ST. HELENA: On September 30, Napa Valley Vintners announced a $1.2 million investment in local programs for the hours after the school day ends, directing the money to afterschool and summer programs that reach 8,500 Napa County students, from their early years through their teens. The announcement is the trade association's second major youth-giving commitment in two months, following a September 1 announcement of $1.8 million for student wellness programs on school campuses.
"Being a single mom, I don't have a lot of help. The Club is my backbone. It provides a safe, supportive environment for my kids and makes it possible for me to keep working," said Mollie P. about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley. Her clubhouse received the largest of the five announced grants: $660,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley, bringing the vintners' lifetime funding total for the organization to $9.5 million over 27 years. Each year the club serves some 5,000 students across Napa and American Canyon, at 10 school campuses, two clubhouses, and a teen center, mixing homework and academic support with physical activities, STEM learning, and a social-emotional curriculum.
Where the rest of it goes
The second Boys & Girls Clubs grant, $275,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Helena and Calistoga, supports after-school care at six Up Valley locations for 1,300 students, with academic help, physical activities, and programs built around healthy lifestyles, character development, belonging, and purpose. Its lifetime funding total from the vintners reaches $6.2 million over 27 years. Aim High received $80,000 toward its work with 5th through 8th grade students on closing achievement gaps and building academic confidence; the Napa River Ecology Center in American Canyon received $80,000 for nature-based educational experiences, leadership programs, and getting kids outdoors; and Girls on the Run received $60,000 for its teamwork-driven program, which ends each season with a 5K run.
Being a single mom, I don't have a lot of help. The Club is my backbone.
For Mariana C., who has attended the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley for 10 years, the programs shaped who she became: "Being at the Club has changed me a lot. I never knew I could be a leader. I never knew I could be someone until they pushed me to be better and were always there for me. They always knew I had the potential."
The investment is part of Napa Valley Vintners' Youth Wellness Initiative, which the organization describes as designed to meet kids where they are, at school and beyond the school day. In October, the vintners said, they will announce additional investments supporting children and families in the community. The trade association, a nonprofit that says it has nearly 550 members and has been operating since 1944, says it has invested more than $245 million in community healthcare, youth development, and the environment in Napa County.
