2017 Community Grants for Children & Education
Creating opportunities for the next generation in Marion is the focus of $219,000 in grants from this year’s Marion Community Foundation Community Grants Program. Included in this total are $5,000 to the Black Heritage Council’s It Takes a Village program, $65,000 for the operation of the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County, $54,000 in support of Marion Mentors 21, $10,000 for Royal Family Kids Camp, and two grants totaling $85,000 to Marion Technical College to continue and expand the Graduate Pathways to Success program.
While these grants are part of the Foundation’s Community Grants Program, which awarded 36 grants totaling $538,000 to area nonprofits, these six awards specifically target improving opportunities for young people in Marion County. The Community Grants Program is part of the Foundation’s larger, overall grant-making which annually provides $1.2 million in community support via an array of donor advised, designated, and field of interest funds.
The Black Heritage Council’s It Takes a Village program is now in its 40th year.
“Oftentimes, we don’t realize that it does ‘take a village’ to raise a child,” said Tara Dyer, Council chairperson. “The village’s responsibility does not end, though, when a child graduates from high school. We must continue to nourish and aid them as they transition into college. Ultimately, we encourage them to return to the ‘village.’”
To encourage young people to return, the Black Heritage Council will use the grant award to fund scholarships.
“We try to identify and help students who are struggling to make ends meet beyond their freshman year (in college),” said Dyer. “It is important to invest in future ‘villagers’ so that they may make a difference on our communities.”
According to Rebecca Asmo, the grant to the Boys and Girls Club will help “prepare the youth of Marion to participate in the world of the future, as part of a stronger and more inclusive global community and an ever-evolving workforce as good citizens, skilled workers, and part of safer communities.”
Asmo said she is aware that, in Marion, an increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision.
“Young people need to know that someone cares about them. The Boys & Girls Club of Marion County offers that and much more,” she said.
The Club uses trained youth development professionals to offer programs to youth ages 6-18, addressing health and wellness, such as Healthy Habits, SMART Moves, and Triple Play, as well as those targeted at leadership development, such as Passport to Manhood, Torch Club, and Keystone. Others, like Project Learn and Garden Club, address students’ educational needs and skill development. Last year, Marion’s Boys and Girls Club served more than 800 individuals.
Marion Mentors 21 is a community-wide partnership for developing long-term mentoring relationships to help vulnerable Marion youth reach their highest potential. It includes the collaborative efforts of the Marion Family YMCA, Marion City Schools, the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, the United Way of Marion County, members of Marion’s faith communities, and Nucor Steel.
The purpose of this collaboration, according to YMCA executive director Theresa Lubke, is to support long-term one-to-one relationships between a volunteer adult role model and a vulnerable student.
“This unique relationship provides support and encouragement, and can help a young person develop the academic, social, personal, and leadership skills to foster success in their future,” she said. More than 225 individuals have participated in the past year.
According to Lubke, Marion Mentors 21 began through Governor Kasich’s faith-based Community Connectors initiative, and as such, received state funding for three years. This was designed to jumpstart the program and to encourage local funding for future years.
“We are thankful for the support of Marion Community Foundation and to be able to continue to offer this valuable program,” said Lubke.
Royal Family Kids is a camp for neglected, abused, and abandoned children.
“We are here to be a faith-based front against the abuse on children,” said executive director Elizabeth Moore. “It is our goal during camp to create positive memories. We provide positive affirmation, encouragement, and a new mind set for each child to know that they are valuable.”
Royal Family Kids works with Marion County Children Services to identify children ages 7-11 to take to camp. In Summer 2017, the camp served 52 kids.
“We provide three healthy meals and two snacks every day, a camp ‘store’ where every camper can shop for free, and a new pillow and handmade pillow case,” said Moore. “We have found that night time can be very scary for these kids and they find comfort in these special items because they are special gifts given to them by their camp counselor. Most of the kids at camp come with the clothes on their back and a plastic bag with a few belongings in it.”
Every day at camp each child is allowed to go into the store and pick out a complete outfit — everything needed from head to toe. The camp staff provides the children with proper toiletries while at camp and a backpack for school.
Marion Technical College was awarded two grants—$20,000 for the continuation of the Graduate Pathways to Success (GPS) program and an additional $65,000 to expand it.
This initiative identifies economically disadvantaged 8th grade youth and sets them on a path to earn an associate degree by the time they graduate high school. Area employers have been directly involved in developing GPS and have committed to provide employment opportunities for students who complete the program.
According to Bob Haas, Chief Strategy Officer at Marion Technical College, 2017-18 is the second academic year of the Graduates Pathways to Success (GPS) program with Marion City Schools. The first year involved 31 students and 40 additional students enrolled this year. Pathways began with a focus on engineering technology careers and has expanded to health careers and a general associate degree.
“Pathways has gained statewide and some national attention as a model of how colleges, high schools, and businesses can collaborate to create educational pathways that can lead to employment in in-demand occupations for students,” said Haas.
Up to this point, the program has only been available in the Marion City Schools. The grants from Marion Community Foundation will enable that to continue, as well as expansion of the program into the Marion County high schools.
Marion Community Foundation’s 2017 grants committee includes Judge Deb Alspach (chair), Jeremy Dunn, Kelly Garrett, Dr. Henry Heinzmann, Rev. Dan Kiger, Dr. Kim Stark, and Nicolle Wampler. The annual grants program begins in July with the launch of the online application and concludes in October once the committee’s award recommendations are approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The grants program is coordinated by Director of Programs Julie Prettyman.
“If you are interested in creating an unrestricted fund at Marion Community Foundation to help fund programs like these, contact our offices,” said President and CEO Dean Jacob. Marion Community Foundation is located at 504 S. State St. in Marion and may be contacted by calling 740-387-9704 or visiting www.marioncommunityfoundation.org.
