The Hillsdale County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the most recent YOUTH (Youth Opportunities Unlimited Throughout Hillsdale) grant cycle. $16,473.00 has been awarded to area non-profit organizations for projects or programs to benefit young people in Hillsdale County.
Reading Community Schools was awarded $3,973 to purchase equipment for the growing winter drumline program. The new drumline will allow more students to participate, and will be accessible to 7th-12th grade students. It is hoped that the new equipment will contribute to future growth of participation in the music department. The YOUTH grant provides the final amount needed for the project, after the program secured $10,952 in funding from other sources.
$12,500 was awarded to Pittsford Area Schools and Camden-Frontier Schools. The districts have come together to share the expense of a Community Counselor to serve both schools. The Community Counselor will provide support for mental health and peer conflict issues. Each school district has committed to providing half of the funding needed for the counselor, with the YOUTH grant providing the remaining necessary funds. Overall, the counselor will serve over 1,000 K-12 students in the two districts.
Information regarding applying for a grant can be obtained by calling the Foundation office Monday through Friday from 9 am – 4 pm, or by stopping at the offices located at 2 S. Howell Street, Hillsdale, Michigan. Information is also available online at www.abouthccf.org. The HCCF YOUTH was also established in 1991. The YOUTH Advisory Council has an ongoing program for studying the assets, needs, and concerns of the young people of Hillsdale County, which establishes priority areas for grantmaking efforts. YOUTH has a special endowment fund, initially made possible by a challenge grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to make available grant dollars to benefit and involve young people in Hillsdale County.