Homeboy Industries founder, Father Greg Boyle, unveiled a new building for the Los Angeles-based violence prevention organization. The motto “nothing stops a bullet like a job,” reveals the organization’s mission to help gang-involved and formerly gang-involved youth transition to productive, peaceful lives. An opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times describes the grand opening of the site, which is conveniently located in Central Los Angeles. The new facility includes a bakery, café, offices and rehabilitation center. In addition to job training and placement, the organization provides clients with an array of support services such as anger management and financial literacy classes. read more
New Report On California’s Cost Of Living
The California Budget Project’s new report "Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Family in California?", estimates that families living in California need at least $50,383 per year to pay the bills, and that even basic budgets require incomes much higher than the federal poverty line, or the earnings of workers with minimum wage jobs. The study reports these basic budgets for the state as a whole and for 10 regions throughout the state. read more
Hidden STD Epidemic Among California Youth
A new study by Public Health Institute’s Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development concludes that the annual number of new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among California youth is far greater than previously thought. The TCWF-funded study further reports that the yearly cost of treating the new STDs cases exceeds $1 billion per year. Highlights of the study are provided in the “No Time For Complacency” Fall 2007 Policy Review. (PDF) read more
7.6 Million Californians Rely on Safety Net for Regular Care
Research by UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research finds that among the 7.6 million Californians that regularly use community health centers, public hospitals, and clinics — collectively referred to as the “safety net”— more than 3.1 million of them have private health insurance through an employer or directly purchased. The research also found that the safety net continues to be critically important for uninsured people of color, immigrants, families with children, and low-income adults and children. This research was funded by grants from The California Wellness Foundation and The California Endowment. read more
Governor Signs Bill To Protect Kids from Toxic Toys
Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 1108 (Ma) into law, making California the first state in the country to ban the use of phthalates from children’s products. TCWF grantee Environment California co-sponsored the groundbreaking legislation. Among other things, phthalates are used in soft plastic toys and other baby products, such as teethers, bath books, and rubber ducks. Because children have a natural tendency to suck on objects as a way of exploring the world around them, phthalates can leach out of these products and enter their bodies. Phthalates have been shown to interfere with the natural functioning of the hormone system and have been linked to reproductive problems, liver and thyroid damage, and testicular cancer. read more
Grantee Weighs In On Current Health Care Reform Debate
As the special legislative session on health care reform continues, TCWF grantee Anthony Wright of Health Access California has been interviewed by a number of major news outlets requesting his analysis. In a recent story in the San Francisco Chronicle, Wright said that the current debate over details in the governor’s health plan is not partisan, but necessary for the efforts to succeed in California. read more
New Guide To Funding Core Support
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations has recently published an action guide for foundations interested in providing core operating support to nonprofit organizations as a strategy to strengthen grantees’ effectiveness. The document addresses common concerns and details benefits of this funding strategy. The guide provides a range of examples of how grantmakers have provided this type of support and lessons they have learned. It also covers such topics as grantee accountability and getting Board of Directors to “buy in” to a core operating support grantmaking program. read more
Peggy Saika To Receive Asian American Justice Center Award
The Asian American Justice Center honored Peggy Saika at the 11th annual American Courage Awards on October 10 in Washington, D.C. Saika, chair of TCWF’s Board of Directors, received the Distinguished Service Award for her contributions on behalf of Asian Americans. She is president and executive director of Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, a national membership association dedicated to building bridges between the philanthropic and Asian Pacific American communities. Saika was founding director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and has served as executive director of the Asian Law Caucus. She has been a TCWF Board member since 1997. read more
