Is your group on the list? Akron Community Foundation awards $5 million in grants

The Akron Community Foundation has approved nearly $5 million in quarterly grants.

Nearly 70 groups received funding during the health and human services cycle. In addition, the board approved $722,609 in competitive grants chosen by the foundation’s Community Investment Committee.

A portion of the health and human services funding was contributed by the Tifft Family Fund; the Charles E. and Mary K. Booth Fund; the Dawley Family Fund; the Summit Portage Area Health Education Fund; and an anonymous fund holder through the community foundation’s grant co-investment program, which enables donor-advised fund holders to review the board’s competitive grant applications and support initiatives that align with their charitable interests.

Receiving grants were:

A Kid Again Northern Ohio: $5,750 to support therapeutic recreation opportunities for families with children who have life-threatening conditions.

ACCESS: $19,500 to support the emergency shelter for unhoused women and children.

Akron Blind Center: $10,000 to offer programs, resources and classes for the blind and visually impaired in Summit County, including braille, computer literacy, physical fitness, crafts and volunteerism.

Akron Children’s Hospital: $8,000 to support child injury prevention through home safety kits for low-income families.

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank: $46,000 to support food distribution and hunger relief programs in Summit County.

American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region: $15,000 to support disaster cycle services in Summit County, including preparedness classes, disaster response and recovery assistance.

Asian Services In Action Inc. (ASIA Inc.): $17,500 to imbed mental health programming and activities within the International Community Empowerment Project that serves immigrants and refugee youths.

Autism Society of Greater Akron: $5,000 to expand inclusive social and recreational opportunities for individuals with autism.

AxessPointe Community Health Centers: $12,000 to support health and wellness in individuals from marginalized communities throughout Summit County through medical care, education and outreach.

Battered Women's Shelter: $37,500 to support crisis intervention services for victims of domestic and/or sexual violence.

Ben Curtis Family Foundation: $2,500 to address the food insecurity of children and families in Summit County by providing nonperishable meals and other items to local students.

Broken Chains Jail & Prison Ministry: $12,500 to support programs like residential recovery, mentoring and workforce development for former offenders in Summit County, helping to remove barriers that lead to recidivism.

Buddy Up For Life: $2,000 to offer tennis, fitness and summer camps for people with Down syndrome.

Canine Companions: $5,000 to provide service dogs at no cost to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities in Summit County.

Catholic Charities of Summit County: $17,500 to support emergency assistance services, like medical bills, home repairs, medical supplies, phone bills and other basic needs.

Celiac and Allergy Friendly Food Initiative: $3,000 to support a food pantry that serves allergy-friendly food to low-income families.

Christ Child Society of Akron: $11,000 to provide school appropriate clothing to low-income students.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General: $10,750 to improve health care access for refugees in the North Hill neighborhood, including referrals, health screenings and Medicaid enrollments.

Community Legal Aid Services: $25,000 to support Project HEAL, a medical-legal partnership that helps families whose legal needs have adverse effects on their health.

CORE Furniture Bank: $9,000 for operating support, like the transport and handling of donated furniture for families in need in Summit County.

Crown Point Ecology Center: $10,000 to support increased fresh produce and vegetable plant donations to the community with farm interns.

Embracing Futures: $4,000 to provide orthodontic treatment for children in poor and working poor families.

Empower Her Network: $13,000 to help human-trafficking survivors achieve fiscal independence.

Family and Community Services: $20,000 to address senior hunger in Summit County by providing home-delivered and congregate meals.

Family Promise of Summit County: $10,000 for the Survive to Thrive program, which helps families facing homelessness achieve sustainable homeownership.

First Glance Student Center: $8,000 to support mentoring and outreach programs for teens in Kenmore.

Forever R Children: $2,500 to assist children and their immediate families with basic food needs.

Forget-Me-Not Baskets: $5,000 to support Akron hospitals’ pregnancy bereavement program for families that experience a loss during pregnancy or childbirth.

Freedom House for Women: $10,500 to decrease the barriers of addiction and homelessness by providing substance abuse treatment, recovery housing and supportive services to women in Summit County.

Girls On the Run Northeast Ohio: $9,750 to support a physical activity-based youth development program for Summit County girls in high poverty neighborhoods that integrates running with an interactive curriculum that promotes confidence, character and contribution.

Grace House Akron: $6,000 to provide access to end-of-life care for low- to moderate-income residents in Greater Akron.

Greenleaf Family Center: $11,000 to expand the PEERS program to meet the growing need for support by parents of children challenged with mental health and other complex needs.

GriefCare Place: $3,000 for support groups and other programs for residents grieving the loss of a loved one.

Guy's and Gal's Community Partnership: $10,000 to support the Hoop for Coop adult and youth health fair and basketball sports clinics.

Harmony House: $8,250 to provide case management, independent living skills development, legal support, financial literacy, and employment and career advancement for young people ages 18-26 facing homelessness.

H.M. Life Opportunity Services: $6,000 to provide support programming for young people whose families are living in the organization’s permanent supportive housing while transitioning out of homelessness.

Hope United: $5,000 to support families grieving the loss of a loved one to overdose or addiction.

International Institute of Akron: $21,000 to support an extended social services program for refugees and immigrants.

IBH Addiction Recovery: $10,000 for support of addiction treatment, including case management, referrals and counseling.

Jewish Family Service of Akron: $10,000 to support general operations for older adult and mental health services in Akron.

Let's Grow Akron: $12,500 for operating support, including access to healthy food, for low-income residents, neighborhood farmers markets, community gardens and educational programs.

LINKS Community and Family Services: $12,500 to support the LINKS Senior Connection Program, including meals, cognitive care, medical resources and community activities.

The Mode: $5,000 to provide addiction treatment programs such as intensive outpatient, individual sessions, family education and support, and partial hospitalization.

NAMI Summit County: $5,000 to support the Reedy Housewarming Project, which provides new, basic household items for people with serious mental illness who are transitioning to independent living.

Open Arms Adoptions: $7,000 to support adoption of infants and children with special needs, along with the Keeping Siblings Together program.

OPEN M: $23,000 to support free medical and dental services for uninsured residents of Greater Akron.

Pegasus Farm: $2,500 to support the Military Family Center Equestrian Program.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio: $23,000 to support long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) for low-income women at Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s Akron Health Center.

Popeye's Boxing Gym: $3,000 to promote the sport of boxing by providing opportunities to underprivileged children, adults and families.

Prevent Blindness Ohio: $8,000 for the Vision Care Outreach Program, which offers vision screenings and access to eye care for high-risk individuals in Summit County.

Project Outrun: $5,000 to provide custom shoes and apparel that empower and strengthen children and their families as they battle life threatening illnesses.

RAHAB Ministries: $20,000 for intervention services for victims of human trafficking.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio: $10,000 to support Summit County families staying together and near their hospitalized children.

Safe Families for Children Alliance: $5,000 to help reduce the number of children in foster care in Summit County by mentoring parents and helping families in crisis.

Sarah's House: $2,500 to support the continuation of Senior Community Circles, a program that allows the older adult population to gather for guest speakers, social interaction and activities.

Second Chance Village: $2,500 to support mobile services for local people facing homelessness.

Stewart’s Caring Place: $5,000 to create awareness of free support services available to individuals and families impacted by cancer in low-income, minority, refugee, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Summit County Community Partnership: $10,359 to support the Deterra Project, providing free medicine disposal bags and educational materials to help residents safely use, store and dispose of unused prescription medicine.

Summit County Fatherhood Initiative: $15,000 to support free fatherhood classes and services through a community partnership.

United Disability Services: $15,000 to support employment services, like job exploration, skills assessment, interviewing and soft-skills training, for Summit County residents with severe disabilities.

United Way of Summit & Medina: $15,000 to support the 2-1-1 Information and Referral helpline for Summit County residents.

VANTAGE Aging: $21,000 for support of Home Wellness Solutions, which includes home care, Meals on Wheels, behavioral health and other services to help older adults remain in their homes.

Victim Assistance Program: $20,000 to assist individuals who are victimized by crime, and those who have experienced trauma, through advocacy, education and support.

Victory Gallop: $6,250 to support a therapeutic horseback riding program for children ages 3 through 18 who face behavioral challenges and illness.

Women Revived Ministries: $3,000 to support the Total Life Wellness program, which provides mentorship, professional development and coaching for survivors of human trafficking.

Women's Auxiliary Board, Summit County Children Services: $8,000 to support the Beds for Kids Program, which aims to help prevent rollover deaths by giving out beds and cribs to at-risk children.

Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of nearly $260 million with a growing family of more than 800 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life.

For more information or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.akroncf.org.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Community Foundation awards $5 million in grants