Community Memorial Fund Giving Program

 

This fund was established to give anyone the opportunity to memorialize a loved one, a colleague, a client, or a friend with a gift that will make a difference in our community.  This is a celebration of lives well lived, and memories that gladden those who are still here. Please CLICK HERE to view a list of all of the loved ones remembered through gifts to this fund, .

 

You can make a tax-deductible donation in memory of a loved one you wish to memorialize, to the Community Memorial Fund Giving Program at the Solano Community Foundation.  Gifts can be made in any amount, at any time. Every penny of your contribution will result in one or more grants that assist our needy neighbors and enrich the quality of life in our communities.

 

In March of every year, gifts made to this fund are awarded as grants to qualified nonprofit organizations in Solano County.   These grants are specifically designated as gifts from the Community Memorial Fund Giving Program, and the Award Letter accompanying the annual grant will list the names of those memorialized each year.

 

Please CLICK HERE If you would like to contribute to this fund and make a lasting difference in Solano County.

 

To view our printable PDF brochure, click here.

2011 Community Memorial Fund Grant Award  

A fourth grant was made from gifts to this fund in the amount of $600.  The award for 2011 was made to the Interfaith Council of Solano County. This award will be used to refurbish the children’s playground at Heather House; their homeless shelter. Since this organization began in 1999, their mission has been “to address issues of poverty and homelessness in Solano County. During the last ten years The Interfaith Council has assisted more than 1,800 homeless individuals (and family members) staying at the shelter and moved over 800 people into permanent housing. Heather House allows people to regroup, find work, and move into a sustainable lifestyle.”

2010 Community Memorial Fund Grant Award

In February 2010, the third grant was awarded to Vacaville's Opportunity House in the amount of $1,000.  This award will help provide a safe, secure, drug-free and helpful environment for homeless participants to use as a springboard to self-sufficiency and to a productive lifestyle in the community.

Since its inception, Opportunity House has helped thousands achieve their goal of self-sufficiency. They offer an "umbrella" of services, including homeless assistance and providing a gateway to services offered throughout the community. They also hope to provide more transitional and alternative housing, supportive services, a mentoring program, and voluteer programs.

 

Opportunity House anticipated a 44% cut from the County Grant funding, which helps with staffing. The $1,000 grant they received from SCF's Community Memorial Fund was used to help fund Case Managers in their shelter programs. This includes a work week of seven days since client needs vary every day. Opportunity House counselors are trained and certified to listen, motivate, moniter accountability and provide referrals.

 

 

 

"This is the one area we would have to cut if there weren't funds. These jackets run us about $4,500 but the $2,000 is enough to give us what we need to make that budget," said Lynn Jewell, board member of North Bay Stand Down. 

 

 

For the 2008 year, SCF's Community Memorial Fund Giving Program awarded its first grant to Meals on Wheels, a local nonprofit committed to providing and delivering meals to seniors. MOW received a $1,000 grant to create a Web site that will direct traffic to their services.

 

"We are delighted that Meals on Wheels was selected for the inaugural grant from the Community Memorial Fund Giving Program. They are an important institution in Solano County, providing needed services to a vulnerable population," said Stephanie Wolf, President and CEO of SCF.