title
Authorize the County’s contributions of $4,600 from the General Fund contribution allocated to District 3 to benefit the following organizations, including the Suisun City Youth Commission ($1,000), Armijo Band Boosters ($600), CASA of Solano County ($500), the Fairfield-Suisun Visual Art Association ($500), Rotary Club of Fairfield-Suisun ($500), Victims Empowerment Support Team ($500), Families Helping Families ($500) and 100 Club of Solano & Yolo Counties ($500)
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Supervisor Williams requests that the Board of Supervisors authorize the County’s contribution of $4,600 from the General Fund contribution allocated to District 3 to benefit the following organizations, including the Suisun City Youth Commission ($1,000), Armijo Band Boosters ($600), CASA of Solano County ($500), the Fairfield-Suisun Visual Art Association ($500), Rotary Club of Fairfield-Suisun ($500), Victims Empowerment Support Team ($500), Families Helping Families ($500) and 100 Club of Solano & Yolo Counties ($500).
SUMMARY/ DISCUSSION:
District 3 has identified eight (8) local non-profit organizations for which to contribute its non-county contribution allocation, including:
Suisun City Youth Commission, ($1,000)
The Suisun City Youth Commission (SCYC) is for the benefit of Suisun City Youth and Youth who attend Suisun City Schools and friends. The SCYC directly contributes to the community's healthy and sustainable development. The SCYC fosters peer-to-peer self-development and positive peer and adult relationships through the many opportunities of working within a consortium of youth public benefit organizations. Among these organizations are Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, 4-H, Red Cross Clubs, Solano Land Trust, and many more.
The Suisun City Youth Commission's seven cornerstones are Community Service * Youth Clubs * Performing Arts * Student Service Organizations * Sports * Community Resources * and Project Management. These seven cornerstones ensure their commitment to young people, promote prosocial friendships, build interpersonal solid ties, and reassert a sense of hope for the future.
The SCYC is Juneteenth-Suisun, Live 360 at the Solano Town Center, the It’s Your Move Chess Club at the Suisun City Library, the Beyond Differences Student Service Organization at Crystal Middle School, Virtual Academy Chess Club, Early College High School, Dan O Root, Chess Club FSUSD, and the North Bay Region of the West Coast Chess Alliance. Their mission is "Empowering youth with tools to engage in meaningful discussion that inspires action to grow and enhance knowledge about the Suisun City Community and the world." These funds will be used to provide sponsorship funds for the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration at the Suisun City Waterfront.
Armijo Band Boosters, ($600)
The Armijo Band Boosters is open to anyone who would like to help physically and financially to support the Armijo High School Band Program. The Armijo Band Boosters and Armijo High School Band cannot charge fees to students to participate in the band. The Armijo Band Boosters raise funds to cover the costs of (1) Meals at all the performances, (2) Instructional Staff, (3) Cleaning of the Uniforms, (4) Entry Fees for Competitions (5) Honor Bands, (6) Music, (7) Instruments and Repair and (8) Other Miscellaneous Band Items that come up.
With over 68% of students attending Armijo participating in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, the need of financial assistance of the students is evident. The Band Boosters fundraise over 95% of what they spend while the other 5% is direct contributions from parents or the community to ensure that students have the opportunity to participate fully band activities. These funds will be used to support student participation in the Armijo High School Band.
CASA of Solano County ($500)
CASA of Solano County speaks for the best interest of abused and neglected children and youth in the foster care system by training volunteers to advocate for their safety and well-being through the courts, in schools, and in our community.
In support of this mission, CASA of Solano County is committed to the following:
• Advocate for the best interest of children and youth.
• Recruit, screen and train a diverse community of volunteers to act as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA’s).
• Provide comprehensive training programs to educate volunteer advocates.
• Provide ongoing support to CASA volunteers and staff.
• Create and maintain public awareness and educate the community regarding child abuse and neglect.
• CASA strives to provide diversity, equity and inclusion in all facets of our work including the recruitment of volunteers and board members in order to meet the needs of the diverse population we serve.
• Create, maintain and discover relationships with public and private agencies/organizations and individuals to support the mission of CASA of Solano County
• Act in liaison with, and at the direction of, the Juvenile Court Judge.
These funds will be used to help abused and neglected children find a CASA volunteers.
Fairfield-Suisun Visual Art Association ($500)
The Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association is a non-profit organization of visual artists and friends of the arts working in collaboration with the community to promote artistic creativity, education and expression.
The FSVAA sponsors the annual FSVAA Student Art Show (which is open to all Solano County High School Students), the annual FSVAA Children’s Art Show (which is open to all Fairfield-Suisun City 1st thru 8th grade students), art classes, art auctions, fundraisers for other non-profits, and annual art events. These funds will be used to provide financial support of the student art shows.
Rotary Club of Fairfield-Suisun ($500)
The Fairfield-Suisun Rotary’s 60+ members have chosen to focus on making a difference in the community and the world by engaging in projects that provide youth leadership development, youth business training and recognize everyday students for their good deeds. They offer the following programs:
Camp Royal which is an annual leadership training program for high school juniors. Founded in 1979, Camp Royal has become one of the top leadership camps for incoming high school seniors in the country. During the weeklong camp, students develop advanced leadership skills by working with professional mentors, counselors, educators, keynote speakers, peers and Rotarians. A day on the "Ropes Course" teaches students experience in team building, trust and successful cooperation.
Camp Venture is a five-day training and motivational camp for students who have finished their junior year and are interested in pursuing a career in business, particularly as entrepreneurs. It is held in late June at St. Mary’s College in Moraga. Students have the opportunity to interact with experienced business professionals and meet with other students who have similar interests. Each student ends the week by participating in a “Shark Tank” like experience where student teams present new product ideas, with associated marketing and business plans, to a panel of business leaders.
The Good Character Youth Awards is about recognizing students. The students that aren’t traditionally recognized, but the everyday student who stands up against the bully, who helps those in need, who works to build teams that are inclusive. Students are selected based on nominations received from Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District teachers, counselors, administrative personnel and PAL Activity Center staff and counselors. To be eligible students must be attending high school in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. In 2024, 25 students were honored by the community, state, congressional and FSUSD leaders at a special ceremony.
The students selected exemplify the Rotary’s guiding principles. They are:
• Is it the truth? (Honesty, truthfulness)
• Is it fair to all concerned? (Fairness)
• Will it build good will and better friendships? (Kindness, consideration)
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned? (Helping others)
These funds will be used to provide financial support to the rotary’s student programs.
Victims Empowerment Support Team ($500)
Victims Empowerment Support Team’s mission is to minimize violence against all victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault in Solano County, and to improve their quality of life through education, support, advocacy, and empowerment.
VEST provides services that will enable Solano County residents who are victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse to become empowered. This is so they will be able to take control of their lives and future, as well as to provide support during times of crisis. VEST provides these services without discrimination for all individuals, regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or age. Every member of VEST’s staff is a dedicated confidential advocate for our clients. It is thier goal to provide those services that provide their clients with the skills and resources needed for self-reliance and to reach a future free of violence. These funds will be used to provide vital assistance to adults and children in our community who need to escape domestic violence and/or deal with the trauma of sexual assault.
Families Helping Families ($500)
In 1985 a handful of the Fairfield Anheuser Busch employees wanted to give back to their community by helping to feed those less fortunate. That first year, brewery employees donated enough to provide three families with complete Thanksgiving dinner baskets. With that, Families Helping Families was born!
Last year through employee and employer donations, as well as various fundraising events, Families Helping Families (FHF) raised enough funds to provide 400 Solano County families with a Thanksgiving meal for the holiday & an additional 2 weeks’ worth of food for a family of 4. FHF was also able to provide 100 seniors with a $100 food card for the holidays. FHF has donated $1,000,000 back into the community over the past 39 years. These funds will be used to assist Families Helping Families to provide food assistance to Solano County families.
100 Club of Solano & Yolo Counties ($500)
The purpose of the 100 Club of Solano & Yolo Counties is to provide immediate financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty, to provide resources to enhance their safety and welfare, and to further the education of their children through scholarship funds.
Additionally, the members of the 100 Club of Solano & Yolo Counties help guide and mentor young men and women and support them in their efforts to become good citizens who value education and civic responsibility. The goal is to help them to reach their potential and encourage a life of public service. These funds will be used to supplement the available financial assistance for Solano County public safety officer and firefighters’ families.
Guidelines for Grant Funding Requests:
During the FY2023/24 Budget Hearings, the Board appropriated $75,000, $15,000 to each supervisorial district, to allow Board members to support community service programs. The Board directed County Counsel to provide guidelines on how to recommend funding for qualifying agencies or programs. The Guidelines are as follows:
1) Each supervisor must submit the proposed expenditure to County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller for initial review.
2) The Board must approve the expenditure by a majority vote.
3) The Board must determine that the expenditure is for a public purpose.
4) The Board may authorize an expenditure of public funds to a nonprofit organization so long as the County retains ultimate control over the exercise of judgment and discretion of the intended program.
5) To ensure accountability, all expenditures are subject to periodic audit by the Auditor-Controller; and
a) If the recipient provides an activity, program or service (“activity”), it shall provide an activity report within 30 days of the activity that states the number of persons attending (if applicable) or participating activities carried out, feedback from participants (if applicable) and benefits of the activity. The recipient’s failure to provide a report may result in its being considered ineligible for future funding.
b) If the recipient is purchasing property or making improvements, it shall use the funds for only the specified purposes and allow representatives of the county to inspect and/or audit the purchase or the contractor’s performance, the facility or the portion improved with the funds and/or the records pertaining to the expenditures. The recipient shall retain for inspection and audit purposes any and all books, receipts, documentation and other records of the expenditures for three (3) years from date of receiving funds.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The expenditures totaling $4,600 in contributions are included in the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to authorize these expenditures; however, this is not recommended as this is consistent with Board policy.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
This report was prepared in coordination with the County Administrator’s office, County Auditor/Controller’s office, and County Counsel.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION