NINETEEN LOCAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS

The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. partnered with 19 area not-for-profit organizations during the first half of 2010. The Foundation awarded grants totaling $367,395 to enhance the organizations’ services to local residents. The Foundation awarded the following grants:

• To make recreational and competitive sports more available to people with disabilities, Charles T. Sitrin Health Care Center, Inc., in partnership with the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Upstate Cerebral Palsy, will use a $36,262 grant to expand the CNY Adaptive Recreation and Sports Program.
• A $60,000 grant will allow the Children’s Museum to replace a leaky roof with green technology materials, providing a safe and sustainable space for the families of Central New York to visit.
• Compassion Coalition used a grant in the amount of $10,000 to expand and better promote their services to local residents.
• Veterans share an experience that others can only imagine. Sometimes, adjusting to life after combat – whether two months or 20 years later – is difficult. Compeer of the Mohawk Valley, Inc. will partner with Utica Center for Development to offer a “Vet 2 Vet” mentoring program that matches volunteers with veterans requesting support.
• Community gardens benefit neighborhoods by promoting interaction, creating beautiful spaces and providing nutritious food. Cornerstone Community Church received a grant for $8,065 in order to create such a garden for the residents in the vicinity of Oneida Square in Utica.
• Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. put a $25,000 grant to work by investing in employee training to improve the care they provide to patients and their families.
• The House of the Good Shepherd will have a wellness program for the children and families in their care thanks to a $33,000 grant.
• Imagine being in a country where you did not know the language well, yet had to navigate the legal system to get your new life in order. It is an intimidating proposition and one that Multi-Cultural Association of Medical Interpreters of Central NY, Inc. will help alleviate by using a $2,500 grant to expand its certified court interpreter program.
• Peacemaker Program, Inc. used a $21,256 to upgrade computer equipment, which will allow them to run their office and their programs more efficiently.
• Rome’s Rising Stars Soccer Club received a grant of $2,300 to build a picnic pavilion to better accommodate groups and students on field trips.
• Our region is home to many halls of fame. They are points of pride in the community that showcase how far hard work and dedication can take a person. The Rome Sports Hall of Fame & Museum used a $7,824 grant to preserve and upgrade exhibits that demonstrate these values.
• Technology improves the lives of people in nursing homes in ways that are not always obvious. St. Joseph’s Nursing Home is implementing an electronic medical records system that will increase accuracy and efficiency and allow staff to provide the best care to residents.
• Sculpture Space is home to an internationally renowned artist-in-residence program. Many of these artists are from outside Upstate New York and need accommodations during their time here. Thanks to a $13,862 grant, the organization can renovate a residence to house those in the program.
• Every child deserves the opportunity to play outside in fresh air and sunshine. Thanks to a $20,900 grant, Thea Bowman House, Inc. will be able to renovate its playground area so the children enrolled in programs there can do just that.
• Town of Webb Historical Association will be able to hire an intern to archive and preserve materials documenting the town’s history with a grant of $9,895.
• A home is a major investment, and understanding the various types of financing is very important. UNHS NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center will use a $16,250 grant to expand its reverse mortgage counseling program in order to help people manage finances related to their homes wisely.
• Utica College’s Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships Program received $5,000 as the recipient of The Community Foundation’s 2010 Community Impact Award. The funds will be put toward the program, which includes extra classes, field trips and college visits for the high school students in the program.
• The Van Hornesville Community Corporation will be able to serve the public during the cold winter months at its community center, thanks to a grant of $9,375 to replace outdated furnaces in their two buildings.
• Public television provides quality programming while remaining independent of advertisers. In order to ensure that Central New Yorkers can still access shows such as Sesame Street and Nature, WCNY TV/24 will use a $25,000 grant to purchase equipment that will enhance their coverage in the Utica area.

The Community Foundation has been a force for improving lives and promoting philanthropy throughout Herkimer and Oneida counties since 1952. The Foundation has made more than 4,300 grants totaling over $35 million in support of causes ranging from education to health care, the arts to the environment. Grants are generated by the more than 270 funds that comprise The Foundation’s endowment, established and advanced by area individuals and families.

For more information about The Community Foundation, call 315-735-8212 or visit www.foundationhoc.org.