January 28, 2021 | Stories
Highlighting our community nonprofits awarded with the COVID-19 Relief Grant
The COVID-19 Relief Grant continues to be awarded to our community nonprofits because of supporters like you; we thank you for your support and trust. Furthermore, we would like to thank the nonprofits who have lead the way during this unprecedented time.
The Community Foundation for San Benito County (CFFSBC) and United Way of San Benito County, are grateful to provide COVID-19 Relief Grants to our local nonprofits. We are excited to share with you how our local nonprofits have provided services with their grant awards:
San Benito Land Agricultural Trust
The San Benito Agricultural Land Trust (SBALT) nonprofit is all about partnerships with landowners, forming conservation easements that permanently protect agricultural, range lands, and open space. The conservation easements monitored by SBALT may provide a financial tool for farmers and ranchers. The most important aspect of SBALT is the preservation of the local food source, economy, and agricultural service/culture. The COVID-19 Relief Grant helped keep this nonprofit service alive and continuous.
San Benito County Amateur Radio Association
The San Benito County Amateur Radio Association (SBCARA) nonprofit helps strengthen San Benito County’s emergency communications. SBCARA volunteers work under the Office of Emergency Services in times of disasters providing auxiliary communication. iThe equipment that SBCARA uses has the capability to reach people throughout the County. In particular, the set-up and staging of amateur radio equipment can provide communication to the isolated areas of the County.
The San Benito Amateur Radio used the Relief Grant to install the container on Hernandez Peak, in south San Benito, which houses the communication antenna. This communication antenna can be activated at any moment and communicate a repeated message even if other communication towers are down.
CHISPA
San Benito County has two new CHISPA (Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association, Inc.) nonprofit developments, one is senior living (Sunrise site) and the other is multi-family (Buena Vista site). At both locations, there is catered attention to the community needs to help fulfill any areas that need support.
“We are very thankful for all partnerships in San Benito County. Without our partnerships, we would not be able to accomplish everything that we have done for our residents” — Ruth Rodriguez, Community Services Manager
At the Sunrise site, there are multiple offered services for the residents. The services include a weekly wellness class, by the YMCA, that monitors mobility and isolation of the senior residents. Senior residents receive a weekly check-in and food delivery to their home, this was in partnership with Jovenes de Antano. Another service and support provided to all residents is the ability to check out laptops for use in completing the CHISPA renewal paperwork.
At the Buena Vista site, the residential community has a developed program for the needs of the residents. Many of the families living in this multi-family residential community is comprised of Essential Workers. The Essential Workers’ families in this residential community includes children in school that need assistance in accessing zoom and logging in to complete schoolwork; this is where CHISPA collaborates with the YMCA to bring the “Excel beyond the Bell” program for school-aged children. “Excel Beyond the Bell” is for students Monday through Friday. The program is lead by the YMCA and assists and provides students with an after online (zoom) school snack for homework. Last, all families receive a weekly food delivery with the partnership of the San Benito Food Bank.
