Wayne County Community Foundation Announces 2019 Spring Grants

The Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) Board of Trustees met in May and approved grant awards for the Spring competitive grant cycle. Sixteen organizations were awarded grants totaling $114,870.38 from some of the Foundation’s named community and field of interest funds:

American National Red Cross-Wayne County received a $6,000 grant from the WCCF General Fund and an anonymous community fund to support their Home Fire Campaign in Wayne County.

Central Christian Schools received a $12,000 grant from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund  to refinish the floor of Gym #2.

The City of Orrville received a $5,500 grant from the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund to purchase various equipment items as part of their Orr Pool renovation.

The City of Orrville received a $2,500 grant from the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund to purchase two aerators for the Heartland Trail Pond, located on the Blackwell-Williams city property, to assist with algae and duckweed.

The College of Wooster (Ohio Light Opera) received a $14,5000 grant from an anonymous community fund for Applied Methods and Research Experience (AMRE) of The College of Wooster to complete a project for Ohio Light Opera to analyze sales software, social media marketing, and the creation of a new economic impact study.  

Green Local Schools received a $15,000 grant from the WCCF General Fund to help replace pianos in the district and to obtain a one-year instrument repair contract to repair school-owned instrument inventory for their music/band program.

Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County received a $5,000 grant from the William A. Foll, Sr. and Patricia K. Foll Community Fund  to help match a grant awarded by Thrivent Financial to build a single story home for a family of three in Orrville.

Joyful Enterprises Inc. received a $3,870 grant from the Earle and Ann Klosterman Family Community Fund  to create an outside seating area for Joyful Cafe, along with an outdoor sign.

NAMI Wayne and Holmes Counties received a $3,546 grant from the WCCF General Fund for parking lot repairs and a patio construction for their participants to have outdoor-oriented programs, such as picnics and gardening.

Parkview PTO received an $8,400 grant from the David and Carol Briggs Community Fund and an anonymous community fund for benches, as part of Parkview Elementary School’s courtyard/playground renovation to increase play and learning opportunities.

Salvation Army (Wooster) received a $10,389 grant from the William A. Foll, Sr. and Patricia K. Foll Community Fund to support needed updates to the shelter used in their Emergency Shelter program for individuals and intact families struggling with housing instability. The updates include new washers and dryers for the laundry facility and new linens and paint for the dorms.

Smithville Community Historical Society received a $5,000 grant from the WCCF General Fund for their Capital Initiative for capital improvements and maintenance of historical  buildings owned by the historical society.

Wayne College-University of Akron received a $10,000 grant from the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund for the Wayne College Fitness & Wellness Initiative: Healthy Campus 2020-Equipment Project to purchase fitness equipment for their newly renovated cardio-core-flexibility room.

The Wayne County Performing Arts Council received a $2,500 grant from the Nolan and Elsie Hite Community Fund  for the Summer Youth Production 2019: Lion King Jr.

Wooster City Schools received $665.38 from the Albert "Koby" Kobilarcik Educational Fund  to improve the print collection of the Parkview Elementary Library by purchasing approximately 40-45 books.

The Wooster Friends of the Wayne County Public Library received $10,000 from the Charles R. and Henrietta Yenne Fund and the Ceylon E. Hudson Charitable Fund for the General David Wooster Memorial Statue Campaign, to create and install the first life-size bronze statue of General David Wooster on the grounds of the Wayne County Public Library in downtown Wooster.

The WCCF is a not-for-profit charitable community organization established in 1978 to accept contributions, create and administer funds, and make grants for the benefit of the people of the greater Wayne County area. Since 1978, the Foundation has awarded more than $75 million in the form of grants and scholarships from its 440 separate funds.

Its Community and Field-of-Interest funds permit the WCCF Board of Trustees to be responsive to the changing needs of the community. Donations to these funds by individuals, families, businesses and service organizations will increase the amount available for grants each year. Contact Sara Patton, WCCF Executive Director, for more information.

Competitive grant applications from nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organizations should be submitted by March 1 and September 1 each year. The grant guidelines and online application are available on their website, www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org.