Greene County Foundation Awards over $50,000 in grants

The annual competitive grant process of the Greene County Foundation has been completed and the grant committee approved grants totaling $53,700.

The 2016 grants were awarded to six outstanding projects:

* $8,500 to the Greene County Soccer League for replacement and upgrades to their storage and concession area. Greene County Soccer serves over three hundred youth during their spring and fall seasons.

* $5,000 to the Linton Swimming Pool, for a water feature in the toddler pool. The pool has expanded their activities with movie nights, water aerobics classes and free swims. This grant will help make the toddler pool more attractive to the smaller non-swimmers.

* $10,000 to Open Arms Christian Ministries as a match to begin building an endowment for their long-term future. Open Arms serves as a home for displaced children and recognizes that to continue their vital work to children will require more than a reliance on ever changing legislative funding.

* $2,500 to PACE, Community Action Program for their Super MENtor program that gives young children a head start on learning by providing books and male role models during their preschool program.

* $12,500 to the Linton Chamber of Commerce for startup of the CEO program, which will build small businesses and professional business skills in interested high school students throughout Greene County.

* $15, 200 to the Direct Employers Institute for continuation and expansion of a program that has students partnering with Crane employees to complete actual Crane-based work projects, in Math, English, and Technology.

The following funds held at the Greene County Foundation made these grants possible:

* Barkley Family Community support Fund

* Rick and Melonie Graves Legacy Fund

* Trampke Family Fund

* Thomas and Cynthia Roberts Legacy Fund

* REMC Community Support Fund

* JoEllen Kramer Legacy Fund

* Walter W and Mary K Burcham Funds

* Smithville Discretionary Fund

* Greene County Foundation Community Support Fund

* Bill and Linda Haseman Fund

* Ellen Mitchell Kramer Fund

* Helen Hunter Fund

* Hilderbrand Family Fund

* Sherman Anderson Memorial Fund

* Frank and Polly Miller Fund

* Milton and Mabel Meek Fund

* Farmers & Mechanics Community Support Fund

* Bloom Bank Community Support Fund

* Greene County Education Fund

"The grant committee always enjoys their work, but is also very serious, deliberate, and diligent in their review. Giving away money seems an easy task, until one considers the dollars come from donors who allow the Foundation to do work on their behalf. We are so pleased to be able to initiate and help continue causes that make Greene County an even better place to live, work, and play," said Cam Trampke, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Earlier this summer, the Foundation awarded scholarships to current college students. The Kenny and Ruth Richardson Scholarship and the Helen Hunter Scholarships, recognizing tuition bills continue throughout college, support students in the later years of their education. Joshua Axe, a senior at Indiana State University studying Computer Engineering and IT, received the Richardson Scholarship. Helen Hunter scholarships were awarded to: Julie Riggins, a graduate student, studying Physical Therapy at IUPUI; Amy Ragle, a junior, studying biology and pre occupational therapy at the University of Indianapolis; and Joshua Axe a senior studying Computer Engineering and IT at Indiana State University.

The Greene County Foundation, started in 1997, has had a charitable impact on every school, library and community in Greene County. As a result of donor's generosity to perpetual endowments, the Greene County Foundation awards over $250,000 in grants each year. The Foundation holds over $7 million in assets and is charted to: build endowments, award grants and provide leadership on critical community issues.

For more information about the Greene County Foundation visit greenecountyfoundation.org. For information on the Foundation contact: Cam Trampke, Director, Brandon Sparks, Grants and Scholarship Manager, or Suzanne Jackson, Financial Director, 812-659-3142.