SAN ANTONIO – The Community for Life Foundation is a local philanthropy founded in 2001 to educate, enrich and empower people who want to make a positive contribution to the area.
Their goal is to help those with a mission to help others. This year, the foundation is giving out almost $50,000 in scholarships.
“It has helped relieve a lot of the financial stress that comes along when you’re trying to further your education. And because of that, it has helped me be able to focus more on my education and focus less on how to pay for the education,” Victoria Barrera said.
Barrera is a Community for Life Foundation scholarship recipient.
“I’m currently at the University of Texas Health Science Center here in San Antonio. I am studying for nursing and I currently have about a year and a half left,” Barrera said.
Barrera has a 4.0 GPA and she credits the foundation with her success.
“We are giving $50,000 in scholarships to deserving students. So that puts us at $750,000 to more than 350 recipients in greater San Antonio. In the past 20 years, we fed over 25,000 people through our holiday Initiative, send care packages to scholarship recipients, provide tutoring and host career college readiness classes,” Dr. Lawrence Scott, executive director of the Community for Life Foundation said.
Scott is also a past recipient.
“I told people I went from the barrio to the ballroom. I went from the hood to the hallways of higher education,” Scott said.
Scott wants to help students and families across the community thrive. And once they do, they ultimately will help the next generation.
“I just want to help people, too. You know, we want to give them something so they can eventually give back,” Scott said.
And as for Victoria, she is on her way to success.
“I do plan on being a trauma nurse here in San Antonio at the University hospitals where I plan to stay,” Barrera said.
As for the scholarships, the foundation is providing a watch party on Aug. 7 for all the scholarship recipients, parents, corporate and community partners from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Now Word Covenant Church, located at 12525 Nacogdoches Road.