Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Receives $100k Grant to Empower Underserved Women and Girls
State of California Commission for Women and Girls Grant to Fund “¡Listos! Smart and Ready” Program to Promote Financial Independence
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CARPINTERIA, CA (July 17, 2023) – Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is honored to announce that it has received $100,000 in funding from the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) as part of the highly competitive Women’s Recovery Response Grant. New funding will enable Girls Inc. Of Carpinteria to launch the ¡Listos! Smart & Ready program. Girls Inc. of Carpinteria received the grant for being among California organizations dedicated to women and girls who have been disproportionately affected economically by the pandemic.
“We are thankful for the initial investment from CCSWG that will allow ¡Listos! Smart & Ready to launch this fall. Our programs are designed to be adaptive and responsive. This program will allow us to reach more youth through an inclusive lens while continuing to uplift our core values and drive our mission forward,” shared executive director, Jamie Collins.
The program will focus on three core areas: 1. Financial Literacy: Providing financial literacy classes and workshops to help families understand the basics of budgeting, saving, and investing. 2. Savings: Developing incentives for families to save money, such as matching funds. 3. Investment: Providing families with access to low-cost investments to help them build wealth over the long-term. These tools and resources will help families build a foundation for financial stability and security.
Serving youth in the post-pandemic era, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria continues to see an increased need for financial assistance requests from families. Families are still recovering economically from lay-offs, furloughs, and temporary reductions in work hours. While inflation and housing costs in the South Coast Region continue to skyrocket.
“The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is elated to embark on the second year of this highly competitive and transformative grant opportunity, which continues to funnel much needed resources to diverse communities centering on women and girls throughout the state,” said CCSWG Deputy Director of Operations and Grants, Tifani Bartow. “It is clear that the need for economic recovery, and sustained investment in economic equity, access to opportunity and supportive resources for women, girls, and gender expansive Californians is still critical.”
Currently, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria has $200,000 invested in this pilot program. During their upcoming annual event, An Enchanted Evening in Bloom, funds raised will go directly to support this effort.
Jamie shares, “Our annual gala is a great time for the community to come together and support our work. We are working to close the income achievement gaps for under-resourced families. The funds raised are crucial to our financial assistance program, and our ¡Listos! pilot program. We believe that if we are able to support families in building a small financial foundation, the impact down the road for the families we serve will ultimately benefit the Carpinteria community. We are confident that with the support of our community, we can build program sustainability and help families achieve their financial goals.”
For more information about Girls Inc. of Carpinteria or the ¡Listos! Smart & Ready Program, please call (805) 684-6364 or visit www.girlsinc-carp.org.