Elk County Community Foundation awards grants to 9 organizations

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Community Foundation awards grants to 9 organizations

St. Marys, PA, April 24, 2019:  The Board of Directors of the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) approved $42,500 in grants to area organizations at their recent board meeting. The grants included $14,000 awarded from the Elk County Economic & Community Development Fund, $3,000 from the Elk County Society for Special Services Fund, and $25,500 from the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund.

Nine area non-profit and educational groups will benefit from the grants including the Boys & Girls Club of St. Marys, Ridgway Animal Haven, St Boniface School, Seneca Highlands IU9, Big Maple Farms Therapies, Christian Food Bank, Community Links, The Lutheran Home, and the St. Marys Sportsmen’s Club.

The Boys & Girls Club will be offering a brand new program beginning in June to provide the community with an affordable and educational day care program for students ages 6-15 throughout the summer. The Great Futures Summer Camp program and activities will be designed on a student-centered approach that highly engages participants in both learning and fun. Among the planned activities are STEM projects, participation in local park and library programs, and educational, sport, art, cooking and various activities provided at the club facility. The program offers parents another option for reliable summer day care. They received $5,000 grants from two of the funds for a total of $10,000.

Ridgway Animal Haven is building a new holding facility for the stray and abused animals in the Ridgway Borough and Township. They were awarded a $2,000 grant and a $2,500 grant, for a total of $4,500. St. Boniface School will secure 17 additional activity centers to aid in their development of a full time preschool with the assistance of their $1,000 grant. With their $2,000 grant, Seneca Highlands IU9 will be purchasing a large interactive white board for their St. Marys classroom.

Big Maple Farm Therapies was awarded $2,000 to provide riders in their therapeutic riding program with financial assistance. The Christian Food Bank will use their $8,000 grant funding to provide specialty food items such as turkeys, hams, etc. for the holiday food boxes. Community Links is in the process of purchasing a vehicle to provide safe transportation allowing individuals to access needed support services and activities that integrate them into the community. $3,000 grant funding will help them accomplish this goal.

A $2,500 grant for The Lutheran Home will help with a computer upgrade throughout their facility to update their operating system to help them document care and provide continuity for among caregivers. The St. Marys Sportsmen’s Club will use their $2,500 grant funds to help with infrastructure repair including replacement of fish hatchery drainage lines and renovating the stone basement walls of the barn.

The next round of grant applications are due July 15,2019. For more information on open grants and other services provided by the Elk County Community Foundation visit their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or contact ECCF at 834-2125. ECCF is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals.

PHOTO:  The Boys & Girls Club of St. Marys will offer many activities at their Great Futures Summer Camp, a new program that offers parents a reliable, educational, and fun option for summer day care, that has been funded by the Community Foundation. Tristan Hitaj is shown proudly displaying the result of a recent STEM project at the club.

Elk County Community Foundation gives grant to Ridgway Animal Haven

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Elk County Community Foundation gives grant to Ridgway Animal Haven

The Elk County Community Foundation recently met with volunteers from the Ridgway Animal Haven to present them two grants awards totaling $4,500.  The grants will permit the Haven’s purchase of housing units for stray or neglected dogs and cats while they await placement in a foster home or adoption in a “forever home”.  The Elk County Community Development Fund award was for $2000 and $2,500 was granted by the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund (both administered through the Open Grant applications at the Elk County Community Foundation.

The Ridgway Animal Haven was incorporated as a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation in 2017, and it is also an IRS Section 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.  All donations to the Haven are tax-deductible by the donor.  For more information about the Ridgway Animal Haven, please call 814-389-7080 or visit the Ridgway Animal Haven’s Facebook page.

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that manages endowed funds established by donors for various purposes as directed by each donor.  The next round of Open Grant applications are due July 15, 2018.  For more information or to see if your organization qualifies visit our website at www.elkcountyfoundaton.org or call 814-834-2125.

Pictured Left to Right:

Paula McMurray, Robert O’Rourke, Paula Fritz Eddy from the Foundation, James Devittorio, Kellie Hall and Veronica Conrad.

Community Foundation’s ECSSS fund awards grant to St. Boniface

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Community Foundation’s Elk County Society for Special Services fund awards grant to St. Boniface

St. Marys, PA, October 30, 2018:  The Elk County Society for Special Services (ECSSS) Fund, under the management of the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF), recently awarded a $1,000 grant to St. Boniface for seventeen additional activity centers for their pre-school program. The ECSSS Fund, established in 2003, awards grants to non-profit organizations that provide services for deserving and qualified charitable purposes with a preference to Pre-K education programs.

Since the early 90’s, St. Boniface has offered a half-time preschool program. Their goal is to provide a Christian-based full-time preschool for area students in the near future. Innovative learning materials at new and improved work centers will provide both educational and social opportunities for the students.

For more information on the grants and services offered through the Elk County Community Foundation, visit their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or contact ECCF at 834-2125. ECCF is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals.

Shown in Photo:

Pat Straub, representing Elk County Society for Special Services, and Amy Leuschel, Pre-School Teacher, along with St. Boniface pre-school students display the new educational materials obtained through a grant from the ECSSS Fund.

Students can view scholarships on Foundation’s new website

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Students can view scholarships on Foundation’s new website

St. Marys, PA: The new Elk County Community Foundation website now offers the opportunity for high school seniors and non-traditional students to view a comprehensive list of all scholarships available through the Foundation. The website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org features a comprehensive Information for Students section that lists the many scholarships available. This serves as a valuable tool that allows students and their parents to search for scholarships that can help them with their post-secondary or vocational education expenses.

The website listings include details on amounts, deadlines, eligibility, categories, and how to apply. Scholarships listings are divided by high schools, with additional sections featuring scholarships for vocational and non-traditional students.

The scholarship section also features a Q & A area that addresses most frequently asked questions. Now is the time for students to start exploring what opportunities may be available to them, as the deadline for many of the high school senior applications is mid-March.

A total of 99 scholarships are featured on the website, with seven new scholarships added just this year. New scholarships this year for Elk County include the Arlan J Clayton and Dale Horowicz Clayton Scholarship, St. Marys American Legion Scholarship, St. Marys Sons of the American Legion Post 103 Scholarship, Dr. Maurus Sorg Memorial Scholarship, Donald Cicuzza Jr Memorial Scholarship, The Fitch Family Scholarship, and the Jack Kestler Memorial Scholarship.

The Foundation’s scholarship team has distributed all post-secondary and vocational scholarship applications to high school guidance departments throughout Elk, Cameron, McKean, Clearfield and other outlying counties. They encourage high school students and their parents to review the scholarships on the website and then contact their guidance department to apply for those that interest them. Non-traditional students should download applications and follow instructions as directed on the website.

Over 1.6 million in scholarships have been awarded by the Foundation since 2000. As an added bonus due to the Foundation’s partnership with PATH (Partners for Access to Higher Education), students who receive a scholarship through the Foundation may qualify for matching dollars through PHEAA and the PATH program. In the 2017-2018 school year over $71,000 was matched to 67 local students.

Visit the Foundation’s website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org to learn more about scholarship opportunities for area students. These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of community-minded individuals who believe in the power of education. The Elk County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies, provides donors with a simple but powerful and highly personal approach to achieving their philanthropic goals while enhancing the quality of life for the people of Elk County. For further details, contact the Foundation at 834-2125.

Scholarships for adult learners, college students

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Scholarships for adult learners, college students

St. Marys, PA: News flash! Not all scholarships are targeted for graduating high school seniors! The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) offers a number of scholarships for adults, current college students, and graduate level students who are pursuing an education.

These non-high school students log into the new ECCF website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org to learn about all the scholarships that are available to them. The new Information for Students section features easy-to-navigate buttons that take you to the scholarships that are appropriate for each type of student. It also includes a Q & A section to answer the most frequently asked questions. Adult learner scholarship applications can be downloaded from the website, filled out, and returned to the Foundation for review. Deadline dates for each application are indicated on the website, many of which must be returned by April 1st.

Scholarships are available for those seeking an education in general, technical, vocational, and specialized fields of study. Current scholarships available are: Inez Bull Piano Scholarship, Ole Bull Violin Scholarship, Michele Campbell Memorial Nursing Scholarship, David L. Delullo Memorial Scholarship, Hasselman/Hopton Memorial Scholarship, Seth T. Hockman Memorial Scholarship, Leroy C. Krise Memorial Scholarship, Dr. Sandra Calkins Kowalski Nursing, Ella McElhany & Maude B. Schimmelfeng Scholarship, Richard Miller Memorial Scholarship, Ruth E. Reed Nursing Scholarship, Greiner/Roof Law Scholarship, Dr. Maurus Sorg Memorial Scholarship, and the Joseph A. Williams Medical Scholarship.

The Dr. Maurus Sorg Memorial Scholarship was established this year to honor his lifetime of service to his patients and his community. This scholarship is available to both adult learners and graduating seniors.

As an added bonus due to ECCF’s partnership with PATH (Partners for Access to Higher Education), some students who receive a scholarship through the Foundation may qualify for matching dollars through PHEAA and the PATH program. In the 2017-2018 school year over $71,000 was matched to 67 local students.

Visit the ECCF website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org for more details on the various scholarship opportunities that exist for both high school and non-traditional students. Many of the scholarships honor or memorialize individuals who have touched the lives of our Elk County residents. The Elk County Community Foundation provides donors with a simple but powerful and highly personal approach to achieving their philanthropic goals while enhancing the quality of life for the people of Elk County. For further details, contact the Foundation at 834-2125.