FEBRUARY 21, 2024 3:37 PM 

The Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund hosted its annual Site Visit Sign-Up Meeting Feb. 7 at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. The event was attended by 70 members who joined the “Galantine’s” celebration. Over the last few months, the fund’s two Grant Committees reviewed 34 grant requests from charitable organizations based in San Diego County focusing on women’s and social services. Grant Co-Chairs Cathy Burch and Kathy Sage presented 16 organizations’ requests to the members and provided details about each project’s purpose. Over the next several weeks, the RSFWF members will conduct in-person visits, a unique membership privilege to examine these organizations and their programs in depth. They will meet again in April for finalist presentations and a membership vote on funding. The chosen organizations will receive up to $75,000 from the total grant pool of almost $500,000, according to a news release.

During the event, Dani Snow, the director of philanthropy at Catholic Charities of San Diego, updated the members on expanding services for homeless women in San Diego through a past grantee, Rachel’s Women’s Center. The center provides two types of shelters: Rachel’s Night Shelter, which is an overnight 35-bed shelter open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and Rachel’s Promise, which is a 40-bed, 24-7 low-barrier shelter. Rachel’s Promise is designed to meet the needs of women facing multiple complex barriers to housing, and it focuses on sheltering women with severe medical conditions or those who are not accepted into confidential domestic violence locations. Rachel’s Women’s Center is the only day center exclusively for women in San Diego County and is open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It provides respite for women from the streets while serving as an entry point to a continuum of services. Homeless women who stay at the center benefit from onsite services, including hygiene facilities such as restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities. They also receive two hot meals daily, have a mailing address, and can access alcohol/drug recovery services, behavioral health screening, and referrals. In 2022, the RSFWF awarded a $50,000 grant to sustain Rachel’s Women’s Center by funding supplies, food, hygiene products, and staff.

Apart from making grants that impact the community, the Women’s Fund provides opportunities for women to connect and engage. Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund members can attend events, network with other women, participate in service projects, and learn about important community issues. Before the event, members put together 70 gift bags with lip balm and lip gloss, a hair and comb set, a knit hat, hand cream, q-tips, Valentine’s Day treats, and inspirational notes to be given to Rachel’s Women’s Center clients for Valentine’s Day. To learn more or become a member, visit www.rsfwomensfund.org.