Carousel Ranch – Ready to Work!

Lt to rt: Nicole Miller, Cathy Gundy presenting award to Carousel Ranch

Carousel Ranch’s Ready to Work (RTW) program is changing equity barriers by preparing young people with disabilities to successfully compete for jobs through work-readiness skills building, access post- secondary vocational training, paid internships and supported employment that includes training employers how to work with their new and differently- abled employee for the best possible mutually beneficial outcomes. RTW graduates have the opportunity to improve their own lives, as well as contribute to a society that needs a diverse, well-trained and eager workforce.

The Zonta Ready to Work! Scholarships will be awarded to young women who have a desire to acquire the skills needed to pursue paid employment. This places them on a path that their families had typically given up on and that they themselves may have been discouraged for dreaming of. We KNOW that the young women we serve are more than capable of applying for, interviewing for, securing and retaining paid employment. Those in the program who have achieved these goals serve as models for those who come after, creating a culture of program expectation and achievement that now characterize Ready to Work. www.carouselranch.org

Circle of Hope – Empowering Women with Cancer Comfort Bags

Lt to Rt: Nicole Miller, Zonta Club President, Circle of Hope board members and Cathy Gundy (second from right), chair of Zonta Community Grants Committee

The goal of Empowering Women with Cancer Comfort Bags is to give women the help they need by providing comfort in knowing that other care about them and their health.  Having this comfort and sense of care helps women in taking control of their cancer diagnosis. The bags help women keep their self-esteem, relieve anxiety, and promote good mental health by providing them with comfort bags filled with items they will need when they go in for cancer treatments along with self-care items to relieve stress and anxiety. These bags are designed to hold all the necessary items for the day and are easy to carry and store their belongings while at their treatment.  The bags would include items to help them stary warm with blankets and cozy socks, insulated lunch bags since chemo treatments can last 6-8 hours, skin care products made to help skin irritations due to chemo and radiation, journals to document their treatments, medical device and their cancer journey, aromatherapy items, self-help and inspirational books, gift cards, and other items that would be helpful to their emotional and physical healing and wellbeing.  Bags will also include additional resource that they many need to find useful navigating through a cancer diagnosis. www.circleofhopeinc.org 

Family Promise – Shelter Homeless Women and Children

Family Promise board member Monica Holmes receiving their award

Family Promise supports mothers with children and pregnant women by sheltering them in motels and in our interim house to address their immediate homelessness while we address short and long-term solutions to find employment, childcare, social services and benefits, and housing.

Family Promise of SCV has served over 1,000 SCV families since June 2011.  They have also helped countless clients find employment and/or long-term housing and referred them to partner and government agencies for further assistance.

Families will be housed for 1-3 months while Family Promise pays for all of their expenses.  Assistance will also be given to help find employment. Families will have weekly case management and assist families to save money and will assist them in finding permanent housing. www.familypromisescv.org