By VANESSA HERMAN Staff Reporter Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc.’s government operations division, Health Net Federal Services will give $300,000 to the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) for educational, recreational and support services for military families. The funds will support military families in the TRICARE North Region at Camp LeJeune and Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, Fort Drum in New York, Fort Campbell in Kentucky and Fort Lee and Hampton Roads in Virginia. Armed Services offer support to families who have members who have been deployed. Among the programs offered are hospital assistance, health and wellness services, childcare, spouse support services and computer training classes. Steve Tough, president of Health Net Federal Services, said in a statement: “Health Net is proud and privileged to contribute to an organization like the ASYMCA that share our mission serving military beneficiaries, both active duty retirees , and their families. These six ASYMCA sites located through the TRICARE North Region will touch thousands of our beneficiaries and their families in a meaningful and important way we are honored to be associated with this organization.” Housing Help Calabasas-based Countrywide Financial Corporation pledged $50,000 to non-profit Rebuilding Together in Cleveland to contribute towards hiring professional management for the improvement of low-income housing. Countrywide’s Bob Brown, executive vice president in Ohio, said in a statement: “The volunteer directors and committee members will remain the vital drivers of Rebuilding Together Cleveland’s work, but they face difficulty expanding the program without full-time management. By providing support for the hiring of an executive director to professionally administer fundraising, volunteer recruitment, logistics and other functions on a full-time basis, Countrywide believes Rebuilding Together will be able to fulfill (the) need for these services in Cleveland.” Brown announced the pledge as employees worked on the renovations of the home of a 76-year-old woman, one of 10 projects Rebuilding Together undertook on its 11th annual Rebuilding Day. “The all-volunteer board of directors of Rebuilding Together Cleveland is to be congratulated and thanked for their admirable work in developing and operating this annual program of home repairs for elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners,” Brown said. Countrywide is a national sponsor of the Washington, D.C.-based organization with more than 240 affiliates nationwide. Countrywide employees are set to work on more than 150 company-sponsored home and non-profit center renovations throughout the country. Legal Foundation Scholarships The Valley Community Legal Foundation of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association has awarded $23,000 in scholarships to local students as well as $25,000 in law-related grants to local organizations. Monroe High School graduates shared $6,000 in scholarships. The recipients were presented the award by Judge Michelle Rosenblatt. Students awarded were Lizeth Castillo, Justin De Peralta, Sophie Etemadi, Azziz Hussaini, Yumaira Melchor, Yuliana Rafailova and David Sforza. Pierce High School distributed $5,000 among its graduates Maria Ajemian, Alex Balta, Katherine Bowyer, Robyn R. McAllen, Andrew Penn and Sevag Shirvanian. Students of California State University, Northridge, Kata Kim, Tracey Merrell and Joseph Pourshalimy were awarded $2,000 each. A total of $6,000 was distributed to five students of the University of West Los Angeles. Ori Blumendeld, Blanca Gomez, Pamela Krieger, Michael Rahmanou and Bita Yaghoobian all received scholarships. The Valley Community Legal Foundation gave $25,000 in grants to organizations dealing with domestic violence, legal services and court programs. The Foundation awarded Haven Hills, for its court advocacy program for domestic violence victims. The Domestic Abuse Center, which assists domestic violence victims with restraining orders, also received funds. The Alliance for Children’s Rights was awarded for its Emancipated Foster Youth Project, aimed to educate youth exiting the foster care system about getting services as they transition into adulthood. Among other organizations receiving grants were the K.E.N. project to train parents of disabled children in finding services to help their children, Los Angeles Valley College for a program to educate students on consumer rights, the Drug Court Program to help communities with drug issues, the Family Law Facilitator’s Office to provide family law workshops, and Van Nuys Court for the construction of a Children’s Waiting Room to assist parents so they may leave their children while they resolve legal issues in court. Founded in 1979, Valley Community Legal Foundation is made up of attorneys, judicial officers and other members of the community.
