Community Foundation Awards More Than $120,000 in Grants to Local Nonprofits

The Community Foundation of Washington County MD, Inc. presented its 2019 responsive grants to 22 local nonprofits at The Arc on March 21. Total dollars for this year’s grants equaled $125,175.The grants committee selected Washington County nonprofits and programs focused on the development of a stronger community through programs addressing the following areas: family stability including financial literacy, employment, housing and basic needs; youth development with a focus on mentoring, advocacy and mental health; and arts, recreation and educational opportunities with some emphasis on the under-served.Resources for the responsive grants come from the growth and earnings of established Community Funds at the Foundation as well as a partnership with the Pauline Anderson Foundation. The Community Foundation presented grants to the following 24 programs:

• American Red Cross of Western MD: $7,500 to support the Home Fire Campaign project that provides smoke alarms and financial assistance to Washington County disaster victims.
• Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation: $2,500 to expand the Photography Academy at the Summer Arts Academy.
• BEACON House: $5,000 to support STEAM Works for children ages 3-18 and their families.
• Boys & Girls Club of Washington County: $10,000 for Smart MOVES (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training), a nationally acclaimed prevention and advocacy program to help participants with their decision making and critical thinking skills.
• Community Foundation Imagination Library program: $5,000 for books to children birth to five.
• Community Free Clinic: $10,000 to expand their community mental health care program.
• Community Free Clinic: $5,000 for an on-site, acute health care clinic at E. Russell Hicks Middle School.
• Ft. Ritchie Community Center: $5,000 to expand the Kid’s Club program to add a second weekly session, field trips for families and host a Christmas dinner for senior citizens.
• Hagerstown YMCA: $9,800 for infant and toddler childcare expansion.
• Horizon Goodwill Industries: $5,000 for Get Onboard, a two-week course focused on introducing participants to the concepts of self-motivation, self-management, self-assessment, conflict negotiation and financial literacy.
• Interfaith Service Coalition: $4,000 towards Martha’s House, a new youth center and feeding site located on Main Street in Hancock.
• Lasting Change/Recovery Solutions for Women: $3,250 for a fitness and wellness center.
• Maryland Wind Music, Inc.: $1,250 for the Maryland Wind Festival, a week-long performance series held by the Maryland Chamber Winds each summer.
• Mason-Dixon Council, Boy Scouts of America: $10,000 for Scouting for All, which provides monetary assistance for all aspects of Scouting such as registration fees, uniforms, handbooks, events/activities, summer camps, etc.
• Office of Consumer Advocates: $3,000 for Soul Haven Wellness & Recovery Center to provide nutritious meals.
• Open Minds, Inc.: $6,500 to the Mindful Living Program at Head Start of Washington County.
• The Arc of Washington County: $9,675 towards staff training and program improvement for autism.
• Together with Families: $2,700 for Food for All, a program that addresses the nutritional needs of participants and provides basic culinary education, encourages cooking at home, exposure to fresh and healthy foods and the value of eating meals as a family.
• Town of Williamsport: $2,000 towards Red Cross swim lessons for low income families.
• University of Maryland Extension 4-H Youth Development: $1,000 to support the downtown Hagerstown 4-H Club with supplies, transportation to other 4-H events and scholarships for the Washington County 4-H Day Camp for.
• OnTrack: $5,000 for the OnTrack Washington County Technology Enabled Youth Council, an innovative research and youth engagement program.
• Washington County Commission on Aging: $3,000 to begin a food pantry program at its congregate sites to support participants when meals are unavailable during inclement weather, weekends and holidays.
• Women of Valor Ministries: $5,000 to THRIVE Connect which provides quick, secure and consistent access to effective treatment options for people with mental illness in conjunction with Potomac Case Management Services.
• Western MD Fellowship of Christian Athletes: $4,000 to fund the Wheaton Park Co-ed Day Camp.