Santa Ana, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/07/2013 -- KidWorks, based in Santa Ana, was awarded a $13,000 grant from Impact Giving, a women’s collective giving organization. The grant was announced at Impact Giving’s Awards Ceremony held May 8th at the Irvine Marriott Hotel. That evening Impact Giving granted a total of $130,000 to four local and two global nonprofit organizations. In its first four years the women’s collective has granted a total of $475, 000 to 26 local and global organizations.

“This grant will increase our ability to reach more kids from Kindergarten through high school in our after school program called University Starts Now,” says Ava Steaffens, KidWorks CEO. Funds will help enroll an additional 72 children in KidWorks’ effective model of service.

The Impact Giving grant will be earmarked to support KidWorks’ expansion of after-school program services into the high-crime, low-income neighborhood of Cedar Evergreen in central Santa Ana. KidWorks will work in partnership with Side By Side Church’s gang intervention ministry known as “Lives Worth Saving” and “360 Diversion,” a family-focused mental health program led by Dr. Christina Kampfner. Each partner will use their unique approach to help turn children and youth away from potentially life destroying behavioral paths and strengthen the community.

Claudia Soto-Neira, KidWorks Communications Director expressed, “Through this expansion of our program, KidWorks will be giving more vulnerable children a safe place to go after school—where they can do their homework, practice math skills, conduct science experiments, participate in fitness activities, and create art projects.”

“KidWorks provides a safe alternative to the influence of gangs in the neighborhood,” says Steaffens. “The choice to help these children is one that starts with supporters like Impact Giving. Our donors are helping steer children away from gangs and developing them into positive leaders who will restore their neighborhood from the inside-out.”

To learn more about Impact Giving please visit http://www.impactgivingnow.org. To find out about KidWorks go to http://www.kidworksonline.org.