PLACER COUNTY, CA – The United Auburn Indian Community’s newly established Community Giving Program presented its first quarter charitable donations totaling $255,000 to strengthen regional programs and services in Placer County and surrounding areas. 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 first quarter include Live Oak Waldorf School, Roseville Home Start, Inc. and PEACE for Families.
Founded in Meadow Vista in 1977, Live Oak Waldorf School provides a unique educational experience for its 200 students grades K-8. Dedicated to stimulating intelligence, encouraging creativity and teaching children practical skills, Live Oak Waldorf offers and education that balances individual development with a sense of social responsibility. The school will use its gift from the Community Giving Program to create a native and indigenous herb and plant garden around a natural spring and willow grove on campus.
The Tribe also donated to Roseville Home Start, Inc., a non-profit transitional housing corporation working to keep homeless families with children together in Placer County. Headquartered in a 28-unit former motel on Riverside Avenue in Roseville, Home Start serves as a place of hope and opportunity by providing living accommodations, mentoring, education and case management services to families who are coming out of homelessness and striving to achieve self-sufficiency and permanent housing. Adults enrolled in Home Start receive training in literacy, parenting, budgeting, and a host of other subjects designed to enable them to not only cope with modern life but also act as role models for their children. The contribution from the Community Giving Program will be applied towards general operating expenses.
PEACE for Families, formerly Placer Women’s Center, was also a beneficiary of the Tribe’s first quarter donations. A private, non-profit community-based organization, PEACE for Families provides comprehensive services for more than 3,000 victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Placer County. Services to victims and their families include a 24-hour emergency shelter for battered women and their children, crisis intervention, counseling, emergency food, clothing and transportation, court and social service advocacy, parenting classes and community education on the issues and prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault. The contribution received from the Community Giving Program will help fund the building of a new emergency shelter which will include a children’s play room to be named after the Tribe.
“Our tribe has long been committed to giving back to our neighboring communities,” said Jessica Tavares, chairwoman of the United Auburn Indian Community and the Casino’s Business Board. “After struggling for generations, the Tribe recognizes the importance of helping those who help others. It is indeed a great honor to be able to give to so many worthy organizations committed to improving the lives of those in Placer County.”
Other beneficiaries of the United Auburn Indian Community’s Giving Program first quarter donations include the High Sierra Resource Conservation & Development Council, Project Auburn Coalition, Sierra Vista Center, Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center, Del Oro High School – Community Tennis Center, Friends of Roseville (FORE), Roseville Science and Technology Access Center, Adventist Community Services, California Shock/Trauma Air Rescue, Placer County Law Enforcement Chaplaincy, Inc., Ride to Walk, Sierra Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Sierra Family Services, St. Vincent De Paul Society of Roseville, Auburn Community Concert Association and North Tahoe Arts.
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 or to obtain an application, contact Kris Martin at (916) 251-1512.
