Community Foundation puts focus on poverty reduction and supporting vulnerable people across Adams County

Today at its annual Adams County Grants announcement, the Adams County Community Foundation awarded $148,712 in grants to 14 nonprofits. Nonprofits were selected based on their ability to help our community’s most vulnerable residents or to support collaborative improvements in affordable housing, transportation, economic development, and activities which benefit young people.

Funding for this year’s grants came from donors to the Community Foundation’s Fund for Adams County and from the following: Thomas E. & Florence B. Metz Fund, M.C. Jones Fund, Donald H. & Mildred C. Hershey Fund, George & Roberta Wood Fund, Irene Thomas Memorial Fund, Ben Franklin Fund and the Charles Ritter Family Fund.

Eight grants were awarded to build the capacity of nonprofits which address the needs of our most vulnerable residents:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of York & Adams Counties           $6,000

More boys and girls will benefit from having a mentor as an advisory board focused on building the program in Adams County is developed. Strategic planning will identify local mentors and financial support.

Gettysburg Area Education Foundation                                  $1,000

Strategic planning will set priorities and define future activities and resources to address the needs of Gettysburg Area School District youth.

Giving Spree                                                                                    $10,000

Provide a “stretch pool” to encourage giving to local nonprofits on November 8, 2018 during the Community Foundation’s Giving Spree, Adams County’s annual day of giving.

Mission of Mercy                                                                            $10,000

This grant will support salary and operating expenses for a monthly mobile dental clinic serving under- and uninsured Adams County residents.

Pennsylvania Interfaith Community Programs, Inc.             $12,500

Strategic planning is needed for the board and management team overseeing more than 300 units of affordable and subsidized housing for elderly or disabled residents. Members of the boards of Adams County Housing Authority and Turning Point Interfaith Mission, which serve an additional 500 households, will be included in the development of the strategic plan.

South Central Community Action Programs, Inc.                 $15,000

Mechanical and electrical drawings are the next step to build 4 low to moderate income housing units above the existing shelter, thus increasing the number of affordable housing units and providing a stream of income to support anti-poverty programs.

The Harrisburg Area Community College Foundation        $7,500

Mechatronics program equipment will be updated as local industry standards change, so that students are trained on the equipment they will encounter in the workplace.

YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County                                    $3,574

Computer technology will be brought up-to-date to support its mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

Two grants were awarded to nonprofits that help low income residents move toward self-sufficiency, and are anticipated to make a meaningful and sustained difference in people’s lives:

Gettysburg CARES, Inc.                                                               $12,000

This grant will support professional case management to connect homeless people to human services, health care, housing and employment opportunities..

Survivors, Inc.                                                                                 $15,000

The grant will provide a fund so that debt records can be cleared and sheltered families can attain permanent housing. The families can then sustain their independence through skills learned in financial management counseling received while at Survivors.

Four grants promote the practice of collaboration, in recognition that community-wide problems are complex and interrelated. Special consideration was given to projects that build a healthier community in the areas of affordable housing, transportation, economic development, and youth activities:

Adams County Affordable Housing Initiative                         $25,000

Funds were dedicated to implement the three-year Adams County Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, ensuring consideration of the interrelationship of workforce development, employment, transportation and affordable housing in county-wide decision making.

Collaborating For Youth                                                              $15,000

This grant will pay for a media campaign to increase the awareness and practice of building resiliency in Adams County youth. Resiliency is the quality that that enables us to overcome adverse experiences.

Hamiltonban Township                                                                $8,138

A natural play area will be incorporated in the Community Park formed by the Joint Parks and Recreation Commission of Fairfield Borough and Hamiltonban Township.

Healthy Adams Bicycle/Pedestrian, Inc.                                  $8,000

This grant will cover surveying, preliminary engineering and legal costs to create a right-of-way for the pedestrian and bike path through downtown Gettysburg.

The Adams County Community Foundation is the community foundation for Adams County and South Central Pennsylvania. Its purpose is twofold: to promote and facilitate charitable giving and to build a permanent endowment that will invest in the communities of Adams County forever.