70 Monterey County GIVES! 2024 mcgives.com Community & Social Services DONate online mcgives.com Northern Monterey County Foundation Year Founded: 1945 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 25 paid, 65 volunteers Budget: $4,585,000 375-9712 cfmco.org BIg Idea: The Northern Monterey County Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in North Monterey County, including Aromas, Bolsa Knolls, Boronda, Castroville, Elkhorn, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, Oak Hills, Pajaro, Prunedale, Royal Oaks and Santa Rita. It focuses on supporting local initiatives and projects that promote education, health, community development and the arts by providing grants directly to grassroots groups doing the work to help communities thrive. The foundation is an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County. “The Northern Monterey County Foundation is the epitome of giving where you live, with impact now and an investment in the future of our community.” -Danielle Vierra One Starfish Year Founded: 2014 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 4 paid, 0 volunteers Budget: $500,000 204-0230 onestarfishsafeparking.org Big Idea: One Starfish serves unhoused women living in their cars, partnering with local churches to provide a safe place to sleep as well as case management for long-term support. With about 75 clients receiving support at one time, One Starfish seeks donations to support its Big Idea for another year. Community support helped launch the MPUSD Safe Parking Program, helping serve families with children enrolled at Monterey Peninsula Unified public schools, including wraparound services like security, restrooms and direct financial assistance. “During our time in the safe parking program, my family and I were at our lowest. We were facing a perfect storm: having a new child, losing our jobs, facing an intimidating medical diagnosis and our rent increasing. We were a family of five, living in a minivan. During our time in the program, we were met with such unwavering support, kindness and compassion. When we felt the hope of the situation slipping away in our most desperate times, we never had to feel alone. With One Starfish’s help, we were able to keep pushing through the muck and find the light at the end of the tunnel. Now our family is back in a house that we’ve been able to call home for over a year. Our darkest hour is now solidly in the rearview, in no small part because of One Starfish’s assistance.” -Richard M. Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance Year Founded: 1991 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 55 paid, 0 volunteers Budget: $6,500,000 728-6445 pvpsa.org Big Idea: Longstanding relationships with government agencies and school districts in the Pajaro Valley has resulted in a robust array of services from Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance (PVPSA). This nonprofit provides comprehensive health education, direct mental health counseling and substance abuse intervention services, among other services. To help meet increased demand, this Big Idea will support the promotion of a half-time case manager to a full-time position. “These are my friends, they are always looking out for my well-being. I’m definitely not going to miss any food distributions—thank you very much for the food.” -Sandra M. NAMI Monterey County Year Founded: 2000 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 5 paid, 25 volunteers Budget: $342,000 422-6264 namimonterey.org Big Idea: NAMI Monterey County, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is rapidly expanding to meet our county’s needs, including the 1 in 5 American adults who experience a mental health condition each year. This Big Idea is focused on expanding its service area from Pajaro to San Ardo, with a specific focus on local youth, the rural Spanish-speaking population and the LGBTQ+ community. In order to expand, donations are needed to secure additional operating space to grow its programs. “NAMI has made it possible for me to learn to live again, not just exist. It has brought me to a realization that I’m not alone in my struggles. NAMI has been the catalyst for me in finding my purpose in life.” -Beatriz L. spotlight “Sometimes your journalism pisses me off, some days it makes me laugh, but I always come away knowing more.” -Pat Wilkins, Fund for Independent Journalism in Monterey County
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