Nearly $45,000 awarded to support 14 projects and programs
WOODSFIELD, Ohio – The Monroe County Community Foundation (MCCF), with the support of its donors and in partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), has awarded $44,515 in grant funding to advance 14 projects and programs benefiting the county’s residents and communities.
“This funding will make a real difference in the lives of all Monroe County residents – from young children just beginning their learning journeys to our senior community,” said Nikki Baker-Lude, MCCF committee member. “We’re so thankful for the donors whose generosity makes these grants possible and for the dedicated individuals and organizations who turn their support into action.”
Nonprofits, schools and public organizations serving Monroe County were invited to apply for grants – made possible by gifts to MCCF’s endowment fund – to advance opportunities across five funding areas: arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services. Emphasis is on supporting individuals of all ages who are spearheading projects and programs that create opportunities, meet pressing needs and unleash the potential within Monroe County.
The 2025 grant recipients are:
- Blessings in a Backpack Monroe County to purchase food for elementary school students at high risk of food insecurity on weekends
- Broken Timber Outdoor Education Center to develop a parking lot, install a waterline and paint and seal the floor at its open-air pavilion
- Buckeye Hills Foundation to purchase collapsible, lightweight shopping carts for seniors, individuals with disabilities and other community members who use local transit services and face mobility, transportation or accessibility challenges
- Eastern Ohio Extension Camps Inc. to replace two sets of stairs at 4-H Camp Piedmont
- GMN Tri-County CAC Inc. to expand its nutrition program at the Monroe County Senior Center to include a light breakfast and evening snack for seniors facing food insecurity
- LifeWise Academy Monroe to purchase curriculum for the launch of the character education program in the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District
- Monroe Arts Council to fund community classes on candle making and watercolor painting
- Monroe Central High School FFA to support its annual Halloween in the Village event and to launch a new indoor Christmas celebration for the Monroe County community
- Monroe County District Library to purchase WhaZoodles, a screen-free, interactive audio device for children ages 3-10 to explore podcasts, music, short stories, games and more
- MYOFB Rescue Inc. to support its spay/neuter program
- Sardis CARES to repair and restore the floors of women’s and men’s restrooms at the Sardis Community Center
- Summit Township to support upgrades to the basketball court at Lewisville Park
- United Way of Guernsey, Monroe and Noble Counties to increase local enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio and to provide books to Monroe County children in the program
- Woodsfield Kiwanis Club to sponsor local Key Clubs, student-led organizations that provide opportunities to serve, build character and develop leadership skills
MCCF, one of FAO’s 15 affiliate foundation partners, was established in 2014 to develop and grow permanent resources that provide continuous investment in Monroe County and its nonprofits, schools and communities. Each year, earnings from charitable giving to MCCF’s endowment fund are reinvested in Monroe County through grants that meet the county’s greatest needs and most promising opportunities.