Susan Weaver of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center with hard-working students Photo provided

The Lafayette Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its spring grants. A total of $12,000, parceled into six grants, was given to Lafayette area organizations in order to further the Foundation's mission of "investing in programs and projects that promote and enhance the civic, cultural, educational and environmental health of Lafayette and beyond." The grant recipients included Generation Green, the Lafayette Gallery, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, Sustainable Lafayette, the Lafayette Historical Society and the Lafayette All-American Football Association.

Sustainable Lafayette was granted funds to help them expand their capacity to share sustainability stories through their website, speaker series and workshops. Started in 2007, Sustainable Lafayette is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide the community of Lafayette with the information, inspiration, tools, and assistance that facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices, and ultimately create a highly sustainable community. Sustainable Lafayette pioneered the use of real-world "success stories" so that residents and organizations can be inspired and learn from each other. There are now over 60 published stories and 800+ members receiving the monthly newsletter. Sustainable Lafayette has grown to have a wide array of programs and works closely with the City of Lafayette, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Lafayette School District, and Lafayette Library & Learning Center, and is beginning to help other cities in the area to establish their own sustainability groups. More information about Sustainable Lafayette can be found at www.sustainablelafayette.net.

The Lafayette Library and Learning Center was awarded a grant to help purchase new furniture for the Library's popular Homework Center. Lacking sufficient tables and chairs, the Homework Center was limited in how many tutors could be utilized. The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation (LLLCF) collaborated with several Lafayette organizations in addition to the Community Foundation to secure the funds needed. Generously, Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (FLLLC) and the City of Lafayette also contributed grants to purchase additional furniture.

Since opening in 2009 the Lafayette Library and Learning Center has seen approximately 1,400 visitors daily. Many of these visitors are children coming after school to work on homework. The Homework Club, launched on March 15, 2010, enjoyed immediate success. Students are encouraged to "drop in" and work with Acalanes High School and Stanley Middle School tutors. In addition, UC Berkeley tutors, including an astrophysicist, a materials scientist, a microbiologist and a retired English teacher have volunteered to help. Susan Weaver, Senior Community Library Manager said, "the furniture has made a huge difference in the Homework Center. The students are more productive because the space is organized and more comfortable. Even better, the new tables and chairs allow us to help more children each hour."

Established in 1999 with the goal of expanding charitable giving in Lafayette, the Lafayette Community Foundation's (LCF) purpose is to contribute to the well being of the residents of Lafayette, and to provide an effective and efficient conduit for the expenditures of new funds on charitable projects within the community. LCF supports projects that promote the civic, cultural, educational and environmental health of Lafayette. The Foundation supplements the financial needs of existing local charitable organizations and, at the same time, provides financial support for new programs offering the promise of meeting community needs. More information about the Foundation can be found at www.lafayettecommunityfoundation.org.