The Charities
Sonoma County Children's Charities, "A Mutual Fund of Kids' Charities"- Rich Coombs.
As an umbrella organization we reach a broad range of charities throughout Sonoma County. We focus specifically on the objective of five organizations, maintaining Board seats in each, to become intimately involved with programs and fundraising activities. That makes a difference!
Sonoma County Children's Charities (SCCC) is a coalition of five local charities supporting Sonoma County children, including the Boys and Girls Club of Central Sonoma Academy, Sonoma Academy Scholarship Foundation, the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, the Valley of the Moon Children's Foundation, and PDI Surgery Center.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Sonoma County
Our mission is to enable all youth, especially those who need it most, to become caring, productive and responsible citizens. From our 7 Boys & Girls Clubs in Healdsburg, Windsor, Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, we serve over 800 youth each day offering youth development programs with an emphasis on Academic Success, Health & Life Skills, Character & Leadership Development, Sports Fitness & Recreation and The Arts. We are open every day after school and all day during the Summer and holiday breaks. Club programs are very affordable or free and aim to instill in youth a sense of belonging, influence: usefulness and competence. Actor Denzel Washington says, "Without the Boys & Girls Club, I wouldn’t be where I am today, but more importantly, I wouldn't be who I am today."
The Valley of the Moon Children's Foundation
The Valley of the Moon Children's Home is Sonoma County's only emergency shelter for abused, abandoned, and neglected children. Several years ago the Valley of the Moon Children's Foundation formed a public-private partnership with the County to raise funds to build a much needed new Children's Home. Close to 6 million in private dollars were raised by the Foundation to help fund the building project. The new Home was built in three distinct phases: I Sitework and Infrastructure; II The building of the Children's Home and fully functional million dollar kitchen; III Completing the building for Redwood Children's Center (forensic interview center which assists with victims of suspected sexual abuse), dental and medical wing, baby and toddler area, and Foster Parent respite/training area. All of the components of the VOMCH, are now called the Valley of the Moon Children's Center VOMCC which includes an on-site school, and wonderful working garden where the children learn to grow healthy foods. March/2009 was the grand opening.
For the past four years the Foundation has been studying programs to provide the kids and have identified four key areas for expanded support: 1) continued support for the Home in the form of a new fully stocked resource library, computer lab, and state of the art play structure where kids of all ages can get out and interact with excercise, 2) education, housing, and employment for emancipated (aging out) youth. 3) children in foster care and foster parents, and 4) child abuse prevention. We have studied numerous programs to avoid overlap of resources and services and have narrowed our focus to specific programs for the Foundation. We are in our third year of providing scholarships to youth aging out of foster care, group homes, and the Children's Home who want to further their education by attending Community College, Universities, or Trade School. We will graduate our first scholars this year and are extremely proud of these youth and their commitment to their futures.
Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
The mission of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center is to preserve, display, and interpret the art of Charles M. Schulz. Central to our mission is our education program which brings Schulz's legacy of art and cartooning to over 5,000 children a year through school field trips, art and cartooning classes, and a variety of public programs which are free with admission to the museum. All of our programs are hands-on, age appropriate, and designed to involve children in, and excite them about, cartooning and art. Our reduced rates, fee assistance program, and four free days a year make our programs accessible to all members of the community. Additional programming for children and families includes a popular toddler and parent program every Monday during the winter, family weekends with hands-on activities for all ages, special days for Home School Families, Girl Scouts, and others.
Sonoma Academy
Sonoma Academy was founded to provide a premier, independent college-preparatory education for high school students in Sonoma County. At the outset, members of the board designated generous gifts to create a permanent scholarship endowment fund. The endowment, together with funds from charitable events such as this one, has meant that SA has been able to provide financial aid to 40 percent of its families every year since its opening. This has enabled the school to select students based on their desire to be part of a learning community, not based on their family’s means. As the school nearly doubles the size of its student body at the new campus, additional funds are needed to ensure that the school remains accessible for all students. Giving a talented young person a solid start in life is one of the most rewarding and lasting of legacies. That is why funds donated to Sonoma Academy by the Sonoma County Children Charities will be used to provide need-based scholarship funds for students in the County.
PDI Surgery Center
PDI Surgery Center, located in Windsor, provides dental surgery under general anesthesia to children suffering from extensive tooth decay. Most of the children treated at PDI are under the age of seven and have more than eight cavities. Tooth decay is the number one epidemic plaguing children in the United States, more prevalent than asthma, diabetes or obesity. Tooth decay is an infectious disease that can destroy teeth and create an unhealthy foundation for a child. Baby teeth are important for babies and toddlers so they can chew food, learn to speak correctly and smile without embarrassment. When PDI opened in 2008, more than 400 children were on the waiting list to be treated. The two-operating room facility has allowed PDI to treat more than 4,500 children from the North Bay and beyond, encompassing 18 Northern California counties. PDI is the first non-profit dental surgery center in Northern California to specialize in dental treatment under general anesthesia for young children experiencing severe tooth decay. Additionally, staff works with our patients, parents and community to provide oral health education to prevent future tooth decay.
Our mission is to maintain a sustainable dentistry resource that will serve the low-income children of Northern California who need safe sedation for dental treatment, and to provide prevention education and promote oral health. A healthy life of a child starts with a healthy, pain-free childhood.
