WCCF Announces 2022 Grant Awards from Wayne County Children's Resource Fund

The Wayne County Children’s Resource Fund was established in 2018 by Cheryl and Steve Shapiro to help remove barriers which may impede children's ability to lead meaningful and productive lives. These barriers may include poverty, drug use, bullying, discrimination, learning disabilities, low self-confidence, or a challenging home life.

The Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) is pleased to announce the Wayne County Children’s Resource Fund’s grant awards totaling $16,000. Based on the evaluations and recommendations from the Fund’s Advisory Committee, the WCCF Board of Trustees approved the following grant awards:

Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio received a $5,000 grant to support the 2023 Everyone Plays Summer Camp, held in partnership with Wooster City Schools, for students with disabilities from all districts in Wayne County.  

Rittman Exempted Village Schools received a $4,500 grant for Helping Students to be Confident Readers to purchase high interest decodable books for students with disabilities that have low level reading skills.

United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Inc. received a $4,000 grant for the 2023 Reading Under the Lights, an event United Way facilitates with six school districts in Wayne County, to prevent the summer reading decline.

Wayne County Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. received a $2,500 grant to educate adults, protect children, and minimize opportunity through their Prevention Program. This program will help teach adults how to talk with children about healthy sexual behaviors, so they know what is natural and healthy, what is of concern, and when to seek professional help.

The Wayne County Children’s Resource Fund grant guidelines and online application are available at www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org. Competitive grant applications from nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organizations that help to remove barriers for Wayne County children should be submitted by September 1 each year.

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. The Foundation has awarded more than $103 million in the form of grants and scholarships from its 535 separate funds. Donations to provide greater future grant opportunities can be made to the Wayne County Children’s Resource Fund, a component fund of WCCF, by individuals, families, businesses and service organizations. Contact Melanie Reusser Garcia, WCCF Executive Director, for more information.