The Pacific Life Foundation recently completed the 2009 Economic Impact Grant program, which targeted health and human service agencies impacted by State and County of Orange 2009-2010 budget reductions. The funding range was $25,000 to $75,000 and the grants were required to be used to restore or retain services and/or positions that were cut in 2009, or would be cut in 2010. A total of 34 applications were submitted by the December 4, 2009 deadline. In mid-December, the Foundation awarded $715,000 in grants to ten nonprofit agencies in Orange County (see list below).
2009 Pacific Life Foundation Economic Impact Grant Recipients
AIDS Services Orange County - $75,000
Funding will allow the agency to re-hire two part-time staff members and restore their HIV testing level of service back to October 2008 service levels; it will also reinstate their VOICES HIV Prevention Program targeting Latinas.
Camino Health Center - $75,000
Funding will retain approximately 500 staff hours for a primary care physician, a medical assistant, and a front office staff person, thus providing the resources needed for an additional 1,049 patient visits at their clinic in San Juan Capistrano.
Children's Health Initiative of Orange County - $75,000
Funding will restore two Certified Application Assistors positions which are dedicated to enrolling children in health insurance programs for which they are eligible (e.g., the government subsidized Healthy Families Program) and connecting families to the health resources they need. With this funding the agency will be able to enroll 100 more children per month.
Community Services Program - $75,000
The funds will restore staff hours for five positions at the CSP Youth Shelter in Huntington Beach back to full-time status. The shelter provides emergency and temporary residential services to runaway, homeless, or abused teens.
Council on Aging - Orange County - $75,000
The funding will enable the coordinator position for their Caring Connections Friendly Visitor Program to be restored to full-time status, as well as ensuring the program's critical services to homebound seniors and persons with disabilities will not be reduced. Funding will also be used to retain the part-time Ombudsman Volunteer Coordinator for their Long Term Residential Care Advocate Program, which advocates for the rights of seniors living in licensed care facilities.
Healthy Smiles for Kids Orange County - $50,000
The funding will be used to restore staff hours for six dental professionals who will use the organization's SMILE MOBILE to provide free dental screening, fluoride varnish, sealants, and referrals for dental treatment to 10,000 children in Orange County.
Interval House - $75,000
Funding will restore three part-time key staff positions that train and supervise a corps of volunteers and interns at their domestic violence shelter in Seal Beach, as well as provide outreach to the community.
Laguna Beach Community Clinic - $65,000
The funds will be used restore medical staff hours so that the Clinic can continue to maintain Saturday hours in 2010, specifically twice per month January-March and December, and once per month from April- November.
Lestonnac Free Clinic - $75,000
The funding will allow the clinic in Orange to re-hire one full-time medical assistant and one part-time nurse practitioner which will restore services for nearly 2,000 patient visits.
Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Care Clinic - $75,000
Funding will restore the hours of critical personnel for their clinic in Garden Grove, specifically one full-time primary care physician, one part-time dentist, and one part-time (Medical Services Initiative) MSI application assistant, thus avoiding a decrease in clinic hours and services primarily in the areas of women's health, dental care, and optometry in 2010.
See the Press Release from December 17, 2009