Delaware County commissioners: $240,105 in grants announced for 15 nonprofits
UPDATE: The Delaware County commissioners on June 6 announced the recipients of their 2022 Community Enhancement Grants totaling $240,105. Scroll to the bottom of the story to see the list.
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Protection for a covered bridge nearly 150 years old was among projects described to Delaware County commissioners May 26 as they heard requests for the county's 2022 Community Enhancement Grant program.
The program has, for the past decade, provided project-specific grants to tax-exempt nonprofit charitable agencies operating within Delaware County, commissioners communications director Jane Hawes told ThisWeek.
The program traditionally has provided about $250,000 total per year to a variety of agencies, she said. In total, 23 agencies filed applications by the April 13 deadline, according to Hawes.
Commissioners heard requests from Destination Delaware County, the Women's City Club, Habitat for Humanity, People in Need, Unity Community Center and Boardman Arts Park.
Those six applicants were invited to the session in order for the commissioners to have final questions answered about their individual applications.
Delaware County once had 64 covered bridges and only one remains, said Tim Wilson, executive director of Destination Delaware, which is affiliated with the Delaware County Convention and Visitors Bureau, promoting travel and tourism in Delaware County.
The county's lone covered bridge is on Chambers Road off state Route 61 in Porter Township, he said. It was built in 1874 and is still going strong.
"What's unique about this bridge in particular is it uses iron appendages with bolts on each end, so ... as the seasons change and humidity changes, they were able to just tighten the bolts. That may be why it's lasted so long, but it's still in very good shape as you know."
To preserve the bridge long term, he said, Destination Delaware wants to improve security by extending power lines and fiber optics to the site.
If equipped with lights and cameras, the site would be protected from vandalism, improving its long-term survival, according to Wilson.
Brad Ebersole of Consolidated Cooperative – which provides electric, gas and fiber-optic service – said lights and cameras are a proven deterrent against vandalism.
"A simple sign that says '24-hour surveillance' tends to have teenagers find someplace else to do their vandalism," and the cameras could record license plate numbers, Ebersole said.
Destination Delaware requested $25,000 for the project. Speaking for the Women's City Club was President MaryAnn Davis.
Since 1954, she said, the club has provided affordable housing for low-income working women of the county. That effort is maintained by volunteers and donations, she said.
Ten women now live in the WCC house at 135 N. Franklin St., Delaware, which has two bathrooms the residents use to prepare for their daily jobs.
"I don't know if ... you guys might not realize this, but 10 women using two bathrooms is just unbelievable," Davis said.
She said the club wants to expand the larger of the two bathrooms, using space from an adjoining bedroom, so that it has two showers, two sinks and two toilets. The club has accumulated some money for the project, but still needs $40,000 to complete it.
Habitat for Humanity has built 76 affordable houses in the county and launches several new builds annually, according to Todd Miller, executive director.
The organization requested $25,000 to help purchase a small earthmover, such as a Bobcat. The machine is needed for initial clearing of a site, moving infill and final grading, Miller said.
Habitat for Humanity had such a machine, which was damaged in a fire, he said. The organization has been unable to consistently find a machine to rent, and is strapped for money.
A new earthmover would cost up to $90,000, he said, and Habitat for Humanity plans to buy a used one.
Another vehicle-related request was made by People In Need, which provides food services and emergency assistance in the county. Kathy Hoff, executive director, told commissioners PIN's request for $68,000 would help the group expand its mobile food distribution.
From June to August of 2021, the mobile program delivered food to 502 people, she said, and PIN wants this year's program to run from April to early September.
The program visits what Hoff called food deserts – where food retailers are not close by – and those areas include spots in Lewis Center, she said.
Lewis Center has shown what Hoff called a strong growth among its population of individuals using PIN's services. PIN lacks a vehicle with a built-in freezer and refrigerator, she said, and its mobile distribution system would function more smoothly and efficiently with one.
Executive Board member Karriejoi Coit told commissioners the role of the Unity Community Center, 50 Ross St. in Delaware, has expanded since its creation in 2010.
Originally called the Second Ward Community Initiative, "There was a lot of thought that it was only for residents in (Delaware's) Second Ward and that it was only for Black people in the Second Ward. Well, what I discovered in my time here in Delaware is that we're servicing 70% Caucasian populations" as the center promotes unity in all of the county, she said.
The center provides a variety of no-cost programs, according to Coit. Its STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) club includes over 50 students in the current school year, and the center averages over 300 students participating in its tutoring mentorship program, Coit said.
She said the center filed a $66,917 request with the county, mostly to fund education-based activities. The center plans an effort to train 10 students to become FAA licensed commercial drone operators, a field which Coit said can pay $51,000 annually.
She said a goal for the center is to expand its youth dance program, instruct 25 countians in a second language and make improvements to its building, including an expanded bathroom and upgraded lighting.
Roxeanne Amidon, director of Boardman Arts Park at 154 W. William St., said the park's $49,462 request would mainly be used for a variety of physical improvements.
They include improved electric and water access, a permanent building, a performance area, paths, planters and a concrete area for picnic tables. The park has hosted a number of events and festivals, she said, and its participants have included students from the Olentangy school district.
2022 grant recipients
• Boardman Arts Park Inc. – landscaping and other improvements to the Imagination Space within the park: $20,000
• Central Ohio Symphony – funding for the Link Up education program for county fourth-graders: $6,500
• Delaware County Convention & Visitors Bureau – electricity and Wi-Fi connection to the Chamber Road covered bridge: $15,000
• Delaware County Cultural Arts Center – repairs to The Arts Castle’s stucco exterior: $14,000
• Delaware County Historical Society – preliminary renovations to the old jail and sheriff’s residence: $30,000
• Family Promise – funding for the Picnics on the Porch program: $10,000
• Hartford Independent Agricultural Society – purchase of aluminum bleachers: $3,300
• Living in Liberty Community Improvement Corp. – funding support for three community events: $8,000
• People In Need Inc. – purchase and customization of Mobile Market van: $40,000
• Recreation Unlimited Farm and Fun Inc. – purchase of bench swings: $12,750
• Stockhands Horses for Healing – refurbishment of outdoor arena: $7,555
• Strand Theatre and Cultural Arts Association – replacement of projection system: $20,000
• Stratford Ecological Center – accessibility improvements and construction of story trail: $10,000
• Unity Community Center – renovation of building space and purchase of supplies for STEAM education program: $20,000
• Women’s City Club Foundation – renovation of second-floor bathroom: $23,000
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Delaware County commissioners: $240,105 in grants announced for 15 nonprofits
