Hundreds of Low-Income Angelenos Receive Free Medical Care With Help From the California Community Foundation

Los Angeles — The California Community Foundation announced today that it has awarded more than $1.1 million to seven well-known Los Angeles area nonprofit organizations. From Downtown Los Angeles to Venice to the Valley, these nonprofits provide free health care and other specialized health services as well as employment training and opportunities to the county’s most vulnerable residents.

The grants are a part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to its “Nurturing Neighborhoods/Building Community” grantmaking initiative and range from $75,000 to $260,000.

A $75,000 grant to the Saint Barnabas Senior Center of Los Angeles supports adult day care for low-income Alzheimer’s patients. Located in MacArthur Park, the day care building is designed especially for people with Alzheimer’s, incorporating lighting, color and other design elements that reduce anxiety and undesirable responses in patients. The center is open five days a week, and provides support services to Alzheimer’s patients and their families.

“The adult day care center at Saint Barnabas is the only one in the Los Angeles area devoted entirely to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia,” said Antonia Hernández, president & CEO of the California Community Foundation. “Funding this program provides an improved quality of life not only for Alzheimer’s patients, but for their families and caregivers as well.”

Other health care grants include a $120,000 grant to the Venice Family Clinic for its comprehensive asthma care program for low-income and uninsured adults, and a $250,000 grant to the Korean Health, Education, Information & Research Center, which supports the expansion of the center’s free community health clinic. The center is located in Koreatown, where approximately 50 percent of the county’s Korean population lives.

The community foundation also made two employment grants totaling $210,000. The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Community (LAANE) was awarded a $120,000 community foundation grant for its efforts to implement a community benefits agreement with LAX, which will result in the hiring of local residents for living wage jobs.

Additionally, the Valley Economic Development Center received a $90,000 grant to support its microloan program, which provides loans from $1,000 to $35,000 to existing and start-up businesses.

Established in 1915, the California Community Foundation is one of the largest and most active philanthropic organizations in Southern California, with assets of more than $750 million. In partnership with its donors, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations and public institutions with funds for health and human services, affordable housing, early childhood education, community arts and culture and other areas of need.

Health

Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center, Los Angeles ($260,000)
The Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center has been caring for low-income Los Angeles families since 1920. In addition to providing high quality health care, dental care and social services, the organization runs a day care and offers a variety of intervention programs. A $260,000 community foundation grant supports primary dental and periodontal care for uninsured adults residing in the downtown and South Los Angeles areas.

Korean Health, Education, Information & Research Center, Los Angeles ($250,000)
Located in Koreatown, where approximately 50 percent of the county’s Korean population resides, the Korean Health, Education, Information & Research center supports and promotes the well-being of Korean Americans living in Los Angeles. The center annual serves more than 20,000 clients in the areas of health care, social services and access to affordable housing. A $250,000 grant from the community foundation supports a capital campaign to relocate and expand a community clinic in Koreatown.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Southern California Chapter, Los Angeles ($200,000)
The Southern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society annually assists more than 10,000 individuals with multiple sclerosis and their families through a variety of education, independent living and physical and emotional health programs. The organization received a $200,000 community foundation grant to support its weekly adult day care program and a 12-week education program for people living with multiple sclerosis. Both programs place a strong emphasis on not only enhancing physical health, but also on enhancing the mental, social, intellectual and spiritual health of those living with multiple sclerosis.

Saint Barnabas Senior Center of Los Angeles, Los Angeles ($75,000)
Established in 1908, St. Barnabas’ mission is to help seniors in Downtown Los Angeles live independently and with dignity. The area served by the center has the heaviest concentration of low-income, elderly residents in Los Angeles County. St. Barnabas offers assistance a variety of ways, including money management, hot lunches, housing assistance and health clinic services. Additionally, St. Barnabas manages a day care program for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The program is recognized as a national model for adult day care, and it’s housed in a building designed especially for people with Alzheimer’s disease. The foundation recently awarded a $75,000 grant to support this center, which is located in the MacArthur Park area.

Venice Family Clinic, Venice ($120,000)
Since its founding in 1970, the Venice Family Clinic has grown from a tiny storefront facility into the largest free medical clinic in the United States, based upon the number of visits provided, range of services and number of volunteers who participate. The clinic provides a full array of primary care and health education for low-income and uninsured children and adults at seven locations. As asthma is a serious and increasingly pervasive public health problem that affects more than 15 million individuals in the United States alone, the foundation awarded a $120,000 grant to support the clinic’s comprehensive asthma care and management program for adults.

Employment

Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, Los Angeles, ($120,000)
The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) was established in 1993 to help the thousands of Los Angeles residents who are living in poverty access jobs with livable wages and health benefits. Recognized as a national authority on issues affecting the working poor and an innovator in the fight against poverty, LAANE came to prominence by leading the effort to pass one of the country’s first living wage laws. A $120,000 community foundation grant supports LAANE’s efforts to implement a community benefits agreement with LAX, resulting in the training and hiring of local residents for living wage jobs.

Valley Economic Development Center, Van Nuys ($90,000)
Located in Van Nuys, the Valley Economic Development Center’s mission is to revitalize communities and to create jobs for low-income individuals by providing training, technical assistance and financing for small businesses. The organization is the largest nonprofit business development organization in Southern California, serving more than 5,000 businesses annually. A $90,000 grant from the community foundation provides funding to hire a new loan officer to assist with the center’s microloan program, which provides loans from $1,000 to $35,000 to existing and start-up businesses