Jewish Community Foundation Awards Grants To 11 Organizations in the Los Angeles General Community; General Community Grants Total $100,000.

LOS ANGELES -- The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) today announced new grants totaling $100,000 to support programs in areas including education, health and social services. Eleven local organizations received funding, among them a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected children and a foster youth program.

"As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we also re-affirm our long-term commitment to helping Los Angeles area organizations in the community at large," said Marvin I. Schotland, president and CEO of The Foundation. "The Foundation continues to grant awards to local nonprofit programs that benefit the entire community, especially those populations that are most vulnerable."

The Foundation, the largest manager of charitable assets and provider of planned giving solutions for Southern California Jewish philanthropists, has made General Community Grants for more than a decade by working in partnership with organizations throughout the region to address areas of mutual concern. These awards represent just one portion of nearly $1 million in Foundation Legacy Grants designated in the 2004 grants cycle to Los Angeles-area nonprofit groups.

A $10,000 Foundation grant will support Hollygrove Children and Family Services' "Love to Learn Literacy Program," which aims to build confidence in children ages six-13 through reading and writing. Hollygrove, a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected children founded in 1880, will provide educational specialists, volunteers and special education teachers to support youngsters through advocacy, tutoring, homework assistance and a book club.

"Every child at Hollygrove suffers from moderate to severe emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, and acute developmental and educational delays," said Judith A. Nelson, president and CEO of Hollygrove Children and Family Services. "Our 'Love to Learn Literacy Program' profoundly impacts our children's ability to learn, and this program would not be possible without funding from private sources like the Jewish Community Foundation."

The Foundation awarded another two-year grant of $20,000 to San Francisco Foundation Community Initative Funds for the Los Angeles-based "Youth Transition Action Teams" program. This program, managed by the Foundation Consortium for California's Children and Youth, involves local implementation of a statewide initiative to create systemic change and align resources to help ensure that foster youth are prepared for emancipation at age 18.

"We appreciate the Jewish Community Foundation's generous support of the Foster Youth Transition Action Team of Los Angeles County," said Bonnie Armstrong, senior fellow at the Foundation Consortium. "Their support will allow the Team to help youth who have faced abuse, neglect and instability to complete their educations, get jobs and live successful and fulfilling lives."

Additional Awards

Other new awards include:

--Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, $10,000 - For Type 1 diabetes support groups of 144 families with children diagnosed with the condition.

--Community Coalition For Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, $10,000 - For capacity-building sessions with 25 agencies to help formerly incarcerated individuals in South Los Angeles reintegrate into the community.

--A Community of Friends, $7,000 - For transitional housing and services for mentally ill youth who are emancipated from the foster care system.

--Community Partners, $5,000 - For assisting 80 high achieving low-income youth in Watts and East Los Angeles with SAT preparation, college tours and completion of college and financial aid applications with the goal of enrolling in a prestigious college.

--Wheels for Humanity, $10,000 - For refurbishing 75 used wheelchairs that will be distributed primarily to children in Tijuana, Mexico, and will be custom fit by a team of volunteer medical specialists.

--Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center, $3,000 - For a sign language interpreter to assist low-income clients with hearing impairments.

--My Friend's Place, $10,000 - For ongoing case management services to homeless youth ages 12 and over, including referrals to a network of 14 social service agencies.

--People Assisting the Homeless PATH, $10,000 - For a walk-in center that houses over 20 private and public service agencies that provide integrated care to 4,400 homeless individuals annually.

--Verdugo Hills Hospital, $5,000 - For a new electronic image archiving and communications system to link patient medical histories, tests and digital diagnostic images with the hospital's information system.

Established in 1954 and currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Jewish Community Foundation is the largest manager of charitable assets and provider of planned giving solutions for Southern California Jewish philanthropists who are making a difference in the Jewish community - and the community at large - locally, nationally and internationally, including Israel. In 2003, The Foundation and its 1,000-plus donors distributed over $44 million in grants to more than 1,300 organizations whose programs span the human lifecycle. The Foundation currently manages assets of nearly a half-billion dollars.