A message to the community from our

President and CEO

Oh, the E-mails You'll Read

Hello there, dear friends and fellas,

The e-mail here, with news to tell us!

March has arrived, and it brings a theme,

To celebrate reading, it would seem.

Reading is fun, I think you know,

It helps us learn and helps us grow!

From books to blogs to tweets and more,

Literacy can help us soar.

Let’s learn and grow, and share with glee,

Just how fun reading can be.

Reading has always been one of my favorites, as you can see in the picture above. I make no apologies for the 1990 bowl haircut. In March, we celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Read Across America, where community members visit schools to share the joy of reading with our next generation. Read on to find out more about literacy in Kern County.

Aaron Falk

LATEST NEWS

GIVE BIG KERN is May 2, 2023!

Please join us! Give Big at the Park is a Give Big Kern Nonprofit Meet and Greet event. This event will take place on April 22, 2023, at 8:00 AM at The Park at River Walk. There is no cost to participate. Our goal for this event is to raise awareness for the important work that nonprofit organizations like yours do in our community. If you are interested in participating, please contact Teems Tulfo at Fatima@kernfoundation.org.

Upcoming Important Dates

Best Practices: P2P & Matching Training

March 14, 2023 at 9:00AM

City Centre - 1300 17th Street

To RSVP: (Click Here)

Best Practices: Social Media

March 21, 2023 at 9:00AM

City Centre - 1300 17th Street

To RSVP: (Click Here)

Final Steps Webinar:

March 27, 2023 at 9:30AM

TO REGISTER: (Click Here)

Give Big at the Park:

April 22, 2023 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

The Park at River Walk

Kern Connected Community Network

We currently have 135 active organizations and 2072 users on the platform on the Kern Connected Community Network. These organizations range from behavioral health clinics, school districts and community based organizations. The users are the individuals who are sending and accepting referrals.

KCCN recently hosted its first KCCN Unite Us Partner Spotlight of the year. The purpose of the Partner Spotlight is to highlight the network's active partners in addition to learning about their programs and services. It is an opportunity to learn from fellow colleagues and have fun playing trivia. This Partner Spotlight highlighted Church Without Walls, Aspiranet, Casa Esperanza, and United Way (VITA). The next spotlight is scheduled for March 23 at 11 AM. If you are interested in learning more about KCCN or would like to be a Partner Spotlight, please contact Teems Tulfo at Fatima@kernfoundation.org.

For more information on KCCN (Click Here). If you would like to get connected to community resources (Click Here).

Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program

Meet the new Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program's City Hall Fellows. The Fellows had a great orientation. Mayor Goh welcomed them to the cohort, they toured City Hall, and they met the City’s department heads and City Manager Christian Clegg. We are excited to have the new fellows in BYJP and for them to work on important projects within their departments.

BYJP also tabled at The Celebration of a King and a Day of Service hosted by the Bakersfield City School District in collaboration with Stay Focused at Belle Terrace Park and shared the opportunities that are offered through the program with attendees. The goal of the event was to bring the community together to celebrate the teaching’s of MLK and share local resources with the community.

The Program Specialists hosted the first nonprofit internship workshop focused on soft skills that can translate into long-term success within the workforce. The Nonprofit Internship Program is a 15-week, paid internship where youth will work part-time with local nonprofits. The Nonprofit Referral Form allows nonprofits to recommend candidates for the program, and applicants will receive interview dates so BYJP can begin worksite placements.

For more information on BYJP (Click Here).

Featured Fellow

"Through the BYJP I have been able to grow in my professional development within a supportive environment. What I have enjoyed the most about BYJP is the ability to adapt into a government job without all the pressures of having a full-time job. I have been able see how different departments within the city work together and pass along information with one another, as well as the importance of public interest and input. Through this experience I feel comfortable and ready to step out into a full-time career within public service and translate my skills and abilities from this program into tangible productivity and solutions for my community."

-Yuridiana Pantoja

Yuri is a fellow in the City of Bakersfield's Water Department. She is studying public policy at CSUB and has ambitions of working for the state government. She will be graduating in May 2023.

Nonprofit Internship Application

Nonprofit Referral Form

Love Links! Links for Life Annual Luncheon

Love Links! What an amazing time at Links For Life’s Annual Love Links Luncheon. Links for Life is a nonprofit that promotes breast cancer awareness and provide services for women coping with cancer in Kern County. The funds raised go toward services such as mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, wig and head covering from hair loss, grocery cards, nutrition programs, and survivor and family support groups.

Carrie Johnson’s survivor story was truly inspirational. Kern Community Foundation and Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program staff had a wonderful time celebrating and honoring survivors. If you are interested in learning more about breast cancer awareness or would like to donate, please visit linksforlife .org

DID YOU KNOW?

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Kern Community Foundation (KCF) is hiring a Project Specialist. The Project Specialist is a junior position designed for someone who wants to enter the nonprofit career field. The Foundation will hire a candidate who can support current projects, grow new relationships across Kern County, and motivate others to take action to improve our county.

For a detailed job description, please visit our website (Click Here).

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Scholarship applications and

Renewable scholarships applications are now available!

APPLY NOW!

If you are interested in a workshop or would like to know more about the scholarship process, please reach out to Angela@kernfoun dation.org.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Applications for the 2023 Waterman Foundation Rotary Club of Bakersfield Capital Grant Program are now available! The Waterman Foundation was established by the Bakersfield Downtown Rotary Club in 1984 to provide scholarships to local students and grants for capital projects supporting local nonprofit organizations.

For more information please visit our website (Click Here).

The deadline to apply is

May 1, 2023.

APPLY NOW

Kern Community Foundation is seeking Scholarship Evaluators. Evaluators play a critical role in the scholarship process as they help ensure that scholarships are awarded fairly and to those who meet the scholarship's criteria.

Evaluators will complete a conflict-of-interest form and review the step-by-step process using our online document. Evaluators read each student's personal statement and score it using the rubric we provide.

If you’re interested in participating, please provide your contact information on the KCF Evaluation Form (Click Here).

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Kern Literacy Council

Kern Literacy Council was established in 1966 and is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization. Their mission is to empower individuals to improve the quality of their lives through literacy education. The Literacy Council has a staff of three and has the motto of "Small, but Mighty." The organization has an average of 70 volunteers each month who donate more than 15,000 hours each year, teaching various subjects and programs. The Kern Literacy Council now serves adults and children - Services are virtual, in-person, and hybrid.

Kern residents can receive free tutoring from one of our trained tutors, both on-site and via Zoom. KLC can help you learn to read, write, and do math, pass your GED exam, prepare you for your citizenship test, and teach you reading strategies to use with your children! Call KLC at 661-324-3213 or email info@kernliteracy.org.

As a nonprofit organization, Kern Literacy Council appreciates gifts of time and treasure. Gifts of all sizes are always welcome. It costs approximately $500 per student for an entire year. Gifts of $500 qualify more individuals for membership in Leaders for Literacy. Visit their website for more information about events and services at www.kernliteracy.org

New Registered Nonprofits

COMMUNITY CALENDAR