Growing the Good Together: Supporting Ceres Community Project
We’re excited to share a recent example of our collective giving in action and the meaningful impact it’s already making in our community.
In December, Santa Rosa Women for Good was invited to participate in a time-sensitive grant-matching opportunity through Newman’s Own Foundation, which is awarding $10,000 in matching funds across 10 Giving Circles nationwide. The opportunity is designed to uplift organizations that are nourishing and transforming the lives of children facing adversity in the United States.
Because of the tight timeline, our leadership team came together quickly to review the opportunity and selected a local nonprofit whose mission strongly aligned with both our values and the goals of the Newman’s Own Foundation.
We’re proud to share that we selected Ceres Community Project.
Ceres Community Project provides beautiful, delicious, and medically tailored meals for people facing serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. In addition to nourishing individuals and families, Ceres mentors teens to learn about growing, cooking, and eating healthy foods, while empowering young people to understand their power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Their work reflects care, dignity, and long-term community impact—values that deeply resonate with our giving circle.
A Special One-Time Grant
To support this opportunity, Santa Rosa Women for Good committed $1,000 from our grant reserve as a one-time gift to Ceres Community Project. This ensured that we could participate fully in the Newman’s Own Foundation opportunity while continuing to honor our regular quarterly giving cycle.
We also invited our members to optionally contribute additional funds to deepen the impact of this grant and once again, our community showed up. Thanks to the generosity of our members, an additional $387 was donated, bringing the total special grant to $1,387 that will be awarded to Ceres Community Project.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the members who made additional contributions toward this special grant: Linda McBride, Fran Templin, Judith Herman, Brenda Ell, Susan Fagan, Melissa McCollum and Alex Hailey. Your generosity embodies the spirit of collective giving and demonstrates how small, thoughtful contributions can add up to meaningful community impact.
Looking Ahead: A Potential Match
Our submission to Newman’s Own Foundation is currently under review. The Foundation is considering matching our $1,000 initial grant, which would allow us to further amplify our impact and deepen our support of Ceres Community Project.
We’re hopeful that this opportunity will result in additional funding for Ceres and proud to have lifted their work onto a national platform through this application. Results will be announced soon, and we’ll be sure to share updates with our community as they become available.
Collective Giving at Work
This opportunity is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when women come together with shared values, trust, and a commitment to doing good—especially during the holiday season, when supporting nourishment and care for our neighbors feels particularly important.
We’re honored to support Ceres Community Project through this special grant and to shine a light on their incredible work locally and nationally. Thank you to all of our members for continuing to grow the good together.