The Golden Belt Community Foundation recently completed its competitive grant cycle and awarded $18,155.26 to charitable agencies and projects in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties. 
Twenty-nine applications were received with agencies requesting over $71,000 in funding. Programs or projects must demonstrate need and show how the program will benefit the communities of the Golden Belt. Programs that established new or fostered existing collaborations among various groups or organizations also were considered favorably.
Since its inception, over $1.2 million has been reinvested into charitable projects and agencies of the Golden Belt.  The recipients are:
Grants made possible through the Kansas Health Foundation Youth Fund: $595  Great Bend Children’s Learning Center to purchase a permanent shade structure for the infant and toddler playground;  $700  U.S.D. 496 Pawnee Heights Junior High School to purchase science equipment and supplies for the junior high lab; $1,500 U.S.D. 495 Fort Larned Middle School to purchase mounting hardware for LCD projectors in the Larned Middle School classrooms; $2,500 Great Bend Zoological Society to purchase plants for the native butterfly, bee and hummingbird conservation garden; $1,262.26  Sunflower Early Education Center to purchase a Smart Board to provide an up-to-date resource/training site at EEC; $1,968 U.S.D. 495 Fort Larned Elementary School to purchase magazine files for the Read to Self program for kindergarten through fourth grade; $1,000 D.A.R.E. Great Bend Police Department to fund a “Pay it Forward” program designed to meet urgent needs of kindergarten through high school students in Great Bend; $500 Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library to purchase knitting kits, needles and yarn for the after school knitting club; $525 Barton County Extension Service to purchase the Organwise Guys Nutrition Program materials to introduce the importance of making healthy food choices to all first graders in Barton County; $105 U.S.D. 495 Fort Larned Elementary School to purchase math vocabulary cards to teach vocabulary and terminology used on the Kansas State Assessment; $900 Stafford Education Foundation to purchase Geofitness exercise equipment for the fitness class and groceries for the cooking and nutrition class for the kindergarten through 8th grade STARS after school program; $600 U.S.D. 395 Lacrosse Schools to purchase iclickers designed as an interactive, hand-held tool that allows students to answer questions with a click of a button.
Grant made possible through the Pawnee County Fund: $300 Welcome Inn Senior Center to replace the back storm door of the Welcome Inn.
Grant made possible through the Barton County Fund and the Golden Belt Community Improvement Fund: $200 First United Methodist Church of Hoisington, Parish Nurse/Health Ministry Team to purchase supplies for a community garden.
Grants made possible through the Albert Gumbir Charitable Fund: $2,500 Barton County Emergency Aid Association to support services for families and individuals who are experiencing emergency financial situations; $2,500 Clara Barton Hospital to purchase compression bandages and garments not covered by insurance for lymphedema patients in financial hardship; $500 St. Francis Community and Family Services, Inc. to purchase food, rent Camp Aldrich and buy gifts for the SFCS foster child family Christmas Party.
At $6.3 million in total assets and over 100 funds under management, the Golden Belt Community Foundation has been helping donors fulfill their charitable wishes since 1996. For more information about the Golden Belt Community Foundation, call (620) 792-3000 or see their website at www.goldenbeltcf.org.