Elk County Society for Special Services Opens Fund

Elk County Society for Special Services Opens Fund for Competitative Grants

Recently, the board and volunteer of the Elk County Society for Special Services closed their doors but the work done by these dedicated volunteers will be remembered and the funds they had will continue to serve pre-k students for generations to come. The Elk County Society for Special Services has had an endowment fund with the Elk County Community Foundation since 2003. With the sale of their “Learning Center” facility on the Johnsonburg Road, they added those dollars to their endowment and redirected the funds to a competitive grant program. Even though the organization has dissolved their mission to serve pre-k students with educational programing will continue.

The Elk County Community Foundation will be accepting grant applications from any nonprofit agency which provides services for the purposes of providing Pre-K education. The application should improve programs that are already established or develop new programs. The funds will not cover direct operating expenses of an agency rather it hopes to enhance already established programs. The competitive grant application is available on the Foundations website www.elkcountyfoundaiton.com . This inaugural grant cycle has a deadline of January 15, 2015. Applications will be acted upon and award by March1. This first year the fund has $2800 to award.
Pat Straub, past President of the organization, said of the newly established grant program “Over the years many local, caring people gave of their time, talents, and found available resources to provide for student at a time when other agencies or schools where unable to do it. Innovation in programming to meet the needs of our community had evolved through the years — from special needs of children to literacy, hearing, speech — as well as quality early learning initiatives which were not available through normal channels for many years. The dedicated board always found a way to ‘get it done’ on a shoestring budget funded in large part through private donations and limited funding sources. This perpetual monetary fund will help those agencies and groups enhance their programing needs, fund special projects, and maximize the impact of giving back to the community.”
The partnership between the Elk County Society for Special Services and the Elk County Community Foundation though has changed, but, the dollars will continue to serve pre-k students. To learn more about applying for this grant, establishing a fund or even how someone can support the good works the many organizations in the community contact Paula Fritz Eddy at the Elk County Community Foundation office by calling at 834-2125 or contacting them through their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.com.

Pictured at their final meeting are members of the Elk County Society for Special Services board from left to right around the table: Gloria Straub, Rosemary Fritz, Jean Masson, Eleanor Green, Susy Straub and Pat Straub. See More