Modesto, Calif. — The Save Mart Companies C.A.R.E.S. Foundation is pleased to announce that fourteen organizations throughout California and Northern Nevada received grants, all in communities our stores serve.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tracy – $5,000
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Tracy inspires and enables young people to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens by providing a safe place to learn and grow, fostering ongoing relationships with caring adults, coordinating life-enhancing programs and character development experience. The C.A.R.E.S. grant will support the Summer Enrichment Program that aims to improve academic success of youth through their health and well-being.
Care Fresno – $5,000
Care Fresno gives back to the community through services that improve the physical, mental, emotional and cognitive development in Fresno youth. Care Fresno is a first time recipient of a C.A.R.E.S. Foundation grant and will be used to fund their Care About Fresno Youth program that aims to minimize the dangers of partaking in gang related activity, vandalism, crime, and drugs through afterschool programs.
Mollie’s House – $10,000
Mollie’s House is a safe haven for young girls who have been victims of human trafficking and provides mental health services, family support and reunification, medical and nutritional care and recreational programming. Mollie’s House is one of nine residential programs for human trafficking victims available in California and the only located in the Central Valley. This is the first year Mollie’s House received a C.A.R.E.S. grant which will go towards supporting the Fresh Start for Surviving Youth program.
Central Valley 49ers Youth Football & Cheer – $2,500
The Central Valley 49ers Youth Football and Cheer provides youth in our community a structured, safe and fun after school program with hands on activities and mentoring. Program focuses on teaching youth the proper techniques of football and cheer as well as how to function and work as a team. The C.A.R.E.S. grant will go towards upgrading football helmets to ensure the players’ safety and provide scholarships to the youth in the community.
Community Food Bank – $10,000
For the last 25 years Community Food Bank has been working to end hunger in Central California. Services include a backpack program providing 700 elementary school children a backpack of food every Friday, Neighborhood Market and Mobile Pantry fresh produce distributions, CalFresh Outreach program and USDA Emergency Food Assistance. The Save Mart Companies has been a long time partner with Community Food Bank and C.A.R.E.S. funding will go towards building to a new distribution center in Fresno.
Golden State YMCA – $5,000
For over 100 years, the Golden State YMCA’s Camp Sequoia Lake has provided excellent outdoor programming for youth and families in the Central Valley. YMCA nurtures the potential of every child and teen by supporting their unique youth development journey through holistic programming that is based around the YMCA’s core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. The C.A.R.E.S. grant will go towards funding scholarships for children and families to attend the Golden State YMCA’s Camp Sequoia Lake.
Partners in English Language Learning – $1,000
Partners in English Language Learning (PiELL) helps English language learners become thriving members of their communities by offering one-on-one language tutoring and help build bridges that foster cross-cultural respect, understanding and friendship. PiELL has received similar C.A.R.E.S. grants over the past several years. This year’s grant will continue to support PiELL’s outreach efforts to prospective students and tutors to obtain quality and up-to-date training materials for their library.
Porterville Strings – $7,000
Porterville Strings strives to provide a diverse, well-rounded program that cultivates the ability for students to lead successful lives through a sincere passion for music. Last year the CARES Foundation provided a $7,000 grant for their 2017 Summer Music Camp and will continue its support for the fine arts. This year’s grant will be used for the Porterville Summer Strings program.
KNPB- Martha Speaks – $7,500
This reading program is run by KNPB-TV, a local public broadcasting station, and focuses on early childhood reading skills. Children learn new vocabulary words as they participate in a variety of writing, reading and other activities in conjunction with the show. The C.A.R.E.S. grant continues to support this innovative and cost-effective program. Similar grants have been given to MARTHA SPEAKS in the past years.
Family Promise of Greater Modesto – $5,000
Family Promise of Greater Modesto is one of 207 Family Promise affiliates that empower families to overcome homelessness and regain their independency by providing shelter, meals, and housing stabilization to homelessness families with children. C.A.R.E.S. grant will help provide a place of safe shelter to homeless families and children and help mobilize resources to create opportunities for families to stay together as they navigate their way out of homelessness. Family Promise of Greater Modesto has received similar C.A.R.E.S. grants in previous years.
Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency – $3,500
The Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) helps individuals in Amador and Tuolumne counties move towards self-sufficiency, promote family services and other supportive environments so children, youth and elders can achieve their maximum potential and form partnerships and coalitions within the community to meet these needs. C.A.R.E.S. funding will go towards ATCAA’A Food Bank that helps address the nutritional and geographical barriers by delivering food to kids directly to schools and senior citizen centers for easier access and create partnerships throughout the community to ensure households that have limited access to food.
Citrus Heights Police Activities League – $2,000
The Citrus Heights Police Activities League (CHPAL) encourages positive interactions between police personnel and the youth in our community. Its primary goal is to constructively mentor and influence youth in and around Citrus Heights through a variety of recreational activities. C.A.R.E.S. grant will be used for CHPAL’s annual Extreme Camp where kids learn about the dangers of gangs and drugs.
Loaves & Fishes – $1,000
Loaves & Fishes is a homeless shelter in Sacramento that provides homeless men, women and children a welcoming atmosphere of hospitality, safety and cleanliness while combating hunger and homelessness. C.A.R.E.S. grant will be used to purchase and replace deteriorating litter pick-up equipment used to clean local Sacramento neighborhoods.
Sierra Repertory Theatre – $5,000
Sierra Repertory Theater (SRT) is a top-rated, non-profit theater serving the Mother Lode and Central Valley of California. C.A.R.E.S. grant will help fund SRT’s Education and Outreach Program that aims to make low- cost, school day and evening performances available for local students, parents and teachers. C.A.R.E.S. Foundation has donated similar grants to Sierra Repertory Theater in recent years and will continue to support local art programs.
CARES stands for Community, Arts, Recreation, Education and Sports and focuses on improving lives under these categories. The Save Mart Companies C.A.R.E.S. Foundation donated more than $300,000 last year to nearly three dozen organizations in California and Northern Nevada. For more information, please visit www.SaveMart.com, under the Community tab.
For questions, please contact Victoria Castro at 925.833.6136.
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Based in the heart of the Central Valley, The Save Mart Companies, the parent company of Save Mart Supermarkets, Lucky Supermarkets and FoodMaxx, is committed to sourcing a wide variety of local products ensuring that ‘fresh comes first’ for neighborhoods throughout California and Northern Nevada. The company employs more than 14,000 team members and operates 208 traditional and price impact stores under the banners of Save Mart, Lucky, FoodMaxx, S-Mart Foods, and MaxxValue Foods. In addition to its retail operation, the company also operates Smart Refrigerated Transport and is a voting partner in Super Store Industries (SSI), which owns and operates a distribution center in Lathrop, Mid Valley Dairy in Fairfield and Sunnyside Farms ice cream plant in Turlock. For more information on the company, please visit: www.TheSaveMartCompanies.com.