MEMBERS, MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

On October 9, TWF members will receive a ballot via email listing the finalists for this year’s TWF grant awards. The ballot will contain a summary of each proposal and a video explaining the community need the organization is addressing and the expected impact for clients should the organization receive grant funds from The Women’s Fund. Members will have until Monday, October 19th to review the ballot information and cast their votes via email.  

In past years, grant applicants were asked to submit proposals that addressed a specific focus area selected by TWF members. Starting with this year's grant-making cycle, we are eliminating the focus area; instead, we are seeking grant applications that address our overall mission. With this broader criteria, our goal is to elicit interest from a wider range of community groups and yield proposals that meet the urgent needs of our community.

Over twenty organizations have submitted proposals for up to $50,000 in funding. During September, the Grant Review Panel, composed of seven TWF members and facilitated by The Community Foundation of the North State program officer, will meet to assess the proposals for fit with the TWF mission, feasibility of implementation, and soundness of budget. The panel will select finalists for the member ballot.

As members of The Women’s Fund, we have chosen to join our resources together in the hope of making a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of women and families in our community. We invite all members to take time to study the ballot, to learn more about the current needs and the organizations dedicated to addressing them, and then cast your vote to make a difference in our community. 
Receiving The Women’s Fund COVID-19 support, in May of 2020, was a game changer for the Family Resource Center at Pathways to Hope for Children. The Center provides hope and healing along with child abuse prevention awareness, education, community outreach, youth development, family support, parent leadership, and activities that support its mission to promote a local culture that values all children and families.

Since the shelter-in-place order went into effect, local families have been dealing with tremendous stress. Pathways to Hope for Children (Shasta County’s Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council) offers Parent Partner services to the entire community through its multi-faceted Family Resource Center. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, self-referrals into these programs have dramatically increased.

With the grant from The Women’s Fund, Pathways hired Madi Sager, a talented and compassionate young woman who is dedicated to helping families and children navigate these difficult situations.  

Since starting with the organization in early July, Madi has been undergoing training in evidence-based practices like Adverse Childhood Experiences, Five Protective Factors, Hope Theory, and Spark Point Jobs Training. In the future, Madi will be trained in Positive Parenting Programs (Triple P), Safe Care, and Parent Café facilitation.

In her words, “Because of the experiences our clients have gone through, there is a need to be trauma-informed and sensitive to better serve them. I have already been able to attend a series of trainings to help (me) better understand the needs of those we work with.” 

With Madi on its team, Pathways was able to start a new program called the Hotline for Hope. She is now the primary parent partner answering the hotline, which provides parenting tips, suggestions, and resources to parents struggling through the pandemic. Madi is a listening ear to parents who need an outlet for their frustration. 

Madi also proved to be a valuable asset in PATHWAY’S Kindergarten Connection, working with more than 55 youth and 15 adults. Most recently she served as a counselor during Camp HOPE America, helping teens exposed to domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. These youth had been very negatively affected by the isolation of the pandemic. Madi made a significant impact on the entire camp of 48 campers and 16 young adult counselors. 

In Madi’s words again, “When I heard about Pathways to Hope for Children, I knew it was the place for me. I am grateful to The Women’s Fund for providing me this important opportunity. My time at Pathways has given me a perspective on life that I have never had before and for that I am thankful. I look forward to the many other opportunities that this job will present me with. I genuinely enjoy every day I get to spend here and I am excited for what my future with PHC will look like.”  
As individuals, few of us could hope to make a donation this large, but by coming together, by pooling our resources, we can make a huge impact! This is the power of collective philanthropy... together we can do SO MUCH!
Mark Your Calendar!

Please plan to join us at our upcoming events!
Due to current COVID-19 situation, through December 2020 all TWF events will be virtual.
Thursday, September 10
Mara Liasson - Elections 2020: the Canvas of American Politics.
Educational Forum in partnership with Shasta College and The McConnell Foundation: Join Mara Liasson, Fox News panelist and NPR political correspondent for an engaging evaluation of the canvas of American politics and the 2020 election, followed by a Q&A session.
The event is free and open to the public. 
Time: 6:00 PM

This event is a webinar, the login for which will be sent out to all ticket-holders closer to the event date.
IMPORTANT
Since we will be sending all information for our virtual events by email, it is important that we have your correct email address. To accomplish that, please send an email from your current account to reddingwomensfund@gmail.com and put your name in the subject line.
Event: Blood Drive
Organizer: Shasta Beloved Community, in conjunction with Vitalant and several other community organizations
When: September 11 and September 15, 2020
Time: 8 am - 1:30 pm
Where: Former Cornerstone Bank building at 150 E. Cypress Avenue, Redding.
Event Description: Blood drive to alleviate two shortages currently affecting our community: a shortage of blood in the blood banks and a shortage of community cohesiveness in the face of these divided times.
Make Appointment: donors.vitalant.org; click on Blood Drive Code and enter code SMFT161

Contact Info: Ashley Peluso, 530-524-0566, ashleymarie0620@gmail.com
The success of The Women's Fund is built upon the continued support and participation of each of our members! Thinking about joining? Need to renew? Click the button below to get started!