September 1, 2005

HP gives District 10 $25,000 to benefit local nonprofits

Hewlett-Packard recently donated $25,000 to each San Jose City Council district to benefit local nonprofit organizations. In District 10 Councilwoman Nancy Pyle is busy deciding which agencies will receive the grants.

The first two organizations to benefit from HP’s generosity are the Almaden Valley Counseling Service (AVCS), which has received a $5,000 grant, and the Mayor’s Kicks for Kids program, which received a $2,000 grant.

HP grants are awarded through a $25,000 annual fund from HP, which is given to each of the San Jose City Council district offices. Council members are given the choice of bestowing the funds upon local organizations that have provided an invaluable service to the communities in which they work.

Almaden Valley Counseling Service
Founded in 1980, the AVCS has offered a range of counseling and education services and programs for students and families within the south San Jose area.

These programs include everything from in-office counseling and parenting classes to geriatric advisory programs and conflict resolution workshops.

The AVCS’s Counselor on Campus program has been particularly successful, providing local students with counseling, crisis intervention, and outreach and referral services. Counselors spend between four and eight hours per week at each of the 20 schools affiliated with the program throughout the San Jose Unified and Union school districts.

AVCS opened in response to community members’ concerns within the Almaden Valley following the suicides of two local teens. Since that time the agency has placed its aim not only on youth, but also on outreach to all age groups as seen through the various programs listed above. In 2004, AVCS assisted 330 students with 2,298 hours of counseling services.

In addition, the agency provided 5,247 in-office counseling hours to 523 clients. Sliding scale fees from these clients cover only a small portion of the agency’s expenses. In order to continue with their dedicated service, AVCS relies upon community support in the form of volunteerism, grants, donations, and sponsorship. This grant from District 10 will enable the AVCS to continue to offer affordable counseling, especially to many students who are in need of Counselors on Campus.

Kick’s for Kids program
The Mayor’s Kicks for Kids program assists the San Jose Earthquakes in their continued outreach to local at-risk and underprivileged youths and their families.

Working with more than 30,000 children since its inception, the Kicks for Kids program has made an impact on many young lives within not only District 10, but all areas of San Jose.

The program gives local businesses, corporations and individuals the opportunity to provide San Jose Earthquakes tickets to non-profit organizations that serve at-risk and underprivileged children and families throughout Northern California. One of the primary focuses of this program is to give children a chance to experience the excitement of Major League Soccer, while also demonstrating the importance of teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship.

In recent years, the Earthquakes and its partners have brought close to 2,500 at-risk and underprivileged youngsters to Spartan Stadium for soccer matches. Kicks for Kids sponsors receive a variety of valuable advertising benefits including recognition in the official match program and in-stadium exposure. This grant from District 10 will enable Kicks for Kids to continue to offer young locals an experience,which will educate as well as entertain them.

For more information about the grants, visit the city’s District 10 Web site at www.sanjoseca.gov/district10/.

—By Sheila Sanchez