OUR MISSION
BENEFICIARIES
Supporting our Local Charities and Organizations
This year we are excited to support five fabulous local organizations: Shelter, Inc., CASA, SEED, Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation and New Day.
2012 Major Beneficiary
SHELTER, Inc. works to prevent homelessness and promote self-sufficiency among low-income residents of Contra Costa County. Believing that homelessness is an obstacle that can be overcome permanently, for 25 years SHELTER, Inc. has helped 175,000 men, women and children stay in their homes or get off the streets and back into homes. SHELTER, Inc. tailors services to meet the individual needs of each person, from rental assistance to housing to providing supportive services such as tutoring, employment services and life skills training. The goal--when families graduate from SHELTER, Inc.’s programs , they are stable and economically self-sufficient, able to provide for themselves and their families. Each year, SHELTER, Inc. helps over 5,000 men, women and children in Contra Costa County; almost half of those helped are children.
SHELTER, Inc.’s Lyle Morris Family Center, located in Antioch, helps homeless families with children from throughout Contra Costa rebuild their lives and transition to a permanent home. The Family Center consists of 19 individual apartments, offices, a community room, laundry facility and play area. Parents and children participate in numerous activities aimed at increasing income, education, physical and mental health and family functioning while living at the Family Center. The goal is to provide families the tools to obtain and maintain permanent housing. On-site activities include counseling, employment services, tutoring for the entire family, bi-weekly children’s reading club, and holiday celebrations. Last year, the Family Center helped 32 families, including 62 children. 85% of the families graduated into permanent housing, much higher than the national average of 65%.
2012 Minor Beneficiaries
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
CASA of Contra Costa County is a 501c3, nonprofit organization formed in 1981. CASA’s mission has been to serve as a unique and cost-effective way to recruit, screen, train, supervise, and support volunteers to advocate for abused, neglected and abandoned children until they are placed in safe, permanent homes. Our volunteers ensure that these children are not further victimized by an over-burdened juvenile dependency system. Our Volunteers provide caring consistency for a child; reduce the time a child spends in foster care by monitoring each case; provide information to help the court make sound decisions; and advocate for a permanent plan for each child.
For 30 years, CASA has been the “child’s voice in court,” serving thousands of children and receiving honors for our continued and exemplary service, including the prestigious Threads of Hope Award from Diablo Magazine, recognition from the Contra Costa County Juvenile Justice/Delinquency Prevention Commission, and the United States Department of Justice, as “an exemplary program in child advocacy work with abused and neglected children.”
SEED (Special Education Enrichment Development Foundation)
In 2008, parents and teachers in Lafayette joined together to form the non-profit organization SEED to enhance the educational experience of students with special needs in our public schools. SEED works in collaboration with the Lafayette School District to support children with special needs by developing and funding additional programs for students and their families and providing a support network and informational resources for parents of special needs children.
Lafayette Library and Learning Foundation
The Lafayette Library and Learning Foundation offers a comprehensive calendar of programs for children, youth, adults and seniors in the arts, and sciences, technology, education and literary fields, the majority of which are in conjunction with other organizations and institutions such as Lawrence Hall of Science, Chabot Space & Science Center, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Oakland Zoo and California Shakespeare Theatre. By helping to fund these programs, Lafayette Juniors will ensure that they are accessible to all.
New Day for ChildrenNew Day for Children partners with caring individuals, law enforcement, social services, educational institutions, churches, corporations and other community leaders to provide children ages 10 - 18 with hope in place of the desperation of sexual exploitation for commercial purposes. New Day for Children's programs provide safe and secure living environments for children from California and other referring states 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, until they are healthy and prepared to live again with their families or guardians or until attaining adulthood.
In 2011 we supported five fabulous local organizations: Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, We Care Services for Children, AAUW Sister to Sister Summit, Brighter Beginnings, and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation.
2011 Major Beneficiary
Contra Costa Interfaith Housing
Contra Costa Interfaith Housing (CCIH) is a collaboration of interfaith communities committed to creating permanent solutions to local homelessness. To that end, its mission is to provide permanent supportive housing to individuals and families in Contra Costa County. The programs provide affordable housing for high-risk families, as well as intensive professional and volunteer services designed to help families, and especially children, stabilize, increase self sufficiency and to succeed academically and in life.
Due to the measurable and significant success of the Garden Park Apartments in Pleasant Hill (CCIH supports 27 families there), CCIH was asked by county officials to expand their service model to two affordable housing sites in East Contra Costa County – and support an additional 120 families. Services will include on-site mental health and case management support rendered by licensed mental health professionals and intensive academic and youth services that assist formerly homeless and at-risk youth to develop emotionally, socially, and academically.
2011 Minor Beneficiaries
American Association of University women (AAUW) Sister to Sister Summit
AAUW’s Sister to Sister program seeks to guide middle school girls to learn how to make healthier choices, become more supportive of each other, and gain an understanding of positive decision-making from role models they can relate to. High school girls facilitate the summit, thereby gaining confidence, teambuilding experience and leadership skills while the middle school girls benefit from a day focused on issues pertinent to them. Topics may include: saying “no thanks” to peer pressure, avoiding cliques and forming positive friendships, deciphering media pressure and maintaining a healthy body image.
Brighter Beginnings
Brighter Beginnings works to strengthen families by providing home-based and community support that promotes healthy births, child development and overall family health and self-sufficiency. They plan to expand their Family Economic Success initiative, enabling offerings of essential financial education and planning services to clients at its Family Strengthening Centers and those receiving home-based support. Financial education and asset building skills are an essential tool for parents to become self-sufficient.
Lafayette Library and Learning Foundation
The Lafayette Library and Learning Foundation offers a comprehensive calendar of programs for children, youth, adults and seniors in the arts, and sciences, technology, education and literary fields, the majority of which are in conjunction with other organizations and institutions such as Lawrence Hall of Science, Chabot Space & Science Center, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Oakland Zoo and California Shakespeare Theatre. By helping to fund these programs, Lafayette Juniors will ensure that they are accessible to all.
We Care Services for Children – Family Autism Support Project
We Care Services for Children provides early intervention, special education, early childhood education, violence prevention, child abuse counseling, and mental health treatment to Contra Costa County’s most vulnerable children and their families, helping them transform their lives. The Autism Family Support Project (AFSP) is a family centered program designed to provide social, educational and resource support to strengthen families with autistic children. Funding will provide Family Nights Out, allowing the autistic child and family to participate in activities in the community, Parent Education, and summer camp.
A kind testimonial from one of our past beneficiaries:
"The foster children and young adults served by Youth Homes say “thanks” to the Lafayette Juniors! We have been fortunate not only to be your major beneficiary, but individual members of your group have repeatedly responded to a last minute SOS, supplying clothing, household items and baby supplies to our families. Thanks to you, Youth Homes was able to expand the programs to youth “ageing” out of the foster care system.
- Kathy Bowles, Director of Development, Youth Homes
If you are interested in being considered as a beneficiary, please complete the community funds form and send to us at JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING