Women's Fund | February 2023 Newsletter

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In the February 2023 issue…

Let’s Celebrate Another Impressive Grants Pool!
Grantee of the Month: Storyteller Children’s Center
Membership Corner: Join Our New Member Event

Let’s Celebrate Another Impressive Grants Pool!

We are thrilled to announce that we will soon be voting to distribute another record grants pool -- $925,000 -- the largest in our 19-year history! That means over the past two decades, the Women’s Fund will have donated more than $10.4 million to local nonprofits addressing the critical needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County. Let’s celebrate the generosity of our members who have been changing lives together since 2004.

In March, our 1,200 members will vote on a ballot of eligible nonprofit projects compiled by our volunteer Research Committee. The nonprofits and projects selected by the vote will be announced at an in-person Celebration of Grants event on May 9, at the Marjorie Luke Theater.

Here’s the timeline of important events over the next few months – please take note:

Friday, March 3 - Ballot Information Package emailed to all 2022 Women's Fund members.
Wednesday, March 8 AND Thursday, March 9, 4:30 pm – Virtual Ballot Review Meeting, Part One and Part Two. Only for members -- plan to attend both sessions to make sure you learn about all the candidates.
Thursday, March 9 - Ballots emailed via Survey Monkey to all eligible voters (voting Group Captains and Individual Members) with a link to cast electronic votes.
March 9 to March 31 – Window for voting. Group Captains host voting meetings with their groups and decide how to cast their group votes; Individual members attend ballot discussion groups.
Saturday, April 1, 6:00 pm - Deadline for electronic voting by eligible voters.
Tuesday, May 9, 4:45 pm – In-person Celebration of Grants at the Marjorie Luke Theatre to celebrate our 2023-24 grantees!

Grantee of the Month:
Storyteller Children’s Center

The experiences children have early in life play a crucial role in the development of the brain. In fact, from birth to age five, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life. Exposure to complex trauma in early childhood leads to structural and functional brain changes and is a critical time on which many positive adult outcomes depend. When unemployment, poverty, housing insecurity, or domestic violence shape the family context, children suffer in ways that may have long-term negative impacts.

On the other hand, exposure to positive factors -- especially stable and responsive relationships with parents and other adults, and safe and supportive environments -- promote positive development. Last spring, the Family Advocate Program of Storyteller Children’s Center received a grant for $55,000 from the Women’s Fund, increasing its capacity to respond to the needs of families experiencing these challenges.

The Women’s Fund grant allows Storyteller to expand the Family Advocate Program to 30 hours per week, underwriting the Program’s ability to reach 60-70 families as compared to only 10 families in 2021. The grant also covers the costs of office space, professional development, and a parent support group.

According to Dr. Gabriella Garcia, Executive Director of Storyteller Children’s Center, the Family Advocate Program has helped clients like Martha reunite with her children. Martha needed support to gain stability for her family. “Martha worked directly with the Family Advocate to focus on small attainable goals like obtaining resources such as clothing, food, and rental assistance,” says Garcia. As a result of this support, she eventually regained financial and emotional stability. She completed a parenting program called Strengthening Families and now has full custody of her children and a job, and for the first time in a long time, she feels hopeful about her family’s future.

The Women’s Fund grant to Storyteller, founded 34 years ago by community members who saw and responded to their neighbors in need, provides fresh evidence of the continuing commitment of the Santa Barbara community to support children facing housing insecurity and adverse circumstances.

Contact melissa@storytellercenter.org to learn about the agency's 9th annual Lunch with Love on April 13. For information about how to get involved, including volunteer opportunities, contact haileigh@storytellercenter.org.

Membership Corner:
Join Our New Member Reception

Are you a new member? Or, have you been a member for a little while and want to learn more about the Women’s Fund? Then join us for our New Member reception at the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery on February 22 at 5:00 pm.

This informal and informative social gathering is a wonderful opportunity for new and potential members to become more familiar with the Women’s Fund.

Meet other new members and current leaders in the Women’s Fund
Learn about how our grant dollars are working in the community
Enjoy delightful nibbles and beverages

Register here. If you’d like to bring a guest, use this link.

Welcome New Members!

December 2022 brought the gift of many new members to the Women’s Fund:

Angie Brown, Michelle Cobb, Sally Eagle, Sara Ellis, Laurie Ells, Patricia Hooser, Annie Huyck, Jaimie Jenks, Jane Killebrew, Kat Landa, Georgene Lowe, Maxine Makover, Janice McGlashan, Melanie Mitchel, Elizabeth Patterson, Lorraine Reichel, Jennifer Rogers, Jan Sande, Maureen Siegel, DaAnne Smith, Kathy Van Meter, Michelle Weinman, Debbie Williams, and Dana Zurzolo.

And in the New Year, we welcomed several more new members:

Paula Caterina, Laura Ciontea, Lynne Hornyak, Jamie Knee, Grace Lau, Margaret Morrera, Rebecca Norton, and Robin Rodnick.

133 East De La Guerra Street, #15
Santa Barbara, CA 93101