Boys & Girls Club, Healthcare Foundation, Devil Pups, FLC receive Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grants

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 May 10 to approve the allocation of $330,314 of Neighborhood Reinvestment Program allocations from Supervisor Bill Horn’s District Five budget, including allocations for the Boys and Girls Club of North County, the Fallbrook Healthcare Foundation, the Devil Pups program at Camp Pendleton, and the Fallbrook Land Conservancy.

The Boys and Girls Club received $50,000 to help renovate the organization’s recreation room; the Fallbrook Healthcare Foundation’s $27,020 will help with repairs at the foundation’s office; the $20,000 allocation to Devil Pups, Inc., will purchase uniforms for boys and girls attending the summer camp programs at Camp Pendleton; and the $10,900 for the Fallbrook Land Conservancy will help pay to resurface the parking lot at Los Jilgueros Preserve.

The supervisors’ May 10 action also amended the purpose of a June 2009 grant to the Fallbrook Community Development Corporation to allow the money to be used for purposes other than what was stipulated in the original grant agreement.

The May 10 allocations from Horn’s 2011-12 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget also included $50,000 which will be given to the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District for the costs of printing copies of the Red Guide to Recovery resource handbook. Although the fire agency itself is not in the Fifth Supervisorial District, the fire district headquartered in Spring Valley produces the disaster recovery guide for distribution throughout the county and copies have been distributed to victims of catastrophes in Horn’s district.

“Through your efforts we can get thousands of copies available,” said Leonard Villareal, the public information officer of the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District. “We gratefully accept your support.”

The Red Guide to Recovery is distributed to Community Emergency Response Team groups throughout the county’s various communities. “The victims are left facing a whole new life,” Villareal said.

Sean Scott developed the idea of compiling disaster resources into a book, and Scott subsequently compiled the Red Guide to Recovery. “He did a tremendous job,” Horn said.

The Boys and Girls Club of North County was established in 1962, but the building formerly served as Fallbrook High School before the school district built an educational facility on the school’s current campus. The Boys and Girls Club building is 74 years old and warrants renovation and other repairs.

The Fallbrook Healthcare Foundation is headquartered at the Pittenger House, which has been designated as a historical building by the Fallbrook Historical Society. The two decks, railings, and stairs of the Pittenger House have deteriorated to the point where they pose a safety hazard to visitors.

Devil Pups, Inc. dates back to 1954 and has operated a summer camp at Camp Pendleton each year since its founding. The Devil Pups program teaches tenacity and strength of character while encouraging teenagers to set goals and inspiring them to exceed their perceived limitations. The Devil Pups program does not charge students or their parents for participation.

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy was formed in 1988 for the preservation and enhancement of Fallbrook’s rural lifestyle and natural beauty. The conservancy manages 2,514 acres of open space in ten preserves, including Los Jilgueros. The parking lot at Los Jilgueros lacks a smooth or even surface, which hinders the ability to park a car or walk without tripping and poses a hazard to visitors.

The supervisors’ $20,000 grant to the Fallbrook Community Development Corporation in June 2009 was designated for Village Square capital improvements and associated costs for security fencing, a public address system and other sound system equipment, a sink, lighting, commercial-grade tables and chairs, visitor information and event signage, replacement of damaged bricks and tiles, repairs to the storage shed, and marketing and promotion materials for the Farmers’ Market. Board of Supervisors approval is required to use grant money for any purpose other than what was originally stipulated, and the May 2011 action will allow the funding to be used for landscaping, resurfacing Village Square sculptures, and renovating the courtyard fountain and visitor information kiosk.

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