Vacaville, Yuba-Sutter coalitions receive REACH grants

After receiving planning grants through Sierra Health Foundation’s REACH program last year, youth and adults in Vacaville and the Yuba-Sutter area worked to find out what young people need and want to be safe, healthy and engaged in their communities. With results from their community assessments, they developed action plans and now will focus on making long-term positive changes for youth.

In continued support of this work, Sierra Health recently awarded each coalition a REACH Community Action grant of $450,000, which will be distributed over the next three years. With this grant – and a great deal of public support – the coalitions will make community-wide changes for youth to ensure they are safe and healthy, have positive relationships with caring adults, have meaningful opportunities to participate in the community and develop the skills they need to be successful.

The Vacaville Youth Roundtable REACH Coalition and the Youth Development Community Action Coalition of Yuba-Sutter are two of nine coalitions in the capital region to receive Community Action grants. Seven other REACH coalitions, which received three-year funding in 2007, are working in the communities of El Dorado Hills, Galt, Meadowview, Rancho Cordova, South Sacramento, West Sacramento and Woodland.

“Sierra Health is pleased to provide resources to help these two coalitions in their work to ensure young people are healthy and successful,” said Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO Chet Hewitt. “Ultimately, it isn’t the financial capital but the human capital – youth and adults working together – that will create the change they seek.”

Learn more about REACH Community Action grants on this Web site.