FOUNDATION INVESTS NEARLY $11 MILLION IN PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN 2nd HALF '06Total Giving for 2006, Including Grants, Matching Gifts and Cash Contributions, Is More than $26 Million
April 10, 2007
Contact: Shawn Flaherty, 703-903-4384
Patricia Fuentes, 703-903-3504
McLean, VA – In the second half of 2006, the Freddie Mac Foundation continued to strengthen communities by awarding nearly $11 million to organizations whose innovative programs help improve the lives of children and families, primarily in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The total amount of Foundation giving in 2006 equals $26.2 million. This amount includes all giving expenses, cash contributions, grants, and the matching of employee donations. The total amount of giving for 2005 was over $25 million.
"The Foundation is committed to working with the Washington, DC community to make this region a better place for all of us," said Ralph F. Boyd, chairman, Freddie Mac Foundation. "The grants made last year demonstrate the range of issues to which we are dedicated, including strengthening and stabilizing families, foster care and adoption, and youth development. We are proud to be making a difference in these critical areas and in the lives of so many children and families."
The Foundation, which is dedicated to providing hope and opportunity for children and their families, approved 129 grants during the second six months of 2006, bringing the total number of grants given last year to 205. The grants in 2006 were given primarily in four focus areas: Strengthening Families, Foster Care and Adoption, Youth Development and Stable Homes/Stable Families.
A majority of the recent grants improve the lives of children in the District of Columbia and neighboring areas. In the District of Columbia, organizations receiving grants included:
Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc., which received $85,000 to provide therapy and educational support to children and their families who have been featured on the Wednesday's Child program in the metropolitan Washington region.
Children's Hospital Foundation, which received $100,000 to provide comprehensive medical and mental health services for abused and neglected children in the Washington metropolitan area.
Community Family Life Services, Inc., which received $50,000 to support the transitional ho using program that assists in reuniting families escaping domestic violence in the District of Columbia.
DC Action for Children, which received $50,000 to support the improvement of outcomes for foster children in the District of Columbia through public awareness and education, promoting effective policies and practices and facilitating collaboration among public and private providers.
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, which received $50,000 to improve housing and school stability for domestic violence survivors and their children in the Washington metropolitan area by preventing evictions and expanding access to housing for families and improving access to school services for children.
In Maryland, several organizations received funding for their programs, including:
Latin American Youth Center, which received nearly $279,000 to support the renovation of a new youth center in Riverdale, MD, which will provide academic enrichment and job readiness skills and support technological upgrades in all LAYC Maryland sites.
Adoptions Together, Inc., which received $65,000 to support the AdoptionWorks program, which places children from Maryland public foster care systems with adoptive parents who are recruited, trained and supported throughout the process of adoption.
Advocates for Homeless Families, Inc., which received $25,000 to assist Frederick County, MD families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness so they may achieve financial stability, self-sufficiency and personal independence.
Heartly House, Inc., which received $100,000 to support the ongoing operations of Healthy Families Frederick in connecting first time parents in Frederick, MD with early identification and long-term home visiting services that promote the health and well being of their children. The organization also received $50,000 to provide intensive transitional housing, case management, supportive services, transportation, child care, legal and medical aid, as well as education and training in Frederick, MD.
Among the grantees in Virginia were:
Northern Virginia Family Service, which received $470,000 for a variety of purposes, including the purchase of two townhomes in Prince William County, VA to increase the number of homeless families served in transitional housing; support of homeless families in Prince William County, VA, in need of case management and support to become self-sufficient; support of ongoing operations of Healthy Families Fairfax, a comprehensive program offering voluntary, in-home educational and support services to first- time parents at risk of mistreating their children in Fairfax County, VA; and the Therapeutic Respite Care program, which provides planned and emergency out-of-home, community–based care for up to 30 days to children with special needs in Northern Virginia.
Alternative House: Abused and Homeless Children's Refuge, which received $35,000 to provide an early childhood education specialist, child care staff, curriculum and supplies to assist homeless pregnant and parenting teen mothers and their children in Fairfax County, VA who are in the Assisting Youth Mothers program.
Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services, Inc., which received $75,000 to provide critical support to homeless families who are awaiting admission into homeless shelters in Fairfax County, VA.
George Mason University Foundation, Inc., which received $85,000 to provide at-risk high school students from northern Virginia with an intense and supportive extracurricular college preparatory program aimed at encouraging them to graduate from high school and enroll in college.
A full list of grants made in the second half of 2006 is available on Annual Grant List page.
Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to creating hope and opportunity for children and their families. As the largest corporate funder in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly $280 million in organizations serving the community.