Aberdeen, WA - The Grays Harbor Community Foundation awarded a total of $73,500 to eight organizations via their fourth quarter grants cycle. The Children’s Advocacy Center was the recipient of a unique grant award meant to provide a sustainable, long-term solution to the issue raised in their application. Their original request was for $10,000, the Foundation’s stated maximum award, to go towards fuel, maintenance costs and a meager amount for used vehicles. Currently, the CAC explained, they sometimes have to be late or cancel in-person meetings between children and their parent or guardian because they are waiting for another vehicle to be returned so that they can transport the next child or group of children. Some of the families live long distances apart and the transport time cuts into other children’s meeting time. The Grants Committee read the application, understood the true need and decided a higher initial investment would be the best solution. The Committee decided to offer to purchase two new or gently used vehicles, hopefully meeting the needs of the CAC and their clients many years into the future. We will no longer have to wait for one vehicle to come back to shuttle a child to a visit with his or her parent. This means more families will have an opportunity to connect in-person on a regular basis and build healthy relationships, leading to more children going back to live with a parent or guardian rather than go into foster care. Thanks to this grant award we are able to serve more clients and make sure our employees have safe, reliable means of transportation to do their work better. - Angela Coulter, director of the Children’s Advocacy Center This issue was important to the Grays Harbor Community Foundation as it was a strong match to the Giving Priority Promote Health and Wellness: Promote Healthy Lifestyles by supporting Services for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
This is just one of the eight grants awarded in this fourth and final quarter of 2012. Another award was given to the Grays Harbor College Foundation in order to address the need for GED testing fee Scholarships. GED testing fees doubled from $75 to $150 as of this year and this test is both a barrier and a gateway for students looking to take that next step in their lives whether it be employment, college or a training program. Another Giving Priority of the Foundation’s is to Establish Quality Education and Learning Opportunities for all ages: Involve families and communities in student achievement and aspirations by supporting dropout prevention at critical transition points and reconnect dropouts to school and employment via alternative education programs. This grant award will help more than 67 local students take that next step towards a successful future. Other awardees this grants cycle include the Hoquiam High School Band for their trip to Disneyland, the University of Washington Libraries to produce and premiere a documentary about the history of the Harbor at the 7th Street Theatre, Washington State CASA to Increase the Number of Foster Youth served by Grays Harbor County CASA, the Lighthouse Volunteer Mentoring Project at North Beach High School, the Ocosta Robotocats to design and build a robot to compete in a First Robotics Competition, and Grays Harbor County Marine Resource Committee to connect teachers to stakeholders surrounding Marine Resources. The Grants Committee was pleased with the wide variety of needs represented by the Fourth Quarter Grants Cycle. “We always enjoy learning more about what is going on in our own backyard, and this quarter really opened our eyes to what issues and obstacles are out there for Nonprofits.” Grants Committee Chair Dr. David Westby said, “We hope with these investments we can make some sort of impact on our community.” The Grays Harbor Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission “to improve the quality of life in the communities throughout Grays Harbor County.” This is accomplished through many projects and processes that work through or in support of other non-profit organizations, including a quarterly discretionary grants cycle with applications accepted on the first business day of January, April, July and October. Tax deductible donations may be made to: Grays Harbor Community Foundation, P.O. Box 615, Hoquiam, WA 98550 You may find out more by checking the foundation website: www.gh-cf.org or you may contact the Foundation staff at 532-1600 or by e-mail at: info@gh-cf.org.
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