Homelessness is a growing challenge across the San Diego region, but particularly within the Carlsbad community.
According to the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, the City of Carlsbad saw a 48 percent increase in the number of homeless residents from 2016 to 2017, compared to a 5 percent increase throughout the region.
The Carlsbad Charitable Foundation (CCF) is hoping to change that. Through its 2018 grant cycle, members are playing an active role in solving homelessness and getting local residents back on their feet.
Supporting Neighbors in Need
On May 2, nearly 100 CCF members, community leaders and partners came together for the Annual Grants Celebration to award $90,000 to three nonprofits stopping the cycle of poverty and homelessness for individuals, youth and families in Carlsbad.
Among the three organizations supported was Solutions for Change. The organization delivers a unique support model that blends affordable housing, educational opportunities, employment training and health-related solutions to solve family homelessness.
With the CCF grant, Solutions for Change will enroll up to six Carlsbad families (amounting to 12-18 parents and children) in their award-winning Solutions University program. Participants will receive vital life skill classes, individualized case management and career preparation. Once the program milestones are met, the families will move into supportive housing, located in Carlsbad.
“The Carlsbad Charitable Foundation grant is an incredible honor for Solutions for Change,” stated Solutions for Change CEO Chris Megison. “The funding will allow us to equip Carlsbad homeless families with the skills, knowledge and resources to re-write their futures. We are committed to empowering homeless families, moving them from a life of dependency on government programs, to a life of self-sufficiency and purpose.”
With the Solutions for Change grant, as well as the two others, CCF is investing in innovative and sustainable solutions that support everyone impacted by homelessness.
The Interfaith Community Services Family Sufficiency Program and Voices for Children Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program also received grant support from CCF.
Make a Lasting Impact
The San Diego Foundation Regional Affiliate Program enables communities to leverage charitable funds from its residents who take collective action through grantmaking. For over a decade, CCF has supported Carlsbad by granting more than $800,000 to the organizations working in the region and built an endowment of more than $700,000 to benefit the community in perpetuity.
If you aren’t a member yet, the Regional Affiliate Program is the perfect way to become an active participant in your community’s growth, wherever you live.
Working alongside your friends and neighbors, you can help your community and build a strong, resilient neighborhood today, and into the future.
