Impact100 Sonoma $100,000 grant goes to Sonoma Valley Teen Services

Impact100 Sonoma awarded its second $100,000 grant to Sonoma Valley Teen Services to fund its Skills for Life Program. Over 160 people, including Impact100 Sonoma members, sponsors, guests, and representatives from the Sonoma Valley nonprofit community attended the annual meeting and reception at the Sonoma Golf Club.

Sonoma Valley Teen Services Board President Tim Boeve explained to the meeting participants that the $100,000 Impact grant will enable the organization to establish strategically-relevant, career pathways for Sonoma Valley youth by teaching teens to gain self-respect and purpose through imparting real job skills. The grant will help to expand the organization’s Lovin’ Oven career development culinary program by teaching youth participants baking skills and all aspects of running a food preparation and sales business. The grant will also support the organization’s No Name Café barista teen training program, creating a comprehensive loop of teen-run businesses in the community.

This year, since Impact100 Sonoma raised a total of $157,000, awarding an additional $57,000 in Greater Impact Community Grants, ranging in size from $3,500 to $15,000 and focusing on women and girls’ programs and capital needs. The following nonprofit organizations were the recipients of these grants:

• Friends in Sonoma Helping (F.I.S.H): $15,000 for a clothing room improvement project
• Sebastiani Theatre Foundation: $3,500 for the replacement of a fire door
• Sonoma Ecology Center: $7,000 for electricity for the Garden Park
• Sonoma Valley Community Health Center: $9,000 for equipment for two new exam
rooms
• Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance: $7,500 for the Girls Empowerment Fund
• Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment: $15,000 for micro-enterprise training