Tustin Community Foundation

Tustin Disaster Recovery Fund and COVID-19 Tustin Response Funds

All disasters are local and people must ultimately rely on local community resources. The purpose of the Tustin Community Foundation is to coordinate community resources to support Tustin’s actual and most pressing needs In February 2020, the Tustin Community Foundation supported the families affected in the Chatham Village Apartment fire and made the community aware of their needs. Another apartment fire in 2023 cemented the necessity for the fund and importance of the partnership between the City, the Foundation and the families affected. This fund is not a direct assistance program, but instead directed assistance through the Red Cross at first and then the multiple agencies and local organizations working with the families to help rebuild their lives. The fund has been used to purchase blankets and pillows for children housed at the Red Cross Evacuation Center, rent storage pods to store donated furniture that was passed on to the fire victims, provide new bedding and towels for families whose homes were affected by severe smoke damage and more. Our community was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic thus the TUSTIN DISASTER RECOVERY FUND was used to finance food, supplies, COVID testing kits, clothing and more items to support our nonprofits on the front line of serving our community. The Foundation knows our community well and is thus in a position to quickly provide of request exactly what is needed.

Tustin Community Pride Drives and Project Pajamas

In 2013 the Tustin Community Pride Committee came under the wings of the Community Foundation.  TCF was thrilled to continue their projects and infuse new life into their activities.    Each December approximately 100+ homes, neighborhoods and businesses are recognized with a coveted TUSTIN PRIDE HOLIDAY DISPLAY AWARD to display during the holiday season.  All of the addresses are publicized allowing for free family-friendly outings to view the well-lit neighborhoods.   TCF's "Done in a Day" committee falls under the Tustin Community Pride committee.  Past projects have included cleaning and painting all of the booths used by the City for the Chili Cook-Off, Tiller Days and other activities.  The committee has also decorated the Olive Crest youth homes, collected books for all of the school libraries, conducts a bi-annual SOCKS & UNDERWEAR DRIVE for Tustin school children and runs food drives for the Tustin Area Senior Center, seniors in need, and books for all of the libraries in the Tustin Unified School District. During the pandemic, the drives supplimented COVID needs by collecting food and also cleaning supplies in successful SCRUB A DUB FOR TUSTIN drives. PROJECT PAJAMAS is TCF's signature colection program. Since 2013, the Foundation has collected new pajamas to distribute to babies, children, teens, pregnant mothers and seniors in need throughout our community. In 2023, due to partnerships with local businesses, community groups and volunteers, 3,398 pairs were collected and distributed through a variety of over 20 local organizations including the Tustin Family and Youth Center, the Hope Harbor and Waymakers Tustin Youth Shelters, Prototypes, and to every "Little" in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and their siblings and all of the Family Resource Centers located in Title 1 schools in the Tustin Unified School District. Families and volunteers tell us that these pajamas are much appreciated and it's wonderful to see the entire community come together in giving. In 2024 we added donations of socks and underwear along with pajamas and increased the number of recipient nonprofit organizations and school. TCF will continue to collect pajamas and other items as long as there is need and interest from recipients. So far, there continues to be both. Collaboration is a key to the success of these programs and thus, the Foundation reaches out to community nonprofits for their support and involvement with every Drive. Important partnerships have included the Assisteens of the Tustin Assistance League, Soroptimist Int'l of Santa Ana Tustin, Tustin Area Woman's Club, Tustin Host Lions Club, Rotary Club of Tustin-Santa Ana and multiple faith based organizations.

Volunteer in Tustin and Superheroes of Tustin Luncheon

Connecting people with causes they care about benefits both the volunteer and the nonprofit organization.  Community members and companies connect with Tustin area nonprofits needing members and event volunteers through VOLUNTEER IN TUSTIN on the Tustin Community Foundation website, VOLUNTEER SPEED MATCHING and CLUB RUSH events. The SUPERHEROES OF TUSTIN Community Volunteer Recognition Luncheon is held annually as a tribute to those who volunteer their services to our community. Business leaders, city officials, friends and neighbors join together to celebrate the efforts of  local non-profit organizations, schools, churches and community volunteers. Over 50 local nonprofit organizations take part each year and more than 400 people have been named a "Superhero of Tustin" since 2009.

Friends Feeding Seniors

Supporting Tustin’s Seniors: An Ongoing Commitment Over the past decade, the Tustin Community Foundation has tracked a steady rise in the number of Tustin seniors living below the poverty line. In response, the Foundation has expanded its support efforts to address both food insecurity and social isolation among this vulnerable population. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing that many seniors were fearful of leaving their homes and lacked the financial resources to purchase groceries, the Foundation launched Friends Feeding Seniors. This initiative provided three free, nutritious restaurant-prepared meals every Friday to homebound and at-risk seniors. While initially intended as a temporary response, the program continued for 18 months, serving over 150 registered seniors until they could transition to other free meal services. The program resurrected again during the hot summer of 2023. Although Friends Feeding Seniors has officially concluded, the Foundation remains committed to supporting this community. Currently, funds are used to provide quarterly food boxes to ensure seniors continue receiving essential nutrition. The Foundation actively monitors the situation and stands ready to assist as long as the need persists. Additionally, Grant funds continue to be donated to the Tustin Area Senior Center to help defray the transportation costs to encourage more inbound and isolated seniors to attend lunch at the Senior Center. Beyond Meals: Combating Senior Loneliness Early in the program, it became evident that many seniors were not only struggling with food insecurity but also with loneliness. In response, the Foundation introduced Friendship Calls, a program in which volunteers personally reach out to seniors each week. These calls provide companionship while also serving as a vital safety check, allowing the Foundation to respond immediately to emergency needs. A Community Effort One of the most rewarding aspects of this initiative has been the collaboration between Tustin-area nonprofit organizations and houses of worship, which the Foundation recruited as volunteer meal deliverers. This network of dedicated volunteers has played a crucial role in ensuring seniors receive not only meals but also meaningful human connection. The Tustin Community Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to support the city's most vulnerable residents. With continued community support and funding, we will ensure that no senior in Tustin is left behind.

Community Grants and Donations to Nonprofit Organizations and Schools

In order to support the community and those organizations which also serve the greater Tustin area, the Tustin Community Foundation has instituted a COMMUNITY GRANT program.   Each year the Foundation awards grants for a broad array of charitable purposes in the areas of education, arts and culture, senior services, health and wellness, children and youth activities, social services, and for general community programs that improve the well-being of the residents of the greater Tustin area. In 2020, the City of Tustin contracted with the Foundation to distribute ARPA funds to community nonprofit organizations and schools. The Foundation Grant Committee handled the due diligence and grant scoring. Between both ARPA and Foundation grants, 44 organizations received funding. In 2022 and 2023, the City again partnered with TCF to award CARES grants. The TCF Grant Committee also partners with the City of Tustin to award donations from the proceeds of the annual Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off. In 2021, TCF faciliated the awarding of $560,000 in ARPA funds to 44 organizations received funding along with 17 traditional TCF annual grants.   The Foundation Grant Committee has a reputation for knowing about and understanding community needs, being fair and organized in grantmaking and therefore, the City of Tustin trusts them to make qualified decisions on grant funding. In addition to the above CARES and APRA funding, every spring, in conjunction with the Tustin Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Steering Committee, the Tustin Community Foundation selects one or two Tustin area non-profit organizations to receive a donation from event proceeds that the organization will use for their community service programs to benefit Tustin area residents. In addition, cash donations are made to nonprofit organizations and schools through our Paper Football Challenge and a variety of other organized activities throughout the year.