Nonprofit organizations request grant funds from city
Amount of available money down from last year
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Representatives from seven organizations that provide assistance to Moorpark residents came to request a portion of the 2008 Community Development Block Grant Funds at a City Council meeting last week.

However, while more people are seeking help from local nonprofit organizations, available funding has gone down by about 3 percent, said Deputy City Manager Barry Hogan.

Grant funds decreased from $205,000 in 2007 to $199,000 in 2008, most of which will be allocated to the public service programs sponsored by the city. Just $29,000 is available to fulfill requests from local nonprofits.

Representatives from some of those groups provided details on how they serve Moorpark residents during the meeting last week, and their requests totaled $35,000. Officials will vote on where to allocate the available funds at a meeting on March 5.

Jim Stueck, board member for Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, told the council that an increasing number of individuals in Moorpark and throughout the region seek assistance in finding longterm care facilities. The organization has 50 volunteers who help place patients in the county's 27 skilled nursing facilities, he said.

Funds provided by local cities go to train and assist ombudsman volunteers, Stueck said.

Debra Hyde, who spoke on behalf of the RAIN Project Transitional Living Center, which assists homeless individuals, described how her organization helped a Moorpark mom with multiple health problems become self-sufficient.

The mother, her teenage daughter and 2-year-old son lived in a car last year. With the assistance of RAIN Project, the family now has an apartment and the children are doing well, Hyde said.

The RAIN Project also offers transportation service to schools, doctor appointments and job searches, Hyde said.

Kristy Pollard, representing Ventura County food bank FOOD Share, noted that her organization serves a vital need in the community. In addition to providing food for the Moorpark Food Pantry and many other organizations in the county, FOOD Share's brown bag program serves more than 30 lowincome Moorpark seniors who receive extra groceries to help make ends meet each week.

Diane Scruton of the Loving Heart Hospice Foundation, which is affiliated with TLC Hospice in Moorpark, said her organization makes it possible for low-income hospice patients to go through the end-of-life process pain free and with dignity.

Many people are uninsured, underinsured and without enough resources to pay for medication or for final expenses after they die, she said.

In Moorpark, the organization is providing caregivers for a terminally ill 42-year-old man so his wife has help in tending to the needs of the family, which includes two young children.

"This is how we use our funds," Scruton said in her request for a share of the grant money.

Helen Ortega of Many Motors told city leaders her organization provided safe and reliable vehicles to 57 families last year, six of whom are from Moorpark.

Beneficiaries of Many Motors receive reliable donated cars and make monthly payments based on what they can afford. They also receive assistance with preventive maintenance. The vehicles help lowincome families sustain jobs and have funds to pay for housing, Ortega said.

Moorpark resident Eric Dee spoke on behalf of Women's Economic Ventures, an organization that promotes the economic empowerment of women. With training and financial support, women are given the opportunity to launch, grow and sustain their own businesses in Ventura County.

Two additional speakers testified on behalf of the Economic Ventures to show how the program benefits local residents.

The main benefactor of Community Development Funds has historically been the Moorpark Food Pantry. This year, the organization is requesting $14,000 to help sustain the services it offers to local residents.

Funding provided by the city and the community does a lot more than feed people, said Pat Esseff, representative for Catholic Charities.

In 2007, the food pantry distributed $70,000 in direct funding to prevent evictions, aid farm workers, provide dental assistance, and help people pay their utilities.

"This is only possible because of the support that we receive in the city," Esseff said.