Community Foundation for Perry County Invests in Local Arts, Education, and Historical Organizations
Eight Grant Awards Support Local Projects in Perry County
New Lexington, OH – The Community Foundation for Perry County (CFPC) has announced eight grant awards to local organizations. This year’s $5,000 in grant awards will support projects in the arts, education, the environment, and local history.
“By supporting opportunities for both children and adults, these eight grant awards are helping to inspire our community’s present and future artists, mathematicians, historians, natural resource professionals, and more,” said Kevin Wood, a CFPC committee member. “We are grateful to support the work of so many organizations committed to making Perry County an even brighter place.”
2019 grant recipients include:
Destination Shawnee received a $750 grant to support its summer concert series. The series features different genres of music each month for four months, allowing residents of Shawnee and surrounding communities to experience different genres of music that they otherwise might not have access to due to cost and transportation issues.
The Gamma Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma received a $500 grant to send Perry County youth to Be WISE, a summer camp for young girls that allows them to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects. The funding will help send female students in 7th and 8th grades to the Be WISE camp. They will participate in small classes with certified teachers in an outdoor setting that allow them to develop a passion for the subjects they may not have an opportunity to explore otherwise.
The New Lexington Middle School and High School FFA received a $750.00 grant to purchase a meat locker for the school farm, which will allow middle and high school FFA students to both better prepare for the state FFA Meat Judging Contest and learn how to process deer meat for local farmers and hunters, contributing to students’ entrepreneurial experience.
The Perry County Cultural Arts Center received a $500.00 grant to support its summer youth arts workshops through publicity, instructor stipends, student scholarships, and more. These five, week-long workshops for children in grades 1-8 will allow approximately 125 children to work with professionals to explore theatre, art, dance, music, and creative dramatics.
Perry County Job and Family Services received a $750.00 grant to support the Aware, Be Careful, and Communicate Training. The training is designed for non-parental, kinship caregivers, such as grandparents, to learn about opioid addiction and related dangers available on the internet, and to communicate about these topical issues with the children in their care, many of whom are in kinship care as a consequence of the opioid epidemic.
Rural Action received a $500.00 grant to provide student scholarships for the Monday Creek Watershed Camp. The camp is designed for youth aged 8-12 who live in rural areas and have limited opportunities for environmental and aquatic education. At the watershed camp, students will attend multiple field trips, hear presentations by local natural resources professionals, and spend a day at the lake learning to fish and canoe.
The Somerset Artists’ Cooperative received a $500.00 grant for their Kids Creativity Camp. Kids of all ages will be able to participate in camps over three different weekends. The camp provides affordable opportunities for youth to participate in the arts by experimenting with different art mediums, such as pottery, painting, textiles, and many others.
Sunday Creek Associates received a $750.00 grant to support the Music and the Knights of Labor documentary, which uncovers the music relevant to the history of the Knights of Labor in an exploration of coal mining and labor organizing. After the film premieres in May, 2020, it will be shown in Perry County libraries, history centers, schools, and beyond.
The Community Foundation for Perry County supports groups and organizations that work to increase the quality of life, create access to opportunities, or implement a solution for a need in the Perry County community and is excited to recognize those who look to make a difference in Perry County’s communities.
The Community Foundation for Perry County was established in 2012 to ensure permanent support for the citizens and communities of Perry County. A community fund of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), CFPC works with FAO to grow grantmaking dollars for projects that improve quality of life in Perry County and across Appalachian Ohio. To learn more about the Community Foundation for Perry County and how you can support the Appalachian Ohio communities closest to your heart, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call 740.753.1111.
About the Community Foundation for Perry County
In 2012, past and present Perry County residents created the Community Foundation for Perry County (CFPC) Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. The CFPC was created to provide grants to advance charitable projects of benefit to Perry County residents. It also establishes a collective resource for all those looking to support Perry County’s current and future opportunities through charitable giving. More information can be found at www.AppalachianOhio.org/CFPC.
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.
###