The Educational Events committee has brought cameras into the field to bring the work of Women’s Fund grantees into your living room. Here are recaps of recent Grants in Action events (with the videos in case you missed the premieres), plus a preview of more to come.
Seeing our Impact at SEE International
On September 29, more than 100 Women’s Fund members virtually toured SEE International’s Santa Barbara Vision Care Clinic to meet the doctors and view the optometric equipment the Women’s Fund provided through our $60,000 grant awarded in May. The clinic provides the local community with free comprehensive eye exams and assists with glasses, medicine, and essential eye surgeries for eye conditions such as cataracts, pterygium and retina problems. Temporarily closed due to the pandemic, the clinic reopened in early October fully equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment funded by our grant.
Rachel Tennant, Vice President of Development noted, “It [the equipment] helps us provide accessible eye care and sight-restoring surgeries to underserved people right here at home.”
If you missed it, here’s your chance to SEE THE VIDEO.
Experiencing Showers of Blessing and Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine
Then, on October 20, we had powerful site visits with Showers of Blessing and Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine (DWW-SBSM). More than 180 people attended the broadcast premiere, which included live conversations with Maureen Ellenberger of the Women’s Fund and Executive Directors John Tamiazzo and Maggie Sanchez, and two short films that showcased the work of each agency.
John said, “Thank you to the Women’s Fund for the $65,000 grant that has transformed our Showers of Blessing program. This generous grant allowed us to replace our original two-stall trailer with a brand new three bathroom/shower trailer. With this trailer we are now able to provide 50% more showers at all of our sites.”
Maggie added, “If there ever was a psychic moment, it would be DWW receiving a Women’s Fund grant of $60,000 for a daytime outreach specialist when there was an immediate urgent need. I am grateful the Women’s Fund realized the importance of having a trained, compassionate person to do this job and provided the funding for us to hire such a person.”
SEE THE VIDEO -Showers of Blessing and Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine
Coming Up Next!
Next, on December 8th, we'll present the latest in our Grants in Action series: Aging in Place in Santa Barbara – Obstacles and Opportunities. At this Educational Forum, you'll hear about the critical issues facing seniors who want to age in place with security and dignity. What policies, funding or model programs show the most promise? We’ll highlight the work of Women’s Fund grantees — 2nd Story Associates and Easy Lift.
Dr. Caroline Cicero, PhD, MSW, MPL and an Associate Professor at USC Davis School of Gerontology will give the keynote and participate in the panel discussion with Chris Parker and Ernesto Paredes.
Rona Barrett, founder of the groundbreaking Golden Inn & Village will give the closing remarks. This forum will be open to the public.