Advocates for Children Awarded a New Grant
(December 2008) 
The San Francisco Foundation has awarded AFC a $20,000 grant to fund its "Academic Success" project. Our goal is to improve the educational outcomes for our middle and high school youth through individual student as well as systems-wide advocacy.

Pacifica Motorcycle Association Spooky Spagetti Feed
(November 2008)
On November 1, over 150 motorcycle lovers gathered at the Pacifica Moose Lodge for a post Halloween Spagetti Feed. $500 from the proceeds of the event was donated to Advocates for Children.

Our thanks to Christy Zwingle, daughter of AFC's veteran Advocate Dene Zwingle, for making this happen!

Advocates for Children Awarded a New Grant
(November 2008) 
Genentech Foundation has awarded AFC a $50,000 grant to fund its "Academic Success" project. Our goal is to improve the educational outcomes for our middle and high school youth through individual student as well as systems-wide advocacy.

Advocates for Children Announces Grants for 2008-2009
(July 2008)
Sequoia Health Care District has awarded AFC a $100,000 grant to fund its "Embracing the Community" project. Improving the quality of life and well-being of African American and Hispanic/Latino children in foster care is the goal of our new Embracing Our Community Project. Launched in Fall 2007, the project is designed to provide more effective and culturally sensitive services to foster children, by increasing the inclusion of underrepresented communities in our Advocate volunteer pool and by promoting cultural competency in our programs. In response to the alarming, disproportionate representation of African American and Latino children in foster care, the project provides for targeted outreach activities to expand the number of African American and Latino volunteers who will work with children and families in these communities and will provide their insight and concerns to the Court.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation awarded a $40,000 grant to support the expansion of core services for foster children. This grant will enable us to serve more children on our waiting list, bringing us that much closer to our goal of providing a trained Advocate volunteer for every child who needs one.

The Joy Family Foundation continued its support with a $10,000 grant in support of our “Academic Success Project”. Our goal is to improve the educational outcomes for our middle and high school youth through individual student as well as systems-wide advocacy. Funds will provide a variety of activities including:

• Workshops for Advocates to help them prepare their youth for college or vocational training
• Training of AFC staff to improve their support of Advocates’ work in schools, particularly in special education and accessing resources such as tutoring
• Opportunities to improve teachers’ and administrators’ awareness of the special needs of foster youth, and the working relationships of Advocates and school professionals

Guitars not Guns Partners with AFC to Offer Free Guitar Lessons
(May 2008) Thanks to a unique partnership with Guitars not Guns, Advocates for Children is offering free guitars and guitar lessons for 14 children. Guitars not Guns provides guitars and lessons to foster kids, at risk youth and other deserving children in a classroom setting with qualified teachers. Advocates for Children identified potential students and provides a place in our office for the weekly classes. In most cases, Advocates are providing transportation to and from lessons for the ten week period.

Guitars not Guns was founded by Ray and Louise Nelson. They became foster parents in 1992 and it was through their experience with foster kids that Ray decided to provide foster kids who had the desire, with guitars and lessons. John Allured heads the San Mateo County chapter and has been integral in bringing this opportunity to our Advocate children. In fact, John is one of the instructors for the Wednesday night classes.