FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 11, 2007

Contact Cheri Grimm @ 528-1360

Includes 3 pictures with captions.

 

A $1,000 grant from the Bay-Osos Kiwanis Community Foundation was awarded to the Central Coast Dance Alliance. Accepting are Kellie Hart, CEO, (middle) and Julie Downey, Director (right). Presenting the check is Bay-Osos Kiwanis president Kirsten Behrmann.

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A $1,000 grant from the Bay-Osos Kiwanis Community Foundation was awarded to the YMCA after-school program at Monarch Elementary. Accepting are Laura Weber, Fund Development Director (middle) and Amy Buchanan, Senior Program Director (right). Presenting the check is Bay-Osos Kiwanis president Kirsten Behrmann.

A $1,000 grant from the Bay-Osos Kiwanis Community Foundation was awarded to the EOC Head Start children’s dental program at Sunnyside School. Accepting are Judy Brummel, Head Start Program Director (middle) and Cherie Fields, Health Coordinator (right). Presenting the check is Bay-Osos Kiwanis president Kirsten Behrmann.

Kiwanis Community Foundation Awards $3,000

To Children’s Programs in Los Osos and Morro Bay

On Dec. 5, three programs that serve children in Los Osos and Morro Bay were awarded $1,000 grants by the Bay-Osos Kiwanis Community Foundation from its “Coastal Kids Fund.” The fund supports children’s programs that address the health, happiness, education and safety of children through age 14 in these coastal towns. 

Funded were the YMCA after-school program at Monarch Grove Elementary in Los Osos, Head Start dental services at Sunnyside School in Los Osos, and Central Coast Dance Alliance scholarships.

The YMCA will use most of its grant to support the after-school Service Learning Program at Monarch Grove Elementary in Los Osos. A small portion will purchase math and language software to help students with homework. “The goal of the YMCA program is to teach kids empathy, problem-solving and social skills,” said Amy Buchanan, YMCA Senior Program Director. “The current outreach program, which connects them with senior citizens, will give kids a chance to experience benevolence and compassion firsthand.”

The Economic Opportunity Commission (EOC) of SLO County will use the money to provide critical dental services to low-income children who attend Head Start programs at the former Sunnyside School in Los Osos. “Access to dental care for children living in poverty is very limited in this area,” said Cherie Fields, Health Coordinator for EOC. “We’ll use these funds to pay for dental services for children with the most serious needs.”

The Central Coast Dance Alliance will provide financial assistance to low-income children who want to participate in dance and performing arts programs but cannot otherwise afford to. “Dance provides a controlled environment where children can learn the techniques and discipline of the performing arts,” said Kellie Hart, CEO of the Alliance. “More importantly, they learn integrity, perseverance and confidence—traits that stay with them throughout their lives.”

The Bay-Osos Kiwanis Foundation, a community-based organization, was established in 2005 to receive, manage and distribute endowed funds that are used to support the needs of the Los Osos and Morro Bay communities. Individual donations are combined in a local account, then awarded to non-profit organizations, school programs and community projects. All donated funds stay local and go directly to specified programs. Administrative positions are filled by local Kiwanis volunteers which means there are no administrative costs.

Nine organizations applied for the “Coastal Kids Fund” grant. Eligibility was based on a tax-exempt status or having a local business license. These are the first grants awarded through the Foundation.

“We were extremely happy to see these agencies recognize the Los Osos Foundation as a source of community support,” said Cheri Grimm, Kiwanis member and Foundation committee chairperson. “These awards should reassure people who want to donate to the Foundation that their contributions to directly to critical resources that keep us healthy, educated and safe.”

Other programs supported by Bay-Osos Kiwanis include: Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Morro Bay recreation programs, and sports and academics programs for students in Morro Bay High School, Los Osos Middle School and Los Osos Elementary Schools.

There are nearly 700 community foundations across the United States with combined assets of approximately $35 billion. They build and strengthen communities by making it possible for a wide range of donors to create permanent funds to meet critical needs.

Kiwanians are men and women from all walks of life, united in their commitment to serve their communities, especially children. Since its establishment in 1982, Kiwanis Club of Bay-Osos has raised and distributed funds to local agencies, sports groups and educational programs—more than $50,000 just since 2000.

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