Six Awarded Avanti Grants for Community Service

Thursday, January 11, 2001

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(San Jose Mercury News)--Six people from the Bay Area, three of them from San Jose, were singled out Wednesday night for their work in the community and given grants of $25,000 by the Avanti Foundation in its inaugural awards program.

The ceremony was held at the Fremont campus of Avanti Corp. after a buffte dinner. Former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole was the featured speaker.
Designated MAGIC (Making a Great Investment in the Community) grand heroes by the foundation, the winners were:

Sister Marilyn Lacy of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy of teh Americas, who is director of immigration and refugee services for Catholic Charties of Santa Clara County. Catholic Charities expects to assist more than 3,000 immigratns and resettle 250 refugees this year.

Paster Edmond Morales of the San Jose based Victory Outreach Church, who has helped some members of his large congregation leave public assistance and kept others away from gangs, prostitution and prison.

Andre' Chapman, founder, president and CEO of San Jose-based Unity Care Group, which helps disadvantaged youth with transitional and foster care, drug treatment and mental health care.

Phyllis Cangemi, founder and unpaid exective director of Whole Access, who works out of her Redwood City home to create out door recreation programs and nature opportunities, expecially for people with disabilities.

Evangelina Garcia of Oakland for her volunteer work with East Bay Catholic Charities, which once helped her.

Elizabeth Shaughnessy, founder and president of the Berkeley Chess School, which helps more than 3,000 young students annually in more than 100 schools develop logic, strategy, judgment, patience and self-reliance through chess.

Ten additional MAGIC "heroes" each received $5,000 grants.
There are no strings attached to the $200,000 in grants, an Avanti spokesman said.