GREEN BAY, Wis. – December 2, 2010 – The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation has awarded 32 grants to local non-profit and school programs. The grants were given to non-profit and school programs serving a variety of individuals including youth, disabled, elderly, and homeless individuals. The grants were awarded through the Fund for Greater Green Bay, a collection of field of interest and unrestricted funds of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, and in partnership with generous donors who have funds within the Community Foundation. Field of Interest Funds are established to support particular interest areas, specific program initiatives, and causes or geographic areas. Unrestricted Funds are flexible funds offered through the Community Foundation that respond to the current needs of people in Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto Counties. These funds support programs in any non-profit sector, including arts and culture, education and learning, the environment, health, human services, and neighborhoods and community. The grants were awarded based on a competitive application process including a review by a grants team consisting of community volunteers. The grants awarded from the Fund for Greater Green Bay are:
AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Inc.: To assist with the specialty food pantry for financially needy people living with HIV in Northeast Wisconsin. The pantry serves 16 Northeast Wisconsin communities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin (BBBS): For their community-based youth mentoring program that matches youth with mentors. Youth who have BBBS mentors are 52% more likely to remain in school, 75% more likely to earn a four-year degree, and 81% more likely to hold a leadership role in an organization.
CASA of Brown County, Inc.: To train new volunteers to help abused and neglected Brown County children who are in the court system. Trained volunteers provide close, consistent contact with children, seeking to assure they have a safe and permanent home.
Cats Anonymous, Inc.: To better the lives and reduce the number of stray and feral cats in Northeast Wisconsin.
DePaul Homes and Shelters, Inc. – House of Hope: To assist in purchasing a van so that clients can receive rides to the doctor and other appointments or classes.
Family & Childcare Resources of NEW: To assist with services provided at the Fort Howard Family Resource Center to meet the needs of low-income and at-risk families that attend Fort Howard School and live in the Fort Howard Neighborhood. Funding will assist with the costs for an Information Specialist, Parent Educator Home visits, and parent class meals.
Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.: For a new program to reach 500 Brown County girls with financial need, special needs, or who lack transportation. The Reaching Out program offers lessons focused on positive decision making and self-esteem to at-risk girls at various Brown County locations.
Golden House: To provide transportation for support services and employment for victims of domestic violence.
Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin Inc.: For a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) support group for teenagers at Harmony Café.
Green Bay Area Public Schools: To support homeless youth and families, such as assisting students in accessing basic necessities to reduce barriers so they can meet their educational goals. Assistance will also be given to middle school programs that work with at-risk and homeless youth to encourage their participation and attendance in school.
Green Bay Lightning Soccer Club: For youth soccer scholarships. Financial need-based scholarships will assist with the costs associated with playing soccer, including uniforms and cleats that some youth cannot afford.
Howe Neighborhood Family Resource Center, Inc.: For elementary aged programming geared towards at-risk students, including mentoring, tutoring and Wacky Wednesdays.
Junior Achievement of WI, Inc. – Brown County: To provide programming in classrooms at Sullivan Elementary School.
Literacy Green Bay, Inc.: To provide childcare for ELL classes and early childhood development services through the Child First Family Literacy ELL and GED classes in order to enable parents to attend classes.
Literacy Partners of Kewaunee County, Inc.: For a health literacy program, which will help individuals learn to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.
Mayflower Nursery School: To provide start-up costs for a new preschool program for children at St. Vincent Hospital’s Regional Pediatric Center, who are unable to attend preschool due to long term treatment for illness or disease.
N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation, Inc.: To assist with funding for equipment for a community kitchen incubator, which will start a fully licensed, shared commercial kitchen. The incubator aims to promote economic development through entrepreneurship, providing opportunities for sustaining local agriculture and promoting best practices for food processors, while providing opportunities for employment and skill building for clients of N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation.
New Community Shelter: For their 2010-2011 community meal program, which offers hot meals 365 days a year to homeless shelter clients and needy community members in downtown Green Bay.
NEWCAP, Inc.: To retrofit cars for the elderly in Oconto County. Aging individuals need to reach social and health services, and according to a needs assessment, 76% of individuals in Oconto County rely solely on a personal vehicle for transportation needs.
Salvation Army Green Bay: For their seniors program, which includes a variety of activities from weekly meals and bingo to exercise classes and grocery shopping. These programs seek to alleviate seniors’ loneliness and helplessness, while assisting them to retain their mental, physical, and social independence.
Special Olympics Northeastern Wisconsin: For a district basketball skills tournament for over 200 athletes who are lower functioning and/or not appropriate for team basketball.
St. Norbert College: For the Bay Winds Quintet to cover the costs of travel, musician’s fees and provide music performances for ten local primary and secondary schools. In addition to these grants, teachers and staff from the Green Bay Area Public Schools were also awarded funds through the School Spirit Educational Endowment Fund, which is also part of the Fund for Greater Green Bay. These funds are primarily for classroom or out-of-school programming. About the Greater Green Bay Community FoundationEstablished in 1991, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that manages more than 500 funds, and distributes grants to between 400 and 500 non-profits each year. Community Foundation grants provide funding for programs and services that improve the quality of life in Northeast Wisconsin, supporting human services, education, arts and culture, the environment, and more. Our mission is to inspire and encourage charitable giving in Northeast Wisconsin by connecting people who care with solutions that strengthen our community. For more information, please visit our website: www.ggbcf.org.
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