Our Presentation Luncheon recap...

“When I look out at all the women here today, you remind me of something Margaret Mead said: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  

With these words, 2009 Women’s Fund Oversight Committee co-chair Fleurette Barsom-Janigian opened the sixth annual Presentation of Funds luncheon on February 8 at El Paseo Restaurant where the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara awarded grants totaling $365,000 to five local nonprofit agencies. This is an exciting and emotional event because Women’s Fund members learn which agencies are receiving grants from the donations we all made in 2009. These grants bring the total awarded by the Women’s Fund to more than $2.5 million to 33 local agencies since we began six years ago.

Directors of the five recipient agencies stepped to the microphone to receive their grants before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 225 members, guests and local media. Check out our photo gallery!

Each recipient expressed heartfelt thanks to the Women’s Fund donors for the difference these grants will make to women, children and families in the area. Click here for more detailed summaries.

Mike Foley, the Executive Director of Casa Esperanza said, “It is impossible to express our full gratitude for this gift and your support.  Homelessness is not an easy issue – your support today does more than create a volunteer coordinator at Casa Esperanza. It does more than keep our women’s wellness and jobs program going strong. It sends a message to the entire community that this issue can be tackled and must be solved. It shines a spotlight on a need that becomes more desperate every single day.”

Oversight co-chair Rachael Steidl said, “We’re thrilled that - during a time of economic instability - our member donations have remained constant over the past year, and that membership has grown from 67 women in 2004 to more than 400 at the end of 2009. It speaks volumes about the generosity of women in our community.”

Woman’s Fund founding chair Carol Palladini closed the luncheon with a motivating message, “I want to encourage each of you, in spite of the continuing poor economic times, to be as generous as you possibly can when you join the Women’s Fund for 2010. We members of this fund are dedicated to helping local nonprofits continue their essential work; so give more if you can, and tell every woman in your life to join you! Whether you gave $250 or $2500 or more this past year, remember that every one of you in this room just gave your community $365,000! Keep up your fantastic generosity and we look forward to sharing the joy of women changing lives together in 2010!”

• Casa Esperanza Homeless Center ($90,000) – for case management and volunteer training staff to provide homeless individuals and families with services that lead to stable housing and employment.

• Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara ($85,000) – for installation of solar panels on the agency’s food pantry, lowering energy costs and thus increasing their Foodbank budget to feed low-income families.

• Domestic Violence Solutions ($75,000) – for a volunteer coordinator, salary support and program costs to help victims of domestic violence living in the DVS Santa Barbara shelter and in Second Stage housing achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

• Sarah House ($40,000) – to sustain staff levels and expand holistic end-of-life residential care for low-income and homeless individuals and those with HIV/AIDs.

• St. Vincent’s of Santa Barbara ($75,000) – for case management staff to provide low-income and homeless mothers and their children the PATHS (Program of Affordable Transitional Housing and Services) to independence and self-sufficiency.

Left to right: Richard Kravetz, executive director, Domestic Violence Solutions; Randy Sunday, executive director, Sarah House; Sister Betty Marie Dunkel, interim executive director, St. Vincent"s of Santa Barbara; Brian Clark, regional coordinator, Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara; Mike Foley executive director,Casa Esperanza Homeless Shelter