Napa County Awards $2.1M To 16 Community Organizations

NAPA COUNTY, CA — More than $2.1 million in Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement grant funds have been awarded by the Napa County Board of Supervisors to 16 community organizations, allowing the county to collaborate with local groups to meet needs arising from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

When the Board sought grant proposals in May, organizations were directed to focus on four critical areas where the community is experiencing extreme needs: food insecurity, housing instability, physical health care and behavioral health care.

"This funding, prior to the pandemic, would have been about $1.1 million and distributed to only seven local organizations," Napa County CEO Minh C. Tran said. "However, through the Board of Supervisors’ commitment to partner with local community benefit organizations, we have allocated $1 million more to support the great work of 16 local organizations to meet the community’s current critical needs."

Napa County has awarded $1.89 million in MSA funds for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 through 16 new grants, along with a prior three-year award to COPE Family Center for $275,000, according to Napa County Spokeswoman Elizabeth Scott.

County officials released this list Wednesday of the 16 organizations awarded MSA grant funds:

• Aldea, Inc., $60,200. Provides mental health and substance use disorder services.
• Bay Area Legal Aid, $128,420. Provides legal assistance to address housing instability.
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Inc., $34,375. Provides caring for homeless families.
• Collabria Care, Inc., $129,038. Provides community-based health home care for medically vulnerable older adults.
• Community Action Napa Valley, Inc., $228,630. Supports a food bank.
• Community Health Initiative Napa County, Inc., $100,000. Provides assistance with Medi-Cal outreach and enrollment.
• Cope Family Center, Inc., $87,500. Provides supportive services to families.
• Mentis, Inc., $93,750. Provides mental health treatment services to the uninsured.
• Mentis, Inc., $58,500. Provides school-based mental health services.
• ParentsCAN, $20,111. Supports the COVID-19 Family Stability/Safety Net Project.
• Napa Valley Education Foundation, $171,460. Provides elementary school crisis counseling.
• NEWS, Inc., $181,688. Supports the Domestic Violence Housing First Program.
• Ole Health, Inc., $87,577. Provides telehealth services.
• On the Move, Inc., $99,259. Supports the Youth Crisis Support Program.
• Share the Care Napa Valley, Inc., $11,823. Provides physical healthcare for vulnerable populations.
• UpValley Family Centers of Napa County, Inc., $118,123. Supports the Student and Family Assistance Programs.

Additionally, in May, the Board directed a one-time distribution of MSA funds to the Area Agency on Aging Services. The approximate $110,000 distribution to this additional organization will come from the $2.1-million funding, Scott said.

Since 1999, Napa County has received more than $31 million through the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, while the state of California has received more than $17 billion.