SACRAMENTO, CA —March 13, 2016 —The Kelly Foundation awarded its 2017 Major Gift of $100,000 to Sacramento Cottage Housing, Inc., a not-for-profit agency that provides long-term housing and a supportive living environment for formerly homeless individuals and families. The award constituted the Kelly Foundation’s largest single donation of the year and has been used to reinstitute the popular Skylab program that provides children at the agency’s Serna Village community with homework assistance, mentorship and special activities. The community recently launched Girl Scout Troop #5836 with an inaugural group of 26 girls, three adults and one staff member. The remainder of the funds will be used to empower Sacramento Cottage Housing to become more independent and self-sustaining with regard to establishing inroads for point-of-sale fundraising opportunities.

“Sacramento Cottage Housing has a strong track record of transforming lives through its innovative practices, and we are excited to partner with the agency as it reinforces and strengthens its operational capacity for the future,” said Shawn Kelly Devlin, President of the Kelly Foundation and Chairman of the Board of River City Bank. “We are confident that this donation will position Sacramento Cottage Housing to enhance its efforts to help at-risk families and individuals in the Sacramento region get back on their feet.”

Sacramento Cottage Housing currently operates two businesses as an extension of its services. One is a brick-and-mortar and e-commerce thrift store called Abundance, Books and More; the other is a mobile car detailing service named Finishing Touch. The entities equip residents with crucial life skills and employment experience as a portion of the agency’s “resiliency method” approach to mitigating the causal factors of homelessness. This method requires participants to create and pursue their own goals as they move from a state of dysfunction to self-sustainability and healthy engagement within the community.

“The Kelly Foundation has presented us with a truly unique and remarkable opportunity that no other organization has ever provided,” said Kristen Martin, Executive Director of Sacramento Cottage Housing. “This grant gives us the means to evolve our business practices through deep research and the implementation of new programs that will ensure our agency’s self-sustainability for years to come. It’s an absolutely forward-thinking gift that we intend to leverage to the furthest possible extent.”

Sacramento Cottage Housing manages two communities for those who are working to overcome the effects of homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration and other challenges. The agency’s family-focused community, Serna Village, has achieved a great deal of success in its 15-year existence, with 75 percent of its residents (6,600 individuals) having completed its program and secured permanent housing with finances, families and sobriety intact. In the same period, more than 40 participants have purchased their own homes.

The Kelly Foundation supports health and human services, education, culture, environment and civic improvement through its funding. Each year, the Foundation provides approximately $400,000 in grants to organizations that support the Sacramento region. Since merging with the RCB Foundation in 2009, the Kelly Foundation, of which River City Bank remains a major contributor, focuses on giving back to the greater Sacramento region through charitable donations.