Wayne County Community Youth Foundation Awards $3,000 in Grants

The Wayne County Community Youth Foundation (WCCYF) provides educational and practical experiences on how community foundations operate with the goal of getting high school students engaged in local “structured” philanthropy. Each year, student participants in the program also award grants from the Wayne County Community Youth Foundation Fund to local nonprofit organizations that support youth programs.

Student advisors evaluated nine grant proposals for the 2020 grant cycle. Based on their recommendations to the Wayne County Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, a total of $3,000 was awarded to two nonprofit organizations:

• $2,000 to Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio to assist with the purchase of an additional enclosed trailer to support the Wooster Generals Wheelchair Basketball Team.
• $1,000 to The Village Network to develop a music therapy recording studio.

Earlier this year, this WCCYF class also collected $750.83 through their Souper Bowl of Caring initiative and then donated the funds to the Viola Startzman Clinic to purchase food for Blessing Boxes, a part of the Clinic’s  Food Pharmacy Program.

For the 2019-2020 school year, 33 students representing 9 local high schools participated in the WCCYF. Deanna Troutman, a WCCF Trustee, is the Youth Foundation Advisor. More information about the Youth Foundation can be found on the Wayne County Community Foundation website at /community-initiatives/wayne-county-community-youth-foundation.