The annual Fresno State Humanics Students4Giving Project will award $27,000 in grants to three Central Valley community benefit organizations. This year, Grandma’s House, Wounded Warriors and Kids ReBuild will each receive a $9,000 grant.
“Many CBOs are faced with the harsh reality of possibly closing their doors due to the lack of fundraising and grants available. To prevent that from happening, we want to recognize three extraordinary CBOs that have caught the attention of three student boards,” said Carlos Mendoza, a student involved in the project.
Humanics students, while learning virtually and facing difficult circumstances themselves, produced a thorough and competitive grant process through quarantine. With extensive research and interviews, they learned that the cost and impact COVID-19 and wildfires had on community benefit organizations has been tremendous.
“As a student, the opportunity to award a significant monetary grant to organizations in our local community was more impactful than we ever could have imagined,” said Kristi Hollenbeck, president of Students4Giving. “We were blessed to take part in the grant process from start to finish, and cannot wait to see how these grants benefit the three CBOs going forward.”
Fresno State mascot TimeOut visits Wounded Warriors veterans.
Grandma’s House in Tulare provides after-school and distance-learning programs. The Young Author’s project of Kids ReBuild is a unique children’s resiliency program for kids who were impacted by the fires in the Sierras. And Wounded Warriors (Our Hero’s Dreams) in Hanford provides hope to veterans and their families via healing retreats.
A press conference and awards event will be held virtually via Zoom from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 10, hosted by Fresno State Humanics Students. The meeting ID is 863 6244 0915. The event is open to media and the public. Students will be available for interviews following the brief ceremony.
With significant support from the Whitney Foundation, the Central Valley Community Foundation and many individual donors, the project continues to engage Fresno State students as philanthropists and community change agents, even in difficult times.
The Students4Giving Project has provided over $192,000 in grants to 149 different organizations in the San Joaquin Valley. This and other applied projects of Humanics at Fresno State create change on leadership and philanthropy while engendering exceptional leaders, enhanced organizations, and enriched communities.
For more information, contact Jeline Mack at jeline@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.722.7198.
