This article is part of the ’24-’25 Donor Yearbook & Annual Report. Click here to download the full report (PDF).
The Foundation proudly champions charitable efforts that pave the way for a brighter future by fostering safe and healthy communities, in which families thrive across generations.
In addition to other programs and grant rounds that support thriving families in our region, we launched the new Together We Thrive Program, which focuses on emerging needs identified by the community and supports those areas with various funding sources and programs, including funds established over the years by generous community members to provide support for youth and families.
Over the past year, grants were awarded across sectors to support initiatives that help youth and families thrive. Examples of this work included the following:
Food Security in Del Norte and Tribal Lands
The Del Norte and Tribal Lands Food Council received Foundation funding to support a summer-to-fall 2025 initiative advancing upstream food security, nutrition education, and healthy food access for at-risk youth and low-income families. This project helped expand Downtown Crescent City Farmers’ Market programs, including securing market match dollars for WIC participants and launching the Power of Produce (POP) Club. The Food Council’s broader goal is to build a vibrant, community-centered market where families can easily access a range of healthy food supports. In addition to EBT and WIC acceptance, the market also honors Open Door Community Health Center’s “Rx” vouchers, a produce prescription program supporting patients’ nutritional health, and senior market vouchers through the Area 1 Agency on Aging. Further, the Downtown Crescent City Farmers’ Market partners with the Del Norte Unified School District through the Seamless Summer Meals program, offering free bagged school breakfasts and lunches to market participants under 18.
Mental Health Services for Youth
Sorrel Leaf Healing Center is dedicated to providing mental health crisis services for youth ages 7–17 on California’s North Coast, with a strong emphasis on serving historically underserved and disadvantaged communities. HAF+WRCF supported their efforts to establish the first Children’s Crisis Residential Program (CCRP) of its kind in Northern California. CCRPs represent a new model of youth mental health care recently introduced in California, and currently, none are operational in the region. The facility will break from the traditional, highly clinical and restrictive hospital-based models by offering a more supportive, therapeutic, and community-centered approach to care.