For Immediate Release

Contact: James Paxson, General Manager
Hacienda Owners Association
(925) 734-6500

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Hacienda Helping Hands has awarded two impact grants to organizations fulfilling important local needs: the Tri-Valley Non-Profit Alliance was given a $10,000 grant in support of their new Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund which will be used to leverage additional funding for six community organizations providing critical services. Alameda County Community Food Bank was given a $5,000 grant in support of their program partnering with the Pleasanton Unified School District to provide emergency food bags and fresh produce to families in need. Grants were made through a Donor Advised Fund held by the East Bay Community Foundation.

"Hacienda Helping Hands is pleased to offer our support, particularly at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges in the community, to two highly worthy organizations," said James Paxson, Hacienda's general manager. "The purpose of our granting program is to find opportunities to lend our assistance to impactful activities. Both the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance and the Alameda County Community Food Bank are doing work that is worthy of this support."

"This is an unprecedented situation for all our communities and at the same time the need for support and services is rapidly increasing, nonprofit funding is quickly decreasing," explains Kathy Young, CEO of the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance. "As a result, the ability of nonprofits to fulfill their missions is being jeopardized at a time when they are needed most, and that's why launching the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund made sense right now." In consultation with regional cities, community leaders, and "211", the regional coordinating agency for Alameda County, the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance identified the following beneficiaries to launch the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund: Axis Community Health; CityServe of the Tri-Valley; Open Heart Kitchen; Senior Support Services of the Tri-Valley; "Meals on Wheels" operated by Spectrum Community Services; and Tri-Valley Haven. "The Matching Funds Program is a cornerstone of the fund, and we are grateful to Hacienda Helping Hands for their generous contribution," continues Young. "By doubling each dollar donated through matching funds, the TVNF will help prevent interruptions in service delivery, and allow these organizations to scale as needs continue to grow during this critical time and into the recovery period that will follow."

"When the COVID-19 emergency took hold, we experienced a 1,000 percent increase in calls to our emergency food helpline - more than half of which were from households that had never reached out for help before," says Suzan Bateson, Executive Director of Alameda County Community Food Bank. "The communities impacted hardest by this emergency are those we're already serving, including families with children. We are prepared for a prolonged response and will depend on our partners for the duration of this crisis, and beyond. We're extremely grateful to Hacienda Helping Hands for stepping up to nourish our neighbors in Pleasanton during this time of need."

About Tri-Valley Non-Profit Alliance and Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund

The Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance offers regular opportunities to meet and collaborate with peers to enhance and grow the skills and talents of the dedicated people who work and volunteer in the nonprofit sector. Organizations share their challenges and successes, announce jobs and employment openings, and notify each other of upcoming volunteer experiences and events. The Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance provides nonprofit organizations with industry-relevant seminars, collaborative discussions and alliance networking at monthly meetings and organized events. In response to an overwhelming outpouring of community support to help those whose well-being has been jeopardized due to the pandemic, the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund was founded by the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance in March 2020. Just a few short months beforehand, the economic fallout of the COVID-19 virus was already stretching the resources of many nonprofit organizations in the Tri-Valley beyond their usual capacity. Donations to the Tri-Valley Fund will now provide direct support these organizations: Axis Community Health, CityServe of the Tri-Valley, Open Heart Kitchen, Senior Support of the Tri-Valley, Spectrum Community Services and Tri-Valley Haven. Please visit www.tvnpa.org.

About Alameda County Community Food Bank

Alameda County Community Food Bank - Feeding America's 2016-2017 Food Bank of the Year - has been at the forefront of hunger relief efforts in the Bay Area since 1985. The Food Bank serves 1 in 5 Alameda County residents by distributing food through a network of 350 food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community organizations, as well as direct-distribution programs including Children's Backpack and Mobile Pantry. More than half of the food distributed is farm-fresh produce. For 13 consecutive years, Alameda County Community Food Bank has received Charity Navigator's top rating - Four Stars - ranking the organization among the top 1 percent of charities nationwide. The Alameda County Community Food Bank can be found on the web at www.accfb.org.

About Hacienda Helping Hands

Hacienda Helping Hands supports community organizations in the following six key philanthropic areas: youth development and education, family strengthening, senior assistance, access to healthcare and healthy living, affordable housing and solutions to homelessness, and arts and culture. Over the last several years Hacienda Helping Hands has been able to distribute funds to organizations that addressed one or more of these philanthropic areas. Past recipients include: Axis Community Health, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Child Care Links, Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch, Open Heart Kitchen, La Familia, Sentinels of Freedom, Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center, and many more. Learn more at www.hacienda.org/about/helping-hands.

About East Bay Community Foundation

The Hacienda Helping Hands Fund is held by the East Bay Community Foundation (www.eastbaycf.org), one of the largest sources of philanthropic support for the East Bay, managing more than 500 charitable funds and endowments. The East Bay Community Foundation transforms lives by harnessing financial capital, leadership and philanthropic expertise through the power of many: partnerships with individual donors, business, government, and private foundations.

Contact Information

Hacienda Owners Association
4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 330, Pleasanton, California  94588-2738
(925) 734-6500 phone     (925) 734-6501 fax
info@hacienda.org e-mail     www.hacienda.org WWW