2008 Grants Awarded
On Monday, November 13, the CFSEK hosted our Annual Grant Celebration at Memorial Auditorium. At the celebration, Executive Director Kim Clark and Board President Ron Marrone passed out over $107,000.00 in grants to agencies, schools, and organizations in Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette Counties.
Congratulations to the recipients of the CFSEK 2008 Grant Cycle:
General Funds:
Bourbon County Coalition: To fund the “Network for Families Fund” to provide financial assistance with rent, utilities, medical, and emergency support for low-income families in Bourbon County.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Crawford County: To be used for six “Little Moments – Big Magic” activities to increase public awareness, recruit volunteers, and to provide social interaction for the participants. This program serves at risk children in Crawford County ages 5-17.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas: To be used for the “Reach Out and Read” program to distribute developmentally appropriate books to children, and to encourage parents to read aloud to the children. This program primarily serves low-income children in Crawford and Cherokee County.
Catholic Charities: To provide funds for utility assistance, baby supplies, prescription assistance, gas vouchers to help the unemployed secure and retain new employment, and materials/workbooks for free parenting classes for low income families and individuals in Crawford, Cherokee, Bourbon, and Labette Counties.
Salvation Army: To provide meals, transportation expenses, and education materials for the Youth Character Building Programs in the upcoming year. This program is for Crawford County children ages 5-18.
Girl Scout Council of the Ozark Area: Funds will be used to help complete the repairs to the Columbus Girl Scout House from flood damage caused by the recent flooding in SEK. The Girl Scout House is used by the community of Columbus year round.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bourbon County: To be used for three “Fun-Day Events” to increase public awareness, recruit volunteers, and to provide social interaction for the participants. This program serves at risk children in Bourbon County ages 5-17.
Covenant Harvest Church: To provide materials for “Operation Car Care,” an event for single mothers and single women in Southeast Kansas needing help with car maintenance (oil change & safety inspection), and car seat inspection and replacement.
Partnership for All Cherokee County Children: To support “PACCC the Backpack,” a program that provides backpacks and school supplies for school children in Cherokee County. This program will serve approximately 500 children in the 2009 school year.
Christ’s Community Church: To provide funding to purchase food for the “Food Box Ministry.” This program serves families in emergency situations in Southeast Kansas with food for a week.
New Hope Special Olympics: To help provide green fees, equipment, and uniforms for their “Summer Special Olympics Sports Program.” This year the program is applying to add golf to their list of summer sports activities for over 30 individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Labette County: To be used for four “Match Activities” to increase public awareness, recruit volunteers, and to provide social interaction for the participants. This program serves at risk children in Labette County ages 5-17.
Memorial Auditorium: To help provide support for the presentation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet. This program will support the community in two ways: a dress rehearsal to be dedicated to the Children’s Miracle Network, and to provide school performances to the districts in southeast Kansas.
Colonial Fox Foundation: To provide support for the “Festival on Broadway,” a program that works to provide education in art experience for young and emerging artists.
Wesley House: To be used to purchase food and supplies for the 2009 Children’s Summer Food Program. This program serves low-income families in Crawford County that have children ages 1-17.
Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center: To help fund the “Prescription Assistance Program” that provides immediate medication assistance to uninsured or underinsured children and families residing in Southeast Kansas.
Boy Scouts Council of the Ozark Area: To support the “School Night for Scouting” program that works to recruit children to the Boy Scouts program in Cherokee, Bourbon, and Crawford Counties. This year the program looks to add over 250 children to their program.
Nutrition and Physical Activity Mini-Grants:
SEK Interlocal 637: Funds for the continuation of Healthy and Safe Beginnings. This program began in 2007, and works to introduce fruits and vegetables and physical activity to 24 preschool age children, 12 with special needs, at Lakeside Elementary.
Elm Acres Foundation: To purchase wii consoles to implement healthier indoor activities in conjunction with their wellness plan that helps mentor residents in their nutritional and physical activity choices.
KIDS FIRST Daycare: To purchase supplies for the “Hooray for Health” program. This program is a continuation of the 2007 “Healthy Kids” program. To last years program, “Hooray for Health” is starting a walking program to encourage family activity, as well as parent meetings for additional nutritional information. This program will serve 54 children from infancy to six years of age, and their families, in Crawford County.
USD 248-Girard: To fund two “Family Movin’ Nights.” Each event will be held to educate and encourage families in healthy lifestyle habits. These events will also serve as a kick-off for their larger NPA program, and will be continued through weekly NPA newsletters. This program will serve approximately 430 students and their families in Girard.
Nutrition and Physical Activity Grants:
Pittsburg Mother to Mother: To fund seven reflection meeting supporting NPA-focused healthy lifestyle changes. Lessons learned and activities practiced at the reflection meetings will be supported through the mother to mother mentoring program and goal setting. This program will serve approximately 30 women and their families in Crawford County.
USD 234-Fort Scott: Funds will help to support the “Healthy-Inside and Out” program that will connect at children identified as at-risk due to a high BMI, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose levels with a registered dietician and personal trainer to create a healthier lifestyle plan. This program will be used to support the health and wellness program currently supported by the KDHE in Fort Scott Schools, and will serve approximately 460 middle-school students.
K-State Extension Offices in Bourbon, Crawford, and Allen Counties: To support the Walk Kansas for Kids program in the 10 school districts of the three counties with matching funds to provide incentives, and nutritional education and weekly newsletters for the students. This program will serve at least 3000 elementary students and their families in Crawford, Bourbon, and Allen counties.
Class LTD: To fund the “A BIG Dose of B-6” program for Class LTD employees and clients. The program will be an incentive-based health and wellness initiative designed to improve nutrition and increase physical activity through education, peer support, and group motivation activities. This program will serve approximately 50 people, including 25 with disabilities.
USD 248-Girard: To help support the “Healthy Living on a Budget” program that will partner the school with the community of Girard to help participants learn about nutrition and physical activity. The program will be every other week for three months in the spring and will include a walking challenge, nutrition classes, and a jumpstart to a healthier lifestyle.
USD 250-PCMS: To continue support of “Dragons Fired-Up for Change!” a 30 week, intramural program for walking, cooking, and education. The program will be available to all female students in grades 6, 7, and 8 at Pittsburg Middle School, and will offer education and motivation through activities and rewards for participation, as well as small group mentoring.
Southeast Kansas Education Center: To fund “Greenbush Healthy Start,” a program designed to implement healthy lifestyle changes to Greenbush employees by utilizing healthy breakfast meetings and walking teams. The program will promote mentoring through an online motivational and tracking website, as well as morning meetings, and will serve approximately 120 employees.
Crawford County Health Department: To support “I am Moving, I am Learning,” a governmental program to increase the nutrition and physical activity of children in the Head Start program in Crawford, Cherokee, and Labette Counties.
City of Parsons: To support “Wellness in the Workplace.” This program will incorporate a six-week walking program with lunch and learn sessions and a health fair to enhance the physical well-being of the 128 employees of the City of Parsons, and their families.
St. Mary’s Elementary and Junior High Schools: To fund the “Fat’s Out – Fit’s In” program for fitness and nutrition improvement, with peer groups, mentoring, education, and incentives to help participants meet health and wellness goals. This program is for the faculty and staff of St. Mary’s Schools.
Youth Wellness Camp: To support a portion of the “Youth Wellness Camp” held in the summer of 2009 at PSU. This program provides an opportunity for the youth of Crawford County to participate in sports activities as well as learn about proper nutrition choices. These funds will be directly used for nutrition and physical activity education.