The Walmart/Sam’s Club Spark Good Local Grant Program recently awarded the Assistance League® of Ventura County (ALVC) several grants to help support its philanthropic programs.
The following are among the Spark Good grants awarded to the ALVC in the past several months:
• $1,500 for the Operation School Bell® program, from Walmart store No. 3650, on Victoria Avenue in Ventura.
• $750 for the Care Closet program, from Walmart store No. 2621, on Cochran Street in Simi Valley.
• $500 for Operation School Bell, from Sam’s Club store No. 6455, on Rose Avenue in Oxnard.
Last year, Operation School Bell provided essential clothing, toiletries, school supplies and books to 2,908 at-risk students in transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade in the school districts of Ventura, Oxnard, Ocean View, Briggs, Pleasant Valley and Hueneme.
“Our goal this year is to provide these necessities to another 3,199 children, giving them a boost of confidence and self-esteem that can lead to higher academic achievement,” ALVC officials stated in a news release.
In addition, the Care Closet program last year served 267 families and 1,862 children. “Through county social workers, we collaborate with Ventura County Children and Family Services to provide whatever essential items are needed to support resource families, ‘fragile’ families, and youths who have aged out of the county care system,” the officials stated.
“Through the kindness and generosity of the Walmart/Sam’s Club Spark Good Grant Program, we will be able to positively impact more deserving children and families than ever before,” they said.
The ALVC credited its member Nila Arensberg for her efforts in diligently applying for the grant funds offered by the Walmart/Sam’s Club Spark Good program. Nila has gotten to know the managers of the local Walmart and Sam’s Club stores and she has educated them about how the ALVC is making a difference in the lives of children and adults throughout Ventura County.
To date, the Spark Good program has donated over $27,000 to our programs. We are extremely grateful for their support, and thankful for this forum you provide to acknowledge them publicly.
