Sierra Health Foundation Gives Boost to Teen Center Programming

Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Collings Teen Center today announced that Sierra Health Foundation, a private philanthropy focusing on health and quality of life for Northern Californians, has awarded a $25,000 grant to support the teen center's programming for youth in West Sacramento.

The gift was Sierra Health's second significant commitment to the teen center in a matter of months. Earlier in 2009, the innovative regional grant-maker awarded $25,000 specifically to help underwrite CTC's Late Lunch On the House program, which provides a free, hot meal to local high-schoolers every schoolday afternoon. Late Lunch served more than 14,000 free meals during the 2008-09 academic year.

Sierra Health's most recent gift is designed to support the overall programming at the teen center. That programming includes academic, recreational, job-skills, leadership, and other empowerment programs throughout the school year.

"Sierra Health Foundation is proud to partner with the Collings Teen Center in support of the important work it does to improve health and well-being of young people in West Sacramento," said Chet Hewitt, the Foundation's president and CEO.

For John Jordan, the teen center's executive director, the latest Sierra Health grant is a welcome catalyst towards new programming for the 2009-10 school year.

"Times are tough for all nonprofits right now," Jordan said, "but the teen center has survived and thrived primarily because of the passion of genuine partners like Sierra Health. They just keep stepping up for us. And let me tell you: there won't be a dollar of that money wasted. We have a lot of kids to serve."