Agency:Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa Solano
Support Needed: $24,000
Purpose: Home modifications for low-income seniors

As people age, fear of falling becomes a primary worry. It's no wonder, since a frequent outcome is loss of independence. Many will fracture a hip or fall repeatedly, both of which can result in moving to a nursing home. Each year in Napa County, some 500 adults age 60 and older take serious slips and spills that incur hospitalization and medical costs averaging $40,000 to $60,000 per person. In 2007, a county-wide coalition on aging launched a program aimed at reducing falls. Stop Falls Napa Valley (SFNV) uses a three-pronged prevention model that includes medical management, physical activity and home modification. So far, the effort has reached more than 5,000 people. Low-income older adults are a target population; statistically, they are more at-risk for falls and are more likely to be placed in a nursing home after discharge from the hospital. (Nearly 28 percent of Napa County's seniors live in or on the edge of poverty.) Specific elements of the SFNV program include: education events, where seniors learn prevention techniques and risk factors; and workshops for caregivers and medical professionals that cover safety, physical exercises, and medications affecting balance. SFNV conducts sessions in mobile home parks, public libraries, and senior centers across the Valley, where attendees are assessed for fall-risk. An occupational therapist also visits older adults in their homes, screens them for fall-risk, and takes a complete safety inventory. Uneven flooring, clutter, steps, and slippery bathtubs can prove hazardous. Volunteers are recruited to help with some modifications, like moving items out of high cabinets. Other improvements--installing grab bars, lighting systems, or converting stairs to a ramp--cost from $200 to more than $2,000. SFNV is spearheaded by the Area Agency on Aging Napa Solano (a nonprofit) and spends about $31,000 annually to contract with the occupational therapist. The program, which relies entirely on foundation and government grants to stay afloat, provides all services free of charge, and does not have a budget to pay for home improvements. Your support would help 50 to 60 vulnerable seniors live safely in their homes.

Agency: Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa
Support Needed: $40,000
Purpose: Individual counseling and independent living skills training

When people think of Napa Valley, homelessness doesn't come to mind, let alone homeless young people. Yet, the reality is that our county currently has at least 150 homeless individuals ages 18 to 23. These young adults face a host of barriers: many will never graduate from high school; 85 percent of the females among them will become pregnant; and, most will depend on public benefits, such as food stamps, for the rest of their lives. Since 1993, Catholic Charities has run two housing programs in Napa that aim to defy these statistics. The programs are called Rainbow House and Home Base (RH/HB) and are open to homeless Valley residents ages 18 to 24. Clients frequently have young children, or have aged out of foster care. Homeless shelters, churches, as well as Napa County's Probation Department, refer young adults to RH/HB year-round. A panel, comprised of RH/HB staff and community representatives, interviews each applicant to gauge compatibility. About 30 percent of applicants are admitted to RH/HB; many have histories of addiction, abuse or neglect. RH/HB provides food and shelter, along with intensive coaching and support services, to 35 young adults (and 15 of their children) each year. Residents, who can live at RH/HB for up to two years, pay rent and are held accountable to personal goal-setting and an action plan. For instance, RH/HB case managers conduct daily coaching sessions, teach life skills like budgeting and cooking, and offer addiction recovery groups and parenting classes. Case managers also connect clients to public benefits programs, including subsidized child care or health insurance. The hoped-for outcome with each resident: successful transition from RH/HB to permanent housing and greater self-sufficiency. Results are positive. During the last twelve months, 40 young adults transitioned out of RH/HB, and 80 percent of them moved into permanent housing. The annual budget for RH/HB is roughly $452,000. Charitable donations have decreased $80,000 since January, as a result of the recession. What's needed now is $40,000 to continue intensive case management services. Support of this project would help homeless young adults create more stability in their lives.

Agency: Donaldson Way Elementary School
Support Needed: $4,000
Purpose: Books for new school library

Donaldson Way Elementary School's (DWE) library just got a makeover. The only thing missing is books to fill the gleaming shelves. Voters approved new libraries for public schools in 2002, in part so these institutions could meet state requirements for books and technology instruction. While the bond measure funded space and furniture, it omitted spending for materials and equipment. Last September, DWE opened the doors to its new library, a double-wide portable building that was a much-needed upgrade from the cramped classroom it had been using for many years. However, the school, located in American Canyon, already was facing a state budget crisis so severe that it could no longer afford to buy books or set up a technology lab. DWE boasts 530 students and one of the most diverse populations in the district: Nearly half are either Hispanic or Filipino, and the remainder is comprised of African American, Asian, Pacific Islander or multi-ethnic kids. Many of the children (27 percent) come from immigrant families, and they--along with their parents--are learning to speak and read English. California's school library standards prescribe 21 books per student; DWE's current ratio is just 14 to one, plus its collection is outdated and has large gaps in certain subject areas. Nonfiction books are top on the shopping list for two reasons: This genre is most effective for helping English learners improve their language skills; and, standardized exams for all students use nonfiction samples to test reading comprehension. Bi-lingual books also are a priority, to encourage parents to read with their kids. To meet the guidelines, DWE needs to purchase 1,114 books, which will cost roughly $20,000, or $18 apiece. The school, which has seen its budget slashed 16 percent the last two years, has set an initial goal of 500 books. Cash donations yielded $1,800, plus DWE already has $3,000 earmarked for the project. Another $4,000 would round out balance. Your support would help DWE meet its goal and put practical books in the hands of its students and parents.