Action Council

April 17, 2011: Girls Inc. Youth Leader Receives Scholarship

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:37:53 +0000

Good Monday Morning: Salinas teen college bound, community caring

Recipient of scholarship vows to work toward social change

April 17, 2011

Written by

J. Michael Rivera
For The Salinas Californian

The value of going to a four-year university and giving back to the community are lessons deeply ingrained in Yajaira Madrano. "I come from a single-parent household in east Salinas, so I understand that college is expensive," said Madrano, 16, a senior at Alisal High School. "I've lived there all of my life and know the struggles. People wonder if you're going to be a dropout or get pregnant. They often stereotype our community."

Madrano, along with 15 other youths, moved one step closer to university life recently when they were awarded scholarships totaling $10,000 from the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, a civil rights organization. The Salinas LULAC Council 2055 hosted the event. The youths worked for nearly a year with the Building Healthy Communities initiative, an effort to overcome some of the negative stereotypes associated with east Salinas, Madrano said. "Her [scholarship] application just kind of blew us out of our seats," said Aurelio Salazar, a LULAC leader who served on a team that reviewed the applications. "We knew her as a young, energetic high school student from Alisal. We had no idea what her home life was like." Economic hardships forced Madrano, her mother and her two siblings to move in with another family in 2010. "On her application, she said she had no idea what the word 'sharing' meant until she had to move in with someone else," Salazar said. "But she didn't carry that weight with her around."

Madrano will use her $1,000 scholarship to purchase books and materials and help pay for housing at California State University, Monterey Bay, or University of California at Merced, her top two schools to which she has applied, she said. "For me, it's a great honor to be putting in my little grain of sand," said Madrano of her scholarship and her volunteer work with Building Healthy Communities. "I could complain and say, 'Oh, they'll never change things,' but I want to take a stand and make a change." Funded with a $1 billion investment from the California Endowment, Building Healthy Communities is a 10-year effort to create places where children are healthy, safe and ready to learn in 14 California communities, including east Salinas.

Selection explained

The California Foundation selected east Salinas not only for its well-documented problems, but for its opportunity to thrive and reinvent itself as a safe, healthy and educated community, said Carmen Gil, manager of Building Healthy Communities in Salinas. The 16 Salinas young people who earned scholarships spent most of 2010 — the first year of the Building Healthy Communities initiative — planning and leading community meetings at schools, in homes and churches. "These remarkable youth are leaders," said Gil. "They were planning and facilitating meetings with major heads of counties and reporting their findings to us." The fruit of these community meetings will be programs and services for residents of east Salinas in the decade ahead. One initiative will train and empower 25 residents of crime-plagued Acosta Plaza to "take back their neighborhood," said Gil.

The possibility and challenge of changing the course of the east Salinas community excites Madrano, she said. "We are the future," she said. "We are the generation that will put in place all of these proposals. It's like we're a light in the midst of darkness of gang violence, high crime, dropout rates and teen pregnancies."

"Good Monday Morning" publishes on Page 1 every Monday. To suggest a story, e-mail goodmonday@thecalifornian.com, call 831-754-4260 or write "Good Monday Morning" c/o The Salinas Californian, PO Box 81091, Salinas CA 93912.

April 28, 2011: ACTION Council Community Orientation

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:26:17 +0000

Join us and discover how we have been inspiring positive changes in our communities for 17 years!

The ACTION Council of Monterey County is holding a community orientation on Thursday, April 28th, 2011 from 5:00pm - 6:30pm. Our event is happening at the National Steinbeck Center, located at 1 Main Street, Salinas, CA 93901. Come by and hear more about our programs and services, and meet over a dozen of our fiscal sponsored groups operating under our 'umbrella'. Food and refreshment will be provided!

Pelase RSVP to Patty Fernandez, Girls Inc. Director, at 772-0882.

March 25, 2010: New Salinas Festival Promotes Peace Through Art and Music (Monterey County Weekly)

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:04:51 +0000

By Adam Joseph.

Juan Galletas, a senior at Edward Alvarez High School, found himself caught up in a world of violence and gang activity shortly after finishing the eighth grade. The lifestyle ended up laying the teen out in a coma for two months and turning his legs into “two stumps of dead meat.”

Galletas knows he was lucky the bullet didn’t kill him and has used the traumatic experience to start living a positive life.

As a teenager, Juan Lopez left his parents and two brothers in central Mexico to embark on a three-week journey to the United States. Lopez, who had been painting since he was a young child, had dreams of being the next Diego Rivera and knew opportunities were more plentiful in the North. Eventually he settled in Salinas with his uncle, where he picks strawberries six days a week. On Sundays, Lopez spends his lone day off doing what he is most passionate about: painting.

Galletas’ and Lopez’s tales are only a sampling of the stories attached to the 40 local teens putting together the One Salinas Arts Festival, promoting peace through the arts this Saturday in Oldtown.

“[The teens] get expertise in getting the word out about art,” says Festival Director Trish Sullivan. “There are lots of careers in the arts that don’t require you to be an artist, like an administrator or curator. We guide them and help them but don’t do it for them.”

Edward Alvarez High senior Jorge Carranza first got involved to fulfill his school’s community service assignment, but stayed on board beyond the required hours. The 18-year-old has spent 20 hours a week writing press releases, making posters, creating Facebook and Myspace profiles and building websites in addition to his school workload.

“One of the hardest things is figuring out how to reach people in such a short amount of time,” Carranza says. “The Internet is the best way to go.”

The teen volunteers even wrote and recorded a song for the One Salinas website, called “Just Us in Salinas.”

“The mission is to make the community aware of all the positive things young people are doing here,” Sullivan says. “These kids want to go to college; they want to get good grades. This gives them the chance to learn a skill set, and maybe they’ll find something that they’ve never thought of before.”

The list of the day’s activities continues growing at a rapid rate. Standout activities include: a chalk drawing contest, henna, airbrush tattoos, a Bill’s Wheels booth featuring the art of skateboard decks, origami, Koi Studios Japanese brush painting, bellydance lessons (authentic costumes provided), an improv acting tent, a poetry slam, reptile demonstrations with Jurassic Pets and a visual arts exhibit at Hartnell College Gallery on display through April 15.

In addition to the hands-on art activities and dance, there will be live music all day. This year marks a merger between the annual Salinas music fest Track Stock and One Salinas. The band lineup, curated by Wise Music, includes Tumbleweed, qiensave?, Razorhoof, Grated Earth, Blood Print and Counter Clockwise.

“Like [One Salinas], Track Stock gives young people the chance to do something they haven’t done before, like play in front of a live audience,” Sullivan says. “These teens really just want to show people that they’re interested in contributing in a positive way to their community.”

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2010/2010-Mar-25/a-new-salinas-festival-promotes-peace-through-art-and-music/1/@@index

February 18, 2010: Pathways to Safety News Bulletin

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:28:25 +0000

Dear Community Partners,

As we are navigating this tough financial crisis, I wanted to remind you about the Technical Assistance Grant opportunities from the Community Foundation. We interviewed Julianne Leavy, one of our long standing Pathways to Safety partners and Mel Mason from The Village Project. Both shared with us how these TA funds have benefitted their organizational development and ability to connect clients to services more expediently.

As many of you already know, the ACTION Council is now partnering with the Department of Social & Employment Services on another child welfare redesign initiative –Wraparound Monterey County. One of the ACTION Council’s principal roles is in developing a network of service providers to provide support to families with children at-risk of out-of-home placement. If you are interested in more information on how your agency can be a part of Wraparound Monterey County, please contact Jason Hall, Wraparound Administrative Coordinator at 207-8136.

In this Edition
It’s Worth It to Apply for Technical Assistance Grants – In the Spotlight: Harmony at Home and The Village Project
Funding Update
Funding Opportunities & Announcements

1. It’s Worth It to Apply for Technical Assistance Grants – In the Spotlight: Harmony at Home and the Village Project
Harmony at Home has been a Pathways to Safety partner for several years. So far, they have been awarded with three TA Grants from the Community Foundation. The first one, in October 2007, allowed them to upgrade their technology. As expressed by Julianne Leavy, Executive Director: “Prior to this grant we were working on one old and outdated computer and everyone in the office had to take turns. As a result of our improved computer system we can communicate more effectively with our clients and community partners, such as Pathways to Safety. It also allows to process referrals in a more expeditious manner and as a result clients are connected to services faster.” Harmony at Home also received technical assistance for a professional consultant who assisted the organization with setting priorities and goals, defining roles and organizational development to provide services in a more efficient and effective manner. See below for more information on Technical Assistance grants.

Harmony At Home provides counseling to children and families that have been exposed to violence and trauma. They provide counseling in the Alisal Union School District, Salinas City Elementary School District and Community Schools through the Monterey County Office of Education. In addition, family and individual counseling is available on a case-by-case basis county-wide for situations involving domestic violence, child abuse and high conflict divorce. For more information: www.harmony-at-home.org

The Village Project received a $3,625 Technical Assistance Grant from Community Foundation for Monterey County in April 2008. As expressed by Mel Mason, Executive Director: “This grant allowed us to complete a number of projects essential to the development of this agency including Board development, incorporation, strategic planning and establishing the foundation for our initial staffing and programmatic infrastructure. As a direct result of this grant, The Village Project was able to reach its initial goal of outreaching, engaging and providing therapeutic and other essential services to the African American community and other members of historically underserved communities.” See below for more information on Technical Assistance grants.

The Village Project was founded, in part, because of the passage of the Mental Health Services Act and initially focused on offering mental health counseling and therapy. In addition to individual therapy, The Village Project provides therapeutic groups for teens, couples and marriage counseling, a 15-week evidenced-based Effective Black Parenting Class (which has been attended by many non-African American parents), and cultural competency trainings for practitioners working with African American clients. Recently, The Village Project received a grant from AT&T to establish an After School Academy for high school students at risk of not graduating and a grant from the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District to involve elementary school youth in plant propagation projects in parks in Seaside in partnership with the City of Seaside and local schools.
For more information: mel@villageprojectinc.org

2. Pathways to Safety Funding Update
As many of you have experienced first hand, the ACTION Council had to drastically reduce funding of direct contracts. In collaboration with DSES we are working hard to identify and secure funds to sustain the initiative. I will continue to keep you posted on our fundraising efforts and welcome any suggestions or ideas. And of course I hope that you will keep Pathways to Safety in mind when it comes to program and fiscal planning within your own organization.

3. Funding Opportunities & Announcements

Technical Assistance Grants – Request for Proposal
Funder: Community Foundation for Monterey County
Application Deadline: Open, on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are depleted or May 1st, 2010, whichever comes first.
Amount: Up to $4000 (requires 25% matching funds from organization, some of which can be in-kind.)
What: Pathways to Safety community partners can apply for technical assistance funds from the Community Foundation in areas including, but not limited to, professional staff development, organizational development and fund development. Groups have used TA grants to upgrade technology, including donor management software, websites and communications. Other common uses are strategic planning, marketing, board retreats, etc. In the application you will need to show how your proposed use of the funds is connected to the Pathways to Safety initiative. For more information, go to the Community Foundation website: www.cfmco.org and look under Management Assistance.
Contact: Kaki Rusmore, at Community Foundation for Monterey County kaki@cfmco.org or (831) 375-9712

Professional Development Scholarships
Funder: Community Foundation for Monterey County
Application Deadline: No application needed.
Amount: $25.00 - $80.00/person per training event, more with approval.
What: Up to three people from your organization can attend any MAP workshop for free. ACTION Council approval is needed to send more people or attend other professional development events, such as conferences or training from other institutions. View MAP workshops at www.cfmco.org or http://www.cfmco.org/Workshops%20and%20Professional%20Development%20text.doc
Contact: Susie Polnaszek for your free registration code: susiep@cfmco.org or (831) 375-9712. For ACTION Council approval: Larry Imwalle – (831) 783-1244

Info Coming Soon!

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:44:30 +0000

November 10, 2009: Down-Payment Asistance Program for Marina Residents

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:43:57 +0000

The Ingram Housing Fund, set up by Marina residents, is available to make down payment assistance loans to low income households for home purchases in Marina. Loans with 3% simple interest will be made in amounts of up to $50,000 and are repayable upon resale of the home. Applicants must have lived in Marina for at least 2 years, must meet income requirements, and must not have owned a home for the past 3 years.

The program is administered by the ACTION Council of Monterey County, a local nonprofit organization. For program information and applications please visit the Ingram Housing Fund webpage on the ACTION Council website, or contact Libby McMahon, ACTION Council Finance Director, at 783-1244 or libby@actioncouncil.org.

Projects Include

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:35:41 +0000

If your group is interested in seeking fiscal sponsorship from the ACTION Council, you may download and complete the questionnaire, Requesting Fiscal Sponsorship.

For more information about fiscal sponsorship, contact us at (831) 783-1244.

Ingram Housing Fund

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:45:42 +0000

The Ingram Housing Fund (IHF) provides eligible Marina California residents with down payment assistance in the form of low interest, deferred payment loans for the purchase of homes in Marina. Interested parties may apply for loans from the Ingram Housing Fund concurrent with or prior to contracting to purchase a home within Marina City limits.

[Learn more … go to - http://www.actioncouncil.org/ingram-housing-fund]

Family Resource Center Network of Monterey County

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:39:41 +0000

The FRC Network consists of representatives from each of the family resource centers in the county, as well as other agencies such as adult schools that provide a wide array of services to families in their community. In addition, there are network members from community based organizations and public agencies who are interested in supporting and developing the capacity of family resource centers. This network supports family resource centers by providing a facilitated forum for sharing information and identifying broader community needs, and providing a framework for coordinated action to support the evolving needs of families.

Wraparound Monterey County

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:35:08 +0000

Wraparound serves families with children referred through child welfare, behavioral health, and probation who are at immediate risk of out-of-home placement. Wraparound is an organized planning process through which families receive individualized services and supports necessary to keep families together and out of institutional placements.