Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc. announced Monday that its Sharing Success Fund, managed by the Scott Community Foundation, has awarded  $1,000 grants to the Cottonwood Extension District in Great Bend and to Core Community program in Barton County.

For the district, the funds will be used toward the purchase of appliances for a meeting room in the new Extension District office. The meeting room will be used to create an area where youth and adult groups alike can learn nutrition and food preparation, said Donna Krug, district director.

As Krug explains, a variety of other classes taught at the Cottonwood Extension District require the use of a stove and refrigerator, such as Babysitting 101, that strive to improve the quality of life for low-income families in Barton County.

For Core Community, the funds will be used specifically to offset the costs of supplies and curriculum for the program, said Lenard Maxwell, Core Community liaison. “Core Community works to break the cycle of generational poverty in Barton County.”

Weekly programs, including group presentations and personal visits, focus on helping individuals and families build up the resources to lift them out of poverty.

The Scott Community Foundation began formally accepting applications for grants from the Wheatland Electric Sharing Success Fund from non-profit organizations on Dec. 1, 2012.  Wheatland Electric and CoBank have each contributed $10,000 this year to the fund. The program will continue to run until the funds are exhausted.

Non-profit groups interested in receiving funding from the Wheatland Electric Sharing Success Fund can apply online at www.weci.net/sharing-success-program. Questions should be referred to Alli Conine, manager of member services and corporate communications, at 620-874-4563 or aconine@weci.net.