CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation recently awarded grants to 15 local community agencies and organizations.
This year the foundation gave more than $11,000 in grants, which is the largest amount ever available for the annual grants. The grant recipients were selected through a competitive review process from all applications submitted from throughout Clearfield County.
According to Kevin McMillen, foundation president, “the foundation has reached an asset size that allows us to continue to increase the amount of money we distribute, through our competitive grant program, to Clearfield County charities. We have also increased by 30 percent the amount we distribute to local food banks. [It is] thanks to all who have generously given (donations) to the foundation.”
This year’s recipients are:
- The Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund received $1,000 to provide gift cards for food to Clearfield County residents dealing with cancer. This fund gives financial support to those battling the disease in Clearfield and other counties.
- The Boy Scouts of America Bucktail Council got $665 for their youth child abuse protection program.
- Cen-Clear Child Services Inc. is getting $1,000 to construct a partition to ensure privacy between the waiting area and meeting rooms at the Clearfield County Multidisciplinary Investigative Team Child Advocacy Center.
- The Children’s Aid Society will get $500 for their Nurturing Program for parents of teens. This program encourages and supports the use of positive parenting techniques.
- Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre received $1,000 to update their sound and lighting systems.
- Clearfield County Public Library gets $640 to provide the Clearfield County Bookmobile with wifi that will allow it to connect to the online library system.
- Clearfield County Society for Handicapped and Disabled Citizens will get $1,000 to use for free medical equipment loans of items such as shower seats and raised toilet seats.
- Clearfield YMCA got $600 for their water safety/CPR/First Aid/AED and life guarding courses.
- Community Guidance Center in DuBois was awarded $619.64 for a sensory stimulation station that will be used to stimulate appropriate physical feelings and teach boundaries/appropriate reactions to students suffering from mental health issues.
- Curwensville-Pike Township Historical Society received $600 to use for their renovation and repairs to the Korb House Museum.
- DuBois Senior Center got $600 to purchase an Ipad that will be used to teach seniors to use the device. It will also help with their marketing activities.
- The Grampian Lions Club received $1,000 for their program that supplies hearing aids and eyeglasses to those who are in need financially.
- Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania in DuBois got $1,000 for their financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness courses.
- The Mo Valley Junior-Senior High School Science Dept. will get $1,000 for an Aquaponics Lab for their science classes.
- The Winkler Gallery and Art Education Center in DuBois was awarded $500 for an after school art education program for sixth graders.
These grants were made possible from money held by the foundation in its Community Fund and the Kurtz Fund for organizations in Clearfield Borough/Curwensville Borough/Lawrence Township.
The CCCF’s Community Fund represents an endowment established for the specific purpose of making grants to worthwhile projects benefiting Clearfield County communities. The fund was established and continues to grow from contributions received from individuals, organizations and businesses. The foundation accepts donations to the Community Fund at any time during the year.
In addition the foundation gave more than $4,400 to four groups in Osceola Mills from the Sara Jane Mattern Fund. Each year the Osceola Mills United Methodist Church, the Columbia Fire Company, the Osceola Mills Historical Society and Library are eligible to apply for these funds.
The CCCF itself is a local charitable endowment that funds charities within Clearfield County allowing them to grow and benefit the local community forever. It provides a simple way to fulfill multiple charitable interests while keeping administrative expenses to a minimum. All funds go to the local charities.
Currently the foundation has 42, different funds including many local charitable groups and nine scholarship funds. As of December of 2015, the foundation’s assets have a market value in excess of $2.7 million.
Contributions to the Community Fund, the Kurtz Fund, the Mattern Fund or any of the foundation’s endowment funds may be made at the Web site www.clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org through Paypal or can be mailed to: P.O. Box 1442, Clearfield PA 16830.