Greater Long Beach Foundation Awards Grants To Create Diversity Awareness

Long Beach — The Greater Long Beach Foundation announced today it has awarded $45,000 in grants to two Long Beach nonprofits that promote respect and understanding of diversity issues. The National Conference for Community and Justice and The Guidance Center work to create a better understanding of the language, ethnic, economic, cultural and religious differences among children in the Greater Long Beach area.

“Studies have shown that early human relations education has a great impact on perceptions,” said Jim Worsham, Executive Director of the Greater Long Beach Foundation. “We are happy to be funding programs that are designed to develop positive perceptions and eliminate stereotypes before they are cemented during adolescence.”

The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) began providing education, advocacy and conflict resolution services for residents of Long Beach in 1963. The Guidance Center has helped address mental health issues of children in the public school system since its inception in 1946.

The grants provide support for long-term program participation during the school year for kindergarten through sixth grade children in select Long Beach Unified School District schools.

Founded in 1996 in partnership with the California Community Foundation, the Greater Long Beach Foundation’s mission is to foster private giving to the local nonprofit community; to strengthen nonprofit service providers; and to improve the quality of life for the people in the Greater Long Beach area. The Foundation has contributed $420,512 to the local community during its eight years of grantmaking.

Members of the Greater Long Beach Foundation Advisory Board include Chair, Jean Bixby Smith, Robert D. Alban, William Barnes, Dr. Frances Grover, Nini Moore Horn, Kevin McGuan, Sean A. Miller, James H. Sullos, Jr., and Henry Taboada. Board member James Ackerman died earlier this year.

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 $670 million .

2004 Greater Long Beach Foundation Grants

Greater Long Beach Chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice ($22,500)
The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) is an organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry and racism through education, advocacy and conflict resolution. This grant benefits the Different and the Same program, created to address discrimination, prejudice and personal identity issues among children. Designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, the program will reach 350–400 students at four Long Beach Unified School District elementary schools.

The Guidance Center ($22,500)
The Guidance Center was established to create an awareness of mental health issues in the public school system. The grant to The Guidance Center supports the Council program, which was specifically designed to create an understanding of and respect for diversity in elementary school children. This program will create Council groups for fifth and sixth grade students over a 20-week period at Long Beach Unified School District schools.