A $56,000 grant will infuse two local nonprofits with enough
money to keep valuable South County programs afloat.
A $56,000 grant will infuse two local nonprofits with enough money to keep valuable South County programs afloat.
Kaiser Permanente’s San Jose Medical Center distributed more than $500,000 in Community Benefit grants to area organizations facing serious cuts in state and donor contributions.
The Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, which runs programs at El Roble, Glen View and Rod Kelley elementary schools, received $26,000. The money will help the organization continue to empower girls and women to take charge of their health and their lives, said Marlene Bjornsrud, the organization’s chief executive officer and co-founder.
Rebekah Children’s Services also received $30,000 to support their LifeSkills training program taught in Gilroy schools.
“Everywhere we turn, funding is drying up, but Kaiser Permanente has come through once again,” said Executive Director Mary Kaye Gerski.
Kaiser also granted $50,000 to Catholic Charities of San Jose which will reach those most in need in east San Jose and Gilroy, said Terry Austen, senior vice president and area manager of the medical center.
“The economic downturn has impacted everyone,” Austen said. “People are struggling. When people have trouble accessing basic needs like food and shelter, it affects their health, and certainly the health of our community.”
In this video from February, Olympics gold medal winner and two-time Women’s World Cup champion Brandi Chastain stopped in Gilroy to promote the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, which she co-founded. The program matches female high school athletes with girls in elementary school to encourage them to participate in sports.
