The Portage Foundation is covering a lot of ground with its 2024 grant program.
The foundation’s board of trustees recently awarded over $133,000 in grants to 23 area nonprofit organizations, addressing key funding priority areas and including support to existing programs and newly started organizations.
“The Portage Foundation began to award grants in 2000,” Executive Director Janice Simmons-Mortimer said, “and since that time, the impact of our grants to the over 100 programs serving our residents has been exponential. Through services to the very young, the elderly and all ages in between, the foundation continues to engage with organizations who are building a better future for our community.”
Several grants were given in support of educational programs for children. These programs included:
– Aurora Schools Foundation for the development of an adaptive playground at Leighton Elementary School, allowing for all children to play together.
– Do It for James Foundation for sextortion prevention education for families and children throughout the area.
– Family and Community Services (F&CS): King Kennedy Community Center
for educational opportunities and after-school tutoring support.
– Friends of Pierce Streetsboro Library toward the development of a StoryWalk Trail.
– Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio to support financial literacy and entrepreneurial programming for Portage County students.
– KSS Robotics to provide safe and engaging space for children to explore robotics.
The foundation also addressed food insecurity with grants to the following Portage County organizations:
– Aurora Community Relief for nutritional and educational support, and financial assistance for residents in northern Portage County.
– Ben Curtis Foundation to address food insecurity of students through the Birdie Bag program in area schools.
– F&CS: AxessPointe Community Health Centers for standing grocery carts for in-need individuals to assist in bringing items from pantry sites to their homes.
Grant awards for health programs responding to needs of community members of all ages included:
– Autism Society of Greater Akron for inclusive events for families living with developmental disabilities.
– Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron to prevent injuries of infants and young children through distribution of babywearing devices to caregivers.
– Maggie’s & M.O.R.E. to support the social and emotional development of differently-abled individuals through events and programs.
– YMCA of Greater Cleveland toward securing volleyball equipment to further build capacity and health programs at the Garrettsville YMCA.
Human services were also supported through grant funding, including:
– F&CS: Freedom House to increase accessibility to the building for wounded veterans.
– The Friends of CASA of Portage County for volunteer training and funds for youth direct services.
– Hattie Larlham Foundation for safety training at the facility, which provides residential and daycare services to disabled individuals.
– Hope Town, Inc. to support transportation needs for residents going through addiction recovery programs.
– Hospice of the Western Reserve for in-home palliative care for Portage County residents.
– Players Philanthropy Fund dba The Kolya Project to help resettle six Ukrainian war refugees in the Kent/Akron area.
Additional grant funds were given to support area arts programs, civic organizations, environmental, and economic development. These included:
– Haymaker Farmers’ Market for the Music at the Market concert series.
– League of Women Voters of Kent to support voter education through printed voter guides in the General Election.
– Portage Development Board to support the Stay and Grow workshops.
– Western Reserve Land Conservancy for the protection and restoration of Portage Meadows Park.
“The Portage Foundation is committed to serving the needs and priorities of Portage County,” Board President Kamelia Fisher said. “We are grateful to our donors who share the same goal.”
The Portage Foundation awards grants once a year through a competitive application and review process. Contact the foundation at (330) 470-8950 or visit its website at www.portagefoundation.org for information on contributing to or applying for a grant. The Portage Foundation has nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3) organization, and gifts are tax deductible.
Tom Hardesty is a Portager sports columnist. He was formerly assistant sports editor at the Record-Courier and author of the book Glimpses of Heaven.