City Of American Canyon Online Community Forums

The Community Foundation of the Napa Valley has started an American Canyon Fund in the amount of $45,000. AmCan Representatives are:

Victor Rivera,Commissioner, Parks and Community Services
Leon Garcia, Vice Mayor of American Canyon
Denise Chesley, AVP, Vintage Bank
Jason Weiss, Boys and Girls Club
Buzz Butler, Developer, Napa Junction Project


The funds are to be distributed in American Canyon for various city projects. The initial target is YOUTH PROGRAMS. The objective is to provide funding for program development, training and supplies.

If you are member of a Non-profit, 501(c) , you may want to get in contact with me at vmr369@yahoo.com. Email me your group's contact person.
In the next couple weeks the grant and disbursement guidelines will be available for the funds.

I think the money should be spent on the Boys and Girls club. The last time I was there it was in very bad shape and I have heard even worse since they joined with Napa.

Get some new furniture, paint the place, give it a good cleaning, and buy some new computers.

Maybe add some outdoor covered patios for the older kids to sit outside for homework.

That would be a great asset to all of the kids in the community.

I have also heard that there are children with handicaps that need specific equipment that don't have the money at Donaldson Way and the middle school. At least that is what my daughter told me. Can't hurt to check it out.

FUND FOR AMERICAN CANYON
In an effort to provide more resources to nonprofit programs in American Canyon, the Community Foundation of the Napa Valley has established the Fund for American Canyon. This Fund is for charitable programs that serve local residents in American Canyon. Youth development is the grantmaking focus for 2006, which means:

Grants will be distributed to groups of teens and young adults (14-24 year-olds) to support projects they create for them and their peers. Projects need to help teens and young adults succeed in school, the workplace and as citizens or leaders of Napa Valley. Examples: peer-on-peer mentoring, teen centers, music workshops, technology cafés, sports programs, field trips, arts programs, drama workshops, language classes, career fairs, or open mic events.
Size of each grant will not exceed $5,000.

The Process

Youth must work in teams of 3-7 people and choose an adult mentor from the list below. Each adult mentor is connected to a 501(c)3 tax-exempt public charity; this charity will serve as the fiscal sponsor of your grant, if awarded.
Each team will meet at least 3 times to develop a project, under the guidance of their adult mentor.
Each team will submit a grant application, written by them, that describes their project to the Fund for American Canyon.

Adult Mentors:
Shannon Bowen, Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley—American Canyon Clubhouse, 707-648-1460

Pastor Morris Curry, Hosanna Life Renewal Christian Fellowship, 707-293-6199

Susan Lane, New Technology Foundation, 707-259-8524

Victor Rivera, Holy Family Parish, 707-647-1792

Roddrick Sweeney, Sr., American Canyon Patriots Football, 707-647-4566

Sherry Tennyson, American Canyon Family Resource Center, 707-363-0058

How to Apply

Please e-mail us a letter (no longer than two pages) by September 30, 2006 that includes:

1)Name, address, phone, and email contact for a youth member of your group.
2)List of youth members involved in the project design and grant writing process.
3)Tell us what you propose to do with a grant and why. Describe your project, including: what you hope to accomplish and how many youth you plan to include or reach; how you plan to reach your audience; and, how your project will make a difference for American Canyon youth.
4)Amount you are requesting and a proposed budget for your project (use the attached budget template).
5)Also send us via U.S. Mail 12 copies of your letter and any attachments (this is in addition to the e-mail).

Exclusions

The following projects are not eligible for funding:

Capital campaigns
Fundraisers or fundraising events
Scholarships or other re-granting programs
Decisions

Final decisions will be made by the Community Foundation no later than November 30, 2006 with the input of an Advisory Committee comprised of American Canyon community leaders. Please see http://www.cfnv.org for the framework used to review grants.

Contact

Fund for American Canyon c/o Community Foundation, 3299 Claremont Way, Suite 2, Napa, CA 94558. Questions? Contact Marla Tofle, Director of Philanthropic Services at 254-9565 or marla@cfnv.org.

You have got to be kidding me. You Victor an adult mentor. That is scary and what is even more scarier morris curry? It is to bad you didn't put it out to the public. It seems to me this group is completely made up of your little clique. Nice.

You have got to be kidding me. You Victor an adult mentor. That is scary and what is even more scarier morris curry? It is to bad you didn't put it out to the public. It seems to me this group is completely made up of your little clique. Nice.

Yes, MCB- it's us opinionated, people who although "unworthy" in your opinion-who make the city run and have worked on developing programs benefiting the populace..I guess you can say we've "got up off our fat butts" to make a difference.

Earlier today Morris hosted anothe edition of American Canyon Showcase.
Announced his candidacy for NV college board

In the last week, I have:
Hosted an event at my home for Measure G and the Mayoral Campaign.
Met with Developers to build a Catholic church in American Canyon
Hosted a BBQ for Youth Basketball Players
Sent out sponsor letters for AmCan youth Basketball (competitive league) and sponsor letters for Vallejo NJB Basketball League
Participated in Kiwanis lunch where our new City Manager was guest speaker-at that meeting we gave $3000 to Boys and Girls Club
Spoke with the committee for Measure G (high school bond) regarding hosting an event at my home.

so let me ask you MBC- what have you done to make a difference for the benefit of AmCan-besides your cynical comments about Morris and I...

just asking since you seem to be so critical about the 'clique' who tirelelessly give to this community.

When one is raising a family, has a full-time job and joins every committee he can to put his name out there, he tends to be cranky and spreads hisself too thin.

My statements are in regard to your ethics and values. Your continued belittlling of other people. Your like one of those dogs that yap all everytime someone comes into the room.

My love is helping people. I have volunteered in the schools for 17 years. I believe children are our future. It takes just a little time to share kindness and generosity to a child that otherwise may not know that all people (adults) are not bad. It can effect that child's future on whether he/she will make the right decisions in the future no matter what their background. Just letting a child know they have the power to change it by validating who they are. I have been active member of my church supporting various organizations. I have left groceries on porch steps of families that were in need. Bought clothes for kids who didn't have clothes that fit for school. Brought meals to an ill person, mothers who have just had a baby and sometimes just listen to people who need someone to talk too.

I don't need to have a title next to my name, it is just not that important. I don't need to toot my own horn to the world, because what I do is the right thing to do. If everyone would be a good neighbor instead of just staying in their own little world, joining every committee, we wouldn't need these organizations. If people would take responsiblity instead of being so selfish, we wouldn't need these organizations. It just takes one person to change someone's life for the good, sometimes it can be something so simple as just listening, sometimes it can be teaching them how to fish for their future.

In my opinion, when you have the same people volunteering (the so called clique) and they have been so vocal on their political views, it keeps me and possibly others from wanting to vounteer because of the perceived association to the "clique". I am in agreement with MCB that not everyone needs a pat on the back each time they make a contribution to this community.

Media Release
_______________________________________________________

Contact: Terence Mulligan
707.254.9565 or terence@cfnv.org

Fund for American Canyon Invests in American Canyon Teens & Young Adults
Nearly $24,000 in grants awarded to projects that help youth build life skills and leadership

Napa, CA — November 30, 2006 — The Community Foundation of the Napa Valley announced today that it will distribute grants to six projects benefiting 14-to-24-year-olds in American Canyon. Teams of American Canyon youth submitted proposals for projects to build skills and character. “Teens in American Canyon told us loud and clear: 'there's not enough to do in our home town,’” said Terence Mulligan, President. “So we challenged them to create new activities for themselves and their peers. We were delighted to see they met the challenge and, working together, submitted very smart applications. In a program like this, the process is almost as important as the outcome. We're thrilled that so many young people put so much work into their grant proposals, and got so much coaching along the way from adult mentors in the community.” The following grants will be awarded from the Community Foundation’s Fund for American Canyon:

• $5,364 for Boy Scout American Canyon Troop #62 to build picnic tables at the upper campground of the Jack & Bernice Newell Open Space Preserve (fiscal agent for the grant is American Canyon Patriots Football);
• $3,000 for the Teen Center at American Canyon Boys & Girls Club to offer 12 cooking classes to American Canyon youth age 14-24;
• $5,250 for the Teen Center at American Canyon Boys & Girls Club to offer field trips in to cultural sites in San Francisco to American Canyon youth age 14-24, plus leadership-building activities for members of American Canyon’s teen service club, the Serendipity Keystone Club;
• $2,500 for the Teen Center at American Canyon Boys & Girls Club to offer 16 fine arts classes to American Canyon youth age 14-24;
• $1,901 for the Teen Center at American Canyon Boys & Girls Club to offer weekly hip-hop dance classes to American Canyon youth age 14-24;
• $3,000 for the Teen Center at American Canyon Boys & Girls Club to offer 16 computer and digital skills classes to American Canyon youth age 14-24; and
• $2,500 general operating grant for the Teen Center at American Canyon Boys & Girls Club, in recognition of their leadership during this grant process. (Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley is the fiscal agent for all the Teen Center grants.)

***
A huge step forward to providing services requested and run by AmCan youth!

I read this article (that VicRiv posted today) yesterday in the paper...

I do have one question...

The ages of the recipients seems so wide spread...14-24 yrs old.
That concerns me.

Couldn't these projects been divided into groups of 14-18 yrs old and 19 to 24yrs old?

A 10 yr spread seems (for lack of a different word) awkward to me.

Could someone explain how this age group was selected?

Vic Riv,

I want to make sure I did not mis-understand the grant given to the "youth" of AC.

Kids that are 24? I think the adult age now a days is 18 yrs. old.

So, with that said who exactly is 24 yrs old and possibly taking advantage of money allocated to a "youth" program?

Please don't mis-interprete this post as against money for youths in AC.

Just explain (since you were one of the mentors and spoke at the Council Meeting tonight) how this age range was decided.

The more I think about it the more it bothers me that 14 yr olds will be cooking with a 24 yr old.

The age group (or gap) was determined by the volunteer board members.

We felt it adequately addressed a few issues:
-providing services for teens
-developing leadership skills
-keeping young adults (of college age) involved in the community

The premise was also based on having the teens identify THEIR interests and develop and run the programs themselves.

The objective was also to tap into the young adults in the role of 'mentor' for the younger teens. Having volunteered at B&G Club-many teens are looking for guidance and are from one parent homes.

Hope this explains things. Thanks for asking..

By the way There should be a similiar amount available for 2007.