide scholarships for six children for three months of care.
Grays Harbor Youth Tutoring – Aberdeen $7,500
· This program is located in Grays Harbor and provides shelter for homeless and at-risk youth ages 13-17. The center is one of only five such licensed emergency overnight shelters in the state. The emergency shelter is open from 6:00 PM and 8:00 every day of the year and provides beds for up to 6 youths. The principal goal of the program is to shelter youth in a safe, supportive environment and to stabilize their living situation to succeed in school. Reunification with family is a primary goal when safe and appropriate. The center serves youth who have been abandoned by their parents, are from homeless families, or youth at risk for becoming homeless. ACC funds will be used toward operating costs such as occupancy- related expenses such as utilities and maintenance, property and equipment leases and related expenses.
Family Support and Education Program -Tacoma $7,500
· This program has been providing classes to parents and children for over ten years. The purpose of the program is to reduce child abuse, neglect, and family violence by providing in-depth parenting education and children’s education programs to families referred by Children’s protective Services, the courts and social service programs in the Tacoma area. The program provides Family Support and Education evenings that include an on-going twelve class series for parenting classes covering discipline, child development, self-esteem, communication, problem solving, stress management, and school preparedness. The children’s program uses the Second Steps curriculum that focuses on managing emotions, empathy, problem-solving and non-violent conflict resolution. The goal of the classes is to increase family communication and problem solving without violence or abusive behaviors. ACC funds will be used for overall program support, which includes teaching materials, curricula and other educational supplies.
Foster Care – Tacoma $6,000
· This program has been serving the Tacoma area for over 50 years. The program provides stable, nurturing homes for children who either temporarily or permanently cannot live in their biological homes. The program is contracted by DSHS to serve children 0 to 18 years of age who are in need of stable caring homes. The children served come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds specializing in serving children with medical needs or developmental disabilities. ACC funds will be used for overall program support, which includes teaching materials, curricula and other educational supplies.