(Gettysburg, PA: 07/01/2020)  —The Adams County Community Foundation has announced  $77,500 in grants from the Community Foundation’s Fund for Adams County. Supported by individuals, families and businesses, this Fund is a permanent, growing endowment dedicated to addressing the evolving needs of Adams County.

“Our annual Adams County Grants focus on three goals identified by our Board of Directors,” explained Director of Community Programs Lisa Donohoe. “First, strengthening nonprofits that help our most vulnerable residents. Second, helping people attain self-sufficiency. And third, encouraging collaboration among both public and private entities toward significant common goals for our community: affordable housing, transportation and economic development. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are making real progress working together to build a better life for Adams County residents.”

2020 Adams County grants are listed below.

South Central Community Action Programs (SCCAP) – $25,000

Affordable housing is notably scarce in Adams County. SCCAP is constructing four rental apartments above the first-floor offices and homeless shelter in its Gettysburg building. This grant supports the final construction phase, after which skilled volunteers will complete the interior finishes using donated materials. Rents, which will be kept affordable for low-moderate income working families, will support SCCAP programs.

YWCA – $25,000

Young, lower wage workers are the people most likely to need dependable, high-quality childcare. They are also the most vulnerable to financial stresses. This grant will provide scholarships for families who need that support, as well as an emergency fund for one-time help with a late payment, to provide stability for children who need it most.

Manos Unidas – $17,500

After surveying families using its after-school program and learning that most of the parents had attained only a sixth-grade education, Manos Unidas planned its GED and citizenship-prep classes for adults. They have creatively adapted the plan to fit the new norms of social distancing. This grant will help pay tutors who will meet weekly with students, individually and in small groups, to reinforce the independent study and video coursework.

Children’s Aid – $10,000

This grant supports a family advocate—a case manager who provides broad support for families in danger of homelessness. Family advocates develop long-term relationships with their clients, building on strengths as well as identifying solutions for needs, all with the goal of keeping families in stable housing.

About Funds for Adams County

Since its founding, thousands of people have supported the Community Foundation and hundreds have created their own funds to support their individual charitable goals. Numerous donors have created their own Funds for Adams County which together fuel Adams County Grants, awarded annually to make Adams County better. These generous supporters include Tom & Florence Metz, Jack & Bobbie Phillips, John & Kim Phillips, Fred & Rita Diehl, Donald & Mildred Hershey, M.C. Jones, Charles Ritter, Jim & Ellie Sheen, George & Roberta Wood, Eric & Suzanne Flynn, Thomas P. & Roberta C. Henninger, Sharon Trew Cline Magraw and the legacy of founding father Ben Franklin.

Community Foundation President Ralph M. Serpe said, “Adams County Grants represent a small portion of all grants distributed annually by the Community Foundation. In addition to the Fund for Adams County, the Community Foundation comprises a variety of charitable funds, including endowments directed to a specific organization or purpose, scholarship funds, and donor-advised funds.”

About the Adams County Community Foundation

The Adams County Community Foundation wascreated to promote and facilitate charitable giving and to build a permanent civic endowment for Adams County. While the Community Foundation’s Adams County Grants are focused locally, the Community Foundation also provides a home for charitable funds created by donors which may make distributions anywhere in Pennsylvania or across the country.

The Adams County Community Foundation’s mission is to inspire people and communities to build and distribute charitable funds for good, for Adams County, for ever. g