Placer County, CA – The United Auburn Indian Community announced their 2004 second quarter charitable donations totaling $249,674 to strengthen regional programs and services in Placer County. The Community Giving Program – a philanthropic branch of tribal government established by the Tribe in March 2004 – will provide up to $1 million annually to nonprofit organizations supporting needs in education, health, arts and humanities, environment, community development and social services.
Beneficiaries of the Community Giving Program contributions during the second quarter include the Lighthouse Community Resource Center, South Placer Heritage Foundation and Foothill Volunteer Center.
Organized as a collaborative effort in 1996, the Lighthouse Community Resource Center provides free, direct, targeted services to students and families in the Lincoln community. The Center provides counseling, health check-ups, well-baby clinics, parenting classes and domestic violence counseling among other services. The Center is also used as a local meeting place by its partnering agencies which include the City of Lincoln, PEACE for Families, Sierra Vista Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, Sutter Health, Placer County Office of Education, Kaiser Health and Western Placer School District. The Community Giving Program's gift will be applied towards the Center's administrative expenses.
The Tribe also donated to the South Placer Heritage Foundation, an organization established in 1995 for the purposes of preserving the fruit sheds in Loomis. Today, the South Placer Heritage Foundation is dedicated to renovating and reconstructing buildings that symbolize a part of South Placer County's history and preserve its heritage for future generations. The contribution from the Community Giving Program will help fund the rehabilitation of the Blue Goose Fruit Shed into a meeting hall, performing arts venue and community center.
Foothill Volunteer Center, a 34-year old agency dedicated to providing services that improve or sustain the independence and well-being of older adults, was also a beneficiary of the Tribe's second quarter charitable contributions. In addition to "meals on wheels," the Center manages 425 active volunteers and programs in transportation, senior nutrition, hand-person repairs, friendly visitors, home modification and volunteer connection. The donation from the Community Giving Program will provide 2,988 hot lunch meals for one year to homebound seniors.
"As a member of the community, we are not only making a financial commitment, but a commitment to creating a better place to live," said Jessica Tavares, chairwoman of the United Auburn Indian Community and the Casino's Business Board. "To be able to give to so many worthy causes enriches our people as much as it enriches those who receive."
Other beneficiaries of the United Auburn Indian Community's Giving Program second quarter donations include the Lincoln High School Athletic Program, Chana High School, Rocklin Historic Society, E.V. Cain Middle School Theatre Company, Placer Nature Center, Rocklin Academy Charter School, Sierra Preschool, The Forest Foundation, Placer Community Action Council, Boys & Girls Club of Auburn, Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe, Child Abuse Prevention Council of Placer County, the Salvation Army of Auburn and What Would Jesus Do? – The Gathering Inn.
The United Auburn Indian Community, founders of the Community Giving Program, is located in Placer County, California near the city of Lincoln where it owns and operates the successful Thunder Valley Casino. A federally recognized Indian tribe, the United Auburn Indian Community is a sovereign government, making the establishment of its philanthropic fund even more unique. The Tribe receives no tax advantage for making a charitable contribution to any group.
The Community Giving Program will not be used for loans, deficits or retroactive funding, advertising or promotional sponsorships, religious-based activities, individuals, or political candidates, parties or legislative causes. For more information on the United Auburn Indian Community's charitable fund, contact Kris Martin at (916) 251-1512.
