The trustees of the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $610,000 to 13 local non-profit organizations providing remote and in-person services to youth and adolescents in Ventura County. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $100,000, and were allocated as follows to local organizations:

$45,000 to CAREGIVERS: Volunteers Assisting the Elderly for matching a teen volunteer with a senior citizen to assist with indoor and outdoor home maintenance, lawn mowing, window washing, vacuuming, laundry, and home organization.

$40,000 to CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) to support a Juvenile Justice Program Manager and two parttime case supervisors, including recruitment and training of a Spanish-speaking case supervisor.

$30,000 to Girls Scouts of California’s Central Coast to provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming and mental wellness services to girls in Ventura County.

$30,000 to Ventura Family YMCA to provide scholarships to disadvantaged children and those from low-income households to participate in YMCA programming, including: third grade learn-to-swim lessons, safe play activities, and adaptive programming for children with special needs.

Grants are awarded in the spring and fall of each year. The deadline for letters of interest for Fall 2023 grants is September 30, 2023. For more information about the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation, including instructions on how to apply for a grant, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.samuelssonfoundation.org.

The Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation was established in 2005 upon the death of Harriet H. Samuelsson, an Oxnard philanthropist, at age 96.  The Foundation awards over $1 million in grants each year to organizations providing services for the health, education, guidance, or welfare of children under the age of 18 residing in Ventura County, or to organizations conducting cancer research.

In 2017, Project Understanding, a local nonprofit that serves as a safety net to the most vulnerable residents in Ventura County, was just weeks away from having to close its doors.  Brandy Beesley, a life-long local resident, was hired as the new executive director and stepped in facing the harsh situation and reality that the fate of a 40-year-old organization weighed heavily on her shoulders.  She made organizational adjustments, implemented a refreshed strategic plan, and in just 6 years she has not only found a way to keep the doors open, but the organization is now thriving and serving more people than it ever has before. 

Not only has Brandy managed to sustain a 1,000% increase in capacity, but she has managed to thrive under unthinkable conditions, including the Thomas Fire, the Woolsey fire, and the COVID pandemic. 

When she began in 2017, the food pantry was serving approximately  275 people a month, that number has now increased to over 4,000 people a month.  While sustaining the existing programs he has managed to implement a new program that offers case management services to struggling families, guiding and helping them achieve their highest level of independence. Their Homeless to Home program has been instrumental to our local homeless community moving them out homelessness as well as preventing those on the verge of becoming homeless remain housed.  

This year the organization is excited to unveil their new brand identity, which includes a refreshed logo as well as and updated mission statement, and a new tagline, “Understanding Needs, Restoring Hope”.

“We have grown exponentially in the past 6 years and, Project Understanding has emerged with a solid foundation and a bright future.  What a perfect time to highlight our evolvement with a refreshed look and a refreshed mission statement that has evolved with us”, states Brandy Beesley. Project Understanding’s mission is to transform lives and empower independence by providing resources to the most at-risk in our community. 

 “It has been quite a journey, but I am excited for our future and as an organization we pledge to provide an unparalleled level of assistance to our families; fulfill the ever-growing demand for services, and ensure that no family is turned away for lack of funds. We are grateful for our volunteers, donors, and community partners, without them none of this is possible”, stated Brandy Beesley.

by Carol Leish, MA

The 3-year plan (2023-2026), will outline and update the local programs and services to be funded by the MHSA and allows for a new 3-year budget plan to be created and implemented. The list of priorities to focus on for the next three years are: 1) Housing; 2) Clinical Treatment & Services; 3) Access; 4) Outreach & Education; and, 5) Alternatives to Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH).

This list of priorities dealing with goals, objectives and interventions are the result of nearly a year of community feedback. This has been formally referenced as the Community Program Planning Process, which is a requirement of the MHSA for the 2023-2026 plan. This included a community health needs assessment, five community listening sessions, and a community response survey, which took place over the past 12 months. The final phase is the development of a new Program and Expenditure Plan for the local MHSA funding allocation. The prior plan covered the fiscal years of 2020-2023. Proposed priorities detailed below.

The Housing priority outlines hiring additional staff to develop a specialized housing team to support clients at risk of homelessness. It also includes acquiring/developing, and/or preserving of housing along with the financial support to preserve and expand upon existing tenancy for Ventura County Behavioral Health clients.

The Clinical Treatment and services to clients is also listed. This section will include adding/expanding upon the types of treatments, cultural and indigenous practices, and other services provide by VCBH. Some examples include: 1) Expanding the role of Peers; and, 2) Increasing 24/7 community crisis response services.

Access will be enhanced by improving the continuum of care and varying levels of care. Examining timeliness in relation to levels of care will be important. Also, examining the quality improvements of opportunities around various physical locations and remote access, through computers (Zoom). Developing options for immediate response for enrolled youth will also be part of the improvement of access.

Outreach and Education will be essential for increasing the outreach capacity for vulnerable and at-risk population (i.e., in-house and via contractors). The component of expanding upon the specialized Behavioral Health Outreach Team for it to: 1) Educate around moderate-severe (VCBH domain) vs. mild-moderate (others) mental illness. Or, significant functional impairments (i.e., what VCBH can be expected to do). 2) To educate dealing with stigma reduction, substance use and impacts, trauma, diversity, racial equity, and inclusion and change across lifespan.

Outreach and Education also will deal with expanding upon media campaigns in order to target those who are within vulnerable populations at all care levels. Expanding staff and provider trainings will also be occurring.

Alternatives to VCBH will be including: 1) Developing more contracted clinical providers/options for clients in the mild-moderate category. 2) Developing more non-clinical providers/options through mini grants (e.g., drop-in-centers, after school programs, indigenous/culturally informed interventions, etc.) 3)Developing sessions based indicated upon Behavioral Health prevention interventions for high schools. 4) Developing more providers/options for those with other conditions (e.g., developments/intellectual, traumatic brain injury, dementia, etc.)

The above is a list of priorities that VCBH plans to work on over the next three years, and as funding is available. The list of priorities will be outlined in further detail in the 3-year plan and Annual Updates Reports.

The 2023 Ventura County Homeless Point in Time Count was conducted on January 24, 2023 in the ten cities and unincorporated areas within Ventura County. People experiencing homelessness were surveyed and observed by the federal definition which includes those living unsheltered or in places not meant for human habitation, as well as those staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs on the night of January 23. Approximately 400 volunteers assisted with the unsheltered surveys from dawn until mid-day across the County.

There were 2,441 adults and children who were counted as homeless during the point-in-time count. This number represents an increase of 203 persons or 9.1% when compared to the 2,238 persons who were counted as homeless in 2022. The continued increase in the count can be attributed to several factors, although rising rent costs in the region and limited availability of affordable housing are leading causes. The number of calls for homeless prevention and rental assistance continues to increase across the county-wide homeless services system.

The Point in Time count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for communities to be eligible for federal grants addressing homelessness. The Ventura County Continuum of Care receives federal and state grant funding each year to provide emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, homeless prevention, street outreach, and permanent supportive housing programs.

The data from the annual count helps determine gaps and trends to help community leaders allocate funding for the highest needs. The full report with details from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and other data sources will be released in mid-April 2023.

For more information, please see the executive summary of the 2023 Homeless Count posted on the Ventura County Continuum of Care (VC CoC) website at www.venturacoc.org.

Written and performed by award-winning composer/performer Amy Engelhardt (Grammy nominees The Bobs, Harry Shearer & Judith Owen’s Christmas Without Tears), brings her one-woman show, IMPACT, to Ventura. The show features soul-stirring original songs that deepen the experience of Engelhardt’s unique story.

After a series of magical “follow-signs” a bucket-list pilgrimage unexpectedly turns into an exploration of compassion and the power of kindness. This compelling solo tale is told through the lenses of music, multimedia and memory.

“I don’t like most one-person shows and I don’t go for the woowoo stuff. I mean HELLO, I’m from New Jersey. But in 2019, a series of ‘follow-signs’ started pointing to a major world event 30 years ago. I followed these prompts to Lockerbie, Scotland. I expected a somber solo trip, but found the true meaning of “community.” IMPACT heads to Edinburgh’s International Fringe Festival in August 2023.

There are two shows this Saturday, March 25 at 3PM and 7PM. Tickets are $20 and can be bought online at www.NambaArts.com or at the door the day of the performance.

The second play is “Spy for Spy, love, shuffled”, from multi-award-winning writer and director Kieron Barry. Funny, moving and profound, this hilarious and heartrending new play explores the limits of the body, the weight of the soul and the burden of love. Spy for Spy asks if our lives make more sense in the wrong order, and if love is enough to fuse together two radically different spirits. Sarah and Molly love each other – and that’s all they have in common. As the uptight lawyer and the free-spirited dreamer strive to make their improbable relationship work, we see them break up, meet the parents, move in together and fall in love – all in a completely random sequence.

Shows are Friday March, 31; Saturday, April, 1 and Sunday, April 2 at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Tickets are $30/$25 for students and seniors and can be bought online at www.NambaArts.com or at the door the day of the performance. NAMBA Performing Arts Space, 47 S Oak Street, Ventura, CA. (805) 746-5567.

The Ventura County Grand Jury invites the public to its annual Open House on Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Grand Jury Chambers located at 646 County Square Drive, Ventura.

The Grand Jury is a panel of 19 Ventura County citizens who conduct investigations into the operations of local governmental entities within the county. Investigations originate either from a public complaint or from within the Grand Jury.

The Open House is your opportunity to tour Grand Jury Chambers, meet current Grand Jurors, learn about Grand Jury functions and the application process. If you are interested in applying for the Grand Jury or want more information, please visit the Grand Jury website at: https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/

For questions, please email [email protected]