2024 Give Big Kern Report to the Community | | |
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For the first time ever, Give Big Kern has surpassed $1 million in a single year for local nonprofits. This year’s event was the most successful to date, raising $1,529,018 and an incredible 22,067 pledged hours for 131 local nonprofits.
The funds raised during Give Big Kern will go directly into the operational budgets of participating nonprofits. The participating organizations range from arts and culture to social services and environmental conservation. Every donation makes a difference in the lives of those who are most in need. Mark your calendars for next year’s Give Big Kern on May 6, 2025.
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Beautiful Bakersfield Awards | |
The @bakochamber recently hosted the 2024 Beautiful Bakersfield Awards. Kern Community Foundation sponsored the “Large Nonprofit of the Year” award. Congratulations to all the nominees, and thank you for all your work in the community that makes Bakersfield beautiful. A big congratulations to @bakersfield_angels, the winner of the Large Nonprofit award. The Bakersfield Angels believe in walking alongside children, youth, and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship. | |
Congratulations to our Director of Community Impact, Teems Tulfo! Due to her efforts running Give Big Kern, the Kern Connected Community Network, and overseeing grants and community impact for Kern Community Foundation, Teems was recognized as the “Young Professional of the Year” at the 2024 Beautiful Bakersfield Awards. | |
2nd Annual Kern Alliance of Nonprofits Luncheon | |
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The Kern Alliance of Nonprofits hosted its 2nd Annual Leadership Awards, celebrating distinguished Kern County residents for their remarkable contributions to the nonprofit sector. Congratulations to all the award recipients!
A special shoutout to our very own Rashha Rohina, Human Resource Analyst for the Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program, for receiving the Rising Star Award. We're incredibly proud of you!
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Central Valley Roundtable | |
Thank you, California State University, Bakersfield, and The Maddy Institute, for hosting this quarter’s Central Valley Legislative Roundtable. It was an informative session learning more about the future of Nursing in Kern County. | |
 | After working at the Foundation last summer as a Bank of America Student Leader, Lauren has returned as a Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program Nonprofit intern. An incoming first-year at UC Berkeley, Lauren will continue to learn more about nonprofit work while helping to improve community outreach, strengthen initiatives, and assist with the scholarship program. Lauren graduated from Stockdale High School this past May, where she played as the Number #1 Varsity Tennis Player all four years and competed on the Speech and Debate Team at the national level. Outside of school, Lauren is a passionate advocate for scoliosis awareness in her community. After completing bracing treatment for her scoliosis, Lauren founded and currently leads the Central Valley Chapter of Curvy Girls Scoliosis Support Groups, hosting monthly meetings for girls with moderate to severe scoliosis and providing encouragement and guidance. In her free time, Lauren enjoys playing tennis, skiing, going to the beach, and spending time with her family. | |  |
 | Jaiden is our new intern at Kern Community Foundation through the Bank of America Student Leaders program. She has served as a Women's and Girls' Fund Grant Allocation Committee member and as a Health Department Intern for United Way of Central Eastern California. As the Community Outreach Chair for JJ's Legacy Got The Dot, she advocated for raising awareness to organ, eye, and tissue, donation in Kern County, and will continue her advocacy as an aspiring healthcare worker. At Stockdale High, she served as ASB Vice President, National Honor Society President, ACHIEVE Club President, NAMI Club VP, founded STEMPower Club and competed in Virtual Enterprise at the National level. She will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall, pursuing both Business Administration and Molecular & Cell Biology, with the goal of becoming a physician in the future. Recently, she created “1st Gen in STEM,” where she empowers fellow Kern County students to grow academically and professionally by providing them with information about scholarships, programs, internships, and other resources. In her free time, Jaiden loves to paint, embroider clothes, spend time with her friends and pets, and binge Filipino drama shows with her family. | | |
Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program (BYJP) | |
In June, the Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program (BYJP) continued to positively impact youth participants across its five active cohorts. In the Fellowship program, Fellows began preparing for program completion and participated in workshops, including an in-depth session on the City budget led by the City Manager's Office. Following this, Fellows attended a City Council meeting where next year's budget was adopted, followed by a Q&A with Mayor Goh. Through the Nonprofit Internship workshops, access to the professional development fund, and regular check-ins with their program specialist, BYJP expanded its impact by integrating new host organizations, thereby broadening opportunities for program participants. Simultaneously, our summer programs launched: Parks Mobile Recreation Internship welcomed 12 new Interns to engage in dynamic activities and support community events, while City Hall Summer Internship added 12 Interns to work on diverse projects spanning from Public Works to the City Manager’s Office. The new City Hall Apprenticeship program (CHAP) thrived with 9 Apprentices benefiting from our Resume Building Workshop, where they gained hands-on skills, and a Mock Interview event, where they connected with panel members from leading organizations who provided invaluable career insights and guidance. BYJP remains committed to empowering Bakersfield's youth through our diverse programs. | |
Kern Connected Community Network (KCCN) | |
The next KCCN workshop will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2024, 9 AM – 3 PM. | For more information on KCCN (Click Here). If you want to connect to community resources (Click Here). If you are interested in joining the network, please get in touch with Teems Tulfo at fatima@kernfoundation.org with any questions. | |
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- Connect individuals to resources beyond your services quickly and efficiently
- Access to directory
- Free unlimited licenses for CBOs
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- Access to different resources ranging from food assistance to transportation
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Al Gutierrez Memorial Scholarship Fund | |
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The Al Gutierrez Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor Al Gutierrez, who passed away on February 10, 2022. It was initiated by Al’s son, with the family making the first contribution on Al's birthday, May 17, 2022. The scholarship honors Al's belief in education. As a first-generation American, Al earned an AA degree in Administration of Justice from Bakersfield College and served Kern County for 31 years in the Sheriff's Department. The scholarship helps students from Kern County High Schools pursue higher education.
The scholarshipp supports Kern County students pursuing careers in law enforcement or related fields. Applicants must have attended a Kern
County High School and plan to study Criminology, Administration of Justice, or a related field. We look for applicants with strong GPAs and a clear motivation for college. The scholarship aims to ease financial burdens and provide community support to its recipients. If you are interested in donating to the fund, visit our website.
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Community members, did you know Kern Community Foundation has a Community Calendar? To help you stay in the loop, KCF created a Calendar that lists all upcoming nonprofit events, including workshops, galas, marathons, and volunteer opportunities.
Did you know nonprofits registered with Kern Community Foundation can share their events? If you have an event you would like to post on our community calendar and social media, please send the information to Teems at Fatima@kernfoundation.org.
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