San Diego, CA—Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a nonprofit organization which works to advance health and wellness for the poor and underserved in San Diego and Imperial County, recently announced Solutions for Change as the recipient of its $1 million Innovation Initiative (I2) Award. “Alliance Healthcare Foundation is very excited about the innovative ideas that brought in social enterprise, but also the environmental impacts, better nutrition and workforce development all to benefit the target population of the homeless,” AHF Executive Director Nancy Sasaki said during the announcement. Developed in 2010, The Innovation Initiative rewards San Diego and Imperial County nonprofits for making significant positive change in the community’s health system. With this award, AHF seeks to alter the status quo by funding innovation designed to enhance the lives of those people most in need in its community.

By selecting Solutions for Change as this year’s recipient, AHF expects to see a community-wide improvement as the organization uses the funding to expand its reach throughout the region and to positively impact homelessness. As seen in this YouTube video, Solutions For Change advances health and wellness by “changing attitudes and rebuilding lives for homeless families with children.”

“Solutions for Change brings incredible value and knowledge to our community, making them a perfect fit for our Innovation Initiative,” said AHF Board President Robert McCray. “The value of charities creating social enterprises to establish alternative funding sources cannot be understated, and their work will strengthen our community as a whole.”

In 2013, AHF awarded over $2.3 millionin grant money to local nonprofits, strengthening the community and allowing other nonprofits to advance their missions in the process.

Solutions for Change is a Vista, California-based organization which aims “to provide every child in the greater San Diego region with a safe, loving home.” As Southern California’s largest aquaponic farming operation, Solutions for Change: Solutions Farms will use the $1 million Innovation Initiative Award to triple the size of the farm, an expansion which will facilitate the production of 55,000 pounds of produce and 12,000 pounds of fish annually.

Ultimately, this growth of the aquaponics farm creates a social enterprise to become a funding vehicle for the Solutions for Change family homeless program. Potentially, the farm could provide an option for other non-profit charities, as well.

“We are thrilled and honored to be selected by the Alliance Healthcare Foundation in this new social purpose venture,” said Solutions for Change President and CEO Chris Megison. “We believe that their investment in our idea has a shot at creating something very big, even revolutionary. It opens a new world of healthy eating to people who’ve never had that access, while at the same time leveraging the power of social enterprise to solve some of our country’s toughest social and environmental problems.”

 

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About Alliance Healthcare Foundation

Alliance Healthcare Foundation is a San Diego-based nonprofit which works with nonprofit, government and community agencies to advance health and wellness throughout the San Diego and Imperial Counties. AHF works to serve the most vulnerable – the poor, working poor, children and homeless by providing grants, advocacy and education to support its region.

To learn more about AHF and available grants visit https://AllianceHF.org.

About Solutions for Change

Solutions for Change has worked to pioneer a solution to family homelessness in San Diego since 1999 – an effort that has led more than 700 families and 1,400 children to more successful, productive lives. Solutions for Change has organized its mission around three initiatives:  Solutions University, Solutions Enterprises and Solutions in the Community. Each initiative provides a unique offering to the homeless family and community, working in unison to give the community the fastest and best chance of permanently solving family homelessness, by giving individuals access to the skills, knowledge and resources they need to address the root causes of their homelessness. For more information about Solutions for Change, visit www.solutionsforchange.org or call (760) 941-6545.