Mexican American Community Services Agency Wins Grant

PALO ALTO – The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health has awarded $125,000 over two years to the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) of Santa Clara County.

The grant is one of 11 awards recently announced by Stephen Peeps, foundation president and CEO.

MACSA will use the funds to establish a tri-part mentoring program for pre-teen boys and girls in East San Jose, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Alviso. The program features prevention and leadership education, and support services for parents. Prevention education will focus on self-esteem, development of skills to refuse to engage in risky behavior, goal setting and career exploration. In the leadership component pre-teens will learn about their community, meet city council members and participate in a project, such as planning and implementing a community health fair for youth. The third component, supportive services, will offer parent-staff meetings, parent education and social service referrals.

“Youth need nurturing, advocacy and consistency to become successful,” said Maria Elena De La Garza, MACSA division director. “The need is huge. What an exciting opportunity the foundation has afforded us.”

The foundation makes grants in two areas: protecting children, ages 0 to 5, from injury, with an emphasis on preventing child abuse and neglect; and promoting behavioral, mental and emotional health in pre-teens.

The other Santa Clara County grantees and their awards are: Catholic Charities of San Jose, $250,000 over two years; Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, $150,000 over two years; and Social Advocates for Youth, $175,000 over two years.

San Mateo County grantees are: The Coastside Collaborative for Children, Youth, and Families, $20,000 over two years; Family Support Center of the Mid-Peninsula, $88,000 over two years; Peninsula Family YMCA, $75,000 over two years; Redwood City Healthy Start Network, $150,000 over two years; and the San Francisco 49ers Academy, $75,000. Today’s Youth Matter, an organization that works to build the self-esteem of troubled youth from both counties, will receive $121,405, over three years, to add year-round mentoring to its current summer camp program.

루실 패커드 아동 건강 재단은 1996년, 이전에는 독립 기관이었던 루실 솔터 패커드 아동 병원이 스탠퍼드 대학교 의료센터에 편입되면서 공익 자선 단체로 설립되었습니다. 재단의 사명은 "아동의 신체적, 정신적, 정서적, 행동적 건강을 증진, 보호, 유지하는 것"입니다.

지역사회 지원금 프로그램은 재단의 기부금으로 운영됩니다. 지원금은 6월과 12월, 연 2회 지급됩니다.

이 재단은 루실 패커드 어린이 병원과 스탠퍼드 의대 소아과 프로그램을 위한 기금을 모금하는 기관이기도 합니다. 재단에서는 아동 건강 문제에 대한 대중 정보 및 교육 프로그램을 개발하고 있습니다.

재단의 커뮤니티 지원 프로그램에 대한 자세한 내용은 (650) 736-0676으로 전화하거나 웹 사이트를 방문하십시오. www.lpfch.org.