Meigs County Community Fund Awards Over $22,000 to Support Local Projects
Six Meigs County Organizations Receive Funding from Meigs County Community Fund
Pomeroy, OH – The Meigs County Community Fund is pleased to announce that six projects serving Meigs County have received funding through their annual grant round. These grants will support projects related to education, food access, sustainability, and first responder safety.
“There are so many people and organizations working to make a difference across Meigs County, and we are so pleased to support and uplift their incredible work,” said Jennifer Sheets, president of the Meigs County Community Fund. “I hope more people who hold Meigs County close to their hearts will help us expand our impact even further with a gift to the Fund. As we are currently working to award emergency grants responding to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Meigs County, it is becoming all the more plain how crucial it is that we work together to build the long-term resources that can better position our community for moments of uncertainty.”
The six grant recipients of the Meigs County Community Fund’s first grant round of 2020 include Eastern Local Schools, the Meigs County Farmers’ Market, Meigs Primary School, Southern Local Elementary School, the Village of Pomeroy, and the Village of Pomeroy Fire Department. The Meigs County Community Fund awarded a total of $22,296 to support these organizations.
Eastern Local Schools was awarded $7,500 to support the creation of a sensory room for the Eastern Local School District. The sensory room will provide a place for students to calm their minds and bodies in order to successfully return to the classroom to learn.
The Meigs County Farmers’ Market was awarded $2,500 to strengthen and expand children’s programming, increase access to healthy food, and continue to grow the weekly farmers’ market in a way that incorporates the assets and potential of the communities it serves.
Meigs Primary School was awarded $3,996 to support the continued development of a trauma-informed playground. Building upon a previous project supported by the Meigs County Community Fund, the grant will provide students with tools to help express themselves through art, music, and more by creating play areas designed for children to enhance self-expression and their ability to overcome barriers and succeed.
Southern Local Elementary was awarded $3,000 to support the installation of a “peace corner” in each elementary classroom. The peace corners are nooks that will provide students with a dedicated space to manage their emotions to be able to return to learning.
The Village of Pomeroy was awarded $2,800 to install a water fountain at the end of the Pomeroy Walking Path. Inspired by a citizen suggestion, this Waterworks Park Water Fountain will ensure all users have access to water while also increasing sustainability in the community by reducing the need for plastic water bottles because citizens using the path will be able to fill reusable water bottles, which is not currently an option.
The Village of Pomeroy Fire Department was awarded $2,500 to replace the department’s automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in its three front line fire trucks that are used by first responders throughout Meigs County. An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart in order to reestablish a regular heartbeat following a sudden cardiac arrest.
With funding from the Sisters Health Foundation, the Meigs County Community Fund is currently working to award additional grants that support nonprofit and public organizations working to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Meigs County. Grant awards will focus on four critical areas: food access and distribution; the needs of our seniors; mental health and addiction-related needs; and our community’s health care infrastructure (i.e. health departments, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers). To learn how your public or 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization can request assistance, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Meigs.
Additionally, the Meigs County Community Fund will be holding an additional grant round in the fall. Funding will be available for projects across five areas – arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services.
For more information about the Meigs County Community Find or to support the Fund with a gift, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Meigs to learn more and give today.
About the Meigs County Community Fund
The Meigs County Community Fund was created in 2011 to increase and advance philanthropic activities in Meigs County. The Meigs County Community Fund works to attract philanthropic resources in the form of gifts, grants, or bequests to benefit the broader community.
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.
