PENDLETON — A pandemic forced the cancellation of the regular Open Hearts, Open Purses banquet this year, but it didn’t stop the women’s giving circle from pooling its resources to help several local programs, including its biggest winner, a new mentor and tutoring program at Pendleton Heights Middle School.

“We have had a growth in our membership the past 11 years, and, surprisingly, this year is no different,” OHOP Committee Chairwoman Jill Sizemore said at the end of a mostly outdoor open house-style event on Thursday, June 11, at Crystal Coop in Anderson.

Open Hearts, Open Purses is run by South Madison Community Foundation. It’s based on having at least 100 members pay $100 to belong, funding a $10,000 grant for a community project selected by vote.

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This year, “We have 156 OHOP members … and we also have 20 Junior OHOP members,” Sizemore said. “Of that total amount, we had 25 new members. We are absolutely thrilled all of you are supporting us, both new and former members, and we’re so happy to have your support to go back into the community for all of the great programs that we’ve been able to sponsor.”

This year’s $10,000 grant winner is a program called COACH (Connecting, Organizing and Creating Hope) at the middle school.

“Pendleton Heights Middle School has determined there is an intense need for a mentoring/tutoring program for students who have consistently struggled to complete homework and who lack supervision and guidance that will help them succeed in school and in life,” reads the grant program summary.

The program will aim to improve school performance, and social, emotional and organizational skills, the summary states.

The plan is to start a pilot program for 20 students during the 2020-21 school year. Tutors and volunteer mentors “will round out a student’s support system to help students ‘figure out’ how to create successful outcomes.”

Principal Jenny Chestnut said later there has been a need for such a program at the middle school since budget cuts in 2008 did away with after school study tables.

“It’s been something on my mind,” Chestnut said.

The grant will be used to pay for a program coordinator, and tutoring, project supplies and transportation as needed, Chestnut said.

Unpaid mentors form a critical component of the program, and from 200 letters sent out, Chestnut said 21 have replied that they want to be involved and another 20 to 30 expressed tentative interest.

People can email Chestnut at [email protected] for more details.

OHOP is an annual event. Organizations submit applications to be in the running for the grant, an OHOP committee pares applicants down to three finalists, and then members vote for $10,000 grant winner. The two runners-up split the amount raised above $10,000 — this year $5,600.

This year, because of COVID-19, members were permitted to vote online beginning a week before Thursday’s open house. Thursday’s event ran from 3 to 6 p.m. and gave members an opportunity to stop by and discuss programs with the finalists, who had displays set up.

The winners were announced Thursday night.

The COACH program also won $500 from Junior OHOP, which votes separately to direct its funds.

The other two finalists — Outfitters Inc., which provides clothing to local families in need, and Lapel Band Boosters — each received $2,800 for their programs.

The community foundation doesn’t release the vote totals, only which finalist garnered the most votes.

Several OHOP members on Thursday would not reveal which finalist they voted for.

But on the flip side, they were effusive about the OHOP program.

“They’re all great organizations,” said Amy Turner, who in addition to being an OHOP member for several years also donated $500 in gift cards from local business to be auctioned Thursday. “It’s a super cool thing the foundation does, so I’m happy to be a part of it.”

OHOP member Carrie Ashley of Pendleton — who attended Thursday’s event with her daughter Amelia, 11, who is a three-year Junior OHOP member — said she didn’t want to say who she voted for.

“I would like to keep that secret.”

But she would say she likes that OHOP money goes directly to local causes, and furthermore that by participating in the program, she’s learned about other groups that do good work nearby.

“It’s broadened my awareness of local non-profit organizations,” she said.

Recipients of OHOP grants since the program began in 2010 include Pendleton Fire Department and Lapel, Pendleton Artists Society, Pendleton Elementary School-Primary