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Rotary Tees Up $57K in Foundation Grants

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The holiday gift-giving season got underway in earnest today at the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club meeting when the organization's Foundation delivered $57,000 to multiple recipients for their 2016 funding cycle. The big money line-up was distributed under the guidance of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation Board of Directors.

The Foundation was established 36-years ago in 1980, and has now awarded more than three-quarters-of-a-million in grants to local area causes — an actual total of more than $772,000 to date.

The following grant awards were made today for the 2016 funding cycle:
 

  • Cornerstone Alliance gets $5,000 for the 2017 Southwest Michigan Mini Maker Faire. The Mini Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to a Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned. These Faires occur worldwide and the 2017 event is scheduled to take place on June 3 at Whirlpool Centennial Park in St. Joseph. The grant was accepted by Joe Rommel from Berrien RESA and Stacey Stephens of Cornerstone Alliance.
  • Hospice at Home, Inc./Lory’s Place gets $10,000 for Peer Grief Support for The Readiness Center. Grieving youth and their adult caregivers that attend The Readiness Center will be the focus of this initiative. The program will be offered once a month initially and Grief 101, education for staff and adults, will be offered twice a year. The grant was accepted by Stephanie Kohler, Family Services Coordinator Leader for Lory’s Place.
  • LOGAN Community Resources will get $10,000 for the purchase of therapeutic tools for home use. Many families with children on the Autism Disorder spectrum cannot afford to purchase the items that their therapists have found useful in engaging a nonverbal or high anxiety child. Items purchased will include Chewlry (safe tactile surfaces to chew on) and PECS, a picture program whereby a nonverbal child can communicate their needs and feelings. The grant was accepted by Dan Ryan, Director of Autism Services and Pat Roemer, Director of Development for LOGAN Community Resources.
  • Overflow Christian Community Development Association will get $8,000 for the Jobs for Life (JFL) program. JFL is a workforce development program that provides job training, life skills coaching, mentorship and work experience to prepare un/underemployed individuals to secure long-term employment. The grant was accepted by Princella Stringer, Jobs for Life Director.
  • Region IV Area Agency on Aging will get $5,000 for their Music & Memory program. Music & Memory is a comprehensive, field-proven program that will train AAA volunteers to provide music therapy utilizing customized music playlists on iPods for local senior with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The grant was accepted by Pat Arter, Senior Volunteer Program Director and Robin Ross, Senior Companion Program Coordinator for Area Agency on Aging.
  • Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank of West Michigan, Inc. gets $7,000 for Mobile Food Pantries. With Mobile Food Pantries, food is distributed in an area of need. They distribute fresh produce, dairy products, and grains directly to families in need. Each individual who visits a Mobile Food Pantry goes home with 50 pounds of fresh food. The grant was accepted by Pattijean McCahill, Development Director for Feeding America West Michigan.
  • Senior Nutrition Services Region IV will get $7,000 for Meals on Wheels of SWMI/No Senior Hungry. Funds will be used to support meals to 15 homebound seniors in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. This service helps seniors remain living independently in their own homes. The grant was accepted by Linda Strohl, Executive Director for Meals on Wheels of SWMI.
  • United Way of Southwest Michigan will get $5,000 for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL). DPIL is a program focused on increasing early childhood literacy and learning for preschool children so they can be prepared to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Children enrolled in DPIL receive a brand new, age-appropriate book each month that is mailed directly to their home. The program is provided free of charge to children, regardless of income. The grant was accepted by Rachel Wade, Vice President of Impact & Development and Sharon Polfus, Director of Major Gifts for United Way of Southwest Michigan.

 
To be eligible, a grant request must have been for a minimum of $5,000 and submitted by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or governmental unit within the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area. Emphasis was given for efforts that seek to provide better opportunities for youth and special needs populations. Requests for sectarian religious projects and programs, national fundraising efforts, political organizations or funds for program deficits or previously incurred obligations are ineligible. Grant applications are accepted each fall to be considered for St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation funding.
 
The mission of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation is to improve lives in the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor community by supporting that focus on:
 

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  • Improvement of health
  • Support of education
  • Economic and community development
  • Rotary International initiatives that have local impact

 
The resources of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation come from gifts made by Rotarians and other individuals, families, businesses and local organizations. A volunteer Board of Directors from the club set policy and approve all grants. 

Shown in the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com are (left to right):
 

  • Bob Judd, St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation Secretary
  • Linda Strohl, Executive Director, Senior Nutrition Services
  • Dan Ryan, Director of Autism Services, LOGAN Community Resources
  • Pat Roemer, Director of Development, LOGAN Community Resources
  • Stephanie Kohler, Family Services Coordinator Leader, Lory’s Place
  • Jody Bender, Development Officer, Lory's Place
  • Stacey Stephens, Director of Project Management, Cornerstone Alliance
  • Joe Rommel, Education Technology Consultant, Berrien RESA
  • Robin Ross, Senior Companion Program Coordinator, Area Agency on Aging, Region IV
  • Pat Arter, Senior Volunteer Program Director, Area Agency on Aging, Region IV
  • Pattijean McCahill, Development Director, Feeding America West Michigan
  • Trisha Pickett, Bereavement and Donor Support Coordinator, Lory's Place
  • Princella Stringer, Jobs for Life Director, Overflow Christian Community Development Association
  • Sharon Polfus, Director of Major Gifts for United Way of Southwest Michigan

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