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Greater Jefferson County Foundation awards grants

Courtesy of Barbara Kistler

Aug. 30, 2023 10:56 am, Updated: Aug. 31, 2023 10:16 am

The Greater Jefferson County Foundation held its annual Grant Awards Ceremony Wednesday, Aug. 23 at the Fairfield Community Center.

The grant committees met in early July this year to review 35 grant applications. The criteria included the number of people in the Jefferson County community who would benefit from the grant project, and the sustainability and viability of the project. Grant requests totaled $511,710.80.

The Foundation awarded over $260,000 to 30 Jefferson County organizations.

Colleen Bates spoke to those attending on the history of Community Childcare day care, and the assistance received from the Foundation to that organization.

Those organizations receiving 2023 grants are as follows:

Cambridge Little Achievers: Fourth year pledge fulfillment

Band Aides of FCSD: purchase of new band instruments

Batavia Volunteer Fire Dept: 2 sets of turn-out gear

Birmingham Volunteer Fire Dept: Assistance in purchasing a new ORV

Carnegie Museum Foundation: purchasing flagpoles with solar lights for pioneer cemeteries

Community Child Care: replace the roof

Fairfield Co-Lab: adding a kitchen/event space to former ISB building

Fairfield Evergreen Cemetery: assistance in purchasing a new mower

Fairfield Public Library: digitization of Jefferson County historical newspapers

First Friday ArtWalk: outdoor lighting, carriage rides and a popcorn popper

Habitat ReStore: assistance in purchasing a new truck

Jefferson County Ambulance Service: purchase of three Lifepak 15 Monitors

Jefferson County Emergency Mgmt: Upgrade all county warning sirens

Jefferson County Little League: assistance with a new roof for the concession stand

Kilwinning Masonic Lodge: tuckpoint restoration on the 119-yr old building

Lockridge Cemetery Assn: Pioneer headstone repair

Lockridge Fire & Rescue: personal protective equipment

Maasdam Barns: Mural Project

New Sweden Cemetery Assn: pioneer headstone restoration

Packwood Fire & Rescue: tires and radios

Round Prairie Twnshp: repair of pioneer headstones

Stockport Volunteer Fire Department: Upgrade Bunker Gear

Convention & Visitors Bureau: Community Website Calendar

Carry On Bags: Food purchase for weekend distribution to school children

Fairfield Arts & Convention Center: Sponsorship for The Nutcracker Ballet

Fairfield Cares: Needs Assessment Survey

Food Bank of Iowa: Food purchase

First United Methodist Church: purchase food for ministry

Golden Magnolia Sanctuary: purchase food for soup kitchen

SE Iowa Blues Society: Band Sponsorship

The Well: programming and classes

The Greater Jefferson County Foundation began in 1975 with proceeds of $65,000 from the sale of the Bethany Home. With donations over the past 45 years, the assets of the Foundation have grown to over 6 Million dollars.

The first annual Grant Awards Ceremony was held in 1998, where the Foundation awarded a little over $70,000 to Jefferson County organizations. The Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines which disburses a portion of gambling money annually to add to the Foundation’s coffers for grant disbursement.

The Foundation comprises 15 members of the Board of Directors. Each board member serves two 3-year terms and serves on 2 committees. The committees are: Finance, Scholarship, Grant, Public Relations, Nominations and By-Laws.

Board Members are:

Lucas Helling (President), Matt Eakins (Vice President), Ron Haines (Treasurer) Mary Webb (Executive Secretary), LeAnne Edgeton, Ashley Manning, Jessica Jones, Joan Fulton, Peggy Mottet, Jim Flinspach, Justin Engwall, Matt Eakins, Dr. Ray Woody, Dale Sue Glass and Liz Bunnell.

Three Ex-officio officers include: Dave Neff for Public Relations, John Morrissey for Legal Counsel and Dr. William Baumann for Finance.

Information regarding the Foundation may be found on the website at

www.greaterjeffersoncountyfoundation.org or call 641-472-0758.

Grant recipients are, from left, Tony Webb of Maasdam Barns, Barb Sieren of the Carnegie Museum Foundation, and Greg Adam of Kilwinning Lodge No. 198 AF & AM. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grants recipients from left are: Alecs Mickunas of Fairfield Public Library, Lindsay Bauer of the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, and Marla Brader of Fairfield First Fridays Art Walk. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Brad Boatman of Jefferson County Little League, Jennifer Hamilton of Fairfield Cares, and Shanaz Kreider of Fairfield Habitat ReStore. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Tyler Mathias of Birmingham Fire Department, Frank Smith of Batavia Volunteer Fire Department, and Brett Ferrel of Jefferson County Emergency Management. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Bob and Sandra McReynolds of Food Bank of Iowa, and Frank Nelson and Ryan Nelson of Stockport Volunteer Fire Department. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Steve Ernst of First United Methodist Church Food Ministry, and Judy Heisel and Brian Thomas of Jefferson County Ambulance Service. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left: Aaron Ledger and Jeremy Atwood of Packwood Fire & Rescue, and Gary Henry of Southeast Iowa Blues Society. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Matt Nelson of Fairfield Evergreen Cemetery, and Kerry Dierking of The Well. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Robin Wendland and Lisa Trent of Band Aides of Fairfield Community School District along with FHS Band Director Tyler Nunziato, and Terry Baker of Fairfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Tammy Haessler and Adriene Crimson of Golden Magnolia Soup Kitchen, and Mark Thornton of Carry On Bags. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Renee Letts and Colleen Bates, Community Childcare. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Mike Renken of New Sweden Cemetery Association receives a grant from the Greater Jefferson County Foundation. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
Grant recipients from left are: Jeff Murphy of Lockridge Cemetery Association, and Jeremy Loving of Round Prairie Township. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Kistler)
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