Four Santa Clara County Organizations Win Grants to Benefit Children’s Health

PALO ALTO – Four Santa Clara County nonprofit organizations have won grants from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, announced Stephen Peeps, foundation president and CEO.

The grants were four of 11 awarded by the foundation in its first of two funding cycles this year. The grantees and their awards are: the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, Catholic Charities of San Jose, Social Advocates for Youth in Sunnyvale and the Mexican American Community Services Agency, which serves southern Santa Clara County.

The Children's Discovery Museum will receive $150,000, over two years, for a program that teaches pre-teens how to design Web pages and produce radio spots and video regarding health topics of interest to their age group.

"The museum staff heard significant concerns from South Bay youth about the need to engage them in health education," said Jenni Martin, director of education and programs at the museum. "The Discovery Youth program teaches youth new tools, the tools of technology, that will allow them to become contributing citizens as they educate their peers and younger children about various health issues."

Catholic Charities will receive of $250,00, over two years, to establish a multi-lingual parent peer training program. The program will train parents and caregivers in communication and disciplinary skills and behaviors to guide children ages 9 to 13.

Social Advocates for Youth will receive $175,000, over two years, for its new Parents Promoting Youth Development program, which serves both parents and youth. Parents can participate in multi-lingual discussion groups and acquire tools for stress and anger management. Pre-teens will learn about topics such as nutrition, stress and depression, and about risky behaviors, including smoking and substance abuse.

Mexican American Community Services Agency will receive $125,000, over two years, for a mentoring program serving East San Jose, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Alviso. The program focuses on self-esteem, skills for refusing to engage in risky behavior, goal setting and career exploration.

Pre-teens will learn about their community, meet city council members and participate in a service project, such as planning and implementing a community health fair for youth. The program provides support services such as parent-staff meetings, parent education and social service referrals.

The Lucile Packard 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 foundation also awarded grants to the following San Mateo County organizations: San Carlos Healthy Cities Project, $25,000; 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; and the San Francisco 49ers Academy in East Palo Alto, $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.

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health was established as a public charity in 1996, when the previously independent Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital became part of Stanford University Medical Center. The foundation's mission is to "promote, protect, and sustain the physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children."

Funding for the community grantmaking program comes from the foundation's endowment. Grants are awarded twice a year, in June and December.

The foundation also is the fundraiser for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the pediatric programs at Stanford Medical School. A program of public information and education regarding children's health issues is under development at the foundation.

For more information about the foundation's community grantmaking program, call (650) 736-0676, or visit the Web site, www.lpfch.org.