IRONTON, Ohio – The Lawrence County Community Foundation (LCCF) has awarded seven grants, totaling $15,000, to support initiatives benefiting the county’s residents and communities, including a youth-led project.
“This funding reflects love for and commitment to the people and communities of Lawrence County,” said Joe Freeman, LCCF committee member. “When we combine the generosity of our donors and the good work of many doers across our county, we create opportunities and plant seeds for a prosperous future.”
This summer, LCCF and the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio’s I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund invited nonprofits, schools and public organizations to apply for grants to advance initiatives across five areas essential to creating and sustaining transformative change: arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services. Emphasis was on supporting individuals of all ages who are spearheading projects and programs that create opportunities, meet pressing needs and unleash the potential within Lawrence County.
Grants were awarded to:
· HomeTown Love of Chesapeake to support a beautification project that will include building a stone flower bed, installing lighting and placing flower pots by the village’s welcome sign near the Sixth Street bridge
· inspiHER Girls Leadership Foundation to support the inspirHER Girls Leadership Retreat for Lawrence County fifth- through eighth-grade girls at South Point Middle School
· Ironton aLive to help purchase storage containers that will be painted with Appalachian-themed murals at the children’s splash park
· Tri-State STEM + M Early College High School received two grants: (1) to purchase new computers and (2) to support the development of a student-led musical that highlights the positive impact of the arts on mental health
· William C. Lambert Military Museum and Archive to support the creation of a new exhibit, “The Korean War: Soldiers Stories of Lawrence County”
The I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund provided LCCF up to $5,000 to support projects developed and implemented by local youth under age 18. The
goal of this funding is to empower young leaders and inspire them to embrace greater roles in their communities. LCCF awarded youth-led project grant funding to Impact Prevention. The grant will be used to help fund a youth-led weekend conference in which high school-aged youth serve as mentors and educators for fifth- and sixth-grade students.
Matching funds are available for year-end gifts
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is providing a 50-cent match for every $1 given to any endowment at FAO, including those supporting its affiliate foundations. Matching funds can even be used to help start a new endowment fund. A total of $500,000 in match funding is available on a first-come, first served basis through Dec. 31, with up to $25,000 in match available per household. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/endowmentmatchFAO.
To learn more about the Lawrence County Community Foundation and how to support its work, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Lawrence, email Lawrence@ffao.org or call 740.753.1111.