SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY

Our Grantees | 2010

Our grantees are the groups that make sure that services are available to those in need, our environment is protected and that the arts are a vital part of our community. These groups receive funds from the Foundation through the funds we manage for our donors as well as through our competitive grant round.

2010
Competitive Grants

Animals as Natural Therapy $5,000

in support of BRIDGES, a program in collaboration with the Bellingham School District serving local youth who are troubled or troubling.

Assistance League of Bellingham $1,500

in support of Operation School Bell, which provides new school clothing to Whatcom County primary school children that are living in poverty.

Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center $8,000

in support of Childhood Education, Health & Nutrition, Parent Involvement and General Family Support for low income families living in Whatcom County.

Bellingham Technical College Foundation $5,000

in support of low income parent and pre-parent/childbirth education scholarships at Bellingham Technical College.

Blue Skies for Children $3,500

in support  the Little Wishes Enrichment Program which benefits at risk, low income children of Whatcom County by providing sports and musical equipment, providing opportunities to take lessons or go to camps all which build self esteem, foster hidden talents and provide life enrichment.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County $5,000

in support of serving 600 migrant and low income youth in the Health & Life Skills Programs by increasing program frequency and teen participation.

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County $6,000

in support of the Safety During Distress Project to improve the response to Whatcom County victims of domestic violence affected by the economic recession.

Ferndale Community Resource Center $$8,400

in support of seed funds for staff and outreach for the second year of the Ferndale Community Resource Center - the only location within the Ferndale area that offers social services, information about available resources and a variety of educational opportunities for the community.

Ferndale Food Bank $5,500

in support of funding expansion of the capacity of the Ferndale Food Bank to handle the growing needs in the Ferndale community.

Hope House Multi Service Center $4,000

in support of providing easier access to emergency basic needs services for North and East Whatcom County low income and at risk residents.

Intercommunity Mercy Housing $4,500

in support of providing on site supportive services to low income Hispanic farm workers and their families residing at Sterling Meadows Apartments in Bellingham.

LAW Advocates $4,500

in support of providing assistance for disabled and homeless individuals apply for state and federal disability benefits.

Marianne's House $5,000

in support of  Adult Day Respite Care funding to help replace loss of state funding for adults with development disabilities.

Mount Baker Planned Parenthood $5,500

in support of funding for the employment of an Americorps volunteer who would assist MBPP's education department in expanding the peer education and community based programs to better meet the growing need for sexual health education.

Northwest Regional Council $2,500

in support of the Kinship Respite Care program, where older adults are often ill-prepared to raise their grandchildren and are not likely to understand services available to them.  This program assists these older adults to find supportive services, establish guardianship or foster-status, and to find support for their financial needs.

Opportunity Council $8,000

in support of funding equipment purchases, program planning, development and rental costs related to moving food preparation programs to a centralized location for Maple Alley Inn, a Whatcom County program that provides nutritious meals two days a week to people struggling to feed themselves and their families.

South Fork Valley Community Association $4,200

in support of promoting food equity, increasing self-sufficiency and continuing civic development through local communications and social media for the South Fork area residents.

Sun Community Service $8,000

in support of increasing the capacity via staff hours of Sun Community Services Shelter Program that provides mentally unstable and re-entering those with a criminal history to a safe place to live.

Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access $5,000

in support of assisting uninsured Whatcom County residents to obtain coverage and care for programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and Washington State's basic health plan.

Whatcom Center for Early Learning $5,000

in support of two weekly Whatcom Center for Earling Learning child/family support groups to strengthen families of young children ages birth to 3 with special needs and to build capacity within and between families to benefit parents, siblings and extended family members.

Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition $10,000

in support of using the "Housing First" model by housing those returning to Whatcom County from prison or jail who are willing to change their lives and help them navigate the burdensome hoops of our society - this process also includes counseling, education and employment.

Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center $7,500

in support of several youth programs including  youth workshops to meet rising demand by local schools, teen mediation training to build volunteer capacity to mediate these difficult relationships and the development of an advisory board to help guide services.

Whatcom Volunteer Center $5,000

in support of House to Home Network - the Virtual Furniture Bank with a goal to increase the housing stability of re-housed homeless clients, build community capacity to support public and private investment in ending homelessness in Whatcom County.

Womencare Shelter $6,000

in support of all of Womencares Shelter's programs:  providing a 24 hour crisis line, 18 bed emergency confidential shelter, legal advocacy, one on one advocacy, support groups, weekly empowering art workshops, children's advocacy, children's groups, community education, and permanent housing with rental subsidies and case management.

Total granted in 2010: $132,600