One of the most rewarding and important aspects of my job is allocating funds to small businesses and non-profits in our district. Whether it's through our Neighborhood Reinvestment Program or our Community Enhancement Program, groups can apply for grants.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of seeing one of the recipients of these funds that are now impacting our community in a great way.

Last year, we allocated $50,000 to Interfaith Community Services which assisted in the purchase of a mobile outreach and wellness vehicle to serve hard-to-reach, low-income, and homeless North San Diego County residents.

This Mobile Service Center is utilized by Interfaith's Homeless Outreach Teams, Supportive Services Department, Senior Services Program, and other programs across the organization to engage older adults, individuals experiencing homelessness, and other traditionally underserved or hard-to-reach community members.

Professional staff provides case management, encouraging clients to access emergency shelter and housing programs, health insurance, and primary care services, substance use disorder treatment, benefits application assistance, rental assistance, employment services, and free income tax preparation services.

It was truly an honor to see the vehicle in action and I look forward to seeing it out in our community. This truly will change lives in North County!

If you own a small business or run a non-profit, please don't hesitate to reach out and apply for one of our grants.

Jim Desmond

– San Diego County District 5 Supervisor