Wayne County Community Foundation awards nearly $468,000 in grant funding

The Board of Trustees for Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) met in November to approve $467,945.89 in grants to 25 nonprofit organizations serving the communities through its Competitive Grants cycle, The Women’s Fund and The Children’s Resource Fund.

Competitive Grants are made possible by donors who established Community Funds or Field of Interest Funds at the Foundation, making it possible for the board to meet the ever-changing needs of Wayne County.

Grants are:

• Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio received a $2,935.89 grant from the Raymond and Pauline Croskey Memorial Fund to purchase necessary operational equipment for their new space in Wooster, including a 12-step forward incline rolling ladder and a commercial ice machine.

• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank received a $15,000 grant from an anonymous community fund to support the 2024 Wayne County Direct Distribution Program to provide food to people in need through the Wooster Hope Center.

• American National Red Cross received an $8,000 grant from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund to assist with direct client financial assistance for Wayne County residents who are affected by a home fire or other disaster to enable them to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter and clothing.

• Boys and Girls Club of Wooster received a $33,950 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund to purchase food from local food markets and vendors for Project CHOP (Childhood Hunger Outreach Program) to tackle childhood hunger in Wooster by focusing on two critical items − providing nourishing after-school meals and imparting essential knowledge about healthy eating habits.

• Dalton Local School District received a $50,000 grant from an anonymous community fund to purchase and install bi-directional amplifiers and distributed antenna systems in Dalton High School and Dalton Middle/Elementary Schools to boost wireless signals to enable better communication within the buildings and with first-responders outside of the buildings when needed.

• Downtown Arts Theater received a $51,500 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund to support the cost of a full fire protection system as part of their Lyric Theater renovation and reopening project.

• FoodSphere received a $50,000 grant from the Robert L. and Kathleen M. Polsky Foundation Community Fund to support the building of three administrative office spaces in the building at 146 W. South Street in Wooster as part of the FoodSphere and Local Roots capital campaign.

• Forget-Me-Not Baskets received a $5,490 grant from the Nolan and Elsie Hite Community Fundto produce three types of videos that would allow them to assist with training hospitals, provide testimonials, and allow them to expand their reach.

• IncludeAbility received a $28,000 grant from the Carl E. Congdon Jr. and Susanna Congdon\McIntyre Memorial Fund and the Lloyd W. James Memorial Fund to purchase eight evacuation chairs for the stairwells within Orrville, Rittman, and South East School Districts as part of their Emergency Preparedness project.

• Interlink Ministries received a $17,000 grant from the Florence L. Rice Community Fund to purchase an electric pallet jack, a conveyor system and a cardboard compactor for Food Fellowship Ministry which is serving a monthly food-box to needy families in Wayne County.

• LIFE A Dementia Friendly Foundation received a $15,000 grant from the Robert L. and Kathleen M. Polsky Foundation Community Fund to provide a second Memory Café location in Wayne County.

• National Inventors Hall of Fame received a $10,000 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund to support Camp Invention registration costs for underserved Wayne County children during the summer 2024 program.

• OHuddle Incorporated received a $15,250 grant from the Helen A. Sprowls Charitable Fundto launch a pilot program to expand services to elementary students through GrOHuddle, a partnership with the University of Akron matching junior and senior high school students with elementary mentees.

• Pathway Caring for Children received a $15,000 grant from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund to partner with Kids & Giggles Daycare and Preschool in Wooster to provide therapeutic treatment to children ages 2-5 who are enrolled in the child care center and are at elevated risk for mental health challenges, such as sensory issues, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and emotional and behavioral issues.

• Smithville Community Historical Society received a $25,000 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund for remediation and restoration of the Sheller Log House.

• Tri-County Educational Service Center received a $5,000 grant from the Wayne County Choral Union Fund to create a new Children’s Chorus program, in partnership with Wayne Center for the Arts, that will be open to all students in grades four-seven in the greater Wayne County region.

• Wayne County Housing received a $59,720 grant from an anonymous community fund for improvements to Secrest Village Apartments in Wooster, to include paving, replacing concrete, repairing drainage, and replacing four cottage roofs.

• The Wilderness Center received a $5,000 grant from the Ruth M. Tieche Community Fund for “Nature Heals”, to provide immersive field trip experiences to clients of OneEighty over the course of a year.

The Women's Fund was established to impact the lives of women and children in Wayne County, Ohio by directing resources to organizations that support the education of women and empower change and self-sufficiency. Based on the evaluations and recommendations from The Women’s Fund Advisory Committee, the WCCF Board of Trustees approved the following grant awards:

• Caring Closet of Wooster received a $7,500 grant for Fill the Closet that will help fulfill the needs of women and children who need basic needs met after moving out of domestic abuse situations or recovery from drug abuse. The grant was designated for direct services – undergarments, shoes, etc.

• Mount Eaton Care Center received a $1,100 grant to initiate a breastfeeding support group to help increase knowledge about breastfeeding and provide support after mothers go home and experience problems.

• OneEighty received a $25,000 grant for Julia’s Place, the women’s crisis shelter, to help alleviate short-term operating expenses.

• United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties received a $5,000 grant for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for Wayne County.

The Wayne County Children’s Resource Fund was established in 2018 by Cheryl and Steve Shapiro to help remove barriers that may impede children's ability to lead meaningful and productive lives. The barriers may include poverty, drug use, bullying, discrimination, learning disabilities, low self-confidence or a challenging home life.

Based on the evaluations and recommendations from the Fund’s Advisory Committee, the WCCF Board of Trustees approved the following grant awards:

• Boys and Girls Club of Wooster received a $2,500 grant for the Breakfast Club that provides breakfast for 100 kids at three different sites (Melrose, Parkview, Edgewood).

• Learn N Play of Wooster received a $10,000 grant for playground renovation to replace an existing playground with safer, up-to-date equipment for their children.

• OHuddle received a $5,000 grant to support the creation of an augmented reality mural in downtown Wooster that OHuddle mentees will help to create. The mural will become animated when viewed using a smartphone app.

Since 1978, the Wayne County Community Foundation has been working to strengthen the community we all share. Since inception, WCCF has awarded over $108 million in grants and scholarships. Donations to these funds by individuals, families, businesses and service organizations help to increase the amount available for grants each year.

For more information about the Foundation call 330-262-3877 or visit www.WCCFOH.org.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne Community Foundation awards over $467,000 to area organizations