Grace Solutions receives grants totaling $245K from Nonprofit Resilience and Sustainability Program

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Aug. 15, 2024 - PRLog -- Grace Solutions, a San Jose-based nonprofit dedicated to helping the unhoused in the community with dignity and compassion, announced it received two grants totaling $245,487 from Valley Health Foundation's COVID-19 Nonprofit Resilience and Sustainability Grant Program, through the County of Santa Clara Federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act.

"In a typical week, our organization offers shelter, meals, and showers to over a hundred individuals in Qualified Census Tracts," said Grace Solutions Director Phil Mastrocola. "These grants enable us to improve the quality of our services to historically underserved communities while also helping our operations to recover from the impacts of COVID-19."

Funds from one of the grants is being used to pilot a Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB) and Housing Justice Workgroup. Racial equity and diversity are essential to the mission of Grace Solutions. By piloting a LEAB model, Grace Solutions considers the experiences of the unhoused themselves in its decision-making processes. Additionally, these funds will be used for the Housing Justice Workgroup, including former and current members of its emergency housing project who inform staff and management of changes necessary to improve services to clients. The goals of both projects are to assist in finding permanent housing for BIPOC and AAPI clients.

In addition, funds from the second grant are being used to help Grace Solutions recover from the negative impacts of the pandemic. This funding assists with obtaining personnel, equipment, and inventory, as well as reinvesting in several key areas of its operation, including administration, IT, operations, personnel, and security.

About Grace Solutions
Dedicated to helping the unhoused in the community with respect, dignity and compassion through services including interim housing, meals, and showers in a welcoming family-like atmosphere, Grace Solutions is a nonprofit operating out of Grace Baptist Church in San Jose since 2016.