Grantee Spotlight: United Community Foundation
Located just 15 miles east of Modesto, the Grayson United Community Center hosts several nonprofit organizations dedicated to uplifting residents of underserved communities in Stanislaus County. One of those organizations is the United Community Foundation (UCF).
Established as an official 501(c)3 in late 2017, the United Community Foundation offers a wide variety of programming to improve the quality of life for residents of Grayson, Vernalis, and Westley. Access to vital resources and additional educational, enrichment, and leadership opportunities are often limited for families in these rural communities. UCF exists to fill in those gaps by serving as a hub for food distribution, offering tutoring sessions and scholarships to local students, and even hosting an annual senior health fair. These programs, and many others offered at the community center, are made possible by partnerships with local nonprofits like the Salvation Army, Invest In Me, and the Healthy Aging Association.
One of United Community Foundation’s most beloved programs is their annual soccer tournament. In years past, UCF hosted a car wash to raise funds for the program – usually only enough to purchase new soccer balls and host a pizza party for the children who participated. Since 2018, a yearly grant from the Deputy Dennis Wallace Kids Soccer Fund has taken the tournament to the next level. Not only has UCF been able to purchase jerseys, cleats, and shin guards to loan out, they’ve also been able to host two additional tournaments each year.
Patty Amador, the fund advisor for the Wallace Soccer Fund shared, “Deputy Dennis Wallace loved soccer, and he loved kids. He spent endless hours coaching and promoting kids in soccer. It is my honor to continue Dennis’s legacy by supporting the United Community Foundation annual soccer tournament through the Deputy Dennis Wallace Kids Soccer Fund.”
In April, UCF was awarded a grant from the Adelante Fund at Stanislaus Community Foundation. The grant allowed UCF to further bolster their soccer programming with the creation of a new soccer team, the Grayson FC Team (which recently won a championship in a local league!). It also helped expand programming around mental health & wellness and arts & culture with activities like music making with Drum Love and dancing classes from Xochitl-Quetzal Azteca Danza.
The funding also supported the creation of the United Community Foundation’s Youth Advocacy Group. The group consists of local high-school aged students who came together with one shared goal: to encourage Stanislaus County Parks & Recreation to retrofit the outdated play structure at United Community Park in Grayson. The students recently presented to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, a proud moment for UCF’s Assistant Manager, Lilia Lomeli-Gil. She shared, “We are very proud of our youth that are doing amazing things. Seeing their professional and personal growth – that, to me, is where success is truly measured.”
To learn more about the United Community Foundation, visit their Facebook page.