United Way Increases Funding for Youth

The United Way of Ventura County plans to funnel an additional $109,000 to youth programs this year over last, cutting back 4% on the remaining local agencies.

Groups such as the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Paula, the Ventura Family YMCA and the Oxnard Camp Fire Boys & Girls will receive $1.25 million of the $2.7 million in grants the United Way will award starting July 1.

“We find that preventative dollars are our best-spent dollars,” said United Way Vice President Beverly Viola. “So we funnel a lot of dollars into youth and keeping them busy.”

The United Way will also release $1.1 million toward the agencies that donors requested.

The money came from its 1996-97 campaign fund-raiser, which will end June 30. By that date, United Way will have met its $5.45-million goal, Viola said. Additional grants will be made later.

The following is a list of agencies funded:

Camarillo: American Diabetes, $21,120; Arthritis Foundation, $40,817; Boy Scouts of America, $79,900; Boys & Girls Club, $82,187; Camarillo Family YMCA, $10,826; Camarillo Hospice, $16,447; Interface, $280,800; Palmer Drug Abuse Program, $44,578; St. Anne’s Outreach, $9,200.

Fillmore/Piru: Boys & Girls Club, Fillmore, $44,000; Fillmore Senior Center, $21,158.

Moorpark: Boys & Girls Club, Moorpark, $39,480.

Ojai: Help of Ojai, $20,273.

Oxnard: Boys & Girls Club, $184,832; Camp Fire Boys & Girls, $59,654; Children’s Activity Center, $33,500; El Centrito de la Colonia, $30,000; El Concilio del Condado, $117,976; Food Share, $48,101; Laubach Literacy, $10,383; Rainbow Recovery Centers, $39,200; The Salvation Army, $38,251.

Santa Paula: Boys & Girls Club, $85,219; Home Support Group, $13,363; SCV Alcoholism Services, $30,713.

Saticoy: Cabrillo Economic Development, $38,041; Clinicas del Camino Real, $121,660.

Simi Valley: Boys & Girls Club, $49,824; Free Clinic of Simi Valley, $23,143; The Salvation Army-Service Extension, $11,172.

Thousand Oaks: Conejo Free Clinic, $10,588; Conejo Valley Senior Concerns, $13,854; Conejo Youth Employment, $16,506; Hospice of Conejo, $81,374; Southeast Ventura County YMCA, $49,494; United Cerebral Palsy, $19,599.

Ventura: AIDS Care, $37,566; American Red Cross, $252,043; Boys & Girls Club, $136,138; Caregivers, $14,361; Catholic Charities, $130,590; Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence, $34,946; Easter Seal Society, $58,116; Independent Living Resource Center, $18,811; Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Assn., $36,205; Long Term Care Services, $24,357; Medical Resource Foundation, $11,744; Project Understanding, $34,519; The Salvation Army, $42,431; Tres Condado Girls Scouts, $46,953; Turning Point Foundation, $19,512; Ventura Family YMCA, $29,249; Ventura Youth Employment, $25,962.

In addition, United Way is giving $140,195 to the American Cancer Society and $114,918 to the American Heart Assn.