Community Foundation Awards $39,500 to Area Organizations

The Greater Salina Community Foundation awarded a total of $39,500 to 10 area nonprofits during its October grant cycle. Grants were funded by the Kansas Health Foundation Fund for GSCF, the L.P. “Pat” Mullen Fund and the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund.

The following organizations received funding:

Salina High School Central FIRST Robotics Team 3172 – $11,250

Part of a multi-year grant to support continued participation in FIRST Robotics and development of Brainy Bots outreach program with local elementary schools, along with other STEM curriculum initiatives.

My Bike Kansas – $4,000

Storage space and supplies to restore used bikes, which are donated by the community, then given to Saline County children through an application process.

Salina Area United Way – $4,000

Provide taxpayers free, basic income tax preparation with electronic filing through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

Kitchen 4 Hire, LLC – $3,500

Marketing program for the Winter Farmers Market at Salina Fieldhouse, which is approved to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments from eligible households and to issue Double Up Food Bucks for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Salina Symphony, Inc. – $3,500

Kansas Wesleyan University, in collaboration with Salina Symphony, will present the International Music Festival, March 7-11, 2018, in Salina.

Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas – $3,250

Continued funding of the Emergency Assistance for the Disabled (REACH) program, which, through an application and approval process, assists disabled clients with uncovered expenses associated with their disabilities.

Salina Community Theatre – $2,500

Update to wireless microphone system.

Salina Symphony, Inc. – $2,500

Salina Symphony, in partnership with Tamara Howe School of Dance, will present Salina’s first full length production of Tchaikovsky’s “The Sleeping Beauty” ballet, Jan. 27-28, 2018 at the Stiefel Theatre.

Saline County Health Department/MCH – $2,500

Saline County Safe Sleep Community Baby Shower, an interactive educational event for new and expecting parents and their support people.

Southeast of Saline Industrial Technology Program – $1,500

Establish six “mobile work benches” containing a variety of tools that can be checked out and used for STEM, art, math or science projects.

Child Advocacy and Parenting Services (CAPS) – $1,000

Happy Bear programming, an interactive play that teaches sexual abuse prevention to pre-K through second graders.

Applications for the Foundation’s next grant cycle must be submitted by midnight on Dec. 15, 2017. Grants will be awarded through a competitive online application process. The grant application and guidelines are available at www.gscf.org/about-grants. For more information, please call Jessica Martin, Grants and Scholarships Coordinator, at 785-823-1800.

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Story by Megan Robl / Salina Community Foundation