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Premier Members Making a Difference: Coast Roots Farm

What do you benefit most from being a member of NCPC?
Coastal Roots Farm is grateful to learn from, teach, and work with other inspiring nonprofit organizations.
What do you offer to the community?
Coastal Roots Farm is a nonprofit Jewish community farm and education center with a mission to Nourish Community. We practice regenerative agriculture, share our harvest with those who lack access, deliver unique farm-based educational programs, and foster inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds to come together to connect, learn, and celebrate in ways that catalyze a more vibrant community.
The Farm’s programs Nourish Community by not only providing fresh, organic produce to vulnerable community members, but also offering quality, outdoor educational opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, using sustainable farming techniques to improve the fertility of the soil and support a biodiverse ecosystem, and teach Jewish tradition and heritage through our agricultural practices.
What was your organization/company’s biggest accomplishment in the past six months/one year?
Since January, we have grown and distributed 37,676 pounds of organic nutrient-dense produce and eggs to vulnerable members of our community. We’ve provided 21,218 individuals with food and diverted 440,162 pounds of waste from the landfill through our composting program. Additionally, the Farm welcomed over 350 “Farmers-in-Training” to our After-School, Spring, and Summer Farm Camps. During the pandemic, this program was created to meet new childcare challenges and to continue providing equitable farm-based environmental education.
What event/program or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?
  • 9th Annual Sukkot Harvest Festival
Join us for the 9th Annual Sukkot Harvest Festival at Coastal Roots Farm on September 19, 2021 from 11am-3pm. The Sukkot Harvest Festival is the Farm’s biggest event of the year, inspired by the Jewish tradition of gathering community outdoors to celebrate the end of an abundant summer harvest and welcome in the fall season and all it brings. Meet us under the sukkah (temporary shelter) for a day filled with live music, food, drinks, and activities for all ages.
  • Farm Film & Music Series
We invite our community to spend a beautiful evening on the Farm to listen and learn about equitable food systems, climate change, environmental justice, and more through a series of inspiring films.
The next film we are screening is The Kitchenistas on October 7th. Doors open at 5:30pm. Film screening begins at 6:30pm. Click here for more info.

Meet Our Members: Jewish Community Foundation

The Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) recently launched giv4. This initiative allows everyone to participate in cause-based philanthropy, addressing one of our community’s biggest challenges – homelessness. The goals of giv4 are (1) to raise funds for a group of impactful nonprofits; and (2) to educate donors and increase their understanding of the complex issues surrounding homelessness.

The giv4 homelessness in san diego fund is a group of 12 nonprofits, carefully curated in partnership with the Lucky Duck Foundation and Funders Together to End Homelesness. The nonprofits work in one of three different areas: intervention, prevention or systems change.

Individuals can donate to the giv4 fund, and 100% of funds we receive are distributed to the twelve organizations. Each month, we tell the story of a giv4 nonprofit through brief videos and impact reports – each organization thus educates donors on a different aspect of homelessness (from youths to seniors; from outreach to shelter; from policy change to promoting understanding through music). More information can be found at giv4.org.

Meet Our Members: Promises2Kids

Promises2Kids’ mission is to create a brighter future for foster children® in San Diego County. From the moment they come into foster care and through to adulthood, Promises2Kids provides the hope, support, and opportunities these individuals need to change their lives for the better… now and for years to come. Signature programs include Camp Connect, Guardian Scholars, Foster Funds, and the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Promises2Kids, originally founded in 1981 as the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation. It all started with a simple wish – to ensure children are safe, happy and loved. Three remarkable local San Diegans (Norma Hirsh, Renée Comeau, and Robert K. Butterfield) took that dream and transformed it into an organization that has supported over 200,000 abused and neglected children in our community.

Over the years, Promises2Kids has been at the forefront of foster care related issues, leading efforts including building the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center (an emergency shelter for abused and neglected children) with the County of San Diego and many individual supporters, collaboratively building San Pasqual Academy, the creation of one centralized Child Abuse Hotline, training and coordinating first responders on responding to child abuse cases, reuniting siblings separated in foster care, providing education and career support for current and former foster youth, providing opportunities for foster youth to participate in extracurricular activities, and much more.

Promises2Kids was recently recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as Nonprofit of the Year. As a 100% philanthropy funded organization, their work is made possible thanks to the generosity and support of countless community members.

For more information on how you can make a difference in a foster child’s life, visit www.Promises2Kids.org.

 

 

Meet Our Members: The Grauer School

The Grauer School, a grades 7-12 independent, college preparatory school, celebrates three decades here in Encinitas. The Grauer School emphasizes meaningful mentoring relationships with all students through Socratic teaching, expeditionary and outdoor learning, and the globally renowned small school model.

The Grauer School welcomed all students back to campus in August and continue to utilize sixteen outdoor classroom spaces, including a tree house and a beach. It is a place of natural passion and a home for creativity and inner motivation. Twice a year, Grauer students also travel on week-long expeditions throughout the United States and abroad, and this year, our students will continue to explore passions locally.

Grauer was voted among the top 10 places to work in the United States in an Outdoor Magazine poll and the school scores 99%ile -top of the nation- in Panorama’s surveys of student social emotional learning. Our students truly mean the world to us, and we welcome the community to learn more about empowering independent education. Join us on Saturday, November 6 for our Open House. Families can tour the Grauer campus and hear directly from students about the Grauer experience. To learn more about The Grauer School and to RSVP, visit www.grauerschool.com or call 760-944-6777.

Premier Members Making a Difference: Interfaith Community Services

What is your Mission?
Interfaith Community Services empowers people in need to stabilize and improve their lives through comprehensive programs, in partnership with diverse faith communities and people of compassion.
What do you offer to the community?
Interfaith provides both immediate safety net services and long-term, life-changing services for the most poor and vulnerable of our San Diego County residents. Our 70+ programs are organized into five main areas: Self-Sufficiency and Supportive Services, Clinical and Behavioral Health, Employment and Economic Development, Recovery and Wellness, and Housing Services, all designed to overlap so that clients have access to as many resources as necessary for their individual situation. These comprehensive programs work to ensure that individuals become self- sufficient, active participants in the community. All programs are focused on the goal of helping individuals and families in crisis stabilize and improve their wellbeing, while also working to end homelessness and alleviate poverty in our communities.
What do you benefit most from being a member of NCPC?
Interfaith Community Services is proud and thankful to be a member of NCPC. We work in partnership with hundreds of diverse faith communities, thousands of supporting donors and volunteers, and dozens of partner community-based organizations. NCPC strengthens our connections and our ability to work in genuine and true partnership to deliver on our mission of helping people help themselves.
What was your organization/company’s biggest accomplishment in the past six months – one year?
Our greatest accomplishment in the past six months has been the opening of our new Abraham and Lillian Turk Recuperative Care Center, the home of Interfaith’s Post-Hospitalization Recuperative Care Program and our new Graduate Lodging Program. The only stand-alone center of its kind in San Diego, this new campus co-locates integrated, evidence-based social services, medical care, and behavioral health support to address the complex needs of individuals experiencing homelessness as they establish a pathway towards self-sufficiency. More than anything else, the Turk Center is a place for healing and restoration. It is a place for people who are medically frail and without homes or a place of their own. Interfaith envisions the Turk Center being the first of many new healing and restorative places in our community for people struggling with health problems and homelessness.
What event/program or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?
Mental health is on our mind.
Interfaith Community Services invites you to join our Annual Meeting and sneak peek of Change Your Mind (CYM), a unique initiative designed to change the conversation about mental health- –one mind–and one life–at a time. We will be hosting virtual conversations, inspiring microevents, social media engagements, and an inaugural #ChangeYourMind Festival in February 2022. For now, please join us October 28th, 11 am-1 pm, at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. Details will be posted in the future on NCPC’s community calendar.
For more information, please contact Mitchell Snow, msnow@interfaithservices.org
What changes/opportunities have occurred due to COVID-19?
We are reminded daily at Interfaith Community Services that Resilience – the capacity to navigate difficult challenges and also improve along the way – resides within our clients, employees, and volunteer communities. We are proud of our organizational capacity to survive the pandemic and related critical challenges, and to grow and strengthen our critical safety net services to meet the needs of communities in crisis. With our broad continuum of programs and services, the resources we provide stabilize and rebuild the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors most disproportionately impacted by the economic devastation of COVID-19. Interfaith employees and volunteers continue to be heroic, on the frontlines, and essential in meeting our clients’ needs and providing supportive services, shelter, counseling, employment support, housing and access to healthcare. Interfaith continuously evolves to meet the needs of our community, yet our motto stays the same. We are Interfaith Community Services and we are Helping People Help Themselves. Please consider joining our invaluable community of volunteers! getinvolved@interfaithservices.org
Have you made a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization/company and if so, how are you demonstrating it?
For over 40 years, Interfaith Community Services has provided services to and advocated for vulnerable and underserved members of San Diego County – regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Following the murder of George Floyd, Interfaith pledged to actively address the inexorable link between racism, poverty, homelessness, and trauma. In 2020, we launched an employee-led Racial Justice Working Group, and in 2021 partnered with a diversity consulting firm to facilitate our commitment to Anti-Racism. We are engaged in a lengthy process of self-assessment, education, and training for staff teams and faith communities. Our pledge to combat all forms of oppression and marginalization is central to our mission. We will continue to work diligently to bring to fruition our vision of a society in which all people can lead healthy, self-sufficient and empowered lives.

Premier Members Making a Difference: Catalent

What do you benefit most from being a member of NCPC?
At Catalent San Diego, we are dedicated to two things:

  1. “Patient First” philosophy drives all of our actions,
  2. Community Support and Involvement helps everyone else we don’t touch.
Our volunteering and philanthropy programs amplify the enthusiasm we have for giving back to our communities—especially in the areas of health and STEM education. Catalent San Diego has a long history of giving back to our neighbors. Through “Catalent Cares,” employees have been organizing volunteer projects and charitable giving for years. In alignment with our corporate responsibility strategy, we encourage employees to volunteer for organizations that serve patients, expand STEM education, and protect the environment.

Catalent San Diego has one community ambassador who coordinates with our Corporate Responsibility team, defines the local volunteering strategy, and connects employees to causes and nonprofit partners important to the site. Our ambassadors champion volunteering and ensure that our projects align with local community needs. In alignment with our actions and philosophy, Catalent San Diego benefits from being a part of NCPC, because we become more directly connected to the organizations that are doing the heavy lifting to help our community at large.

Catalent San Diego’s mission is to develop, manufacture and supply products that help people live better, healthier lives. We work closely with innovative biotechs (worldwide) that have life-changing small molecules or peptides. In the San Diego facility, we help biotechs turn these molecules into capsules, tablets or injectables to be used in ‘first in human’ clinical trials.

What do you offer to the community?
We have a long tradition at Catalent San Diego of volunteerism with our employees through our ‘Catalent Cares’ program to the donation of grants for non-profits that have heavy, positive impacts in our community. We willingly give our time and treasure to ensure that our community knows that we could not be here without them. We not only help construct lifesaving treatments (with our partner biotechs) for those in need, but we also give back in a more immediate and direct way.

What was your organization/company’s biggest accomplishment in the past six months – one year?
We worked on over 60 life-changing therapies, focusing on very different indications to include oncology, COVID-19, Parkinson’s, and many more. We also donated over 1000 hours of community service during the pandemic. Some of the beneficiaries of these hours went to supporting Mountain Shadows Thanksgiving gift baskets, San Diego Food Bank, Homeless Hygiene Supplies, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Community College Career Panels.What event/program or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?
In late October 2021, we are opening our first-ever Clinical Supply Services warehouse and manufacturing depot in San Diego. This is a 25,000 sq. ft. facility that will store clinical supplies and therapies. The facility will also have the ability to package tablets, capsules in very specific ways (e.g., blinding, special label techniques, import/export, complicated packaging designs and blister cards) and deliver them to anywhere in the world for clinical trials. Bottom line – we will have another facility to support the Patient First!

Have you made a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization/company and if so, how are you demonstrating it?
At Catalent, we foster an environment where individuals are welcomed, appreciated, heard, and respected, where differences and similarities are valued. We aim to create a collaborative and engaging workplace that drives innovation and excellence. From our experience, employees with different backgrounds and experiences working together can yield better decisions, driving innovation and excellence in everything we do. Our diversity and inclusion (D&I) council breaks down silos where people feel they can share their ideas freely and take considered risks, often leading to higher contributions. We frequently have in-depth discussions about the direction of the D&I strategy, priority areas and the groundwork that needs to be done across the organization. Our D&I program creates a working environment that provides more innovation, better access to talent, and additional opportunities for continued career advancement. Collaboration through trust, respect, and empathy are key elements for success. The uniqueness of every employee makes Catalent an inclusive place where

For more information visit the Catalent website

Premier Members Making a Difference: FACE Foundation 2021

What do you benefit most from being a member of NCPC? 
The Foundation for Animal Care and Education (FACE) is proud to be a member of The North County Philanthropy Council. We enjoy attending the Volunteer Awards Celebration, learning from the great webinars and meeting other nonprofit organizations and foundations.
What is your Mission? 
The mission of FACE is to enhance and preserve the quality of life for all companion animals by providing access to necessary medical care and education.
What do you offer to the community?
Established in 2006 by a group of veterinarians and concerned community members, FACE is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) public charity that provides financial grants for animal owners who are unable to afford the cost of their pet’s emergency or critical care. The goal of FACE is to end economic euthanasia, which happens when a beloved pet is euthanized simply due to the cost of medical care. What started as a beautiful vision to stop the surrender and euthanasia of beloved family pets has become a supportive center where families in crisis can get a helping hand to save their pets’ lives. FACE grantees are typically low-income families, senior citizens, veterans, military families, students, disabled individuals or hard-working families and individuals who struggle to survive paycheck to paycheck. FACE proudly works with more than 185 veterinary hospitals throughout San Diego County that generously discount their services for qualified FACE patients by at least 25% and help to fundraise whenever possible. With a tagline of “Saving Pets and Helping Families,” the work at FACE is just as important for the animals we save as it is for the families who are spared the heartbreak of losing their best friend.
Along with providing financial assistance for veterinary care, FACE also has a Community Outreach Program that focuses on connecting under-served pet owners with resources to veterinary care and pet supplies. Since 2016, FACE has partnered with 12 different organizations to serve pet owners in San Diego County, many of which are experiencing homelessness. Currently, FACE is collaborating with Feeding San Diego to reach even more families by providing pet food and supplies to their furry, loved ones at drive-thru distributions. We are always looking to partner with additional nonprofit organizations that serve a community that may also need help with food and care for their pet.
We commit to educating our community about animals through our Humane Education Program. We offer a variety of fun and interesting education programs that emphasize the human-animal bond and STEAM topics through a hands-on humane education curriculum. Due to the pandemic, we are reaching many more people through online platforms across San Diego County and beyond with our education program. Every month a different topic is discussed about pet care. We listen to feedback and topics are chosen based on what people are asking to learn about such as pet dermatology and dog body language.
What was your organization/company’s biggest accomplishment in the past six months – one year?
We are so excited to celebrate a major milestone, our 3,000th pet life saved at FACE. It has taken so much work and could not have been accomplished without our dedicated partners to get us this far. In our first year, we assisted 12 pets with one veterinary hospital. Now, we are assisting almost one pet per day and are working with more than 185 hospitals in San Diego County. We are grateful to have been able to save our 3,000th life and look forward to assisting as many more as we can in the years to come for our community.
What event/program or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers? 
This year, FACE celebrates 15 years of saving pets and helping families in our community. To honor this milestone, we will be hosting a 15th Anniversary event on September 11th at The LOT in La Jolla with dinner, drinks, silent auction, raffle prizes, outdoor games and a private film screening of Dogs Days – all to support FACE’s lifesaving programs! To views details or register for the celebration, please click here.
On October 18, join FACE for our 10th Invitational Dog-Friendly Golf Tournament at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club. This unique tournament allows players to enjoy a day of golf with their furry friends followed by dinner, drinks, an exclusive auction, an exciting awards ceremony, and more – all to support FACE’s lifesaving programs. This event is sure to be your dog’s favorite day of the year! To view details of the event and to register, click here.
What changes/opportunities have occurred due to COVID-19?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, FACE has seen an increase in applications from families experiencing unemployment. Before 2020, the unemployment rate of our grantees was 4% and now it is above 30%. We continue to reach and help families in need with innovative and safe ways throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Have you made a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization/company and if so, how are you demonstrating it?
FACE helps families of all backgrounds, and now more than ever we are committed to supporting communities that face disproportional financial barriers, which can limit their access to resources to care for their pets. In our work to help families and save pets, we serve and stand alongside those who have been marginalized. We continue to support humane, fair and compassionate treatment of our fellow humans just as we advocate for the animals.
We seek to listen to, learn from and amplify the voices of those who have not had a seat at the table to improve our organization and our sector. Our team is actively working on creating a more diverse board of directors and staff. In doing so, we are committed to sharing our processes and encouraging participation along the way from others.

Meet Our Member: North County Lifeline

North County Lifeline has been furthering our mission to build self-reliance among youth, adults, and families through high-quality, community-based services across San Diego County since 1973. On September 1 at 11:30am we will celebrate our annual Lifeline Awards Event virtually, highlighting the key community partners and volunteers who helped make our mission possible. This year, we invite you to join us for the 2021 Lifeline Awards Event – “Change the Story,” celebrating how Lifeline & community partners have helped youth, adults, and families change their own stories through building self-reliance. Limited event sponsorship opportunities are still available starting at $250. Tune in to the LiveStream on September 1, from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM featuring emcee Mark Mullen from NBC7 and Lifeline’s Executive Director, Don Stump. Visit our website at nclifeline.org/lifelineawards2021 to RSVP or Sponsor. For more information contact Brooke Stance at bstance@nclifeline.org.

 

Meet Our Member: Mission Federal Credit Union

Mission Federal Credit Union (Mission Fed) is honored to serve as the largest member-owned, not-for-profit, full-service financial institution exclusively serving San Diego County.

Success is measured by results. We measure our success based on a double bottom line of both financial performance and social purpose.

Mission Fed is committed to enhancing the lives of all of our stakeholders including our 270,000 member owners, 600 employees, and our larger extended community throughout the county, by focusing intently on financial education and financial inclusion to provide the essential resources and skills to help every San Diegan experience financial wellbeing.

In 2020 we were humbled to be recognized as one of the Top Workplaces in San Diego, but what we’re most proud of is the fact that just simply by banking with Mission Fed you are automagically doing good for San Diego. In the last year alone, our employees, members, and community stepped up and raised over $680K for local nonprofit organizations, including the San Diego Food Bank, the San Diego Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army among many others to support our most disaffected brothers and sisters in San Diego in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mission Fed’s focus is hyperlocal and intentionally supports our local communities throughout San Diego County by investing our time, treasure and talent to help hundreds of nonprofits and critical causes in our region. We purposefully build deep relationships with our valued community partners to maximize impact and change lives for the better. You can see some of our collaboration at www.missionfed.com/community-relations.

Our Mission Fed ecosystem is keenly focused on three key areas:

  • Health and Well Being:Food Scarcity and Feeding People, Health Related Causes, Homelessness, and Pet & Animal Needs
  • Serving the Underserved:Including our large local Hispanic Community, but extending deeply into Diverse Communities throughout the county
  • Values-Based Community Organizations:Local Emerging Nonprofits, and Values-Aligned and Capacity-Building companies/organizations that are making a difference locally

Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion are a through line in all that we do. We also remain attentive to preserving and protecting our cherished San Diego environment and activate volunteer opportunities to support this important cause.

If you’re looking for a like-spirited partner, or have an upcoming event that aligns with our vision and values, don’t hesitate to contact any member of the small-but-mighty Mission Fed team including:

To learn more our organization, please visit www.MissionFed.com. We are federally insured by NCUA and are an Equal Housing Lender.

Meet Our Member: Boys & Girls Club of Vista

The Boys & Girls Club of Vista (BGCV) empowers every Club member, through safe and impactful experiences to:

  • Graduate high school with a plan for college or a career
  • Contribute to their community
  • Live a healthy life

BGCV was founded in 1963 to serve youth that needed a safe place to go outside of school hours. With a focus on three priority outcomes: Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character/Leadership Development, BGCV is providing youth with the opportunity to build the skills needed to succeed in today’s globally competitive workforce.  Club programs at five sites help kids ages 5-18 build healthy habits and provide opportunities for them to become resilient leaders through mentorship, accountability and modeling good behavior. In 2018, we embarked on a new five-year strategic plan that includes goals to double the impact of the programs we offer the community.

BGCV understands that sustainability is an important part of meeting our community’s needs. We plan for sustainability from the beginning of every project by securing community support, partnering with other organizations and businesses in the area and developing a plan to solicit ongoing financial support. We sustain all of our programs with philanthropic support from our community, including an annual gala and poker tournament, grants, individual giving as well as a separate 501c3 Foundation built by planned gifts.

Learn more about how you can get involved with our programs and make an impact at bgcvista.org.

NCPC 2021 Volunteer Awards Celebration – We are Better Together – A Virtual Celebration. Learn More >>
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