Women’s Empowerment Receives $50K from Kelly Foundation

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Women’s Empowerment has received $50,000 from the Kelly Foundation to sublease housing at a discounted rate to women experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. This year, the Sacramento nonprofit created its subleasing program for graduates of its program who are working but still cannot afford a home during the ongoing housing crisis.

“To afford a one-bedroom apartment in Sacramento, a woman now must make at least $26 per hour, yet on average our graduates earn about $17 per hour in their first three months of work,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “That would be impossible math if it weren’t for generous donors like the Kelly Foundation stepping in and helping us create a solution that works. Our graduates need housing they can afford with mid- to entry-level salaries so they can retain jobs, secure promotions, rebuild credit and qualify for market–rate housing.”

Women’s Empowerment is a sublessor at an apartment complex in downtown Sacramento, subleasing four apartments to qualifying graduates for a 12-month lease. Each tenant is carefully screened and charged rent equal to Women’s Empowerment’s rent payment. She meets at least monthly onsite with a housing specialist, and if needed with a social worker and employment specialist. Women’s Empowerment has three additional graduates subleasing other homes, and the organization is in final negotiations with a gated development that would allow them to sublease multiple cottages for up to 24 months while women work to improve their credit score, rental history, savings and move up the career ladder to afford market-rate housing.

“Women’s Empowerment directly impacts the lives of women ready for change, and we are excited to partner with an organization that helps the community thrive one life at a time,” said Shawn Kelly Devlin, chairman of the board of the Kelly Foundation and River City Bank. “We’re confident this donation toward housing will support women in need to become self-sufficient after experiencing such challenging circumstances.”

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. On average, 70% of women in the program find housing despite the ongoing housing crisis. Last year, 142 job placements were achieved by Women’s Empowerment graduates. Since its founding in 2001, the award-winning organization has graduated 1,781 women and their 3,893 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org

Brothers Jon and Bob Kelly, who ran the Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA3 for decades, established the Kelly Foundation in 1988 as the formal vehicle for making charitable contributions to the communities in which they lived for much of their lives and achieved success in business. Jon Kelly founded River City Bank, and in 2009 the River City Bank Foundation merged with the Kelly Foundation. The Kelly Foundation is one of the largest charitable-giving foundations in the Sacramento region. For more information: KellyFoundationSacramento.org.

Make It Happen for Yolo County Receives $2.5K From Kelly Foundation

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Make It Happen for Yolo County, a nonprofit serving youth in need ages 18-24, has received a grant of $2,500 from the Kelly Foundation in Sacramento to fully furnish homes for five Yolo County transition age youth, mostly foster youth, moving out on their own for the first time in 2021.

“All of the youth we serve struggle with lack of resources and support and often feel forgotten as they move out on their own, especially during the pandemic,” said Jan Judson, board president, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “The social workers we work with have told us they have clients living in essentially empty apartments, causing a negative impact on their mental and physical health. We are grateful to our community and partners like the Kelly Foundation for ensuring transition age youth in need feel cared for and have the resources to be successful first-time renters.”

Make It Happen for Yolo County works with county social workers and other organizations to help clients complete a wish list of desired household items, and directly coordinates with clients to select items at the group’s storage units. Thanks to donated furniture from the community, it costs an average of $500 to fully provide for one home, including furnishings and appliances for a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living area, as well as cleaning supplies.

Make It Happen for Yolo County is a volunteer-run nonprofit providing transition age youth (ages 18-24), predominantly foster youth, in Yolo County with the furnishings, household goods and resources needed to move into their first apartments. The group receives furniture donations from the community and purchases new appliances and household items to help youth involved with the Yolo County child welfare, mental health and probation divisions, as well as the UC Davis Guardian Scholars program for students who have experienced foster care. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 100 Yolo County transition age youth. To make a financial or furniture donation, visit MIHYolo.org.

The Kelly Foundation makes grants to various charitable organizations in the community including, but not limited to, education institutions, hospitals, cultural activities and groups for the benefit of children. For more information, visit KellyFoundationSacramento.org.

Sac Life Center Receives $15K in Grants

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The Sacramento Life Center has received grants of $10,000 from American River Bank and $5,000 from Kelly Foundation to provide free health care, resources and needed items for Sacramento-area low-income pregnant women and new moms as the COVID-19 pandemic continues into 2021.

“Because of the pandemic and resulting unemployment, we are seeing double the number of patients needing items from our baby needs closet, as well as increased demand for our free maternal health care during and after pregnancy and Medi-Cal sign-up assistance,” said Marie Leatherby, executive director, Sacramento Life Center. “We are grateful to Kelly Foundation and American River Bank for recognizing the needs of pregnant women and new moms in our community during this trying time and giving so generously.”

The Sacramento Life Center provides free health care services, including pregnancy tests, STI tests, ultrasounds, well woman exams and more. Every woman who comes into the center meets with a patient advocate to determine resources and supports needed, from housing to food and clothing. For pregnant women who do not have health insurance, patient advocates help them enroll in Medi-Cal’s Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women so they can have coverage when they go to a clinic for prenatal care. The center provides low-income pregnant women and new moms with supplies needed during pregnancy and for up to two years after birth, including prenatal vitamins, formula, diapers, wipes, baby clothing and more.

The Sacramento Life Center’s mission is to offer compassion, support, resources and free medical care to women and couples facing an unplanned or unsupported pregnancy. The Sacramento Life Center’s licensed Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic includes a primary clinic and mobile clinic that provide all services for free, including pregnancy tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, patient advocacy for men and women, education and resource referrals. In 2018, the Sacramento Life Center achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, which ensures the group has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of high-quality health care. The nonprofit also offers a 24-hour hotline and program for women who have experienced pregnancy loss. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center’s Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic, visit www.svpclinic.com. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center or to make a donation, visit www.saclife.org.

Sacramento Life Center Receives $10K in Grants

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Sacramento Life Center has received $5,000 each from the Leonard Family Foundation and Kelly Foundation to provide free medical services to low-income pregnant women and teen girls through the group’s primary clinic located in the Arden area and its Mobile Medical Clinics that travel throughout the Sacramento area.

“We are grateful to the Leonard Family Foundation and the Kelly Foundation for this generous funding,” said Marie Leatherby, executive director, Sacramento Life Center. “The Sacramento Life Center has seen a 30 percent increase in women and teen girls seeking our services since our move to Arden. The majority are low-income, and half have no medical insurance. These grants will help thousands of mothers and their children receive the medical care they need.”

The Sacramento Life Center’s mission is to offer compassion, support, resources and free medical care to women and couples facing an unplanned or unsupported pregnancy. The Sacramento Life Center’s licensed Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic includes a primary clinic and two Mobile Medical Clinics that provide all services for free, including pregnancy tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, peer counseling for men and women, education and resource referrals. The nonprofit also offers a school-based teen education program, a 24-hour hotline and a program for women seeking support after having an abortion. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center’s Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic, visit www.svpclinic.com. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center or to make a donation, visit www.saclife.org.