Ten grants totaling $60,000 were recently awarded to nonprofits by the Rutherford County Endowment, bringing total grantmaking since the Endowment's inception to more than $1,144,000. The Endowmentwas established in 1996 by local residents as a resource for charitable efforts that benefit Rutherford County.
Abounding Grace Ministry - $7,000 to provide services to teen girls and women who are, or have been, incarcerated and addicted to drugs and alcohol to assist them in a positive transition back into society.
Grace of God Rescue Mission - $2,500 to help provide the evening meal for homeless and impoverished men, women and children in Forest City, Spindale and Rutherfordton.
Isothermal Community College - $7,500 to purchase pianos and support a summer program for high school students as part of the new Associate of Fine Arts Degree Program in Music.
KidSenses Children's Interactive Museum - $7,500 to support the "Making Your Own Future" initiative in THE FACTORY, a new facility designed to engage older youth in STEM-related programs.
Rutherford County Arts Council -$8,000 to purchase copier equipment that will enable the Arts Council to create and produce scripts and scores for participants and promotional materials for the Council's cultural events and programs.
Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity - $5,000 for home repairs in the Spindale area to help provide safe and secure housing for low-income families.
Rutherford Housing Partnership - $8,000 to help renovate a Forest City house which will become the sixth rental unit in the Housing Matters program.
Salem United Methodist Church - $2,500 for the Washburn Community Outreach Center to purchase food for its pantry.
Union Mills Learning Center - $5,000 for a summer learning camp experience featuring reading, field trips and activities that will serve 40 youth each full-day session.
Youth Empowerment of Rutherford County - $7,000 to improve food service for afterschool and summer programs that reduce truancy, school dropout, abuse and neglect, gang involvement, substance abuse and hunger in Forest City neighborhoods.
"We're very pleased to have the opportunity to help address a diverse set of needs and opportunities in Rutherford County, from cultural and natural resources to recreation and people in need," said Karen Moore, chair of the Advisory Board of the Rutherford County Endowment. "We remain forever grateful to our past and present donors, whose gifts make our growing grant program possible."
Since 1996, the Rutherford County Endowment, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded 161 grants to 55 organizations.
The local volunteer Advisory Board works to raise awareness of the Rutherford County Endowment and to build assets for the future. Advisory Board members are: Karen V. Moore (Chair), Jane Alexander Bell, John Condrey, Lucille Dalton, Forest Edwards, Nick Elliott, Mike Gavin, Katy Hunt, Keven McCammon, Juanita Newton, Janice Paris, Michael S. Tanner, Judy Toney and Diane Warner.
For more information about the Rutherford County Endowment, contact Advisory Board Chair Karen Moore at 828-245-0406. To support the Endowment, donate online at www.RutherfordEndowment.org or by mail to the Rutherford County Endowment, c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803. Contributions of any size are welcome and are tax-deductible.