Wayne County Community Foundation Announces 2011 Fall Grants

The Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) Board of Trustees met in November and approved the following competitive grants:

Christian Children’s Home of Ohio was granted $10,000 from an anonymous unrestricted fund and $2,000 from the Charles R. and Henrietta Yenne Fund, for a total of $12,000, to renovate Cottage 1, replace windows and exterior doors on three other older cottages, and replace the roofs of Cottages 1 and 2.

Goodwill Industries of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Inc. was granted $10,000 from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund toward the purchase of an additional passenger van to be used to transport employment training program participants from Wayne County on a daily basis to and from the Wooster training facility, community job training sites, and employment interviews.

Liberty Center Connections was granted $7,500 from the Nolan and Elsie Hite Unrestricted Fund to assist with the start-up costs needed to fund a Liberty Center Connections counselor/social worker who will be located at the Viola Startzman Free Clinic.

North Central State College Foundation was granted $2,500 from the Marjorie B. Newland Memorial Fund in support of the College Foundation’s new Necessities Fund. This grant will support Wayne County students who need emergency help with the cost of books and transportation to college.

The Village Network was granted $5,000 from the WCCF General Fund for the implementation of a comprehensive adolescent pregnancy prevention, substance abuse education, school graduation rates enhancement, and goal-setting and life skills training program for at-risk Wayne County children.

Viola Startzman Free Clinic was granted $10,000 from the WCCF General Fund to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator, PT/INR Hemoglobin Testing Apparatus, and a facility-wide medical lighting retrofit.

Wayne County Volunteer Guardianship Association was granted $1,250 from the Ceylon E. Hudson Charitable Fund for their mission to locate and assist volunteer guardians to provide for the needs of the mentally incompetent in Wayne County.

Wooster City School District was granted $2,500 from the Nolan and Elsie Hite Unrestricted Fund and $5,000 from the Lillian Steiner Unrestricted Fund, for a total of $7,500, toward the purchase of equipment to help improve/update their strength and fitness area at the Gault Recreation Center.

Wooster Township Elementary/Triway Local Schools was granted $8,000 from the John G. Taggert Unrestricted Fund for their Playground Project 2012 to provide permanent enhancements for outdoor physical activities on their school playground.

Total disbursements granted from this grant cycle were $63,750.

The WCCF is a not-for-profit charitable community organization established in 1978 to accept contributions, create and administer funds, and make grants for the benefit of the people of the greater Wayne County area. Over $48 million have been awarded in the form of grants and scholarships from its 315 separate funds. Despite the economic uncertainty in the past five years, the WCCF has made 3,100 grant and scholarship awards totaling $16.7 million.

The unrestricted and field of interest funds permit the WCCF Board of Trustees to be responsive to the changing needs of the community. Donations to these funds by individuals, families, businesses and service organizations allow for greater future grant opportunities. Contact Ferenc Relle, WCCF Executive Director, for detailed information.

Competitive grant applications from nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organizations are accepted March 1 and September 1 each year.

Grant guidelines and application forms are available at the Foundation or on their website, www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org.