| | Published June 8th, 2011
| The Lafayette Community Foundation Spring Grants
| | Submitted by Cheryl Noll |  | | From left, LARC's Beth Hofinga, Program Director; Cookie Bedford, Activities Leader; and Betty Zingale, volunteer.
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The Lafayette Community Foundation (LCF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its Spring 2011 grants. Since 2000, LCF has given over $250,000 in grants to a variety of local organizations, making a significant impact on their projects. These grants are possible due to generous contributions by the donors of the community of Lafayette. A total of $10,000, parceled into multiple grants, was given to area organizations this spring in order to further the Foundation's mission of: "Investing in programs and projects that promote and enhance the civic, cultural, educational and environmental health of Lafayette and beyond." Two of the grant recipients for the Spring 2011 grants were WomenSing and The Lamorinda Adult Respite Center (LARC). For additional information on the Lafayette Community Foundation and to find information about how you can become involved, please visit www.LafayetteCF.org.
Lamorinda Adult Respite Center (LARC) is a non-profit, state licensed, social Adult Day Program for those with Alzheimer's or other related dementias, offering respite for caregivers by providing exemplary care and stimulating activities for their loved ones. Open Monday through Friday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, they provide interesting and engaging activities such as games, crafts, exercise, friendships and daily live musical entertainment. LARC participants feel safe, cared for and valued. The center's paid staff and caring trained volunteers foster dignity and self-worth in the participants (and they laugh a lot!). The grant from the Lafayette Community Foundation will allow the LARC program to continue to meet the needs of the community by expanding and improving their services. The funds will be used to create a Caregiver Resource Library with relevant books and DVDs to lend on dementia and related topics, to purchase colorful flowers for participants to plant in the patio garden pots, and for special intergenerational activities with the neighboring preschoolers. LARC is 100% privately funded and neither solicits nor accepts government funding. This generous grant from the Lafayette Community Foundation enables LARC to continue their mission and enrich the lives of many. LARC is located at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church 433 Moraga Way, Orinda. 925-254-3465; email larc@holyshepherd.org; www.holyshepherd.org.
WomenSing is a unique organization that began 45 years ago, devotes itself to the study and performance of choral music. WomenSing, with its 50 auditioned members, delights audiences with its beautifully blended sound not only in Bay Area but also in Europe, Asia, Latin and South America and Canada. This, local, non-profit organization has an exciting musical outreach program named Youth Inspiring Youth that partners with "River of Words" collection of poetry. Composers and poets as young as 8 and 14 inspired by nature are chosen and their works are mentored by nationally recognized composer Libby Larsen. This treasure trove of inspiring works is given voice by WomenSing under the direction of Artistic Director Dr. Martin Benvenuto. The group regularly holds their workshops at Veterans Memorial Hall in Lafayette in front of an interested, large audience. WomenSing will use this year's grant from Lafayette Community Foundation to help expand the Youth Inspiring Youth project.
The next concert by WomenSing "Stepping Westward" will be on June 8, 8:00 pm, at Lafayette/ Orinda Presbyterian Church, Lafayette.
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 | | Dr. Anita Rama (left), Lafayette Community Foundation Board member;
Dr. Martin Benvenuto, artistic director of WomenSing; and Ann Dzuna,
President of the Board of WomenSing. Photos provided
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA