In response to the economic downturn and resulting increase in demand for basic human needs, Sierra Health Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $1 million to 42 nonprofit organizations and public agencies in Northern California.

The Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency was the only local organization to receive such funding, though the Human Resources Council in Calaveras and Senior Gleaners also provide services locally. A-TCAA is a social services public entity helping people in Amador and Tuolumne counties attain self-sufficiency.

Grants up to $25,000 each will support efforts to get food, clothing, shelter and other emergency services to the growing number of people who need them. According to the foundation's Web site, the money will help A-TCAA keep its emergency homeless shelter in Jackson remain open through the rest of this year, providing 160 homeless adults and children with meals and shelter for 60-day stays in a safe, home-like environment. Residents will receive clothing, medical and dental services, school enrollment, job and housing search guidance, benefits counseling and referrals to community resources.

"When we heard about people in our region being turned away from food banks and shelters, we knew we had to respond," said foundation president Chet Hewitt. "We wanted to do our part to mitigate the challenges people in our communities are facing."

These funded programs serve residents in 23 counties of Sierra Health's 26-county funding region. Sierra Health received almost 250 grant applications by the Jan. 15 deadline. After a thorough review, final grantee selection was based on the Responsive Grants Program selection criteria, geographic representation across the funding region and a minimum 30 percent set-aside for projects serving rural areas.

Sierra Health partnered with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to leverage its Community's Greatest Need Fund, increasing the number of grants awarded to organizations in Sacramento County. As a result of the partnership, the following grantees received funding from both foundations: Francis House of Sacramento, Senior Gleaners, St. John's Shelter for Women and Children, and The Gardens Family Care Community Center.

Other recipients included Human Resources Council Inc. in Calaveras County, the Jamestown School District in Tuolumne County and Womenspace Unlimited South Lake Tahoe Women's Center, which serves El Dorado and Alpine counties.

The Human Resources Council provides services to children, families and communities in Amador and Calaveras counties through its crisis center, food bank, Head Start program, child care resources and WIC programs. The HRC will use grant funds to buy emergency food supplies for its new food bank in San Andreas, which is the only safety-net service available in Calaveras County. With this grant and resources from several organizations, such as the Calaveras Mariposa Community Action Agency, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the California Association of Food Banks, the HRC plans to provide approximately 152,500 meals this year.

Grants went to 16 urban community groups and 10 classified as both urban and rural. For a full list of recipients and project descriptions, visit www.sierrahealth.org.

Sierra Health began the Responsive Grants Program in 2008 with a goal to promote health and well-being in Northern California communities by asking nonprofit organizations and public agencies to explain their community needs and how a grant from Sierra Health could help address them. In the first funding cycle, Sierra Health awarded $1.2 million for 31 projects serving 23 counties, with 35 percent awarded for projects serving rural areas.