COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY AWARDS GRANTS

Nonprofit organizations awarded more than $60,400 in first half of 2014

July 8, 2014 -- The Community Foundation of Howard County has awarded more than $60,400 in competitive grants during the first half of 2014. 

“Through our competitive grants process, our donors support the diverse services offered by nonprofits in our community,” said Joe Dunbar, chairman of the Community Foundation of Howard County Grants Committee. “This combination makes for a strong team that addresses the community’s most pressing current needs and supports development for the future.  This year community foundations are celebrating 100 hundred years of philanthropy. Through this recognition, we are also celebrating the vision of our donors and their belief in us to connect people, resources and causes to produce a positive and sustainable change in the community.”

The following agencies and programs were awarded grants:

$9,982 to Bona Vista Programs will be used to develop a multi-sensory room for children in the Special Education Preschool Program, particularly for children with autism, sensory issues and special needs. The room will include lighting, music, a ball pit and a sensory wall that will promote social engagement with peers, teachers, therapists and parents.

$10,000 to the City of Kokomo for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will assist in building a monument in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  The monument includes a statue made of Indiana limestone, flanked by a granite wall that will hold eight engraved plaques depicting milestones in Dr. King's life. 

$14,500 to the Family Service Association of Howard County will provide matching support for the Infant Mortality Project. The goal is to decrease infant mortality through education and advocacy by providing support to pregnant women, fathers, grandmothers and family members. 

$2,000 to the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance for the Kokomo Downtown Farmers’ Market supports the Little Sprouts Club, a farmers’ market for children. The children will participate in summer learning activities highlighting nutrition, gardening and fitness.

$1,070 to the Housing Authority of the City of Kokomo supports the Summer Leadership Academy Program that serves students who reside in Kokomo's public housing. The program consists of activities and discussions presenting the core values of leadership.

$10,000 to the Howard County Medical Society will be used to purchase a patient software program and equipment to support the four services they offer the community: volunteer physician and healthcare facilities; Dentists Delivering Smiles; diabetic counseling; and medication assistance.

$500 to the Kokomo Art Association provides scholarships for children to participate in the summer art camp program. Children ages 6-12 years will learn about art history, various artists, different types of art media, and artistic styles and techniques.

$3,800 to the Kokomo Park Band provides funding for the summer concert season that provides arts education for youth, enrichment for senior citizens and showcases local talent.

$5,000 to the Kokomo Symphonic Society provides partial support for a free summer concert in Foster Park. Local musicians performed with the Rolling Stones tribute band called Satisfaction.

$1,820 to Kokomo Urban Outreach provides partial funding for the Breakthrough Program that focuses on young adults who are living in poverty in Kokomo. The program will help participants identify their personal assets and resources, give them practical exercises to learn good standards of work ethics and help provide them with marketable skills.  

$800 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association will be used to send one child from Howard County to the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Northern Indiana's summer camp. 

$1,000 to Samaritan Caregivers will be used to fund an event to recognize high school students for participating in the organization's Adopt-a-Grandparent Program.  In 2012-13, 293 students sent monthly notes to 237 senior citizens, totaling 3,077 hours of community service.

The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit public charity in March 1991. The Foundation seeks to serve donors and make grants to benefit the citizens of Howard County.  For more information about the Community Foundation, contact Hilda Burns at 765-454-7298 or hilda@cfhoward.org. The Web site www.cfhoward.org contains information about making gifts to endowment funds, scholarships and grantmaking.