Women Who Care awards $35,000 in grants for community projects

St. Marys, PA, Oct. 28, 2019: Eleven non-profit organizations and schools in Elk County received a total of $35,000 in grant funding at the 2019 annual meeting of Women Who Care (WWC), a project of the Elk County Community Foundation.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the founding of Women Who Care. Since 2009, WWC has been empowering area non-profit organizations by funding worthy projects that benefit families in Elk County. A total of $222,700 has been invested back into our communities.

WWC celebrated its 10^th anniversary with a dinner and annual meeting held at the Johnsonburg Firehall. Non-profit organizations that were chosen as final grant candidates provided a brief overview of their projects. Members voted on their favorite projects and awarded grants to eleven organizations.

Grants were awarded to the following: Boys & Girls Club, $5,000 for cooking club supplies and appliances; Catholic Charities, $3,000 for toddler program; WRC Ridgway Campus $2,687 for wellness program; Dickinson Center, Inc. $3,500 for Time for Me hygiene project; Elk Co. Humane Society $4,619 for computer/server upgrade; Johnsonburg School District $2,500 for walkie-talkie/safety system update; Johnsonburg Little League $5,000 for backstops & fencing; Ridgway Area HS Drama Boosters $2,750 for production support needs; St. Marys Area Middle School $4,000 for a Care Closet; St. Marys Public Library $1,255 for Next Chapter book club; Special Olympics of Elk & Cameron Counties, $689 for tent canopies and chairs.

Women Who Care brings women from diverse backgrounds together to combine their philanthropic leadership and strengthen the Elk County community through the power of collective giving. Close to 250 women make up the membership of Women Who Care. All area women are welcome and encouraged to join WWC. For more information about Women Who Care or the Elk County Community Foundation please contact the Foundation at 834-2125.

PHOTO: Grant checks totaling $35,000 were awarded to area non-profit organizations by Women Who Care.. Seated: Melissa Roell and Jenna Johnson, WRC Ridgway campus; Michelle Casey, St. Marys Public Library; Stephanie Hetrick, Dickinson Center; June Glass, Humane Society; Molly Wehler and Missy Cadori, St. Marys Area Middle School;  Tiffany Boschert, Catholic Charities.  Back Row: Women Who Care Steering Committee members: Paula Fritz Eddy, Kris Kronenwetter, Linda Buchheit, June Sorg, Pam Allegretto-Diiulio, Ann Bauer, Jane Bryndel.  Grant Recipients; Joe Jacob & Tracy Snyder, Boys & Girls Club of St. Marys; Beth Kronenwetter and Caroline Flacinski, Special Olympics. Missing from photo were Johnsonburg Little League, Johnsonburg School District, and Ridgway Area High School Drama Boosters.

Nonprofits encouraged to apply for WWC grants

Does your 501 (c) 3 organization have a project in need of funding? Grant applications for Women Who Care (WWC) grants are now open for the granting year. WWC will award approximately $30,000 in grants at their annual meeting in October. The deadline for grant applications is August 15, 2019.

Women Who Care is a project of the Elk County Community Foundation. It is a women’s giving circle that is a pooled fund where the members decide what projects are important to them to enhance the needs of families in Elk County.

The grants will be awarded by a competitive grant-making process. For granting guidelines and an application please download the WWC Grant Application at www.elkcountyfoundation.org and follow the instructions to apply. Inquiries can be directed to Paula Fritz Eddy of the Elk County Community Foundation at 814-834-2125 or by email at eccf@elkcountyfoundation.org.

Awards may be considered for new projects, or to enhance well-established programs. Awards may also be considered for start-up funds. Organizations may apply for funding annually but the same project will not be considered more than once, unless unusual circumstances exist. Requests must not duplicate the work of other local organizations, and must reflect sustainability and/or other ongoing support.

The Women Who Care membership consists of 230 women from Elk County who are committed to supporting projects that will benefit women and their families. Since its inception in 2009, WWC has granted $180,200 to provide assistance to important projects. All women are invited to join this philanthropic women’s giving circle.

PHOTO:

In 2018 WWC funded a $3,600 grant for the St. Marys Area Schools Food for Friends Program. This teacher-driven program offers backpacks filled with nutritious food to provide weekend and holiday break meals to elementary age children who may not otherwise have adequate meals on non-school days.