Our Programs & Projects
Nonprofit Consulting
WAHEO provides knowledgable expertise through consulting services to help other women-led organizations build capacity, learn how to secure funding, and technical assistance on how to start a nonprofit, how to manage grants, how to meet funding requirements, how to find appropriate trainings, and more.
We believe in uplifting the work others are already doing because there is enough need, unfortunately, to require all hands on deck within an organization. WAHEO seeks to empower and uplift women and their organizations to be successful, to be able to fulfill the missions closest to their hearts, and to receive commensurate compensation that will help them thrive as they dedicate themselves to their work.
Business Branch
Organizations that do not meet the subsidized services (grant writing, consulting and capacity development) eligibility requirements, and/or have the capacity for fee-for-service arrangements can connect with our for-profit, sister agency: Legal Boss (click here).
#FOODISFREESOLANO
The Food is Free Solano (FIFS) program has rapidly grown, beautifully addressing the urgent issue of food instability during this uncertain economic period. From humble beginnings as a one-woman, at-home free food stand (originating as Food is Free Benicia) run by Heather Pierini, and in collaboration with another one-woman grant writing, nonprofit director, Raquelmarie Clark, FIFS was developed into:
- Dozens of stands throughout the entire Solano County area and in the Napa County cities of American Canyon and Napa.
- Twice weekly distributions at the local Fairgrounds
- Direct aid/crisis request response (including to individuals and families with limited mobility, lack of transportation, experiencing crisis situations like gendered violence, and being unhoused, and filing in the gaps for students whose schools nutrition services are limited)
- Free mobile mini-farmer's markets in collaboration with childcare providers (centers, in-home, and early childhood education centers, with a focus on providers that serve low income households) , senior centers, healthcare centers.
- and Food Rescue and Gleaning initiatives.
FIFS has distributed more than 4,000,000lbs of food over the last 2 years, with the help of volunteers who dedicated over 9.000 hours of service in the last year alone. FIFS has formed connections and collaborations with over 150 local organizations, and has partnered with funders such as the EPA, First 5 Solano, No Kid Hungry, Solano Community Foundation, and Solano County Fairgrounds Association. A robust, community-based network of sourcing and distribution throughout the Bay Area has emerged.
Heather Pierini’s adamant stand that food is a basic human right and her robust network of support, combined with with Raquelmarie Clark’s unapologetic advocacy for those in need and experience in multi-million dollar grants program management, has organically led to the FIFS being poised to be the go-to source to facilitate cities’ ability to meet the legislative requirements of SB 1383 for the cities in their local counties and beyond, while simultaneously enriching the communities that may otherwise be asked by their local governments to take on the economic burden of the cities struggling to meet SB 1383 requirements. With FIFS as a partner to your city, more free food is rescued, stays in the community and gets into the hands of our neighbors; we decrease our negative impacts on the environment, and increase economic stability and individual health.
FIFS' pilot project, the Vallejo Food Rescue Project (VFRP) was awarded a grant by the EPA to conduct food rescue and distribution work that falls within the scope of activities under SB 1383. VFRP was the only food rescue project in the nation to be funded during this current cycle.
Create the Message
As funding allows, WAHEO's Create the Message project provides scholarships for local residents from typically marginalized or underserved backgrounds.
Our first award recipients of $500 each are two woman-owned, local, small businesses: Theresia's Tutu's and Woman of Strength Apparel. Their services work to both disrupt toxic social discourse and uplift marginalized individuals and groups, through one profound, and lovingly-crafted article of clothing at a time.
Congratulations to Theresia Dalton and Neicy Richardson! WAHEO looks forward to following and sharing your continued successes.
