Yocha Dehe Community Fund recently granted $30,000 to local nonprofit Make It Happen for Yolo County to address furniture poverty and transportation challenges among local under-resourced transition age youth. Make It Happen serves youth ages 18-24 across Yolo County who are moving into independent living from being unhoused, foster care, the juvenile justice system and more.
“We would not be where we are today without the invaluable support of the Yocha Dehe Community Fund. We are grateful that the tribe continues to prioritize resources for transition age youth, and we are honored that they entrust us with our largest grant yet to meet that need,” said Cathi Schmidt, executive director, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “The youth we serve may have a roof over their heads, but they are experiencing furniture poverty, meaning they do not have a bed to sleep on or kitchen items with which to cook or eat, and that dramatically impacts their ability to succeed in career or higher education.”
Clients are referred to Make It Happen through partner organizations. The youth then meet Make It Happen volunteers at their storage units in Davis to select items for their homes, including such basic household necessities as appliances, furniture and cleaning supplies. To offset transportation challenges, Make It Happen also offers clients bicycles, helmets, locks and lights.
For more than a decade, Make It Happen for Yolo County has received furniture donations from the community and purchased new appliances and household items to help under-resourced youth involved with the Yolo County child welfare, mental health and probation divisions, local nonprofits and the UC Davis Guardian Scholars program. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 300 transition age youth. To make a financial or furniture donation, visit www.MIHYolo.org.
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is committed to building strong communities and helping those in need, establishing the Community Fund to advance this mission. The Community Fund has established partnerships with more than 400 organizations throughout Yolo County, the state and nation, and granted nearly $40 million in philanthropic aid to support programs and initiatives dedicated to assisting people in need. The Community Fund prioritizes grants that help people help themselves in critical areas: education, Native arts and culture, environmental protection, Native rights and tribal sovereignty, and health and wellness. For more information: visit www.yochadehe.gov/giving/community-fund.