The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation, this week awarded $120,767 in Giving Tree and Youth Advisory Council grants to nonprofits in Garland and Montgomery counties.
The grants were awarded Wednesday at Hot Springs Country Club. Representatives from 35 local nonprofits were honored during the reception and grant presentation.
The Hot Springs Youth Advisory Council joined with the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation's board of directors this year to hold the joint Giving Tree and YAC grant awards ceremony.
A 2018 Youth Advisory Council Scholarship/Leadership Award of $2,000 was also presented to Tylor Rea-Garibay, a graduating senior from Fountain Lake High School, from the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation board.
Rea-Garibay has participated in the Youth Advisory Council for the past four years and has held leadership positions in not only YAC, but Eagle Scouts, Key Club, Leadership Hot Springs, Student Council, Quiz Bowl and Beta Club, a news release said.
He is graduating with a 4.2034 grade point and is ranked first in his class. Rea-Garibay will attend the University of Arkansas and plans to major in biology, obtain a doctoral degree and pursue a career as a scientist at an Alzheimer's disease center, with a dream to find the cure, it said.
"Our grantmaking and awards would not be possible without the contributions from local families and individuals that have been made to our local Hot Springs Area Community Foundation Giving Tree Endowment Fund established in 1999. This permanent source of funding continues to grow with additional contributions and earnings are granted back to our local nonprofits for outstanding projects and programs," said Joyce Whitfield, executive director of the Hot Springs area affiliate. "We look for areas where there may be gaps and where we can try and make the biggest impact."
This year, the Hot Springs board elected to join in the statewide Grade-Level Reading Initiative and designated a portion of its funds from an anonymous donor to fund two "excellent proposals in Garland County," the release said.
The Grade-Level Initiative awards place a special emphasis on early literacy and grade-level reading.
"Unfortunately, only 37 percent of Arkansas third-graders achieved 'proficient' reading scores on the ACT Aspire standardized test during the 2016-17 school year. Third-grade reading levels are a critical predictor of later success in school and the workforce," the release said.
Awards were presented to Fountain Lake Elementary School for a summer learning loss prevention program for third-graders, and to the local YMCA for the summer achievement and loss prevention programs it continues to administer in the Hot Springs School District.
Other grant recipients included the following:
• A.C.E. (All Created Equal) -- stock the freezer at the food pantry located on the Lakeside School campus.
• Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry -- meat processed and donated in the area.
• Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Foundation -- Sister City student exchange program support.
• Books for Our Children -- bags of books distributed in the local schools.
• Cooperative Christian Ministries and Clinic -- oral hygiene program.
• Cutwell 4 Kids -- supplies for children's art festival.
• Garland County Habitat for Humanity -- online outreach and data management program.
• Garland County Library -- summer reading program.
• Glenwood First Church of the Nazarene -- food pantry needs.
• Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance -- Arts & The Park Literacy Focus.
• Hot Springs Rehab Volunteers Inc. -- supplies for student health club.
• Imagination Library -- book purchases.
• Jackson House -- Hunger No More Lunch Program.
• Literacy Council of Garland County -- repairs to the facility.
• Mid-America Museum -- Transformative Tinkering Program.
• Montgomery County Single Parent Organization -- fund scholarships.
• Norman Historic Preservation Project -- purchase chairs.
• Ouachita Children's Center -- youth summer supper project.
• Project Hope Food Bank -- Peanut Butter program.
• The Salvation Army -- Feeding/food security program.
• Single Parent Scholarship Garland County -- funding for scholarships.
• The Caring Place -- commercial dishwasher purchase.
• Visitors Chapel AME Church -- computer/software purchases.
• Arkansas Learning Through the Arts -- integrating arts into the classrooms.
• Brandon Burlsworth Foundation -- eyeglasses for needy children.
• Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center -- Play and Family Therapy Room.
• Cutter Morning Star High School -- supplies for summer math camp.
• Girl Scouts-Diamonds of Arkansas -- troop recruitment and volunteer support.
• Hot Springs School District Dance Program -- district dance program support.
• Ouachita Children's Center Inc. -- summer swimming program for children.
• Ozark Mission Project -- supplies for repairs in the Hot Springs area.
• Women's Foundation of Arkansas -- support Girls of Promise program.
• Samaritan Ministries -- mattress purchases for men.
Grants through the Giving Tree and Youth Advisory Council programs are made annually. The next grant cycle will begin in January 2019.
Local on 04/22/2018