Weekly's Holiday Fund aids 56 local organizations Weekly's Holiday Fund aids 56 local organizations (April 23, 2004)

Grants totaling $263,900 announced Thursday, to fund programs for families and children
Grants to aid community-based programs for families and children were awarded to 56 nonprofit organizations Thursday night at a tent-reception in the Palo Alto Weekly's parking lot.

The grants, ranging from $1,000 to $9,000, emanate from the Weekly's annual Holiday Fund drive, which this year raised $263,900 from about 700 donors.

This year's awards mark the 10th year that the Weekly has channeled funds from the community directly into programs for children and families, Publisher Bill Johnson said. The Weekly absorbs all overhead costs, so the entire donations are passed on to the recipients.

Grants ranged from a $9,000 grant for a Ravenswood City School District anti-pregnancy program in Redwood City to a traveling art program run by the Pacific Art League of Palo Alto. Seven child-care centers were awarded special grants to improve facilities.

The Holiday Fund received applications from 117 organizations between November and when the drive ended in late January.

At the reception, Johnson thanked the donors, with special acknowledgement of the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the Peery and Arrillaga foundations and an anonymous foundation, which provided matching funds for community donations.

Grant funds also come from proceeds of the Weekly's annual Moonlight Run each fall, co-sponsored with the City of Palo Alto Recreation Department. The 2003 run kicked off the Holiday Fund drive. Corporate sponsors of the run include the Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati Foundation; UCSC Extension; Alliance Credit Union; and Mid-Peninsula Bank.

An additional $15,520 has been reserved for scholarships to high school students and for continuing education for child-care professionals -- a new category this year. Scholarship recipients will be announced later.

This year's grant recipients are listed below. For a complete list with descriptions of the projects funded by the grants, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com and click on "Community" in the left margin. 2003-2004 Holiday Fund grant recipients. Achievekids, $5,000. Adolescent Counseling Services, $7,500. Art in Action, $3,000. Bayshore Christian Ministries, $3,000. California Family Foundation, $4,000. Community Association for Rehabilitation, $3,000. Challenge Learning Center, $5,000. Children's Day in East Palo Alto, $4,000. Cleo Eulau Center, $5,000. Community Breast Health Project, $5,000. Community Legal Services in EPA, $5,000. East Palo Alto Kids Foundation, $7,500. East Palo Alto YMCA, $7,500. Ecumenical Hunger Program, $7,500. El Carmelo Elementary School, $1,000. Environmental Volunteers, $3,000. Family & Children Services, $5,000. Family Connections, $5,000. Foundation for a College Education, $5,000. Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, $7,500. Friends of the Palo Alto Public Library, $4,000. Girls Club of the Mid-Peninsula, $4,000. Hidden Villa, $7,500. I Have a Dream, $5,000. InnVision/Urban Ministry, $7,500. Jordan Middle School PTA, $3,000. Mayview Community Health Center, $5,000. New Creation Home Ministries, $5,000. Occupational Industrialization Center West, $2,500. Pacific Art League of Palo Alto, $4,500. Palo Alto Art Center Foundation, $5,000. Palo Alto Housing Corporation, $3,000. Palo Alto Library Foundation, $5,000. PAMF-Collaborative, $5,000. Palo Alto Senior High School, $2,500. PAUSD Music Department, $5,000. Parents Place Family Resource Center, $2,500. Pathways Hospice Foundation, $5,000. Raices de Mexico, $2,000. Ravenswood City School District-Health Services $9,000 St. Elizabeth Seton School, $7,500. St. Vincent de Paul Society, $5,000. Support Network for Battered Women, $5,000. Teach for America, $5,000. TheatreWorks, $3,000. YES Reading, $5,000. YMCA of the Mid-Peninsula, $7,500. Youth Community Service, $7,500. ZOHAR School of Dance, $2,000. Child Care -- Capital Grants Children's Center of the Stanford Community, $2,500. Covenant Children's Center, $5,000. Friends Nursery School, $5,000. GeoKids, $3,400. Mini Infant Center, $3,000. Palo Alto Community Child Care, $2,000. The Children's Pre-School Center, $5,000.

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