by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Apr 18, 2023 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) purchased materials for a newly developed Equipment Resource Library with funding from the Jack and Diane Hughes Family Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC). “With the generous support of this grant, MWA is able to provide supplies and equipment for outdoor education and recreation within the Youghiogheny River watershed,” said Hannah Spencer, Program Development Manager.
MWA purchased items to create eight themed “activity backpacks” that contain a story book, guided activities, writing supplies, and other educational supplies based on four themes: winter ecology, trees, bugs, and nature fun. Each theme has a backpack with activities focused on ages 3 to 6, as well as a backpack with activities for ages 6 and up.
They also purchased detailed trail maps of the Laurel Highlands, field guides, binoculars for both adults and youth, and educational curriculum books for various environmental education topics. These materials and the activity backpacks are available to loan out, free of charge, as part of MWA’s Equipment Resource Library. They welcome local residents, visitors to the Laurel Highlands, and educators in the area to utilize these resources as part of their efforts for ecology education and outreach.
“We hosted one community workshop and participated in two well-attended community events with the resource library materials purchased through this grant,” explained Spencer, while sharing plans to continue promoting the Equipment Resource Library as a valuable asset to environmental education.
MWA’s mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the Youghiogheny River watershed and its broader communities through conservation, recreation, education, and advocacy. CFFC is happy to support their mission through philanthropy.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Mar 28, 2023 | Building a Stronger Fayette
The Community Foundation of Fayette County’s Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund awarded a grant to Hatfield Elementary School for a book vending machine. CFFC was happy to join students, faculty, and PTO members at the ribbon cutting on March 10, 2023. Students used tokens to select the first books from the vending machine.
“Students will have the opportunity to earn vending tokens based on the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program. Now, all Hatfield students will have the opportunity to grow their own personal libraries, foster a love of reading, and improve test scores.” – Heidi Mears, Principal
The Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund awards grants for the puchase of reusable items to enhance classrooms, both for Laurel Highlands School District and Uniontown Area School District.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Mar 17, 2023 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Students in the Brownsville Area, Laurel Highlands, and Uniontown Area School Districts benefited from a $12,000 grant for the STEM and Computer Science Initiative. The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) partners with Penn State Extension’s Fayette County 4-H for this initiative, led by 4-H Educator Jennifer Deichert. The foundation’s grant was used for the 2022 Race Day workshop and competition, where students learned how to program robots to navigate a bowtie-shaped race track and play table-top dodgeball.
A group of students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade participated in Race Day. SPIKE™ Prime sets were provided for students to use drag-and-drop coding language to maneuver their robots around the race track and dodgeball table. Each set includes a programmable Hub with built-in gyro to determine direction, three sensors (distance, force, and color), one large motor, two medium motors, wheels, and over 500 LEGO® Technic™ elements.
“Teams modified their robot’s design and used a variety of the programming skills acquired throughout the school workshop to upgrade their robot’s performance,” explained Deichert.
Members of the 4-H Robotics Club served as teen leaders to share their knowledge in robot design and programming. These particular students are members of FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Team #16011. They compete with other FTC teams in the state, and they design and manage robotics workshops and competitions for Fayette County youth.
CFFC awarded an additional grant of $26,665 to Albert Gallatin Area, Brownsville Area, Frazier, Laurel Highlands, and Uniontown Area School Districts for the STEM and Computer Science Initiative to continue the program in 2023.
This grant opportunity is made possible through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Educational Improvement Organization (EIO) Program. Eligible businesses are encouraged to participate in this tax credit program. More information can be found at https://dced.pa.gov.
“This is a special program that incentivizes businesses to support education through philanthropy. CFFC is an approved EIO Organization and we’re grateful to award grants for exciting learning opportunities like the STEM and Computer Science Initiative,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.
Watch the video!
*All photos included in this feature were submitted by Penn State Extension’s Fayette County 4-H.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Feb 14, 2023 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Do your canned food items at home have pull tabs that can be opened by hand, or do they require a can opener? You may not notice this feature when purchasing a can of soup at the grocery store, but the opening mechanism can be a hurdle for certain populations who don’t have access to kitchen equipment. Captain Erin Rischawy, Commanding Officer, gave the example of a can opener when explaining why The Salvation Army – Uniontown Corps wanted to expand their services for Sally’s Café soup kitchen and food pantry.
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) awarded a Building a Stronger Fayette Fund grant for Sally’s Café Household & Hygiene Pantry, to help provide items that would address unique needs, in particular for transient and homeless individuals. The grant was used to purchase ready-to-eat meals, houseware items like reusable utensils, personal care products in travel-sized containers, and warming kits. These items require minimal preparation for those with limited supplies, and they are easily portable for individuals who carry their belongings on the move.
“This generous grant from the Community Foundation of Fayette County in support of this project has allowed us to always be prepared to help especially vulnerable homeless and transient populations in our community, and people struggling to afford the rising costs of non-food essentials,” said Captain Rischawy.
“We’re happy to support The Salvation Army in addressing this un-met need for those they serve. The direct services and referrals they provide are an asset to the community,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Dec 6, 2022 | CFFC News, Grants
CFFC has awarded $35,302 in fall grants. Awards range from $500 to over $7,000. “These funding opportunities were created by generous donors who want to give back to the community, and we’re happy to support such diverse projects,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.
To support health and medical care for Fayette County residents, CFFC awarded two grants from the Burchinal Family Endowment Fund. Alternatives.Yes Pregnancy Support Center received a grant for their conversion to a medical model pregnancy center – specifically for a medical exam room and staff training materials. New Haven Hose Company also received a grant, which they will use to purchase two new AEDs. These devices will be utilized for medical service on the bike trail, at the fire department, and at the social hall which serves as Connellsville’s emergency shelter.
The Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund supports the purchase of reusable items to enhance classrooms. Laurel Highlands School District was awarded three grants for autistic support educational and sensory room items, a book vending machine at an elementary school, and STEM activities for elementary media centers. Uniontown Area School District was awarded two grants for cooking supplies in middle and high school family & consumer science classes and graphing calculators for high school algebra classes.
Albert Gallatin Area School District was awarded a grant from the Idea Fund to enhance traditional classroom learning with the purchase of an audio booth for the high school’s AGTV studio. It will be used for all media classes and for the speech and presentation course.
To learn more about grant opportunities and how you can make an impact in our community through philanthropy, contact our office at 724-437-8600.