Shop Ahoy Receives $9,100 Grant for Van

The Candle Foundation has presented a $9,100 grant to Shop Ahoy, a Ventura nonprofit group that provides grocery shopping and delivery of prescriptions for elderly or disabled adults.

Judy Madaj, director of service development, said the grant will enable Shop Ahoy to purchase a van for its home deliveries.

Foundation Director Marti Mossawir presented a check to Shop Ahoy Director David Berger, along with Madaj and several other board members, during a ceremony last week at Marie Callender’s in Ventura.

“Shop Ahoy is a young, innovative organization that serves a lot of people and provides a service that isn’t being provided by any other group in west Ventura County,” Mossawir said. “We like that they have administered similar groups in Portland, Ore., and the Midwest for many years and had a track record of community service. It’s much easier to replicate a successful model and they have done that in Ventura. They are committed to helping seniors and those with disabilities to live as independent lives as possible.”

The foundation is affiliated with Candle Corp., a Los Angeles computer software company.

“We contacted the Candle Foundation. They saw a need for a delivery truck and they responded,” Madaj said. “The foundation looks for innovative groups that are solving community problems, and that’s what we do.”

Madaj said Shop Ahoy will purchase the new van in the next couple of months, when it can locate a van with proper insulation and refrigeration, as well as a cooling system.

Mossawir has also promised to provide the services of a Candle Corp. employee to help design a software program to manage Shop Ahoy’s client base.