Greetings, Carlsbad Charitable Foundation!
As we begin to head into the holiday season, let’s hope for a more festive time surrounded by family and friends.
Now in our 14th year of grantmaking, we’re inviting local organizations to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) that provide opportunities to invest, celebrate and enhance the community. CCF is committed to improving and preserving the quality of life in Carlsbad by investing in local organizations and funding projects that demonstrate the power to build a more vibrant community. The deadline for LOI applications is Dec 1st and the guidelines can be accessed here.
We hope to be in contact soon with a fun holiday membership appreciation update. In the meantime, please enjoy our new member feature from the Carlsbad by the Sea Residents Association, and an impactful story from past grantee, the Grocery Gifts.
Please know that your generosity is making a difference in the lives of so many. None of us can do it alone, yet together we can make a great impact on the community that we love. We are better together!
Member: Carlsbad by the Sea Residents Association
The Residents Association of Carlsbad By The Sea serves as the resident council for its senior living community. Residents show their appreciation to CBTS employees each year with a year-end gift, and they support employee aspirations with a scholarship fund that reimburses tuition costs for staff building their career skills. The Association also recognizes the tremendous support our community receives from Carlsbad first responders with a gift to the fire/ambulance stations that service CBTS. Another program encourages interaction between the residents and the Carlsbad community by providing gifts to a wide variety of organizations that help enrich the lives of those who live at CBTS with entertainment and services. During the pandemic, the residents felt a special need to reach out to and support those organizations in the community that were on the front lines of serving those most in need, including the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation.
“We are fortunate to live at Carlsbad By The Sea and to be part of the Carlsbad community,” says Sandra Sweeney, President of CBTS Residents Association. “We joined CCF because we want to be good neighbors and support the organizations that help make Carlsbad the great community it is.”
Grantee Spotlight: Grocery Gifts
With an incredibly generous grant from the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation and its members, Grocery Gifts was able to complete its summer 2021 Grocery Gifts program. The group was able to provide fresh groceries for 10 weeks to approximately 155 families each week. They provided 20 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, a gallon of milk, a pound of cheese and butter, a dozen eggs and bread. By adding the CCF grant to additional dollars fundraised, Grocery Gifts was able to do some special extras in their July and August boxes including bagels, cream cheese and ice cream, which were absolute hits! They even gave ice cream cups to the kids in the cars at the pick-up line and it made their hot, summer day.
Grocery Gifts received the following letter from a single mom at the end of the summer:
“I want to take a minute to tell you how much I appreciate the help you have given my family during this pandemic time. My son-in-law lost his job during the pandemic and it has been a struggle for him to find work. Through this time, the weekly food donation has really helped them to survive. Your generosity has been totally appreciated. The people that greeted us each week were amazing. You were all so positive and so willing to help us. We looked forward to picking up the produce, milk and eggs and then you added ice cream! That was a total game changer for the kids. There is no way I could repay you for all you have done. Please know that you have been a blessing to our house and to many others. Hopefully there will be a time when I can pay it forward to others.”
Thanks to CCF and its members, Grocery Gifts provided weekly groceries for about 8,000 Carlsbad people in total this summer. They thank CCF for the incredible support and look forward to partnering for many years to come!
