Local groups given Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds

Each county supervisor has an annual $2 million Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget, and the final $664,081 of Supervisor Bill Horn's 2015-16 budget was appropriated June 28.

The county supervisors recommend the allocation of their Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds, although those allocations must be approved by a majority of the board.

The supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the District 5 grants which include $20,000 to Devil Pups Youth Program for America, $20,000 to the Pauma Valley Community Association, $18,500 for Friends of the Fallbrook Library, $17,500 to Bonsall Fallbrook Little League, $15,000 to the Rock Rose School for Creative Learning, and $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of North County.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program is intended to provide grants to non-profit organizations for the furtherance of public purposes at the regional and community levels. In addition to non-profit organizations, county supervisors can also fund schools and fire departments, and supervisors can also use money from their budgets to supplement other county funding for specific county projects such as parks, roads, and libraries.

The Devil Pups youth program was founded by retired Marines in 1954. More than 50,000 boys and girls have attended the ten-day annual camp in July, and approximately 3,000 applications for the Devil Pups are received annually. The "Growth Through Challenge" program includes physical fitness challenges, obstacle courses, educational sessions with Marine Corps personnel, and a tour of the USS Midway Museum.

Each graduate receives an inspirational token of achievement, and the Devil Pups Challenge Coins will be funded by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant as will participant uniforms and the printing of training manuals.

"The Devil Pups Youth Program is one of my personal favorites," said Horn, who served in the Marine Corps.

The volunteers of the Pauma Valley Community Association take responsibility for the Pauma Valley Community Center and the surrounding land. The services provided at the Pauma Valley Community Center include physical and mental health and dental clinics, sports fields, and community meeting rooms.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program money will be used to help expand the existing playground by purchasing and installing ramps, slides, climbing structures, and a swing set.

"The Pauma Valley Community Center offers a great family destination for this unincorporated area," Horn said. "This $20,000 grant is to help pay for new ramps, slides, climbing structures, and swings on the playground to make it more suitable for younger children."

Friends of the Fallbrook Library was established in 1963 and is dedicated to the enrichment and enhancement of the Fallbrook branch library. The organization supports book talks and author appearances, a monthly music series, the Art in the Library program, reading programs, and a bookstore, and the non-profit group also raises money for library needs.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program award will be used to purchase equipment and services needed to design, process, and build a "discovery zone" in the children's area which will be oriented towards pre-school children and will include areas for a puppet play structure, a tracing table, an interactive panel, Lego activity, a magnetic wall, a doll house, a height measuring unit, and signage.

"I think encouraging children to visit the library at a very young age is a great idea," Horn said.

Bonsall Fallbrook Little League will not deny a child participation due to the family's inability to pay the league registration fees, but over the past 10 years the organization has grown and the fields are now in need of repairs and upgrades. The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funding will assist with field maintenance including laser leveling and resurfacing of the three fields, re-setting the bases, rebuilding the pitching mounds, and purchasing an 8 foot by 8 foot storage shed for equipment.

"There are so many valuable life lessons a child can learn on the baseball field, and I am always happy to support this Little League program," Horn said.

The Rock Rose School for Creative Learning is a private school but has 501(c)(3) non-profit status. Early education is provided to children throughout North County and Riverside County. The school relocated to an area with more space in 2013 due to the increased demand, and since the move to its current South Mission Road location the activities have included parenting classes, community events such as the Harvest Festival and the May Day Festival, puppet shows, and book clubs.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funding will be used to purchase fencing, playground equipment, a shed, and furniture, and grant money will also be used to expand classrooms and create a small office space with flooring, plumbing, walls, and an electrical system.

"The Rock Rose School has been so successful in providing early education for North County children that they have outgrown their current space," Horn said.

The Boys and Girls Club of North County was originally the Boys Club of Fallbrook when it was chartered in 1963 and now serves both boys and girls at seven different locations. The character and leadership development, education and career development, arts, health and life skills, and sports programs serve more than 1,700 youth annually.

On April 23, the Boys and Girls Club held its Masquerade Dinner and Gala fundraiser, and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program allocation will cover some of the costs for the material printing, postage, marketing, venue use, professional services, and supplies for that fundraiser.

"Boys and Girls Clubs provide a safe place for children to play, learn, and make friends," Horn said. "This $10,000 grant will take care of some of the costs associated with their annual Masquerade Dinner and Gala."