April 2023 – The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County

April 26, 2023

Local Leaders Acknowledge Foundation’s 25 Years of Service

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County Draws High Praise from Elected Officials

Local Leaders Acknowledge Foundation’s 25 Years of Service

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, which has recently garnered notable attention from local officials and policy makers. At a recent meeting of the County Board of Supervisors, several county supervisors paid tribute to the Foundation’s work as a catalyst for local philanthropy, and U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta expressed his appreciation for CFSLOCO’s decades-long commitment to the greater San Luis Obispo community.

County Supervisors Arnold, Gibson, Paulding, and Peschong all expressed their gratitude for the Foundation’s impact in the community, highlighting its efforts to support and empower local nonprofits and address critical issues facing the region.

“We are proud to have The Community Foundation as a partner in our work to build a stronger, more resilient community,” said County Supervisor John Peshong. “Their dedication to fostering philanthropy and driving positive change in San Luis Obispo County is truly inspiring.”

Congressman Panetta visited The Community Foundation’s office to personally recognize the organization’s contributions to the community. He praised the Foundation’s commitment to creating opportunities for all residents to thrive and emphasized the importance of philanthropy in building more equitable communities.

Congressman Jimmy Panetta and CEO Heidi McPherson

“For the last 25 years, The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County has worked to empower and enhance our communities through philanthropy and service,” said Rep. Panetta. “Their vital work provides support and advances opportunities for the most vulnerable in San Luis Obispo County in their times of need. The people of San Luis Obispo County are grateful for the work of their Community Foundation, and I look forward to supporting them so that they can continue to serve and enhance our community.”

The expressions of gratitude from local officials and policymakers highlight the important role The Community Foundation has played in promoting philanthropy and community service for the past 25 years. Heidi McPherson has been leading as CEO since 2014 and has established it as a regional leader in philanthropy. “The Community Foundation is honored to receive this recognition from such esteemed leaders in our community,” says McPherson. “We remain committed to creating a just and equitable community that respects and provides support for all our residents, enabling them to thrive here.”

For more information visit https://cfsloco.tmdcreative.site/about-us/celebrating-25-years/

SLO Mayor Erica Stewart, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, CEO Heidi McPherson and County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg

Heidi McPherson Addressing Board of Supervisors

April 24, 2023

Now Accepting: Applications for Nonprofit Disaster Recovery Funding

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County Accepting
Applications for Nonprofit Disaster Recovery Funding

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County is currently accepting applications for funding to support both nonprofit and client recovery efforts. On Monday, May 1, 2023 we hosted a Virtual Disaster Grant Informational Session. This link will lead you to the recording on YouTube.

What: The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County is accepting applications from nonprofits that have been impacted by the recent winter storms and floods. Funding will support both nonprofit and client recovery efforts.

Who: Nonprofit organizations based in San Luis Obispo County that have been adversely impacted by the recent winter storms and floods. Funding may support the following:

Nonprofit Recovery: Support for nonprofits that have been adversely impacted by the storm to such a degree that they had to pause services or cannot offer services. Funding will also support structural repair and/or support with disaster planning so that the agency can recover faster from the next disaster.
Client Recovery: Support for nonprofits who are helping clients with mid to long-term disaster recovery. This may include rehousing, damage assistance to items such as vehicles, housing, and furniture.

When: Applications are currently being accepted until May 22 at 5PM. A Virtual Disaster Grants Informational Session was held on Monday, May 1, 2023 at 11am. This link will lead you to the recording on YouTube.

Why: The funding will support nonprofits with structural repair, and disaster planning for nonprofits and support for nonprofits who offer financial assistance to individuals who may have had damages to their vehicle, housing, or experienced prolonged loss of wages. Grants will range from $5,000-$10,000, with a maximum of $20,000 awarded to each nonprofit.

Contact: For more information or to apply for funding, please visit The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County’s website at cfsloco.tmdcreative.site/nonprofits-2/. Questions and other inquiries can be directed to Cassandra Kartashov at cassandra@cfsloco.org.

>> APPLY FOR FUNDING HERE <<

April 3, 2023

Support SLO County’s flood-battered farmworkers

This story was originally published in the SLO Tribune to highlight cesar chavez day. Authored by Erica Rubalcaba-Heredia and Joel Diringer.

David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com

Today is Cesar Chavez Day — a good time to evaluate the conditions farmworkers face in San Luis Obispo County.

Unfortunately, the climate crisis has taken a heavy toll on farmworkers as they continue to toil through disease, heat and smoke to provide food for us.

Recent flooding has brought additional challenges. Storms have affected hundreds of families on the Central Coast. Farm fields are underwater, so farmworkers either work fewer hours or not at all, yet still have to pay rent, buy groceries and deal with the higher living cost of pretty much everything.

If agricultural workers are undocumented it is even harder since they don’t qualify for the government support usually available to displaced workers. Undocumented workers are not eligible for unemployment insurance, CalFresh (food stamps), FEMA aid or many other social programs.

During COVID-19, undocumented workers were excluded from federal relief programs and stimulus payments. And Medi-Cal is not yet available to all low-income families, although it is being expanded in 2024 to cover eligible undocumented adults.

As we celebrate Cesar Chavez Day, the question arises: How do we support our farmworker neighbors who have provided our food through the recent droughts, floods, pandemics, heat, wildfires and other disasters?

You can help by joining community members in supporting SLO County UndocuSupport, our local immigrant aid and advocacy organization. You can also educate yourself and stay abreast of policy initiatives at the state level to create more equitable systems of support.

Our agricultural workforce is overwhelmingly comprised of immigrant Latinos, mostly from Mexico. Nearly half (49%) are undocumented immigrants. A growing number of local farmworkers speak an indigenous language such as Mixteco rather than Spanish.

How have farmworkers survived these challenging times?

Not well, according to a recent health survey of over 1,200 California farmworkers by UC Merced.

Of those interviewed in the Farmworker Health Survey, 36% rated their health as fair or poor. One in five respondents (19%) reported feeling nervous or anxious. Half reported being without health insurance in the past 12 months.

The California Legislature has not been ignoring the plight of farmworkers, but progress is slow. Medi-Cal will expand in 2024, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a state food assistance program last year. Expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits (SB227) is being considered this year, as is a renewed effort for a food program (SB245). Our newly elected Assemblymember Dawn Addis has co-sponsored AB4, which would allow undocumented workers to purchase health insurance through Covered California.

As our state policymakers wade through the legislative process, our local community has actively supported local working families, regardless of immigration status, through UndocuSupport.

Since its inception in spring 2020, SLO County UndocuSupport has raised over $245,000 and attracted statewide philanthropic funding of $213,000 to support 606 local immigrant families (with 2,100 family members) in at least 17 communities in SLO County.

In response to the recent floods, we provided eight local family service organizations with $21,000 in funds for families affected by disaster.

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County has partnered with UndocuSupport since its inception. As the holder of the UndocuSupport Fund, the Community Foundation also acts as our fiscal agent for grants and programs.

Recently, Dr. Ben and Pat McAdams gave a generous donation of $25,000 to SLO County UndocuSupport after attending a presentation at The Community Foundation. We urge you to join the McAdams’ extraordinary gift and help us match their generosity. Donations can be made to our Community Foundation fund at www.sloundocusupport.org/donate

Erica Rubalcaba-Heredia and Joel Diringer are founding members of SLO County UndocuSupport. Erica is Director of the Promotores Collaborative San Luis Obispo and Joel Diringer is a farmworker and immigrant health advocate based in San Luis Obispo.