Golden Belt Community Foundation announces that $18,750 was recently awarded for grants that benefit communities in the Golden Belt area.
The Golden Belt Spring Community Building Grant supports a wide variety of needs in Barton, Pawnee, Rush and Stafford counties that serve the community at large, including but not limited to: quality of life improvements; arts and culture; enhancing community destination points; charitable economic opportunity; planning and development. Favorable projects leverage matching funds for greater community impact.
The eight community projects awarded funding were:
$5,000 Barton Arts Movement
Amos Bayer Fund, Arts and Culture and John A & Doris F Graham Memorial Fund: The Barton Arts Movement is a grassroots initiative that inspires community art and design. Barton County has a rich selection of community murals, most are nearly 20-years old. This grant will provide startup costs which include a website, QR codes, social media marketing and new community engagement. Additional mini murals in Claflin, Ellinwood, Great Bend, and Hoisington along the way.
$1,300 City of Larned
Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative Fund, Kansas Health Fund, Amos Bayer Fund: The community garden in Larned started with a grant from Golden Belt Community Foundation in 2009 as well as the Kansas Health Foundation is 2010. Volunteers have plans to plant 600 tomatoes, 200 peppers, 2,000 onions, 250 pounds of potatoes and countless seeds. This grant will provide a “Quick Greens Harvester” which will allow spinach and lettuce to be harvested in just a few minutes, three tractor scoots allowing older adults to help pick vegetables and additional signage and some added irrigation pipe.
$1,500 Stafford Economic Development
Amos Bayer Fund: Stafford Economic Development would like to offer Empowerment Training to at-risk populations to strengthen their communities and workforce. This is a life skills training that goes beyond just behavior but creating a shift in thinking and attitude that empowers individuals to be more successful at work and life. This grant will provide funding toward the total program cost.
$1,500 Hoisington Recreation Commission
Amos Bayer Fund: The Hoisington Recreation Commission is revitalizing its ballparks to allow Hoisington the ability to host tournaments. It has already replaced two fields, making them 200-foot fields for this purpose. The Rec is adding bleachers and planting new grass for the fields. This grant will go toward the grass seed.
$2,600 Great Bend Public Library
KHF Children’s Health Endowment Fund: The Great Bend Public Library is revamping its Teen Spot. It is bursting at the seams with teens that come to hang out at the library. Extra space is needed to allow these teens to come and utilize programs, participate in activities and do homework. This grant will help in the purchase of additional tables, additional seating, and a mobile circulation desk to replace a very large stationary one. Some of the old furniture in the Teen Spot will be moved to the children’s area to be repurposed.
$2,500 Fort Larned Elementary
KHF Children’s Health Endowment Fund: Fort Larned Elementary School’s Resilience Team is providing conscious discipline training to its colleagues. Conscious discipline is based on four essential principles: Conscious Discipline Brain State Model, Seven Powers for Conscious Adults, Creating the School Family and Seven Skills of Discipline. This grant will provide the next level of training and professional development for the Fort Larned Elementary teachers and staff to continue to implement this program into the schools and help the children grow emotionally, socially, and academically.
$2,500 Hillside Envisions – Pawnee Co. Inc.
KHF Children’s Health Endowment Fund: The playground at Hillside Envisions, formerly Hillside Elementary, is adding play equipment for children ages 2-5. It is currently appropriate for children ages 5-12. The first step of the playground upgrade will be to add swings and slides and appropriate play fixtures. Additional benches for parents and families will be added as well. This will allow smaller children a place to come and play with their families. This grant will provide funding toward the total cost of the project.
$1,850 Central Kansas Partnership
KHF Children’s Health Endowment Fund: Barton County is building a new youth coalition program. The youth membership will be inclusive for ages 14-19 and that membership will elect a leadership team. They will meet regularly throughout the school year and will be afforded opportunities such as a voice in the community, meeting new people, real community change, letters of recommendation, scholarship opportunities and paid internships. This grant will provide funding for the startup marketing, deliverables, and printing.
