Benton County foundation distributes $296,589

The Benton County Community Foundation announced the distribution of $296,589 to 30 projects of organizations serving Benton County.

Arts & Culture: Youngville Highway History Association, café building improvements — $5,050.

Community Betterment: Canton, Benton, Shellsburg Fireman’s Association, Shellsburg Fire Dept. PPE — $12,210; Cedar Mt. Auburn Community Club, access for all in rural Benton County — $15,000.

City of Belle Plaine, Parks and Recreation website and police department radar equipment and signs — $22,065; City of Garrison, library community electronic sign — $5,000. City of Shellsburg, ball diamond improvements — $15,000.

Friends of the Urbana Public Library, Book Bytes: Expanding Connections in Urbana — $13,716; Shellsburg Area Community Group, Shellsburg park enhancements, phase five and six — $7,822.

Shellsburg Lions Club, city park basketball court fence — $5,500; Urbana Firefighters Association, protective equipment — $17,603.

Education and Youth Development: Area Substance Abuse Council — youth support in Benton County — $6,925; Better Tomorrows Early Childhood Iowa — early literacy and fresh produce delivery programs — $6,000.

]Center Point-Urbana Community School District 4 — intermediate school playground fence — $9,000; City of Vinton — library STEAM supplies — $3,765.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois — operating support for Girl Scouts in Benton County — $10,000; Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa — inspiring choice-filled lives for students — $16,953.

Health: Belle Plaine Area Ambulance — UESCOPES and RAD-57 oximeters — $17,250; Benton County Volunteer Center, United Way East Central Iowa — m, edictal transportation assistance program — $14,000.

Blairstown Ambulance Service — Emergency Medical Services training and education — $15,000; Heritage Area Agency on Aging — Benton County services to older residents — $6,000.

Van Horne First Responders — cardiac monitor/12 Lead/AED — $25,516; Virginia Gay Hospital Health Care Foundation — hospital-based outpatient exam rooms — $10,000

Human Service: Families Helping Families of Iowa — support for kids in foster care in Benton County — $5,000; Hawkeye Area Community Action Program — rural senior services site capacity — $6,914.

Lutheran Services in Iowa — Benton County Early Childhood Services — $5,000; North Star Community Services — community integration and transportation — $5,100; Riverview Center, Inc. — sexual assault crisis response program — $5,000.

Waypoint Services — Waypoint domestic violence victim services program — $5,000; Wesley United Methodist Church, Vinton — food pantry — $5,200.

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee which consists of Brian McNulty, Teresa Cretin, Jean Fish, Mindy Fisher, Kassie Mather, Jackie McDermott, Manda McKinley, Tracy Papesh, Christine Turner, and Dustin Winkie.

Grants are awarded through BCCF’s competitive grant process to projects in the program areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health and human service.

Grant applicants must be a 501(c) (3) designated organization or government entity serving Benton County in order to be considered for funding.

The 2024 grant cycle opens Nov. 15.