California

"The United Way of Ventura County is once again seeking the community's help to provide back-to-school supplies for children from low income families. The nonprofit's third annual Stuff the Bus campaign starts Monday with the goal of collecting enough school supplies to fill 500 new backpacks for needy children."

"The California Community Foundation is to announce Friday that it has received $1.5 million from the Ford Foundation to give children in impoverished communities the same enriched learning activities typically enjoyed outside school hours by their wealthier peers. The California foundation also contributed $200,000 to the efforts."

"As a veteran who has emerged from chronic homelessness, Stone symbolizes the success federal officials would like to repeat. In a plan called Opening Doors, the government has set a goal of preventing and ending homelessness for veterans by the middle of the decade."

"Low-income students and students who lag behind academically comprise the largest portion of students enrolled in summer school classes. These students are often hardest hit by scaled-back or eliminated summer-school programs. They may also struggle to make up the for the time lost over the summer, educators say."

"In-home care workers serve low-income disabled or elderly residents who need help bathing, cooking or cleaning, at rates that range from $8 to $14.78 per hour depending on the county, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office. An estimated 72 percent of IHSS recipients receive care from a relative."

"State officials, grappling with several years of budget deficits, have been searching for a way to rein in the ballooning Cal Grant program that gives scholarships to low-income students. In 2003, the state spent $460 million to give out 147,000 Cal Grants."