The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas has awarded over $20,000 to nine local charitable projects as part of its 2025 Elm Acres Foundation At-Risk Youth Grants. The grants, ranging from $1,200 to $4,000 with a median of $2,118, will help communities and organizations throughout Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties address at-risk-youth needs.
Table of Contents
2025 Grant Recipients
This year’s grant recipients and the projects are:
- The City of West Mineral, Kansas will build upon a memorial site in the heart of town by installing a swing set with ADA accessibility to provide a safe place for children and families to engage in outdoor activities.
- First Baptist Church Riverton will provide school supplies, refreshments, haircuts, and basic necessities for students in the four school districts of Cherokee County through a fun-filled back-to-school event and ongoing support throughout the year.
- Fostering Connections will establish an Anchor Family Mentorship Program connecting young adults aging out of foster care with caring families who provide emotional support and practical assistance in navigating the challenges of adulthood.
- Learning Tree Institute at Greenbush will provide fishing equipment for educational programs and summer camps to help low-income children experience the joy of fishing while learning patience, focus, and respect for the environment.
- SEK Interlocal 637 will implement Project “U” to teach functional living skills to students with exceptional needs through direct instruction and specialized equipment including a dishwasher, bed, microwave, and laundry organizer.
- SparkWheel will deliver an evidence-based Integrated Student Support Model through Student Support Coordinators inside schools who provide universal, targeted, and intensive supports to guide students toward success.
- Special Olympics Kansas will expand their Unified Sports program to include adaptive P.E., fitness kits, and whole school engagement activities that connect students with and without disabilities through sports and youth leadership.
- The Foster Closet, Inc. will provide new packages of socks and underwear or diapers and wipes to children in foster care through their facility and back-to-school event.
- USD 250 Pittsburg will maintain and expand Club 209A to provide nonperishable food items, toiletries, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, and apparel for high school students to improve their academic performance, attendance, and social-emotional learning.
About the Community Foundation and Elm Acres Grants
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) encourages charitable giving to benefit the common good and quality of life for everyone in Southeast Kansas. CFSEK hosts charitable funds that address a wide variety of community needs through grants to nonprofits and scholarships for students.
One of those funds is the Elm Acres Foundation, Inc. Endowment Fund. Originally established as an agency fund to support the Elm Acres Foundation, today the Fund carries on the Elm Acres mission by awarding grants to qualifying agencies that provide services for at-risk youth in Crawford, Cherokee, and Labette counties in Southeast Kansas.
Since 2017, the Elm Acres Foundation Endowment has awarded over $185,000 to worthy causes in the region. Thank you to the Elm Acres Foundation Endowment advisory committee for your hard work reviewing grant applications and to our recipients for your hard work improving life for local kids!