South Bay : Health Grants Awarded

A recovery home for sober alcoholic men and a center to provide care for mildly ill children of working parents have received money from the South Bay Hospital District, a foundation that supports public health programs in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

The Gratitude Retreat Foundation, operator of the alcoholic recovery home, was given $50,000 in recognition of its “fine work in returning these men to the mainstream of society and its great success in developing a strong base of volunteer support for the program,” said district board member Virginia Fischer. Though it is located in Torrance, the district was assured that the foundation serves people from the three beach cities. The foundation was denied a grant a year ago after the board said it did not know how many district residents were clients.

A $19,000 grant went to St. Clare’s Family Care Center in Redondo Beach, which will open a recovery room for mildly ill children enrolled at the center who normally would have to be cared for at home by their parents. “The center serves single parents and low-income families and we felt there is a real economic need on the part of those people to get back to work,” said Philip Valera, district executive director. He said the recovery room will accommodate six children at a time.

The board also approved a $314,172 budget for the third year of a five-year school nurse and health education program involving the South Bay Union High School District and the Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach elementary school districts.