Barceloux-Tibessart Foundation awards grants during 17th annual ceremony

Lynzie Lowe, Glenn County Transcript, Calif.
·2 min read

Sep. 7—To continue its mission of enriching the community of Orland by distributing grants to local organizations, the Barceloux-Tibessart Foundation held its 17th annual grant ceremony at the Southern Pacific Depot inside the Glenn County Fairgrounds on Aug. 27.

The Barceloux-Tibessart Trust was established in 1995 by the will of Leo and Fern Barceloux as their contribution to the improvement of the community they were long-time residents of, with the intention to allocate the funds from the Trust to benefit religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational organizations in and around the community of Orland.

The Foundation was later established in 2005.

Don Barceloux, the nephew of Leo and Fern Barceloux and Foundation member, said the Foundation committee is made up of family members from both sides of the family. According to Barceloux, they meet each year in late July to review all of the applications and select that year's recipients.

This year, Barceloux's son Chip was the master of ceremonies, providing an overview of the Foundation while attendees enjoyed refreshments provided by the Orland Historical Society.

During the ceremony, each organization that received a grant was also given the chance to explain who they are and what they planned to use the funds for.

The 2022 Barceloux-Tibessart Foundation grant recipients included the Friends of the Orland District Cemeteries and Wreaths Across America for the completion of monuments to veterans at the Odd Fellows' Cemetery with military seals of each branch, the Orland Community Scholarship Association which oversees the Leo and Fern Barceloux scholarship for Orland High School seniors, the Orland Volunteer Fire Department for the purchase of automatic external defibrillators, the Orland County Fire Chiefs Association for the purchase of emergency pagers for Glenn County firefighters, the Glenn County 4-H Council for the purchase of Water Wizard curriculum for 60 students, the Glenn County Fair Heritage Foundation for the purchase of new lights and electrical equipment for the annual Avenue of Lights event, the Orland Junior Varsity Softball team for upgrade at the Spence Park softball field, Girls on the Run of the North State to sponsor the Orland team for the national program, the Glenn County Senior Nutrition Program to purchase of trays and utensils, and the Orland Historical & Cultural Society for renovations of the exterior of the Southern Pacific Depot.

According to Barceloux, the Foundation has distributed over $600,000 to more than 50 local organizations since the Foundation was established in 2005.

Applications for next year's round of grants will be accepted through May 31, 2023. The application can be completed and submitted online at www.barceloux-tibessart.org.