(Adams County, PA) The Adams County Community Foundation (ACCF) awarded grants totaling $127,913 on July 18, 2017 to 33 Adams County nonprofits serving the people of Adams County, PA. Grantee projects aim to improve the quality of life across the county.
ACCF grant recipients provide food and shelter, educate and inform our children, provide vital health and human services, and enrich our lives with recreational and arts opportunities says Lisa Donohoe, Director of Community Programs at ACCF. Several grants went to first responders to provide tools for emergency assistance.
Funds for this year’s grants came from the Thomas E. & Florence B. Metz Fund, the Margaret Trew Cline Youth & Families Fund, the Community Impact Fund, the Rita & Fred Diehl Endowment Fund, the Ben Franklin Fund, the Donald H. & Mildred C. Hershey Fund, the M.C. Jones Fund, the John R. White Fund, the George H. & Roberta B. Wood Fund, and the Gail and Peter Hull Fund, notes Ron Bailey, ACCF Trustee and Grant Distribution Committee Chair. The Community Foundation’s Distribution Committee, with members representing the Community Foundation board and the community at-large reviewed 44 proposals from 41 Adams County nonprofit organizations.
Distribution Committee members and Community Foundation staff reviewed each proposal, met with the organization’s staff and volunteers, and assessed the impact each request would have on Adams County.
In addition to the grants announced today, the Distribution Committee set aside an additional $32,500 to address the lack of affordable housing and other initiatives identified in the 2015 Adams County Needs Assessment. Another $20,000 will be distributed as matching funds at the Annual Giving Spree sponsored by the Community Foundation this November, providing extra support for over 60 Adams County nonprofits.
Since its founding in 1985, the Adams County Community Foundation has awarded more than $2.6 million in grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations serving Adams County residents. Some grants provide funds for operational expenses, while others target specific projects and capital investments.
The total awarded demonstrates both the power of collective grant-making and the Community Foundation’s commitment to helping Adams County residents thrive and succeed.
2017 Adams County Community Foundation Grant Awards
Adams Community Television
2017 Rent Support
Grant: $1,000
Adams Community Television (ACT) delivers programs that have direct impact and interest to inform and entertain the community. Programming includes a focus on collaborating with local civic organizations, schools, government entities, and health care providers, and assisting nonprofit organizations that help those in need.
Adams County Arts Council
New Membership Challenge and Eat Smart Play Hard
Grant: $6,000
Funds will support a new membership campaign and hands-on activities in the Eat Smart/Play Hard program which strives to encourage young people to make healthy choices to improve their lives and those of their current and future families.
Adams County Library System
Website Development
Grant: $10,452
The upgrade will expand the website’s capacity system-wide, serving as a “digital branch” for the increasing requests for digital library services and expanding accessibility for those with vision impairment, attention and focus disorders, dyslexia, and language barriers. The site will also support patrons who need information and resources in a language other than English.
Adams County SPCA
Neuter 4 Life Spay and Neuter Program
Grant: $6,000
In the past three years there have been 27 rabid cats in Adams County identified by the SPCA. The funds will provide a rabies shot to each cat when Spayed/Neutered to address two critical issues: animal health and the health of residents.
Arendtsville Community Fire Co, Inc.
Tower Fire Apparatus Replacement & Upgrade
Grant: $5,550
Funds will complete the refurbishment of the only 95-foot ladder truck in Adams County north of Gettysburg by replacing a leaking pump valve, eight main drive tires and expanding interior communications to all six crew positions.
Barlow Volunteer Fire Company
Equipment Replacement, Hazardous Atmosphere Detector
Grant: $3,000
Funds will assist with the replacement of a gas detector, used for determining the presence of hazardous gases, including carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and cyanide, as well as oxygen levels, to determine the safety of structures for residents and firefighters.
Borough of Gettysburg
Biser Fitness Trail Relocation
Grant: $10,000
Funds will help relocate 667 feet of the Biser Fitness Trail from the Gettysburg National Military Park. This trail is open to the public and serves residents and visitors of Adams County.
Buchanan Valley Volunteer Fire Department
Rescue Tool Project
Grant: $8,500
Funds will help install the jaws of life rescue tool in the department’s new fire truck.
Children’s Aid Society
God’s Closet Remodeling Project
Grant: $5,000
Funds will upgrade a clothing bank for children with HVAC, a drop ceiling, and door treatment for efficiency and to make space conducive to a positive customer experience.
Collaborating for Youth
Youth Positive Messaging
Grant: $2,207
To help students cope with anxiety and depression, a facilitator, with students from five Adams County public school districts, will capitalize on students’ assets to make them more resilient to the everyday stressors of life.
Conewago Valley School District
Technology Integration in Family Consumer Sciences
Grant: $4,504
The Family and Consumer Science Program at the Conewago Valley School District works to give students real life learning in such subjects as nutrition, cooking, child development, sewing, etc. This grant funds iPads which will be used by students to help them succeed in a technological world.
Cross Keys Community Park
Walking Trail Fitness Stations
Grant: $2,000
Funds will provide the community, including school students, families, business, and retirement residents, a safe place to walk, run, exercise and socialize.
Diakon Child, Family and Community Ministries
Diakon Adoption & Foster Care: Connections Program
Grant: $1,050
Funds will help those 13-21 understand the trauma that placed them in the social service system, determine who is in their support system and how to benefit from that support, and develop a plan for a successful future.
Dickinson College
2017 Migrant Labor Farm Health Outreach – Adams County
Grant: $800
Funds will purchase and distribute “health kits” consisting of over-the-counter health items to migrant farm workers. A collaboration between Dickinson and Keystone Health, the program attempts to prevent larger health issues within the migrant worker community, estimated at 1,500 adults.
East Berlin Area Community Center
Building Rehabilitation – Replace Gym Windows
Grant: $2,000
Fund will repair and replace eight picture windows which cannot be opened, with windows that can be opened for better air flow in the gymnasium.
Family First Health
Behavioral Health
Grant: $10,000
Funds will increase the services of a Behavioral Health Specialist in the Gettysburg clinic to reduce larger behavior health problems before they become a crisis and to potentially lessen economic impact of work loss.
Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, Inc.
2018 Gettysburg Brass Band Festival
Grant: $1,000
Funds to create a vibrant community, attract visitors to town and give local musicians an opportunity to perform in a post-school setting. In addition to the band performances, there is a community picnic, and a children’s instrument “petting zoo” to spark interest in playing an instrument. Grant funding will enable 400 brass musicians from several states participate in the three day Festival in June 2018.
Gettysburg CARES
General Operating Support
Grant: $10,000
The Resource Center connects the homeless to appropriate human services, health care, housing and employment opportunities through collaborative church and community partnerships. The Resource Center provides professional case management services, the use of showers, laundry facilities and computers.
Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra
Dvorak Concert – September 6, 2017
Grant: $1,500
The purpose of the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra is to cultivate interest in music through performances by professional musicians, engage Adams County musicians and to present concerts under the auspices of Music, Gettysburg! free of charge so all members of the community are able to attend concerts. The grant will fund two NYC soloists performing operatic arias, Broadway tunes, and duets.
Gettysburg Children’s Choir
Scholarships and Special Honor Choir Events
Grant: $1,100
Funds will support scholarships and Honor Choir fees for the 2017-2018 season including a winter concert, travel concert, spring concert, nursing home concert, and other performances as requested for community events.
Hamiltonban Township
Community Park Project
Grant: $2,500
Funds will support the new community park project in Hamiltonban Township just outside of Fairfield. It is designed to be multi-generational and ADA-compliant. Amenities will include a playground, pavilion, and walking path with fitness stations. In keeping with the goal of providing both physical and social activities at the park, the senior fitness stations are designed to promote interaction side by side or face to face.
Healthy Adams County
2018 Adams County Community Health Assessment
Grant: $2,000
Funds to survey 800 Adams County residents to acquire accurate, current data to assess the health needs of county citizens, determine priorities for emphasis during the next three years, and to track progress on the priorities from the last assessment.
Historic Gettysburg Adams County, Inc.
Rooftop Air Conditioning Units for the GAR Hall
Grant: $2,000
Funds to improve the environment for the preservation of the thousands of artifacts, the renting of office space, and for the general use of the building.
Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice
2017 Heritage Festival
Grant: $1,500
Funds to support dance performances at the 2017 Heritage Festival. This family oriented festival exposes Adams County citizens to quality diverse cultural programming.
Mission of Mercy, Inc.
Medical Staff Malpractice Insurance
Grant: $2,000
Funds to support Mission of Mercy, so they may provide free quality medical and dental care and medications for the uninsured and underinsured.
New Hope Ministries
New Oxford Basic Needs Assistance and Stability Programs
Grant: $5,000
Funds to help people achieve long-term self-sufficiency. A plan is designed for each individual they serve in order to help them avoid crisis situations in the future. This plan is used to guide the client along a pathway of improvement.
Shining Stars Therapeutic Ministries
Installation of Interlocking Pavers in the Horse Barn
Grant: $5,000
Shining Stars provides equine therapy to children and adults with disabilities. The current surface of sawdust prevents those in wheelchairs from full access to the facility. When the large sliding door is opened it funnels wind that raises sawdust.
Skills of Central PA, Inc.
Adult Training Program Craft Supplies
Grant: $750
Funds to help residents develop more social interaction in the community through the activity of making crafts for distribution at social and community events.
The Brethren Home Community
Memory Care Education
Grant: $4,000
Funds will be used to develop a resource library focused on memory loss for support groups and residents.
Waldos and Company
Community Ceramic Studio
Grant: $2,500
Funds will go toward installing a ceramic studio in the existing community arts space – more wheels, a kiln with ventilation, and supplies to begin classes.
YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County
Security Cameras
Grant: $5,000
Funds for security cameras to help maintain safety and reduce theft.
Zion United Church of Christ
Fellowship Hall Renovation
Grant: $4,000
Funds will go toward HVAC replacement, handicapped accessibility, and storage for John’s Meals.
About the Adams County Community Foundation
The Adams County Community Foundation is a private philanthropic organization created by the people of Adams County to serve the current and future needs of the Adams County, Pennsylvania region.
Representing the common interests of a diverse pool of donors who care about Adams County, the Community Foundation uses grants and initiatives to address issues facing the region today, while building a charitable endowment to address the needs of future generations.
The Community Foundation also offers donors customized support for their individual philanthropic goals, expert assistance in learning more about the causes they care about, and the opportunity to join others with similar interests to learn and give together.
