California

"On Monday in San Diego, the Board of Governors' unanimous decision to ration college access officially shifted the system away from the practice of college for all that has been part of Californians' consciousness - and the state's Master Plan for Higher Education - for generations. Today it's a luxury. Many students are criticizing the move by the Board of Governors, saying it will unfairly shut out thousands. Others, including college advocacy groups, applaud the move and say prioritizing in an era of austerity and shrinking budgets makes sense. The enrollment priority shift comes as Gov. Jerry Brown considers whether to sign into law SB1456, a bill that would prevent low-income community college students from receiving fee waivers unless they develop clear academic or vocational goals and stick with them."

"The Smiles for Seniors Foundation is an organization serving low-income seniors in the Inland Empire and surrounding areas. Each year, the foundation provides emergency assistance and safety net services to struggling low-income seniors in need. It is one of the leading agencies providing food, housing, medical and other assistance to seniors."

"Located on northern California's spectacular coast between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, this free camp for children from low-income families has served more than 7,000 kids from the inner cities of Oakland, East Palo Alto, San Francisco, and San Jose."

"About 13,000 of these low-income elders in San Francisco get help from federal and local government housing programs, either living in subsidized units or using special low-income vouchers to meet the rent. And nearly half of low-income seniors get government-subsidized In Home Supportive Services to help with cleaning, bathing and the like. But that still means there are thousands of San Francisco's poor elderly getting by somehow on their own - and according to the city's periodic homeless count, only about 500 of those are on the streets. This means a lot of seniors are finding alternatives such as moving in with relatives, receiving family financial help to live in assisted-living facilities or simply aging, off the radar, in whatever homes they've had for decades."

"A school supply giveaway in danger of an incomplete' grade was bolstered by Bay Area News Group readers who came to the rescue with generous donations of new backpacks, paper, pencils and cash. The yearly event organized by Tri-Valley Haven routinely draws more than 400 children from low-income families -- kindergartners through high schoolers -- in need of basic school supplies."

"A free and all-inclusive program for low-income seniors recently launched in the South Bay. St. Paul's PACE opened its doors in Chula Vista on Aug. 1 to provide daytime living assistance for frail and low-income people 55 and older. The main goal of the state and federally funded program is to help seniors continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible, said Marketing Director Amanda Gois."