WCCF Announces Spring 2022 Community Grants

The Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) Board of Trustees met in May and approved grant awards for the Spring competitive grant cycle. Fifteen organizations were awarded grants totaling $299,747.15 from some of the Foundation’s named Community and Field of Interest funds:

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank received a $5,000 grant from the Earle and Ann Klosterman Family Community Fund for the 2022 Wayne County Direct Distribution Program.

The City of Rittman received a $48,391.15 grant from the Andrew Berkey Fund, the Stanley and Josephine Kastelan Family Fund, and an anonymous community fund to purchase a Ventrac tractor and accessories to help maintain Rittman ball diamonds and the Rittman Nature Preserve.

Crown Hill Mennonite Church DBA The Server received a $2,000 grant from the Harold W. Picking Charitable Fund to purchase and install a new freezer at The Server in Rittman to store freezer meals and donated food.

IncludeAbility received a $28,000 grant from the Raymond and Pauline Croskey Memorial Fund and an anonymous community fund to support the purchase of evacuation chairs to be placed in the stairwells within Wooster City Schools and provide training to school staff on how to use them properly, as part of their Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Physical Disabilities project, which includes partnering with Wooster City Schools to develop a standard protocol for evacuation for students, staff, etc. with a physical disability in case of an emergency.

Kingsway Christian School received a $5,000 grant from the Pearl M. Braham Children’s Fund to construct extra storage space for platforms and props for their Drama/Music departments.

Smithville Community Historical Society received a $13,000 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund and the Margaret Hauenstein Memorial Fund for a fence and two gates to help secure the playground/grounds for preschool students and staff housed at the Church of God, as part of their Preschool Safe and Secure Project.

Stirrup Courage Inc. received a $21,000 grant from the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund to construct horse stall divider walls for their Stirrup Courage Equestrian Learning Center Capital Campaign.

The United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties, Inc. received a $34,700 grant from the WCCF General Fund and an anonymous community fund for a Volunteer Connection software program to provide a one-stop volunteer platform, in collaboration with The College of Wooster, for Wayne County.

VANTAGE Aging received a $5,000 grant from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund to expand their Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio’s frozen meal production through the purchase of chrome baskets and dollies.

The Village of Doylestown received a $21,000 grant from the Florence L. Rice Community Fund to provide a special needs playground for the Doylestown and surrounding area at their current park.

Viola Startzman Clinic received a $60,000 grant from the Harold and Lois Freedlander Community Healthcare Fund and the Robert L. and Kathleen M. Polsky Foundation Community Fund for a new roof for their Wooster Family Medical Center.

Wooster City Schools received a $860 grant from the Albert “Koby” Kobilarcik Educational Fund  to purchase graphic novels on various reading and interest levels for an elementary school library that serves K-4^th grades.

The Wooster Township Fire & Rescue Association received a $14,044 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund to obtain a small unmanned aerial system for public safety operations, such as water scenes and large fire areas.

The YMCA of Wayne County received a $30,000 grant from the Carl Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund to repave the Orrville YMCA parking lot.  

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 Wayne County. Since 1978, the Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in the form of grants and scholarships from its 520 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 help to increase the amount available for grants each year. Contact Melanie Reusser Garcia, 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.