COMMUNITY FUND

Community Giving
Community Fund—Give Where You Live
BriarPatch Co-op established a fund in 1999 to generate interest income for annual grants to local organizations working for the health and welfare of our community. In nine years we’ve given $12,000 to 40 groups! Owner-members and other shoppers help build our fund by donating at the register— any amount, any time—and by participating in raffles, our annual silent auction, and other fund raisers. Bring your own grocery bag and your cashier will credit 5¢ to the Community Fund.

2009’s Grantees

The BriarPatch Cooperative Community Fund grant recipients for 2009 were chosen in September. A total of $1700 will be given to:
• Live Healthy Nevada County Food and Nutrition Action Committee, for the Hennessey School Teaching Garden
• Living Lands Agrarian Network, for farm-to-school elementary education
• Center for Cultural and Naturalist Studies for their free monthly meal in North San Juan
• Nevada County Food and Toy Run, for food
• Think Local First, for outreach materials
• Partners in English Language Learning for teaching materials

These six projects were chosen from sixteen applications received. The Community Fund Grant Committee for 2009 was: volunteers Jeannie Tofanelli, Eddy Sitzer, and Janice Bedayn, and staff coordinator Stephanie Mandel-Austin.

Grant Recipients 2000-2008

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL ISSUES
Helpline
North San Juan Child Development Center
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Grandmothers for Peace
Search and Rescue Team
Divine Spark
Hospitality House
North San Juan Family Resource Center
Literacy Council of Nevada County
Habitat for Humanity
Sierra Foothill High School local farm project
Community Ctr. Assoc./Adventure Playground
Extreme Leadership
FREED Center for Independent Living
Friendly Visitor Program
Milhous School & Children’s Services
Nevada County Habitat for Humanity
Sequoya Challenge/Independence Trail
Sierra Foothills AIDS Foundation
Sierra Services for the Blind
SPIRIT–Peers for Independence & Recovery
Women of Worth

HUNGER, FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Nevada County Grown
Camptonville Community Partnership
Nevada County Food and Toy Run
Seed of Life Garden Project
Food Bank of Nevada County
Interfaith Food Ministry
La Leche League
Tuesday Food Fest/Ctr. for Cult. & Nat. Studies

ENVIRONMENT

Sierra Nevada Deep Ecology Institute
Bitney College Preparatory High School Bicycle Program
APPLE-Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy
Wolf Creek Community Alliance
Woolman Semester at Sierra Friends Center
Forest Issues Group
Nevada County Land Trust
Sierra Nevada Deep Ecology Institute

COOPERATIVES
Tall Pines Nursery School Co-op