Three local nonprofits given Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds

The Nov. 15 allocation of Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funding from the Fifth District budget of Supervisor Bill Horn included grants to Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center, the Veterans Association of North County, and the Fallbrook Alumni Association.

Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center was awarded $6,000 to purchase blinds and help fund the rental of holiday tree lights; the Veterans Association of North County will use $5,000 for a volume of literature written by veterans to describe their experiences during the holidays; and the Fallbrook Alumni Association received $4,000 for backpacks and other school supplies.

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.

Each county supervisor recommends the allocation of his or her Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds, although those allocations must be approved by a majority of the board.

Horn's four colleagues all voted in favor of the grants Nov. 15. Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center, the Veterans Association of North County, and the Fallbrook Alumni Association are all 501(c)3 non-profit organizations.

Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center was founded to provide an all-volunteer staff which reduces the community center's expenses. The blinds will enhance projection slide shows for private parties, business meetings, organization meetings, and other room users.

"More than 4,000 people enjoy the activities offered at the Fallbrook Community Center each month," Horn said. "I am happy to support their efforts."

The Veterans Association of North County has a facility in Oceanside and sees itself as a one-stop central resource facility in North County to serve veterans and active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton. The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant will allow the center to print, produce, and distribute the literature volume of veterans' holiday experiences.

"The $5,000 grant to the Veterans Association of North County will help pay for the production of a volume of first-hand stories told by veterans," said Supervisor Bill Horn. "The veterans will describe their experiences away from home during the holiday season, which will be therapeutic for them and help active-duty service members who are deployed during the holidays for the first time."

The Fallbrook Alumni Association goal is to support Fallbrook High School students and programs. The alumni association funds equipment purchases and also provides scholarships and backpacks filled with school supplies on an annual basis. This year the alumni association expects to provide about 75 backpacks with supplies such as three-ring binders, subject area dividers, pencil pockets, paper, protractors, pencils, pens, and erasers.

"The Fallbrook Alumni Association works hard to make sure high school students have what they need to be successful in school," Horn said. "This grant for $4,000 will be used to buy backpacks and school supplies for students who can't buy their own."