All the things that truly matter: love, kindness, creativity, beauty, joy.
We are Pleased to Announce our 2016 Grant Recipients!
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Photo courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind
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“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” -- Will Rogers
Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has been bringing people, dogs, and communities together since 1942. Lois Merrihew and Don Donaldson founded GDB after recognizing the growing need of wounded servicemen returning home from World War II without their sight. A German Shepherd named Blondie, rescued from a Pasadena dog pound, was one of the first dogs trained in a small rented home in Los Gatos, California. Blondie was paired with Sgt. Leonard Foulk, the first serviceman to graduate from the school. Read more about Guide Dogs for the Blind. |
Honolulu Biennial Foundation
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"If I were called upon to define briefly the word art, I should call it the reproduction of what the senses perceive in nature, seen through the veil of the soul." -- Paul Cezanne The Honolulu Biennial Foundation (HBF) is a celebration of contemporary art from the Pacific Neighborhood, showing the vast artistic vision from this important and dynamic part of the world. In Spring 2017, The Honolulu Biennial Foundation will highlight local, often under-recognized, Hawai‘ian artists, alongside talent from the Pacific Islands, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. HBF supports cultural diplomacy and exchange with the Honolulu Biennial along with complementing events during their two-month run from March 8 - May 8, 2017. Thankfully, this is not simply a one-time event. HBF works throughout the year to serve the local Hawai‘ian community through educational outreach programs, emphasizing access to art for Hawai‘i’s youth, along with exhibitions and professional development opportunities for the local arts community. Click here to read more about HBF and some of the great works being shown at this year's festival. |
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The Crucible
“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” -- Kahlil Gibran
The Crucible is a not-for-profit educational facility located in Oakland, which unites the Arts, Industry and Community into one. Their mission is “to inspire exploration and expression through welcoming hands-on arts education and experiences for people of diverse ages and backgrounds.”
One of The Crucible’s programs for young artists includes welding instruction. Their onsite welding studios are impressive. Welding is also a part of their summer camp programs and outreach with public schools that have become partners with The Crucible. In addition to learning welding skills, The Crucible provides numerous ways that young people can build skills and creativity. Bike workshops and many apprentice programs are among the skills taught at The Crucible. Their literature boasts, “These programs serve more than 5000 young people each year, with 80% of participants receiving access to free or discounted industrial art programs. Contributions provide scholarships, free programming for schools and other community partners, and support young interns and apprentices.”
Read more about The Crucible.
Vashon Wilderness Program
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“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” --Rachel Carson Vashon Wilderness Program (VWP), a nonprofit now in its tenth year, is located on Vashon Island, Washington. Surrounded by the dark blue waters of Puget Sound, Vashon Island is a rural paradise where trees, plants and flowers grow in abundance and people live comfortably in their natural surroundings. It's a perfect setting for a program whose mission is to provide “nature immersion experiences that cultivate deep relationships between self, community and the natural world.” Many of their programs are geared specifically for children. Stacey Hinden, VWP’s executive director, explained that, for the past ten years they have watched kids react first-hand to the nature around them: “We have witnessed more children each year come alive—their curiosity and imagination inspired, their reverence and respect cultivated, and their authentic gratitude expressed.” Read more about Vashon Wilderness Program. |
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Pathstar
"You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop." --Rumi
In 2016, KABF gave a grant to Pathstar, a nonprofit we’re honored to have supported since 2012. Pathstar’s vision includes reclaiming radiant health and optimal well-being in the Native American community. As Pathstar’s website states: "We do this through our intensive week-long educational and experiential San Francisco-based Alcatraz swim program, through support and advocacy in overcoming geographic, economic, and political obstacles regarding food availability, eating habits, methods of food preparation, and lifestyle choices in Native American communities, and through programs leading to mentoring and role modeling that reinforce the benefits of meeting challenges and inspiring healthy change."
Click here to read the full write-up of this inspiring non-profit organization.
Click here to read the full write-up of this inspiring non-profit organization.