The Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC) recently announced a distribution of thirteen grants totaling $32,210 as a part of CFGC’s Fall Community Grants and Weekend Food Program.
Eight grants totaling $8,266 were awarded through the Foundation’s Fall Community Grant application process and five grants totaling $24,044 were awarded to local school districts through the Greene County Weekend Food Program Fund.
“It is a privilege for Community Foundation of Greene County to be able to partner with individuals and businesses to support these programs and innovations,” said CFGC Board Chairman, Mr. Jeff McCracken. “The work of our local nonprofits and schools add so much to our county, whether it is helping our children and youth learn new skills, or provide training to address local needs.“
Funding for eight Community Grants was provided through the Foundation’s Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund, The Good For Greene Fund, The Kathleen A. Hamilton Davis and William R. Davis Memorial Fund, and The Harvest Fund. These grants are made possible through the generosity of local residents, both alive and deceased, who established funds at CFGC to support local programs.
CFGC Fall Community Grants were awarded for the following projects:
Community Grants:
Bobtown Community Youth – Community Youth Group – $500
The Community Youth Group provides a safe place where adolescents in Bobtown and surrounding communities can gather to learn responsibility, confidence, and compassion. Participants will enjoy activities such as cooking, gardening, crafting, and creating cards for residents at the Point Manor Personal Care Home. This project is supported by the Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund.
Carmichaels Area School District – Native American Living History Presentation – $500
Students at Carmichaels Elementary School will learn about Native Americans through a hands-on demonstration by local Native American presenters. Students will have the opportunity to explore what life would have been like for Native Americans in past centuries. Funding for this presentation comes from the Good for Greene Fund.
Carmichaels Area School District – Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse Partnership – $1,000
Carmichaels Area School District will partner with the Center for Creative Reuse to give students an opportunity to learn how to create art from reused materials. Teaching artists will visit and work with high school students to construct a piece of art out of items typically thrown away, thereby teaching principles such as conservation, innovation, and collaboration. This partnership is supported by the Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund.
Central Greene School District – “Once Upon a STEAM Night” – $456.40
This family event is designed to provide students and their families an avenue to explore technology in the context of popular fairytales. Families complete fairytale-themed challenges together, decorate ornaments, and create LED Christmas cards for residents of the Waynesburg Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. This project is supported by the Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund.
Coalition for a Brighter Greene – Greene County Family Nights – $ 1,000
As part of efforts to decrease substance abuse in Greene County, the Coalition for a Brighter Greene will host community Family Nights every month in 2020, providing local families with free, fun, and safe evenings out. These Family Nights will include games, athletics, refreshments, an educational component, and preschool childcare. Funding for this initiative comes from the Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund.
Jefferson Morgan School District – JM Print Shop – $2,000
The Jefferson Morgan Print Shop is an expansion of the district’s Fab Lab. This Print Shop—sparked by students’ interest in creating their own tee-shirts, decals, and signs—will give students hand-on experience in a professional printing environment where they can bring to life their creative ideas. This grant is made possible through the Futures Fund ($235.35) and the Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund ($1,764.76).
The CARE Center – Best Practice in Working with Sexual Violence Victims for Community Providers and Law Enforcement Seminar – $810
The CARE Center will host a seminar to better equip law enforcement, medical practitioners, and community providers across Greene County through training on the best practices of working with victims of sexual violence. This training will focus specifically on victims of sexual violence from underserved people groups and will also include an overview of the updated Greene County Sexual Assault Protocols. Funding for this presentation comes from the Good for Greene Fund.
Community Foundation of Greene County – Weekend Food Program: Re-grant to five school districts – $2,000
When students’ basic needs are not being met, success in school does not take precedence. The Greene County Weekend Food Program, now in its ninth year, will continue to provide nutritious, child-friendly food items to local students who are at risk of hunger over the weekend, when they do not have access to the meals their schools serve. This program is supported by The Kathleen A. Hamilton and William R. Davis Fund ($1,289.14), The Harvest Fund ($286.19), The Good for Greene Fund ($241.68), and The Nancy I. Davis Fund of the Forever Greene Fund ($182.99).
Weekend Food Program Grants to Schools:
Grants totaling $24,044 were distributed to each of the five school districts to support their Weekend Food Programs. : Carmichaels $2,370 serving approximately 27 students per week; Central Greene $10,730 serving approximately 111 students per week, including the IU-1 classrooms; Jefferson-Morgan $3,910 serving approximately 30 children per week; Southeastern Greene $2,430 serving approximately 20 children per week, and; West Greene $4,604 serving approximately 47 children per week.
The Weekend Food Program grants are made possible by donations from The EQT Foundation, Chevron, First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County, ACTS of Greene County, The Rotary Club of Waynesburg, the Greene County Association of School Retirees, St. Paul Lutheran Church and numerous individuals.
Donors to the Weekend Food Program were on hand to help distribute the grants to the schools and hear first-hand just how much of an impact this program provides for the children.
Since 2001, CFGC has been able to award more than $3 million in grants and scholarships that have helped meet the needs and improve lives of Greene County residents.
For more information about CFGC and our grants, visit www.cfgcpa.org, or email cfgcpa@gmail.com.