Junior League of Columbia to award Community Enrichment Grant recipients
January 6, 2016
On Thursday, January 7, 2016 the Junior League of Columbia (JLC) will be awarding 13 local nonprofits a total of $115,008 during the General Membership Meeting. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. with a social beforehand starting at 6:00 p.m. The award presentation should begin around 7:20 p.m. These funds, awarded through the Community Enrichment Grants, will directly impact the Midlands community. All grant recipients have been invited to receive their check.
The grants fall in line with the JLC’s vision of improving the health and well-being of children and their families in the Midlands, and are separate from the annual investment the League makes through its community programs and partnerships. The meeting is held at Seawells (1125 Rosewood Drive, Columbia) and we invite you to attend.
“This year we are focusing on our mission, which includes improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers,” said Kim Dickerson Leighton, President of the JLC. “Our skilled volunteers have worked hard to be able to offer these Community Enrichment Grants. We are excited to be able to invest in these nonprofits who share our vision of improving the health and well-being of children and families in the Midlands.”
Community Enrichment Grant recipients include:
- Canoeing for Kids ($12,900): Funds will be used to purchase new equipment, including kayaks, paddles and live jackets.
- Columbia College ($5,000): Funds will be used for their Girls Empowered program.
- Dickerson Center ($4,298): Funds will be used towards the installation costs for the forensic interview room at the new Lexington County location.
- Epworth Children’s Home ($5,000): Funds will be used for athletic equipment in their gym.
- Girls on the Run ($6,480): Funds will be used to pay for registration for two teams with 18 girls on each team.
- Home Works ($12,000): Funds will be for a service learning project for 12 “at-risk” youth and cover the costs for them to work on six homes from planning to completion.
- Junior Achievement ($5,000): Funds will be used in Richland School District One for 20 programs in three schools.
- Palmetto Place ($5,900): Funds will be used to resurface the large play area and provide a swing set for the house.
- Prosperity Project ($8,000): Funds will go towards the pre-school
- Richland Library ($2,310): Funds will help eight families purchase produce boxes from the FoodShare program for one year, as well as educate them on healthy cooking and provide them with cookbooks.
- Salvation Army ($8,000): Funds will leverage the literacy program.
- Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands ($15,000): Funds will be used to train 15 teachers to implement the Youth Violence Prevention Curriculum in area middle schools
- Youth Corps ($3,000): Funds will be used to provide tuition for low to moderate income students.
A committee reviewed these applications and made recommendations to the Board of Directors about which organizations the League should financially invest in during the 2015-2016 League year. All recommendations were approved unanimously.
About the Junior League of Columbia
The Junior League of Columbia, Inc. is an organization of women committed to the promotion of volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Together, the members of Junior League of Columbia, Inc. seek to strengthen the health and well-being of children and families in the Midlands. For more information, visit jlcolumbia.org.
