Tuscora Park Health & Wellness Foundation Grant Recipient

Original Article via Barberton Community Foundation

TPHWF Announces Fourth Quarter Grant Recipients

Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation is pleased to announce the fourth quarter grant awards of 2020. The Foundation granted a total of $42,406 to nine area nonprofits serving Barberton, southern Summit County and surrounding counties.

Magical Theatre Company was awarded $7,500 for their PBIS Video Project. This project builds on their long-standing collaborations with Akron Public Schools and Barberton City Schools to provide a series of videos for the elementary and middle schools’ Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. The videos will focus on anti-bullying and the Three Rs (Respectful, Responsible, and Ready). Students will learn to appreciate differences in others, develop tolerance, improve conflict resolution, reduce disruptive and noncompliant behavior, insubordination and bullying among students.

Akron Canton Regional Foodbank was awarded $7,500 for their 2021 Barberton Direct Distribution Program. This is a long-standing program that supports the food insecurity programs at the Barberton Salvation Army, including the distribution of a high volume of fresh produce.

The Barberton Community Wellness Collaborative, through Red Oak Behavioral Health, was awarded $6,406. The Collaborative consists of seven community behavioral health agencies: AxessPointe Community Health Centers, CHC Addiction Services, Child Guidance and Family Solutions, Coleman Professional Services, Greenleaf Family Center, Limitless Ambition, and Barberton City Schools, along with the Parent Teacher Student Association. Their mission is to support PreK-12th grade student success, strengthen resiliency and address the needs of the whole child, their families and school staff.

The CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) Program at Lake Anna YMCA received $5,000. CATCH provides latchkey afterschool programming to Barberton Schools. The program encourages overall health and wellness through physical activity and onsite food preparation demonstrations.

Family Promise of Summit County’s program called Family Wellness Initiative received $5,000. Family Promise works to help homeless families with children stay together while they achieve sustainable independence. Funds will be used to support case management, parent education, community resource referrals, and the purchase of oral care items, sanitizing agents, masks, hygiene products, toiletries, socks and underwear.

First Tee – Greater Akron was awarded $5,000 for their First Tee in Barberton 2021 program. First Tee is an educational, golf-based youth development program. It works with kids ages 4 to 18 with a focus on girls, minorities and urban, at-risk youth. With this grant First Tee will establish programs at Lake Anna YMCA and the Salvation Army in Barberton.

Services to Summit County Emancipated Youth in Foster Care, a program through Chair-ity, Inc., was awarded $3,000. This organization serves youth who age out of the foster care system at 18 and must begin independent living without the support system of parents, guardians, or relatives. Chair-ity, Inc. provides furniture and household goods.

The Foundation awarded Family & Community Services $2,000 to support their program called Meals and Supplements for Mobile Meals Recipients in Southern Summit County. This program provides meals to low-income and disabled individuals in southern Summit County.

The Foundation awarded $1,000 to support the Disaster Cycle program through the Greater Akron & Mahoning Valley Red Cross. This award provides support for disaster services, including financial assistance, food supplies, lodging, immediate mental health services and continued client management.

Tuscora Park Health & Wellness Foundation is a private and independent philanthropic organization and awards grants on a quarterly basis. For the next grant cycle, proposals are due January 15, 2021.  The Foundation asks any grant applicant to first submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) before submitting their application. More information about the LOI process is available online at www.barbertoncf.org/grants. For those nonprofits interested in applying to Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation, please download a grant application from www.barbertoncf.org/our-foundation/tuscora-park-health-wellness-foundation/ or contact Carrie Herman, Director of Community Impact for Barberton Community Foundation, at 330-745-5995 or email her at cherman@barbertoncf.org. Proposals must promote health and wellness opportunities to the residents of Summit and contiguous counties.