Rest Haven Children’s Health Fund Announces 2020 Grant Recipients, Emergency Funding for COVID-19

SAN DIEGO (Dec 15, 2020)– Rest Haven Children’s Health Fund, a foundation supporting health-related services for underserved children in San Diego and Imperial Counties, has awarded grants totaling $172,122 to 16 area nonprofit agencies through its 2020 grant funding cycle.

Rest Haven has undergone a competitive request for proposal process each year since 2008, averaging nearly $200,000 in annual giving. Through this process, the foundation has now awarded a total of $2,387,471 in the form of special one-time grants to 62 different nonprofit agencies that share its children’s health mission. Six of the nonprofit agencies selected this year were first-time recipients (indicated with *).

The 2020 grant recipients include:

• Aseltine School*

• Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside

• Boys and Girls Clubs of San Dieguito*

• Imperial Valley Food Bank

• Montgomery Middle School*

• Neighborhood House Association

• North County Health Services

• North County Lifeline

• Palomar Family Counseling Services, Inc.

• Promises2Kids

• San Diego Center for Children

• San Diego Rescue Mission*

• Sharp HealthCare Foundation

• The Elizabeth Hospice*

• UCSD Student Run Free Dental Health Clinic

• YWCA of San Diego County*

In addition to providing funding to these 16 agencies through its annual grant cycle, Rest Haven provided emergency COVID-19 grants totaling another $103,211 to nine nonprofit agencies to assist them in meeting the increased need for services to children and families due to the pandemic. These recipients included:

• Boys and Girls Club of Vista

• Boys and Girls Club of San Marcos

• Home Start

• La Maestra

• Imperial Valley Food Bank

• San Ysidro Health

• Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital

• South Bay Community Services

• Walden Family Services

“Local underserved communities have been hit especially hard by the pandemic,” said Executive Director Peggy McNamara. “Rest Haven is grateful that we could provide immediate assistance to agencies serving these communities in a time of crisis, while also providing our annual grants to support the development and expansion of services to underserved children.”

Rest Haven’s mission is to provide funds for health-related services for children in San Diego and Imperial Counties when no other funds are available. Each year, the board of directors invites local agencies and institutions to submit proposals requesting funding for identified children’s health needs in their communities. The one-time grants must be used to increase the organization’s capacity to provide healthcare to meet the physical, developmental and/or mental health needs of children up through age 17. Grants may also be awarded to agencies for the acquisition of vital medical equipment and supplies.

Rest Haven has been supporting the health of underserved children since its founding in San Diego in 1909. Rest Haven’s support later expanded to include children and agencies in Imperial County. Its funding is primarily designed to help children with healthcare needs when no other financial resources (private or public) are available. Funding assistance for individual children may be requested by a service provider through an online individual referral process at www.resthavenchf.org. Rest Haven Children’s Health Fund has been operating under its current name since 1998.