2010 Women's Fund Grants

Austin Academy – $10,000
The Austin Academy empowers low-income adults by teaching them the long-term skills necessary to: acquire and retain gainful employment, meet the hiring criteria of local employers, achieve economic and personal self-sufficiency, and contribute to their community in a positive manner. The Austin Academy accepts adults at or below 200% of the federal poverty level with at least a 5th grade proficiency level. Classes are offered in the afternoon or evening classes to prepare for the GED. A grant from the Women’s Fund will sponsor at least 15 women on the path to obtaining a GED and job placement.

Austin Children's Shelter - $18,000
This is a new program started in October 2009 when Austin Children Shelter changed locations. As part of the Emergency Shelter for Girls Cottage Program, girls will learn the benefits of regular routines, including meal, bed and school times and medical checkups to promote healthy ways of living. Most importantly girls will learn that they are valuable members of society who are loveable and full of potential. In order for the girls to learn the above skills and values Daytime Caregivers must help guide the girls. Caregivers have a number of responsibilities including, but not limited to supervising daily activities, meal times and bedtime routines; supervising and teaching cleanliness and hygiene; transporting and accompanying girls on family visits, court hearings and medical appointments; coordinating transport to school and supervise homework activities; administer daily medications and endeavor to increase each girl’s sense of safety and security. Last year 95 girls were served at the old location and 92% demonstrated improvement in at least four of the six progress areas. The Shelter plans on serving 132 girls from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.

Austin Recovery - $15,000
Austin Recovery’s mission is to provide effective, compassionate and affordable treatment for chemical dependency to the poor and working families of Central Texas. This grant from the Women’s Fund of Central Texas will purchase of an 11 passenger van for use by the Family House program. This program was the first in Central Texas to address the needs of chemically dependent women with children. Presently, Austin Recovery has a van to transport 12 to 16 mothers and upwards of 20 children enrolled in Family House at any one time. The current van is over eight years old and has passed the 208,000 mile mark; it has broken down on several occasions and now needs to be replaced.

Capital Area Food Bank - $12,000
The mission of Capital Area Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Texas has the highest childhood food insecurity rate in the US. Capital Area Food Bank is targeting this problem with the Kids Café program – collaborating with after-school enrichment programs at schools and community organizations providing free meals to children in low-income neighborhoods. To be eligible to host Kids Café, sites must have existing after-school enrichment activities and be located in a neighborhood where at least 85% of children are eligible for free and reduced lunch. The Capital Area Food Bank has a total of 34 Kids Cafes in central Texas serving 400,000 meals feeding 3,600 kids a day over the program year (August to May).

Casa Marianella - $15,000
Casa Marianella requested funding to maintain and expand Posada Esperanza, their residential program for homeless immigrant, refugee and asylum seeking women and their children. Two Posada Esperanza houses currently serve the women and children escaping violence by meeting their emergency needs by providing safe housing, food, clothing, access to medical care, comprehensive case management, life skills and homework tutoring. A grant from the Women’s Fund will cover general operating expenses and allow for After-care, a program to continue case management and short term financial assistance to 8 women and their children. There are four other shelters in Austin that accept women and children on a transitional basis, but there are not enough beds to the meet the demand, and no other program is tailored specifically to meet the needs of immigrant women. The average age of mothers is 25-36 and their children 12 and under.

Famile Eldercare - $17,000
Founded in 1982 by professionals concerned with supporting the family’s role as caregiver for older adults, Family Eldercare provides essential services for older adults, people with disabilities and those who care for them. With this grant Family Eldercare will provide 20 women with training to improve their job skills and their earning capacity moving from Care Attendant to Nurse Aid. This grant will benefit three generations of women in Travis and Williamson Counties – women working as care attendants will earn higher wages while building a career path, their children will have an improved quality of life and older adults in the community will benefit by receiving better care from staff with more skills and greater job satisfaction.

Helping Hand Home for Children - $15,000
Helping Hand Home for Children is a safe haven for the most vulnerable children in our society and aims to maintain a therapeutic home for children and restore each child to a healthy family setting. This grant will fund their Camp Discovery program. This program has been running for 8 years and is a structured eight week summer educational program providing academic enrichment and therapeutic recreation for approximately 35 children ages 4-13. These children are severely abused and neglected and come from across the state. This program allows at-risk children to expand upon and maintain what they have accomplished during the previous school year. This educational programming encourages pride and achievement for all children as they help address behavioral concerns.

Meals on Wheels and More – $5,000
Meals on Wheels and More is requesting funds to help fund their Meals for Kids program. Meals for Kids combats food insecurity with healthy meals in after-school programs, that help participants focus and learn at school as well as provides nutrition education demonstrating how to make healthy food choices for both children and their parents. The education component of this program will provide nutrition education presentations and distribute over 400 education pieces to students, counselors and family members. This year they will incorporate a newsletter and in next year’s program a cooking class will be introduced to teach children how to prepare healthy meals. Meals on Wheels and More estimates that this grant would provide approximately 12,500 meals to 260 kids ages 6-12.

SafePlace - $18,000
SafePlace is requesting support for ongoing programs which they have provided for over 20 years. These funds will provide services to youth living at the Kelly White Family Shelter including support groups, tutoring, art, athletic and team activities. Field trips and other activities are also offered. Shelter residents learn about nonviolent problem solving techniques, the warning signs of abuse and how to build relationships based on equality and respect. In 2010, SafePlace estimates that 300 children living at the shelter will receive the therapeutic, educational and recreational services with the grant. There is always a wait list for services.

Grant History 

2009 Grantees
ARC of the Capital Area - $15,000
Con mi MADRE - $10,000
Girlstart - $11,000
Heart House - $10,000
Planned Parenthood - $15,000
Settlement Home - $15,000
True Light Day Care - $15,000
VinCare Services - $15,000

2005 Grantees for Focus Area, “Children’s Welfare & Development”:
Arc of the Capital Area - $10,000
Badgerdog Literary Publishing, Inc. - $5,000
Breakthrough - $10,500
Capital Area Food Bank (Kid's Café) - $7,647
Hospice Austin - $5895.52
Manos de Cristo - $10,000
People's Community Clinic - $10,000
TOTAL: $59,042.52

2006 Grantees for Focus Area, “Women and Children’s Health & Nutrition
(including mental health)”:
Any Baby Can - $15,000.00
Ashera Project - $6,400.00
Austin Children's Shelter - $15,000.00
Breast Cancer Resource Center - $10,325.00
Hospice - $5,000.00
Lifeworks - $15,000.00
Meals on Wheels - $7,500.00
TOTAL: $74,225.00

2007 Grantees for Focus Area “Helping Women and Girls Achieve Self-Sufficiency”:
Austin Academy - $15,000.00
Austin Recovery - $10,000.00
Capital IDEA - $12,925.00
Girl Scouts - $10,000.00
Planned Parenthood - $10,000.00
SafePlace - $15,000.00
Samaritan Center - $8,500.00
Settlement Home - $15,000.00
TOTAL: $96,425.00

2008 Grantees for Focus Area “Women and Children’s Education & Development”:
Capital IDEA - $10,000.00
El Buen Samaritano - $15,000.00
GENaustin - $15,000.00
Helping Hand Home for Children - $15,000.00
LifeWorks - $15,000.00
Manos de Cristo - $5,000.00
People’s Community Clinic - $10,000.00
SafePlace - $15,000.00
TOTAL: $100,000.00