And the Winner is…

The Grant Committee unanimously voted to give the prestigious Barbara Christensen Heart of San Diego Award to the San Diego Police Foundation for their exceptional work in battling Internet crime against children through the SafetyNet school assembly program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego

Big Brothers and Sisters evidence-based mentoring program is a trusted solution for helping at-risk youth.  They serve children who have been abused and neglected by creating a stable and committed mentoring relationship with a trusted adult that nurtures protective factors for a child.  They intensively work with each family to overcome stressors that may be the cause for abuse.  This grant will support children for one year of life-changing mentorship, helping to prevent child abuse now and for generations to come.

Casa de Amparo

Casa de Amparo provides residential care and treatment for children ages 12-18 who have experienced severe child abuse and neglect.  This grant will allow the organization the ability to provide enhanced services and care to more children throughout the year, including trauma-informed and evidence-based mental and behavioral health assessments and treatment, life and independent living skills training and therapeutic and recreational activities.

Crisis House

The Crisis House Camp HOPE program is the first evidence-based camping and mentoring program in the U.S. to focus on children and teens exposed to domestic violence.  The cost-free programs have empirically been shown to improve emotional well-being, reduce anxiety, depression and decrease substance abuse.  This grant will allow for the addition of a mental health worker to improve these outcomes.

Friends of Vista Hill

Friends of Vista Hill ParentCare Family Recovery Services provides outpatient substance abuse programs for chemically dependent women and their families who are at risk for child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness.  This grant will provide funding for a pilot program of therapy for children who have experienced abuse or trauma stemming from their parents’ substance use as well as providing treatment and education to mothers to prevent child abuse and substance use.

Just in Time for Foster Youth

Just in Time participants have parenting challenges that are a major barrier to the success of participants ages 18-26.  Breaking the cycle of foster care for their children is a major priority.  Funding from St. Germaine will empower JIT to offer children stipends, community events that center around children, parenting courses and basic needs of parents such as diapers, cribs, highchairs, car seats and strollers.

Rady Children’s Hospital

Rady Children’s Hospital’s Kids and Teens in Court (STIC) program prepares youth victims and witnesses, who may need to testify in a court of law, with a three-week educational program to provide anxiety-reducing coping skills to increased a child’s ability to participate in a courtroom.  This program helps address feelings, concerns, and questions about the court process through role play and gradual exposure to a courtroom.

San Diego Police Foundation

San Diego Police Foundation has created the SafetyNet Smart Cyber-Choices program which is a preventative and proactive public safety program as well as a community awareness effort that works to break the cycle of abuse and victimization of our children on the Internet.  The SD Police Foundation provides this Internet Safety program to school assemblies throughout San Diego County.

Walden Family Services

Working through the San Diego Foster Care and Adoption Program, Walden Family Services (WFS) serves children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.  All of these children suffer trauma and 25% have special physical and mental health issues.  WFS keeps siblings together and WFS staff carefully trains foster families and continually supports them so that foster parents can effectively care for the children in their homes.  WFS provides extensive services that treat children holistically and carefully monitors them to ensure they have positive outcomes.