CenCal Connects People and Service Groups with Half-a-Million in Funding

Community Organizations in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties Able to Improve Services

Participants in the Camp Mariposas summer program, which receives all its funding from CenCal's Community Benefits giving program | Photo: Courtesy

Santa Barbara County’s Medi-Cal health plan, CenCal Health, contributed over a half a million dollars over the course of 2023 to more than 40 service organizations and community nonprofits across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to strengthen the overall health of the Central Coast. The $530,000 contribution improved services for countless at-risk youth, children with disabilities, and food-insecure seniors throughout this two-county region by expanding comprehensive access to community members, increasing case-management capacity, and providing event sponsorships.

CenCal Health expects to increase its Community Benefits funding this year, expanding its grants and sponsorship programs in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

One of CenCal’s top recipients was CommUnify’s Adolescent Family Life Planning (AFLP) program, which received more than $124,000. The funding supports young mothers primarily between the ages of 12 and 21 in their mental health, career, and educational goals. With this new funding, CommUnify not only provided more expansive behavioral health services to parents and children, but also helped mothers forge a career path to benefit them well beyond their time with the Life Planning program.

Other programs supported by the awards included Meals That Connect, a program that provides meals and companionship to seniors in SLO County and receives $200,000 annually from Cencal. Camp Mariposas, a camp for underserved children, received a grant of $87,000 from CenCal, which has been the camp’s sole funder since 2017. A total of $122,000 in community benefits went to regional groups like VNA Health Foundation, Foodbank of Santa Barbara, and Family Services Agency.

CenCal Health CEO Marina Owen emphasized that organizations like these “are truly our partners in the shared vision of advancing health equity so that our communities thrive and achieve optimal health.”