Grant Awards Announced

November 16, 2011 The Tucker Community Foundation Board of Directors met Oct. 19 and approved grant awards totaling more than $47,500 for a variety of programs, projects and organizations throughout the region.

Tucker County Family Resource Network (FRN) received a $1,000 grant for expansion of services to the Davis/Thomas area and a $500 mini-grant for website development and promotion.  The program provides family support services and early childhood education programming.

Tucker County High School (TCHS) received a $500 mini-grant for literacy education materials geared for special-education students and the TCHS baseball team received $500 for the purchase of safety equipment.  Tucker County schools received a $200 grant from the P.J. Zickefoose fund to support youth skiing activities.

Girls on the Run (GOTR), a program serving Randolph, Barbour and Tucker counties, received $1,500 for program support.  The program provides an opportunity for 3rd-5th grade girls to take part in a 12-week curriculum addressing self-esteem, fitness and lifestyle issues and culminates with a 5K community run. The grant will provide funding for GOTR scholarships and costs associated with expanded programs planned for the 2012 spring season and will help offset the cost of appropriate footwear for those in need. 

Parsons Park Board received $600 from the Louise Harman Fund and the Elliott “Kep”& Alice Mae Degler Smith Fund for skate park site preparation expenses. The Thomas Education Center received a $500 mini-grant for the purchase of yoga mats, blocks, straps and blankets for weekly yoga classes taught on-site.

The Foundation of Monongalia General Hospital received $1,650 for the 2012 Tucker County Regional Health Fair. St. George Medical Clinic received $1,000 to help defray costs of an electrical service upgrade necessary for expansion of services and a growing patient load.

The Billie Armstrong Fund provided a grant for Central WV Center for Pregnancy Care, Inc.  The organization plans to use the funds for the purchase of new baby beds for families facing financial challenges, domestic violence, relocation or lack of support. 

Canaan Valley Volunteer Fire Department received grant awards from the James D. Jordan Fund and the Donaldson-Corey Fund.  Tucker County EMS received a grant award from the Capt. Karl Patrik Youngblood Fund.

Blackwater Ministerial Association (BMA) received $4,000 for the BMA Food Pantry and Parsons Ministerial Association received $4,000 to aid the needy.    North Central Community Action received $2,200 for emergency assistance.  The Philip Warken Fund, the Louise and Jim Cooper, Jr. Family Fund and the Woody Nestor Fund provided support for these grant awards.

Tucker County Senior Citizens received $2,000 from the Robert & Sarah Minear Fund, Mt. Valley Bank Fund, Citizens Bank of WV Fund and the H. Dailey & Belva Shaffer Martin Fund to replace ballasts and light bulbs in the Parsons Senior Center. 

Mountaintop Public Library received $750 from the John Pill / Mountaintop Library Fund and other TCF unrestricted funds for Literacy Quest 2.0 – a program that provides e-books for public use. Five Rivers Public Library received three grant awards: $1,000 for oak shelving for the new reading / stack room; $700 for the purchase of an AV projector for the community room and $500 from the George and Mariwyn Smith Fund.

Voices from the Earth, Inc. received $750 from the Fred Busk Fund and the Carl DelSignore Fund to support the Process Drama Character Education project at TCHS and a storytelling program at Mountaintop Public Library.

Friends of the Blackwater received $1,250 towards construction of a new five mile, mixed- use trail system for the Riverfront City Park in Thomas. The Rubenstein / Schilansky Fund provided partial support for the award.

The Falling Green Fund provided $1,500 for the Tucker County 4-H Junior Equestrian Team program and, along with the Dehari Fund, also provided support for the Tucker County 4-H Leaders’ Association Agricultural Travel Course, an educational component that focuses on employment opportunities.  

In Randolph County, the Tygarts Valley High School Band Auxiliary received a $500 mini-grant for the purchase of locking storage cabinets, Randolph County Housing Authority received $1,000 for the YouthBuild Recycling Project and the Kump House received $400 from the Margaret Kump-Roberts Fund to support ongoing restoration projects. The agency-endowed Pioneer Memorial Public Library Fund generated a $350 grant for the library. Harman Emergency Medical Services received funds from the James D. Jordan Fund. 

The Brownton Community Center located in Barbour County received a $500 mini-grant to purchase a popcorn maker for family movie nights and other community functions.  Proceeds from sales will help offset utility bills. The Junior Elementary PTO also received a mini-grant for the purchase of playground mats. 

A $500 grant will support outreach publicity for the 2012 West Virginia Fiber Festival. The event, sponsored by the West Virginia Alpaca Organization and held at the WVU Farm Park and Agricultural Arena in Reedsville the second weekend of September, provides hands-on learning opportunities that include shearing, handling, spinning, weaving, garment production, fashion characteristics and material quality judging.

A $500 grant was awarded to Garrett College to help fund the Project Learning Tree® program, a professional development curriculum for in-service and pre-service educators. 

Tucker Community Foundation grants support programs and projects related to the arts, parks and recreation, animal welfare, health, libraries and literacy programs, churches, educational programs, emergency services, youth, education, historic preservation, senior citizens and social investment (general charitable purposes). 

Funding for designated and competitive grants is provided by Endowed Funds established by donors who support local causes, pass-through donations and other unrestricted funds.  To view a complete list of Endowed Funds or visit www.tuckerfoundation.net. The Foundation offers three grant programs: Mini-grants, Run For It grants, and Fall grants.  Applications for scholarship awards will be available in February. For more information call the office at 304-478-2930.