$10,000 Awarded to Morgan County Organizations Working to Meet Community Needs

Morgan Community Fund Announces 2019 Fortuna Grant Recipients

McConnelsville, OH – Ten organizations serving Morgan County’s people and communities will have greater support for their projects because of $10,000 awarded through the Morgan Community Fund’s Fortuna Grant Program. The Fund’s 2019 grant round focused on projects that will increase quality of life, create access to opportunities, or implement a solution for a community need.

The Morgan Community Fund was established in 2008 at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio to inspire local philanthropy and ensure permanent support for the people and communities of Morgan County.

2019 Fortuna Grant recipients include:

The Carol Hammond Children’s Theatre received a $1,400 grant to support its 2020 Summer Youth Arts Camp. This week-long, volunteer-led summer camp provides Morgan County first through eighth graders with experiences in the visual arts, performing arts, and musical arts. The camp continues to see an increase in the number of children enrolling each year, and no child is ever turned away due to their financial circumstances.

The Community Action Program Corporation of Washington-Morgan Counties received a $1,200 grant to address the health and wellness of Morgan County youth. The grant will help the organization offer around 1,000 hot and nutritious meals to Morgan County youth throughout the summer months, as a way to address food insecurity and lack of proper nutrition while school is out. The grant will also support around 40 haircuts to children who might otherwise lack access to regular haircuts, as a way to promote good hygiene.

MoCo Kitty Kontrol received a $1,000 grant to hold two spay/neuter clinics in McConnelsville, which will help the organization spay/neuter and administer rabies vaccines to over 40 cats in the county. This will help control the local cat population and ensure that people in the community have access to veterinary care for their pets.

The Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau received a $500 grant to support its Ambassador Plan, which will help the organization guide community visitors to county attractions. The grant will support the creation of printed brochures and additions to the organization’s website, as well as a training program that will allow the organization to create more communications materials in the future. 

Morgan County Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs received a $2,000 grant to support three youth fishing events. The organization aims to support youth in fishing as a means of encouraging youth to lead healthy lives. The three events will further this mission by providing opportunities for youth to learn to fish, to fish with their families, and to compete in a bass fishing tournament.

Morgan East Elementary School received a $1,000 grant to support an after school mentoring program for elementary school students that promotes social, academic, and emotional well-being. The grant will allow the mentoring program to reach more students and support the program’s social and educational events, ranging from a speaker on growth mindset, to a bowling event, a tour of the community, a family picnic, and more.

Morgan Local Schools received a $500 grant to support its Summer Technology Camp, a five-day camp that will offer advanced technology courses to around 40-50 students in grades 5-9. Courses will include 3D printing, PC building and repair, programming of drones, robotics design and programming, electronics and circuitry, video production and editing, and eSports gaming and game design.

Morgan South Elementary School received a $1,000 grant to support the school’s Care Team, created by teachers to assist students who are struggling academically, mentally, socially, behaviorally, or financially by meeting the needs of students and their families. The grant will help the Care Team expand the number of students that it serves, purchasing items like clothes, food, glasses, and more.

The Morgan Special Olympics received a $500 grant to support individuals with developmental disabilities in Morgan County in attending the State Summer Games in Columbus. The State Summer Games will feature a variety of activities, such as track and field and cycling, that promote physical wellness and opportunities for individuals living with developmental disabilities to reach their goals.

Rural Action received a $900 grant to support its School Day at the Chesterhill Produce Auction, a field trip for second grade students from eight area schools to learn about their local food system through hands-on activities. These activities include a healthy cooking demonstration, composting and gardening, a mock produce auction, environmental education, and a local food system simulation.

The Morgan Community Fund will hold its next Fortuna Grant Program in 2020. For the latest news on when grant opportunities become available, sign up for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio’s e-Newsletter at www.AppalachianOhio.org, and follow the Morgan Community Fund on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Gifts to the Morgan Community Fund will make it possible for the Fortuna Grant Program to support more organizations with more resources in the future. And, for a limited time, gifts to the Fund will make double the difference, thanks to $300,000 in dollar-for-dollar matching funds available for all gifts to the Morgan Community Fund endowment through May 31, 2020.

Gifts are tax deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, life insurance, and charitable remainder trusts. To mail your donation, please designate the Morgan Community Fund and mail to P.O. Box 577, McConnelsville, OH 43756. To learn more about the Morgan Community Fund, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Morgan.

About the Morgan Community Fund
The Morgan Community Fund was established in 2008 to ensure permanent support for the citizens and communities of Morgan County. A local community fund of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, the Morgan Community Fund works to inspire philanthropy.

About the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation creates opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy. For more information about FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org.