Grants

During the late evening/early morning hours of Thursday, June 24/Friday, June 25th, Jack left a local nightclub in Hillcrest. Shortly after leaving the club, Jack was assaulted, robbed, and shot. Due to his severe injuries, his long-term recovery caused him to be unable to work. This extreme financial hardship meant that Jack soon faced imminent eviction from his apartment. Our foundation awarded a grant of three months’ rent which allowed Jack the time to recover from his injuries, without the fear of becoming homeless.

Grant was made July 2021

The Foundation was able to support Camp Erin in partnership with the Center for Compassionate Care of the Elizabeth Hospice and part of a network of free bereavement camps for children and teens ages 6 to 17 years of age who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Camp Erin’s counselors run specially designed activities to assist these children with the bereavement process and this grant provided funds for grief activity materials for the kids attending the camp. A second grant was also approved to supply all of the kids and volunteers attending the camp with much needed event-themed T-shirts. A third grant provided “Remembrance Teddy Bears” to all of the children attending the camp.

Grants were made in June 2021

Rob Benzon Foundation again answered the call to improve the nutritional status and quality of life of members of the LGBT community living with life-threatening illnesses in San Diego through the provision of medically appropriate meals. This grant was targeted specifically for funding for the food pantry at Special Delivery San Diego, which purchased groceries providing 3 meals per day for materially poor clients with AIDS, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, and other life-threatening illnesses for at least two weeks.

Grant was made in April 2021

The Rob Benzon Foundation awarded two scholarships through the annual PFLAG Scholarship Awards to two LGBTQ students pursuing higher education. The Rob Benzon Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Aranzazu Salgado-Gutierrez. She was a high school senior that planned to pursue a degree in Social Work at San Diego State University. Her passion has always been to help others and she is honored to do so in Rob’s name. The second annual, Daniel J. Ferbal Memorial Scholarship was awarded again this year in honor of our beloved past RBF President and dear friend, Dan. Derrick N. Herrera was the much-deserved recipient. Derrick is a first-generation, Indigenous college student, second-year student at San Diego State University studying Political Science & American Studies striving to achieve a Juris Doctorate & practice Tribal Law. He hopes to achieve great things in Dan’s name.

Grants were made March 2021

Children of Holiday Magic Project produces yearly, several thousand, 12-page activity/coloring and interactive CD books, that are distributed to sick, and hospital-bound children at Rady’s Children’s Hospital of San Diego during the holiday season. The Rob Benzon Foundation once again approved a grant to pay for the printing costs of these much-anticipated children’s books for the hospitalized children.

Grant made December 2020

Judith M. was a lifelong caregiver who tragically and ironically was suffering from the end stages of FTD dementia. We received a grant request from her life partner, Edna M., asking for emergency financial assistance. Judith was near death, but all of their family’s financial resources were exhausted at this point. We provided funds to the caregiving facility so that Judith could avoid eviction and live out her last months left on earth in the comfort and constant care needed at the long-term care facility.

Grant was made November 2020

The Rob Benzon Foundation has again answered the call to assist with costs of the annual Scott Carlson/ Dan Ferbal Community Thanksgiving Dinner held at the San Diego LGBT Community Center on Thanksgiving Day. Started in 1988 by Scott Carlson as a dinner for HIV/AIDS patients, and later also named after our late board president, Dan Ferbal, in 2020, the tradition of giving continues to provide a hot Thanksgiving meal for those in need in our community on the day we earmark to give thanks. The dinner now includes people with cancer and other ailments, homeless people, and anyone needing a safe and inviting place to come together as a community on this holiday. More than 500 individuals benefited from this year’s dinner.

Grant made in November 2020

Our foundation worked with local chef and RBF supporter, Shawn Sei, by allowing our foundation to pay for meals over several weeks for him to prepare and then give away to those in need during the pandemic. This way, we helped Shawn’s catering business when work was scarce during the pandemic, and we were able to feed hundreds of hungry citizens in need within the San Diego Community. The meals were prepared by Shawn Sei and then delivered through Jewish Family Services on September 7, 2020, September 14, 2020, September 21, 2020, and November 16, 2020.

Grant was made August 2020

The Foundation was able to support Camp Erin in partnership with the Center for Compassionate Care of the Elizabeth Hospice and part of network of free bereavement camps for children and teens ages 6 to 17 years of age who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Camp Erin’s counselors run specially designed activities to assist these children with the bereavement process and this grant provided funds for grief journals for the kids attending the camp. A second grant was also approved to supply all of the kids and volunteers attending the camp with much needed event-themed T-shirts.

Grants were made in July 2020

Lakesha was suffering from a debilitating illness during which she was unable to work. She was not only out of money for food, but she was also going to lose her apartment and become homeless when she reached out to our foundation. We provided several months of rental assistance and a food gift card. Because of the help from our foundation, she was able to recover from her illness remaining in her apartment and had food during this time as well.

Grant was made June 2020