Community Link
A newsletter of Napa Valley Community Foundation
March 2014

Spring's arrival signals new beginnings and fresh starts.

 

This month's edition of Community Link features three organizations that support their clients to grow or, in some cases, start anew. All programs have been vetted by Community Foundation staff.

 

If you'd like to support any of them, you can recommend a grant by logging into your DonorCentral account from the homepage on our website. Or, you can fax us a completed grant recommendation form at 254.7955. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Julia DeNatale & Marla Tofle

Philanthropic Services Staff 

A safe place for kids to learn and have fun after school

 

OrganizationBoys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley (BGCNV)

What's needed: $10,000 for general support  

 

Why they exist: To provide youth-development programs to kids, ages five to 18, on school campuses and at clubhouses in Napa and American Canyon. Services are offered daily, during after-school hours, which are important times for otherwise unsupervised youth to benefit from structured programming and mentoring from a caring adult. BGCNV also runs programs when schools are closed for holidays and summer breaks. Kids get help with homework and participate in a variety of age-appropriate enrichment activities, like: performing arts and photography classes; physical education and sports; cooking and gardening.

 

What they do well: Hundreds of working parents rely on BGCNV for affordable, quality after-school programming; 50 percent of the kids who attend are low-income and 54 percent are Latino. BGCNV continually refines its menu of activities and programs so participants stay engaged: an exercise room and anti-bullying programs are recent additions. Also key to BGCNV's success is the mentoring relationships that its 70 staff members--many of whom have been with the nonprofit for five years or more--cultivate with the youngsters.

 

What we learned when we met with them recently: BGCNV's Board is exploring whether to rebuild its American Canyon clubhouse, which not only needs improvements, but also is too small to house the 350-plus youth on its roster. If a capital campaign is determined feasible, the Board would launch in 2015.  BGCNV also would include in its plans a clubhouse for teens--which currently doesn't exist in American Canyon.

 

People served: 1,400 kids attend seven sites in Napa and four sites in American Canyon daily.

 

Budget & Board:  $2.1 million/15 Board members

 

Contact: Mark Kuhnhausen, Executive Director, mkuhnhausen@thepositiveplace.org

 

Handsome young man with tattoo, isolated on white.

Tattoo removal offers a clean slate to teens and young adults

 

Organization: Loyd Wolfe Juvenile Justice Network (Wolfe Center)

What's needed: $1,500 for outreach services 

 

Why they exist: Wolfe Center's Taboo Tattoo program provides affordable, state-of-the-art laser removal to any Napa County teen or young adult with visible body art.  Many clients have gang-related tattoos, and the removal program is a step towards leaving that lifestyle and preventing violence that can occur when such markings are in plain view.  Services are no-cost or on a sliding-scale fee basis; clients would otherwise pay a private-practice physician $2,000-$5,000. Local plastic surgeons, who volunteer their time, remove the tattoos at twice-monthly clinics. Complete removal typically takes anywhere from eight to 30 visits. 

 

What they do well: Taboo Tattoo conducts outreach to school teachers, drug and alcohol counselors, probation officers, and staff at both Juvenile Hall and the County Jail, which yields a steady stream of referrals to the program. Clients that can't afford to pay are asked to do community service, or attend support services, like drug counseling.

 

What we learned when we met with them recently: Wolfe Center's substance abuse prevention counselors that work on high school campuses have been promoting tattoo removal. The outreach is paying off, and Taboo Tattoo is starting to see an uptick in high school students accessing the program.

 

People served: 140 teens and young adults annually

 

Budget & Board:  $1.5 million ($64,165 is for Taboo Tattoo)/14 Board members

 

Contact: Sheila Daugherty, Executive Director, sdaugherty@wolfecenter.org

 

Special needs residents flourish and get job training in a unique setting

 

Organization: Vine Village

What's needed: $20,000 to purchase a truck for the agriculture program 

 

Why they exist: To help Napa County adults, ages 18 and older with developmental and intellectual disabilities, experience support and independence in an environment that accepts and values them. Vine Village is located on a 25-acre ranch in Napa and has two programs. The residential program offers a family-style living experience with a full range of services (from accompanying clients on doctor visits to recreational outings). An arts-based day program teaches self-expression and social development; clients sell their creations at community events and on-site.

 

What they do well: Vine Village's retention rate with clients is very high; many have been participating in its programs for several decades, and the eldest turns 73 in April.  The nonprofit's programs also foster a connection between its clients and the land. For example, participants tend gardens that provide food for residents' meals, and help feed cows and horses lodged on the property.

 

What we learned when we met with them recently: Local high schools and nonprofits approached Vine Village about filling a need: job training opportunities for high-school and college-age young adults with developmental disabilities. To that end, Vine Village is expanding its existing gardens to 5 acres and is developing an agriculture program that will teach participants how to plant and grow crops and then sell the fruits and vegetables to local businesses and community members.

 

People served: 43 adults with developmental disabilities (18 in residential, 25 in day program)

 

Budget & Board:  $980,000/5 Board members

 

Contact: Mike Kerson, Executive Director, mkerson@vinevillage.org

 

Transform Your Passion for Giving into Greater Impact.


 


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