Caminar's Project Ninety Benefits from Housing Industry Foundation Grant

Caminar is grateful to be a recent — and repeat — beneficiary of HIF's latest community-based renovation project grant.  

HIF creates direct and immediate impact with a focus on homelessness prevention for families in need through emergency financial support, access to affordable housing, and the renovation of community shelters and transitional living homes. 

HIF engaged American Asphalt to complete a renovation of Project Ninety's San Mateo recovery residence driveway, patio, and pathway. The market value of this project was in excess of $14,000 at no cost to Caminar and Project Ninety, keeping valuable resources focused on assisting individuals in Project Nintey's substance use treatment program.

Jim Buckner, Project Ninety's executive director, shared that clients living in this housing site are pleased with the upgrades and have committed to providing ongoing site maintenance.   

We are grateful for the partnership with HIF, which allows us to enhance the living conditions for clients in our programs. Please enjoy the project before and after photos.

Caminar Awarded $150,000 Kaiser Permanente Grant To Address Homelessness in Solano County

Caminar is honored to have been awarded a $150,000 Kaiser Permanente grant to address homelessness and strengthen our operations of Resource Connect Solano.

Resource Connect Solano is primarily funded through a contract with Solano County Department of Behavioral Health and is the coordinated entry system connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to housing throughout Solano County.

The grant will support building capacity among homeless providers, bridging the gap to housing through one-time subsidies, and easing the transition from life on the streets. Individuals and families facing the life-threatening experience of the loss of stable housing will benefit from housing assistance, personalized peer education, and mental health support.

Please read the entire announcement here.

Safeway Foundation Awards Grant for Jobs Plus Program

We are excited to announce that Caminar’s Jobs Plus program has received a grant from The Safeway Foundation. This grant was made possible through the People with Disabilities campaign.

During July, Safeway customers and employees voluntarily contributed to The Safeway Foundation’s People with Disabilities campaign at check stands throughout Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii. The campaign raised over $1.1 million to fund a variety of local organizations that are at the forefront of assisting people with disabilities. The Safeway Foundation supports causes that impact the lives of employee and customers, such as Caminar’s Jobs Plus program.

Our Jobs Plus program, which will benefit from the grant funds, provides individuals with mental, developmental, and physical disabilities opportunities for job training, placement, and supported employment services. Our goal is to increase self-sufficiency and life satisfaction for adults with disabilities by partnering with employers to place and retain clients in meaningful, competitive employment positions.

The Safeway Foundation’s past support of Jobs Plus has helped open the pathway for hundreds of people with disabilities to move from hopelessness and economic distress to the fulfillment of meaningful employment. One such person helped by Jobs Plus is Jay.

Jay had been working professionally for several years but lost his job during a time that he struggled to manage his mental health condition. The sudden loss of his income plunged Jay into legal troubles, and he found himself homeless. Jay found the help he needed through Caminar’s mental health services. Once Jay’s condition stabilized, and he was in housing, his case manager linked Jay with the Jobs Plus program. The program staff found that Jay’s job skills were still strong and that he was ready to get back to work. Working with his coach, Jay started his job search and soon secured a job with a good company that was glad to have his skills and experience. Jay’s coach checks in with him regularly and has helped Jay successfully navigate the pressures of work while caring for his mental wellness.

We are grateful for the Foundation’s continued investment in Jobs Plus, which will support our capacity to provide these life-changing services to the people like Jay, who most need them.

SAMCAR Foundation Grant Awarded to Caminar

Caminar is honored to receive a grant from the SAMCAR (San Mateo County Association of REALTORS®) Foundation, which strives to financially assist local nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life for residents in San Mateo County. The SAMCAR Foundation has been a generous, ongoing supporter of our supported housing services since 2011.

With the contribution from the SAMCAR Foundation, Caminar will continue to help people in the San Mateo community with severe mental illness (SMI) obtain and maintain suitable housing. SAMCAR Foundation’s grant will support our supported housing services in San Mateo by helping defray costs associated with housing and emergency housing support. With supported housing, our clients are able to maintain a healthy living situation within the community and begin the journey towards recovery.

We are grateful for the SAMCAR Foundation’s contribution; grants from community partners like the SAMCAR Foundation help us further to our mission to improve the quality of life for people with mental illness by providing opportunities to live in the community with dignity and independence.

Peninsula Health Care District Awards Grant to Caminar's Bridges to Wellness

Marie Koerper named Caminar's Volunteer of the Year during grant ceremony.

SAN MATEO, CA- FEBRUARY 2, 2016:  Caminar is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from the Peninsula Health Care District’s (PHCD) Community Grants Program. This grant will support Caminar’s Bridges to Wellness, a program that integrates primary and behavioral health care services while reducing preventable medical conditions and improving health outcomes.

“The PHCD is one of the initial funders and collaborators of Bridges to Wellness,” said Caminar CEO Charles “Chip” Huggins. “They (PHCD) were there when Bridges to Wellness was born so this grant means so much.”

“The Peninsula Health Care District is proud to support local organizations that have made an impact on our community,” said District Board Chair Lawrence W. Cappel, Ph.D. “Our Community Grants Program supports health-focused organizations that bring much needed services to District residents. We are honored to support their important work, which helps us carry out our mission.”

Bridges to Wellness (BTW) offers a unique, integrated approach to primary and behavioral health care services for adults suffering from severe mental illness and chronic health conditions. BTW helps this vulnerable population prevent, reduce and manage their chronic health conditions through the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices related to diet, physical activity, and substance abuse. Being diagnosed with both mental illness and chronic medical conditions, these clients face exceptionally challenging obstacles in managing their mental and physical health. BTW is able to provide the specialized attention necessary to improve clients’ overall health and prevent health issues. The program empowers participants to make positive, life-long changes to improve their overall mental and physical health, and to prevent the onset or worsening of chronic conditions.

“The grant from PHCD is important because individuals with mental illness do not usually receive this type of integrated, preventative maintenance and care,” Huggins said. “So this program has a lot of importance in their lives.” 

At the eighth annual Community Partners Awards Ceremony on January 28, PHCD awarded the 2016 grants to local organizations. In addition, each organization had an opportunity to recognize a key volunteer who helps support their mission and makes a significant contribution to the community. At the ceremony, Caminar recognized Board of Directors member Marie Koerper, who played an integral role in seeing Caminar realize its first ever mental health symposium in May of 2015. 

Koerper is an engaged community mental health advocate and a past President of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) San Mateo County where she served seven years on the board. Marie has served in advisory roles for San Mateo County Community College District and San Francisco State University and is currently a NAMI CA Advisor. She also worked as an Administrator for San Jose Unified School District, Nutrition and Food Services Division. Marie received her MPA, concentration Public Affairs, from Notre Dame de Namur University and B.S. Nutritional Science from San Jose State University. She is a member the Association of Fundraising Professionals Silicon Valley and the World Affairs Council Northern CA.

“I believe volunteers are crucial to our mission,” Huggins said. “They’re critical in advocating for us and our clients. Marie is definitely one of our most dedicated mental health advocates. She was invaluable in helping us organize the mental health symposium where we talk about breakthrough research that can help individuals with mentally illness in our communities.”

Every year, PHCD awards grants to local organizations that address local health priorities and help carry out the vision of the District: that all residents enjoy optimal health through education, prevention, and access to needed health care services. Community Grant recipients are chosen based on a review of local health care needs and the evolving priorities of District communities. In 2016, Caminar is one of 29 local organizations to receive a grant from PHCD, a community investment of $1.9 million. Since 1996, PHCD has invested more than $30 million to local organizations through the Community Grants Program.