Rancho Cordova youth organizations receive grants

by Rene Hamlin
Youth Development Manager,
Folsom Cordova Community Partnership

The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership (the Partnership), Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and the Cordova Community Collaborative (CCC) are pleased to announce that three Peace, Love and Happiness grants have been awarded to youth-run, community-focused organizations and work is now underway to benefit the greater Rancho Cordova area.

The following organizations have been awarded grants up to $1,500: Cordova High School's Interact Club, Volunteers of America/Adolfo Youth Services at Mather and First Covenant Church's youth group Doulos. These groups have a strong history of lending a hand in our community and providing vision for our local residents. These grants are designed to better such aspects of our local community as literacy awareness, inclusiveness, hunger, poverty and human assistance. We are excited to see the impact they will have with youth in our community.

The YAC has been developing the PLH grant program since the beginning of July. They researched other youth-granting organizations, and received training in Bias and Conflict of Interest Resolution, Grant Evaluation Procedures and Site Visit Preparation. The YAC members were grouped with adult partners and these teams were responsible for grant review, evaluations and making their recommendation to the YAC, CCC and the Partnership. A leader of the YAC was filled with pride that he could have a strong voice in our community by awarding these grants.

The Partnership is a nonprofit organization whose vision is to bring together community programs and partners to assess and address community needs, thereby maximizing resources while reducing duplication of services, with the end result being a unified, self-sufficient community that is in-tune with its needs and has the ability to resolve its challenges.

The YAC is a council made up of local youth in the community to be the voice for our youth. They meet four times per month and give voice to such community-based projects as the Peace, Love and Happiness grants.

The CCC is a REACH Community Action coalition made up of community members who believe all children should grow up in a family and community that provides for their health and well-being. They are committed to strengthening families and linking them to community resources that enhance self-reliance and promote community involvement.