The Great Grants/Initiatives finalists were as follows:

Carriage Town Ministries Fight Against Hunger was given a $3,000 grant by the YAC of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  This grant was used to prevent hunger and suffering within the Flint community by providing food and clothing to those in need.  For more information on this project, contact Lynn Larkin at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint at 810-767-8304.

The Goodstart Program, part of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, was given a grant of $5,000 by the Rivers Givers program of the Crossroads Community Foundation.  This grant allowed the organization to visit homes to provide parent education and to provide more support groups for families with children three and under, dealing with challenging parental issues.  This program helps to insure the children’s safety and success, while helping the families become self-sufficient and educated.  For more information on this grant, contact Jeanette Szretter at 781-235-9444 x 433.

Vancouver Foundation Youth Philanthropy Council provided a grant of $8,000 to Vancouver Youth Visions - Mentored Youth Peer Outreach Program (MYPOPS), a project designed, initiated and led by a group of young people impacted by provincial funding cuts to shelter and street youth services.  The Chili Van Project is a strategy to provide supported peer outreach, healthy food, clothing and information and referrals to heath and social services that meet the needs of street and vulnerable youth. For more information on this program, contact Mark Gifford at 604-688-2204.

The Victims of Homicide Memorial received a $10,000 grant from The Jackson County Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council to build a lasting memorial to remember the victims of homicide.  This project has received national attention, as it allows friends and family members a place to honor their loved ones.  For more details, contact Chris Taylor at 517-787-1321.

The Youth of Rapid River received a $2,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Delta County YAC to build a coffee house where teens can gather and have fun, while providing a safe environment for it to take place in.  This initiative was created and is now being run by youth for youth.  For more information on this grant, contact Deb Millican at the Community Foundation for Delta County at 906-789-5972.

Teen Zone, funded in part by a $13,000 grant from Youthadelphia, of The Philadelphia Foundation, resulted in an online newspaper created by youth for youth.  This grant provided an opportunity for area high school students to publish their work and be heard, while learning journalism skills, usually learned by adults.  For more information on this program, contact Kisha Bird at 215-563-6417.

Racine County Youth As Resources of Wisconsin, has granted $225 to a 3^rd grade class at the Giese Elementary School for their “We Can Help” project.   This grant allowed the 3^rd grade students to develop friendships with the Extended Day Kindergarten class at their school, while teaching the younger children the alphabet, sight words, and hopefully how to read.  Not only were friendships formed, but it allowed for the young people to form a mentor/mentee relationship with each other.  For more information about this project contact JD Strauss, at 262-632-6440.

The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area provided a grant for $6,960 to teen Moms, a program of Youth for Christ of Ottawa and Allegan Counties.  This grant allowed the organization to enhance the teenMoms life skills and childcare curriculum, while providing an opportunity to match up the participants with a mentor.  Investing time and finances in teen-age mothers gave a vote of confidence that they are considered worthwhile.  It shows them how important it is to break the cycle of teen pregnancy while becoming educated.  By providing for their children and leading by example to their children, moms (and kids) have more potential to become self- sufficient members of our community.  For more information on this program, contact Kathy Morawski at 616-396-6590.

The Fundacion Comunitaria de la Frontera Norte, AC provided seed money to young people in Juarez, Mexico.  The funds received by a variety organizations, used the money to each create five youth councils.  Members of the youth councils had to create and manage a community service project, which engaged the rest of their community.  The amount of the grant depends on the cost of the project and the phase of the initiative.  For more information on this initiative, contact Luis Arenal at 52-656-625-2564 or luis@fcfronteranorte.org.

The Southfield Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council sponsored a program called the Youth Diversity Symposium, which introduced concepts and tools for communicating in an adverse world.  The symposium opened the minds of youth from across the state to communicate between different socioeconomic and racial groups.  For more information, contact Warren Goodell at 248-796-4190.

 

More Great Grants from other years available: 2001   2006   2007