The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona has announced its 2012 grants.
The William and Doris Rubin Endowment Fund, which focuses on helping those in need move toward self-sufficiency, played a pivotal role in this year’s grants, providing about 80 percent of total funding available. Over the past five years, the Rubin fund has supported dozens of grants totaling over half a million dollars.
Other funds that make distributions through the Foundation’s annual grants process include The Dr. Samuel & Sylvia Zaidenberg Fund, The Ida and Patricia Brodsky Fund, The Kahn Family Legacy Fund, The Marc and Meryl Tischler Endowment Fund, The Marilyn Haas Community Youth Fund, The Sidney & Tauba Kaderlan Fund and The Zuckerman Family Fund.
This year, the Foundation received 44 applications for grants totaling more than $641,000 in requested funding. The grants committee awarded $126,215 to the following 13 programs:
Child and Family Resources for the Enhancing Child Abuse Prevention with Specially Trained Volunteers Program to provide a 24-hour emergency helpline, supportive weekly phone calls, information, resources and connection to community services for new mothers.
Community Food Bank Inc. for the Caridad Community Kitchen Culinary Training Program.
The Institute for the Advancement of Education in Jaffa, Inc. for the Beit Ruth Hostel for At-Risk Girls.
Interfaith Community Services for the Tools for Financial Sustainability and Emergency Assistance Program, helping individuals and families in financial crisis through short-term financial assistance and tools to improve employability and financial literacy.
Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona for the Emergency Financial Assistance Program, helping hundreds of individuals avert hunger, homelessness or unsafe living conditions.
Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona for the PJ Library, which strives to deepen the identities of Jewish families, increase Jewish literacy and strengthen relationships to the Jewish community.
Kiryat Malachi for the Ethiopian Family Violence Prevention Program, which will provide 700 families with therapeutic counseling and treatment.
Pitchon Lev for the Touching the Horizon Program, a seven-year Israeli program that provides high school tutoring and empowerment workshops, a “Big Brother” mentorship through the three years of army service, and finally, preparation for education and employment following the army.
The Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center for the Child Abuse Prevention Program, which addresses sex abuse prevention, bullying, conflict resolution, anti-violence, date rape and Internet safety, and provides training for people who work with children on these issues.
Tucson Jewish Community Center for the Taglit Summer Program, enabling young adults with disabilities to train to become camp counselors by improving job and communication skills.
University of Arizona Hillel Foundation for the Engaging and Retaining First Year Students of Hillel Program.
For more informatin go to jcftucson. org. or contact Lia Pierse, director of donor services, at 577-0388.
