Front (L-R) Nancy Bremar representing Energy Express, Nelda Gill representing Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center, Barb McKown representing Calhoun Family Resource Network; Back (L-R) Donna Farrell and Tammy McFarland representing Creston Area Neighborhood Watch, Richard Kirby representing the Grantsville VFD and the Calhoun County Park board, Councilman Gaylen Duskey representing the Town of Grantsville, Mayor Ken Stempowski representing the Town of Elizabeth
The Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation (LKACF), serving Calhoun and Wirt Counties, held its first grants reception on December 4th. It was held at the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Elizabeth and sponsored by Calhoun Banks. The reception was planned to give recipients their grant awards.
The Board of LKACF was able to grant out $5,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Calhoun and Wirt Counties. These grant funds were made possible by the successful completion of a challenge grant awarded to LKACF by the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. The grant round was a competitive process in which nonprofits were asked to apply for funding.
In all, there were eight grants awarded:
$571 to the Town of Grantsville to purchase new playground equipment for the park
$625 to the Calhoun County 4-H Leaders' Association for assistance with the Energy Express Program
$625 to the Town of Elizabeth to assist with the replacement of sidewalks
$553 to the Creston Area Neighborhood Watch for the purchase of radios, aluminum road signs and window decals
$670 to Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department to purchase new radios
$615 to Calhoun County Family Resource Network to purchase new car and booster seats to provide families in the area
$625 to Calhoun County Park to purchase new siding and windows for community building
$692 to Minnie Hamilton Health Center for the purchase of new Panacea Tender Plus mattresses for its Long Term Care Unit.
"This was a very exciting time for the Board and staff of LKACF," said Sarah Holt, LKACF Representative. "LKACF was established in 2004, and it is remarkable in two years that we are able to award $5,000 back to the community. This was the purpose of the Foundation-to support charitable causes in Calhoun and Wirt Counties that citizens care about the most. With the help of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, we were able to do that."
The Board of LKACF was awarded a second round of the same challenge grant from the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, to be completed by June 30, 2007. The Board must raise $10,000 for its LK Area Grantmaking Fund by this date, and the Babcock Foundation will match it with $5,000. The matching funds from Babcock will allow the LKACF to give out grants again in the Fall of 2007. So far, the Board has raised $3,000 toward this challenge.
The Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that seeks to build permanent funds to support charitable causes in Calhoun and Wirt Counties forever. The LKACF is an affiliate of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation.
To find out more information about LKACF, please contact Sarah Holt, LKACF Representative, by calling 304-428-4438 or by e-mail at sarah.holt@pacfwv.com
Donations for the Babcock challenge grant may be sent to LKACF, P.O. Box 944, Elizabeth, WV, 26143. Please make sure the donation is noted for the LK Area Grantmaking Fund. The Board of LKACF includes Karen Caltrider, Chair; Nancy Bremar, Vice Chair; Alvin Engelke, Secretary; Fred Rader, Pat Lydon, Sandy Osborne, Dee Scritchfield, Diane Ludwig, Russell Cline, Dan McDonald, Daniel Metz, Jeff Himes, Carrie Brainard and Jim Bennett.
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