INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF OUR NETWORK >> CONTINUED
Through two opportunities totaling $837,500 in community-based grants, The Starbucks Foundation invested in the community engagement strategies of Points of Light Global Network affiliates in the United States. The initiatives funded varied by organization with the recognition that local stakeholders best inform the needs and solutions for their respective communities. CAPACITY GROWTH GRANTS When the pandemic forced the cancellation of The Starbucks Foundation Service Fellows Program, the 20 host sites received $487,500 in funding in lieu of the fellows. These funds supported the delivery of the critical work the fellows would have done and were directed instead toward supporting COVID-19 response efforts and racial injustice initiatives. Examples of the work funded include the following: • HandsOn Broward developed sustainable family-managed food solutions. Each family in the HandsOn Family Gardens Program receives a personalized, at-home fruit and vegetable garden. HandsOn Broward provides ongoing training and nutrition education, allowing the families to maintain the gardens long-term. • The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County took a multi-faceted approach to addressing the needs of the community during the pandemic by mobilizing volunteers to support food insecurity, senior isolation and companionship and the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. • Chicago Cares developed two bilingual (Spanish) volunteer programs. The first program, The Bilingual Business Skill Share Program, connects Latinx business owners to skills-based volunteers who help navigate needs such as budgeting and applying for financial assistance. The second program creates a Spanish option for the Read-With Me program. Through this initiative, children for whom English is not their first language receive culturally relevant educational support. • L.A. Works developed a resource library, micro-credential courses and moderated discussion forums for a new online platform called Participate.
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PHOTO: (Top) Hands On Broward Family Gardens Program. (Bottom) Hands On Broward cable car pull.