The Greater Jefferson County Foundation held its annual Grant Awards Ceremony Thursday night, Aug. 22 at the Fairfield Community Center.

The grant committees met in early July this year to review 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 $328,404.54.

The Foundation awarded over $280,000 to 28 Jefferson County organizations.

Jeremy Atwood of Packwood Fire & Rescue and Craig Fulton of the Jefferson County Historical Preservation Commission spoke to those attending regarding the assistance received from the Foundation.

Those organizations receiving 2024 grants are as follows:

Cambridge Little Achievers Daycare: Final year pledge fulfillment

1st Fridays Art Walk: Administrative Laptop

Batavia Volunteer Fire Department: Turn Out Gear, extrication gloves, fire hose, hard-suction hose & nozzles

BandAides of Fairfield Community School District: Purchase new uniforms & engraved music folders

Community Child Care: new stove and playground mulch

Fairfield CoLab: assisting with flooring and lighting

Fairfield Community Center: New A/C unit for kitchen, electricity to gazebo, new landscaping, new signage and foundation repair

Fairfield Community School District: 4 LED flashing stop signs at the corner of Fillmore and South Main, and assistance with staff well-being initiative.

Glasgow Cemetery Assn: Pioneer gravestone replacement

Jefferson County Ambulance Service: purchase of a LUCAS 3.1 Chest Compression System

Jefferson County Historical Preservation Commission: Bonnifield Cabin repair and restoration

Lockridge Cemetery Assoc: Pioneer tombstone restoration

Lockridge Fire & Rescue: Personal Protective Equipment/helmets

Maasdam Barns: lumber and insulation for Centennial Building and gravel for grounds

New Sweden Cemetery Assoc: Pioneer Tombstone restoration

Packwood Fire & Rescue: standby generator

Pekin Community Schools: AEDs for school

Round Prairie TWP: repair of pioneer headstones

Stockport VFD: assistance in purchasing an EMS vehicle

Fairfield Arts & Convention Center: Sponsorship of “A Christmas Carol”

Fairfield Cares: in-home care and community education

FairField Productions: production cost assistance for the 6th film in the series

Fairfield Volunteer Center: Suicide Prevention Speaker/Videos

Food Bank of Iowa: purchase food for local food pantries

Jefferson County Sheriff: THINKSAFE training seminars

MANNA for Fairfield: purchase food for ministry

N-Compass, Inc: assistance in cleaning up 12 miles of the Skunk River

SEISO (Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra): Support for the Fairfield Kidsymphony Concert.

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. The Foundation offers sincere thanks to donors who have made this charitable giving possible for the Jefferson County community.

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 three-year terms and serves on two committees. The committees are: Finance, Scholarship, Grant, Public Relations, Nominations and By-Laws.

Board Members are:

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

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.