Calabasas funds will help local service groups

Calabasas funds will help local service groups

Charities and service organizations in Calabasas have until Aug. 1 to apply for $25,000 in funds that have been earmarked in the city’s new budget.

When the city council meets Aug. 20 to discuss the funding, the amount could be increased, said William Yeomans, Calabasas interim finance director.

Last year, the city council doubled its donation to local causes to $50,000.

The 2002-2003 community service funding in Calabasas went to the following groups:

•Haven Hills, Inc.—$5,000 to provide general services for the West San Fernando Valley domestic violence shelter.

•Calabasas Historical Society—$4,100 to prepare oral history tapes, library historical materials and pamphlets. The Society promotes and preserves the historical interest of the city.

•Malibu Pet Companions—$3,000 to pay for veterinary bills. The animal group assists cats and dogs that are homeless, sick or injured.

•Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation—$2,500 for Youth Congress, "ClvFFie" Awards and Senior Forum. The Future Foundation is an area-wide organization that helps young people focus on goals and plan for the future.

•Kiwanis Club of Calabasas/Agoura—$2,000 for pediatric trauma assistance in the hospitals and college scholarships at the high schools.

•California Wildlife Center—$1,500 to buy a digital video camera and pay for public awareness and training programs. The Wildlife Center provides rescue and rehabilitation services for sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife and educates the public about the need for animal awareness.

· Friends of the Arson Watch—$888 to provide community arson watch radio equipment for Calabasas area volunteers.

"These are all good causes and it’s a way for the city to give back to those organizations that help the community," Yeomans said.

Groups interested in receiving the assistance should call the city at (818) 878-4242.

—John Loesing