MCCF presents grants to local nonprofits

Montgomery County Community Foundation (MCCF) presented 16 grants to local nonprofit agencies Thursday afternoon at Fusion 54. MCCF Chief Executive Officer, Kelly Taylor welcomed everyone and thanked the nonprofit leaders for their leadership this past year as the pandemic lingered. The grants fell into these areas of interest, Early Childhood Education, Education, Health, History, Arts & Culture, Human Services, and Youth.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Rainbows and Rhymes Preschool – $12,482 – they will add a multi-station handwashing basin in the basement where the children eat lunch and play. The preschool, housed in the First United Methodist Church, was one of two partners in MCCF’s Child Care Deserts Grant received from Early Learning Indiana in 2019 and offers 56 seats of all-day care for preschool age students.

EDUCATION

Educational Foundation – $25,000 – MCEF invites proposals from Montgomery County educators for innovative and imaginative projects that will provide unique and enriching experiences for their students, grades K-12. These grants are used for projects that are not funded by the school corporations.

HEALTH

Crawfordsville Community School Corporation – $10,000 – Funds are used to assist students with health related needs such as medical, dental, vision care and related health and welfare expenses.

South Montgomery School Corporation – $9,000 – Funds are used to assist students with health related needs such as medical, dental, vision and mental health care and related health and welfare expenses.

History, Arts & Culture

Athens Arts Gallery- $4,000 – Athens will partner with preschool agencies to offer art history and art exploration classes with a professional artist. The instructor will co-construct awareness with children through the visual arts, and will encourage the children to develop competencies, and confidence, to use the visual arts as a tool for learning.

Carnegie Museum- $5,899 – Growing programs create storage woes. This grant will allow for the purchase of shelving and other storage options, along with exhibit supplies. Improved efficiencies will result in improved programming.

Historical Society – $9,000 – The funds will be used to safeguard the historic Lane Place. A portion will be used for building repairs and a portion for tree care.

HUMAN SERVICES

Children’s Bureau of Indianapolis – $3,360 – This will allow them to offer emergency assistance to more Montgomery County families with children. Children’s Bureau works with other local agencies to support local families with children with essential needs.

Pam’s Promise Transitional Housing – $18,727 – This will be used to replace the aging, failing furnace and air conditioner at the Spring Ledge house with a new, more energy efficient system.

Sylvia’s Child Advocacy Center – $29,027 – A part-time advocate will be hired to serve local victims of sexual abuse and trauma. Currently there is no local service. Victims must either leave the county for assistance or do without.

Wabash Ave. Presbyterian Church – $2,500 – WAPC has for many years, graciously set aside space for local recovery support groups. These funds will purchase books and materials and add new, brighter, more energy efficient lighting to the recovery room.

Women’s Resource Center – $6,500 – Funds will be used for medical services and for items for their Great Expectation’s educational program. WRC is an invaluable link to the local health care system.

YOUTH

Achaius Ranch – $25,000 – This COVID-19 Operating Grant will help shore up finances so that the Harmony Project, a trauma recovery program, can continue in 2022. It debuted this year and was a big success. The negative effects of the pandemic make it more important than ever.

Boys & Girls Club – $39,000 – This COVID-19 Operating Grant helps ensure the financial stability of the club so that afterschool programming may continue. This provides children a safe place to go so that their parents may work.

Montgomery County 4-H – $30,000 – This will allow 4-H to purchase a new range hood and exhaust. The plan is to create a demonstration kitchen for both in person and virtual education. The kitchen is used not only by 4-H but by many community groups too.

Youth Service Bureau – $20,000 – This will provide support to three key YSB programs, CASA, Child Abuse Prevention, and Inspire, providing advocacy, support and education to protect youth.

These grants were made possible by the following MCCF Field of Interest Funds: Crawfordsville Housing Authority, David and Sheridan Hadley Health and Wellness Fund, Ian Geoffrey Hudson Memorial Fund, Richard and Nancy Inskeep Fund, Herbert and Genevieve Morrison Fund, A.F. Ramsey Fund, Faye O. and Anna Winter Schenck Fund, and Women of Wisdom Fund, honoring Rev. Chris Hotopp-Zachary, Mary Vi Leaming RN and Meda Lorton.

And from these MCCF Unrestricted Funds: Paul and Heather Barajas, Samuel L. and Eva Fern Boots, Harold and Linda Carpenter, Chase Bank, Tony and Cindy Cosenza, Hank and Nancy Coyle, John and Betty Culley, Dr. Fred and Elizabeth Daugherty Trust, Ron and Trudy Dickerson, Directors, Dr. William and Nancy Doemel, Earl F. and Ruby B. Elliott, Leland and Dolores Epperson & Family, Faith Alliance, Bob and Bill Fell, First Merchants Charitable Foundation, Barbara and Larry Frye, Larry and Susan Griffith, Jack and Joyce Grimble, M. Gaildene and Stan Hamilton, Thomas and Mary Beth Harmon, Carl F. and Margaret Henthorn, Hoosier Heartland State Bank, Michael D. and Sally A. Hinkle, Dennis and Dee Hohlbein, Larry D. Servies and Wanda R. Hopkins, Roberta Hudson, Walter Hulet, Max W. Johnson Fund to honor Mary Francis “Fran” Johnson, Brian and Cheryl Keim Family, Mag & Lil, Hubert and Martha Massing, Amy McFerran, Steve and Diana McLaughlin, Tom and Cynda Mellish, Phil and Judy Michal, Mike and Rhonda Mitchell Family, Montgomery County Physicians, Nucor, Morris and Barbara Odle Family, Gloria and Marvin Oliver, Dale and Linda Petrie, Marty Pool, Torey and Bethany Rauch, William and Amy Roth, Anita Rupar, Coach Rick and Deb Schavietello, Clark and Nancy Sennett, James G. and Susan Smith, Kathy and John Steele, John T. Taylor Charitable Fund, Bobbye and Claude Thompson, John and Sandy Tidd Fund in memory of Ernest and Anna Tidd and Joan and John Spray, Beverley J. Turner Fund in memory of John C. White, Tom Warren, Leonard and Louise Winchell, Damon C. and Bernice Seaman Wray, and the Roland Brooks and Helen Johnson Wynne Fund.

MCCF has been working to improve the quality of life in Montgomery County since 1991. In those 30 years, more than $24.5 million has been awarded in grants and scholarships right here in Montgomery County. To learn more, visit www. mccf-in.org or call us at 362-1267.