MADISON COUNTY — Open Hearts, Open Purses — a South Madison Community Foundation Women’s Giving Circle program — will award its 2018 grant at BluFalls Arts and Events Center, 8820 State Road 9, Pendleton, from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 14.
As part of the Open Hearts, Open Purses (OHOP) program, 100 women each contributed $100 and will vote for one community organization to receive their pooled $10,000 grant.
In existence since 2010, the program has invested more than $100,000 in local projects to date.
A grant committee made up of seven Open Hearts, Open Purses members has spent time in review and deliberation to narrow the field of five applicants vying for the $10,000 grant to the final three, who will present their proposals to members during the ceremony before members vote.
The three finalists are:
More Than Conquerors
More Than Conquerors’ after-school program enrolled 70 students and had average attendance of 25-30 each day of the 2017-18 school year.
Its summer program, Camp Victorious, expects an average of 15 students per day along with camp staff.
Camp adventures often include service, learning and leisure activities away from the camp base; many participants require transportation during these activities and to and from the after-school program.
More Than Conquerors seeks to purchase a used, good condition 15-passenger van for transportation of program participants.
The $10,000 OHOP grant would be used to purchase the van and support regular maintenance and required insurance premiums.
Pendleton Elementary-Primary
As an expansion of the newly built Inclusive Playground Project, Pendleton Elementary-Primary is seeking the OHOP grant to build Phase 2 of the project.
While the first inclusive playground installation provides an area where PE-P students with disabilities can experience a playground with equipment meeting their needs during the school day, Phase 2 will add more adaptive equipment and be open to the entire community after school hours. The $10,000 OHOP grant would be added to the overall fundraising goal of $45,000.
Pendleton YMCA of Madison County
Currently serving 1,864 Pendleton citizens as members and program participants, the YMCA seeks to expand its cycling program.
There are three cycle classes per week with seven participants per class.
The $10,000 OHOP grant would allow the YMCA to buy 15 new stationary bikes, enabling an increase in class size and opening the possibility of adding more classes each week.
Sponsors underwrite the cost of the annual OHOP gathering, during which members cast their votes; this allows each member’s entire $100 contribution to be awarded in grant funding.
Sponsors of the 2018 Open Hearts, Open Purses award night are: Community Hospital Anderson, St. Vincent Anderson, Citizens State Bank, First Merchants Cor., dentist Jennifer A. Neise, Edward Jones offices of Marly Hardy and Dustin Pennington, the Voss Family and Pendleton Town Court.
Any woman who still wishes to join Open Hearts, Open Purses may do so by contacting the South Madison Community Foundation at 765-778-8444.