2019 Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund Grantees Announced
East Liverpool City Hospital and Scioto Valley Local School District Receive Grant Awards
Walnut Creek, OH – At the April 26 Annual Meeting of the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance (EODA), the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) was pleased to announce two grant awards from FAO’s Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio, which will help to improve quality of life in underserved Ohio communities.
Jim Rocchi of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (right) presents Adrianne Nastasi of East Liverpool City Hospital (left) with a grant award from the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund.
“This year’s grantees are, in different ways, helping to provide some of the most vulnerable children in Appalachian Ohio with a stronger foundation for future success,” said Eric Myers, a member of the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund committee and Don Myers’s son. “These grants reflect my father’s commitment to ensuring that youth have access to education and basic needs.”
This year’s grantees include East Liverpool City Hospital and the Scioto Valley Local School District. Both grantees received $600 awards to make a difference in their local communities by addressing the education of youth and the fulfillment of basic needs.
East Liverpool City Hospital of Columbiana County received a grant award to support its Summer Skills program. The Summer Skills program was established in 2018 and seeks to provide three- to twelve-year-old children living with autism and development delays in Columbiana County with continued learning opportunities over the summer months. The eight-week program seeks to address summer learning loss to which all children, but especially children with developmental disabilities, are susceptible. The program is geared toward the specific needs of the population it serves, as occupational therapists, speech therapists, and physical therapists build a creative and encouraging learning environment through multi-sensory experiences that promote learning, independence, and participation.
Jim Rocchi of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (right) presents John Hemmings of the Scioto Valley Local School District (center) with a grant award from the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund alongside Eric Myers (left), the brother of Donald R. Myers.
The Scioto Valley Local School District of Pike County received a grant award to support its “Magic Closet.” The Magic Closet is a place where Pre-K through 3rd grade students at Scioto Valley Local School District’s Jasper Elementary can go to access basic needs such as coats, shoes, hats, gloves, and occasionally even food, as well as school supplies such as pencils, sharpeners, book bags, colored pencils, binders, and more. By providing the fundamental educational tools and basic necessities that students at Jasper Elementary would otherwise too-often lack, the Magic Closet helps students focus more on learning and relieves stress from students’ families.
The Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio was created to honor the legacy of Don Myers in 2008. The Fund recognizes the service of Mr. Myers as the longtime executive director of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Alliance (OMEGA) and president of EODA. The Fund is a permanent source of funding to encourage and support Appalachian Ohio’s nonprofit and government organizations in collaborative activities that support quality of life. Open to organizations throughout the 32 Appalachian counties in Ohio, the Fund focuses on projects that improve quality of life with an emphasis on concerns that Mr. Myers worked so passionately to address, including education, regional networking opportunities, support for community leaders, and fulfillment of basic needs.
The Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio grant application opens annually in February. To learn more about the Fund and how it honors the legacy of Don Myers, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org.
Gifts to the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Appalachian Ohio are tax deductible and can be made in a number of ways, including cash, gifts in wills, and life insurance. To make your donation, please designate the Donald R. Myers Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764. Donations can also be made online by visiting the Foundation’s online giving page and selecting the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio when making a donation.
To learn more about how you too can honor the legacies of individuals making a difference in Appalachian Ohio, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call 740.753.1111.
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.
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