Make It Happen for Yolo County displays several items included in its Kitchen Kits for transition-age youth in Yolo County moving out on their own. The group recently received a grant from Save Mart to provide the kits to former foster youth in college. Photo courtesy of Make It Happen Yolo County

YOLO COUNTY, CA (MPG) – The local nonprofit Make It Happen for Yolo County organization has received $2,500 from The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation to ensure former foster youth studying at University of California, Davis and Woodland Community College have kitchen supplies needed to cook healthy meals.

Make It Happen serves under-resourced transition age youth ages 18 to 24 throughout Yolo County, many of whom have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. The youth are provided with furniture, household goods, cleaning supplies and essential items needed to establish a first home when they move out on their own. 

“Shelter and food are universally recognized as essential but having shelter and food without items like a bed to sleep on or pots and pans with which to cook is known as furniture poverty and has been shown to negatively affect mental health, well-being and quality of life,” said Cathi Schmidt, Make It Happen for Yolo County’s executive director. “Having a well-stocked kitchen enables our clients to cook nutritious and budget-conscious meals instead of eating expensive and unhealthy takeout or cooking with old appliances that are more likely to be unsafe. Goods for the kitchen are one of our most requested items and we are grateful to Save Mart for recognizing this critical service.” 

Make It Happen for Yolo County’s kitchen kits include small appliances needed for food preparation, such as a microwave, air fryer, blender, hand mixer, toaster and coffee maker; kitchen items such as Pyrex bakeware, mixing bowls, pots and pans, cooking utensils, knives, cutting boards, hot pads, dish towels, can openers, peelers, measuring cups and spoons; tableware such as dinner and salad plates, bowls, silverware and glasses; a grocery gift card to purchase nutritious ingredients; and supplemental information on cooking healthy meals on a budget.

“There’s nothing more inspiring than seeing local organizations step up to transform lives in our communities and Make It Happen for Yolo County is doing just that,” said Joan Dobias-Davis, CARES board chair. “Since 2005, The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation has been honored to support local organizations that help neighbors thrive. Make It Happen’s commitment to providing stability and resources to young people aging out of foster care aligns perfectly with our mission to build healthy, resilient communities.”

The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation supports programs that provide vital resources for children and families across the communities it serves. With a focus on building stronger communities through access to fresh foods and supporting programs that help youth thrive, CARES distributes approximately $500,000 annually in grants to community-based nonprofits. For more information, visit: www.thesavemartcompanies.com/community.

For more than a decade, Make It Happen for Yolo County has received furniture donations from the community and purchased new appliances and household items to help youth involved with the Yolo County child welfare, mental health and probation divisions, as well as the UC Davis Guardian Scholars program and other local nonprofit organizations. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 300 transition-age youth.

To make a financial or furniture donation to Make It Happen for Yolo County, visit www.MIHYolo.org.