In the second grant round of 2023 the James C. Kingsley Youth Fund, the Youth Advisory Committee Fund, and the Fund for Greater Albion at the Albion Community Foundation, all awarded funds. Each established fund at the Albion Community Foundation supports the Albion community in some way. The Kingsley Youth Fund is in honor of James C. Kingsley, the long serving judge on the Calhoun County, Michigan Circuit Court bench. Kingsley was devoted to justice and community service, as well as passionate about the Albion community. This fund was established to meet Albion’s youth’s needs. The Youth Advisory Committee Fund is advised by the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). The goal of the fund is to support local youth needs through the decisions of young people. The Fund for Greater Albion serves to support projects and programs that will improve the quality of life with the flexibility to respond to the current local needs.
Grantees
Neighborhoods Inc of Battle Creek received $5,000 for their project “Enhancement of Albion Neighborhoods” from the Fund for Greater Albion. “Enhancement of Albion Neighborhoods” allows for homeowners in Albion to request assistance in certain upkeeps of houses within the City of Albion. The Grants and Communications Specialist at Neighborhoods Inc of Battle Creek, Sophia Honkanen stated that the overall goal of the program of enhancing the neighborhoods by “providing opportunities for home improvement grants to low-income homeowners and renters.” As most houses in Albion were built prior to 1978, there are certain needs to ensure housing stability and improvement. Eligible improvements include roof and facia improvements, porch and deck repairs, accessibility modifications, among others. The enhancements create positive change for more than just the homeowner or renter, Honkanen explained that the “opportunity to rehabilitate and enhance the current housing stock, contributes to the overall safety and health of both the home and neighborhood”, as well as stimulates the local economy.
Charitable Union was awarded $1,000 from YAC for their “2023 Back to School” event. This is a clothing distribution event held in August of 2023 for children to receive proper clothing of the school year, allowing each student to start off the school year on the same footing with clothing that fits. The Chief Executive Officer, Teresa Allen, emphasized that the opportunity for shopping for new clothes for school can be a real struggle for some, so this event may provide the only “new” outfit the child has for the new year. The event has created a real impact on the youth. Allen shared a story that has stayed with her since her first year at Charitable Union. One young child “was over the moon with his new socks. You see, he shared his clothing with two brothers, and by the end of the week, there were no socks left. He held his socks tight and told me, ‘these are mine.’”
F
riends of the Bohm Theatre received $2,000 from YAC and $2,000 from the Kingsley Fund, for their “Family Film Saturdays” program, a weekly summer program offering free movies every Saturday at 11AM until August 26th. The movies are family friendly and offer a learning opportunity for children to learn proper theatre etiquette. The free movies not only give a chance to beat the summer heat and allow accessibility to local entertainment, but as Executive Director Shane Williamson stated, “the free movies offer a time for families to spend quality time together, when they may not get the chance.”
INNOVATE Albion was awarded $2,000 from YAC and $1,500 from the Kingsley Fund, for their Greater Albion Area Youth Robotics Program. This grant will support the addition of more robotics teams at INNOVATE Albion. The robotics programs assist with students’ critical skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity all in the realm of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Executive Director Caroline Hurteau stated that they “have seen students who didn’t previously feel they had ‘a place’ in school or sports be intrigued and excited about participating in robotics. We’ve also seen our programming attract families to Albion, even for just a few hours a week, and be delighted by what they see and experience.”
Kids ‘N’ Stuff Children’s Museum received $1,000 from the Kingsley Fund for “Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites”. This is a traveling exhibit designed to provide book-based experiences for children from birth to eight years old. The immersive exhibit will begin in early 2024 with a range of authors and illustrators. The Director of Kids ‘N’ Stuff Katie Gigliotti emphasized the importance of early childhood exposure to reading. As well as how engaging the exhibit is for not only the children, but the parents as well. Stories will include Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.
The last grant deadline at the Albion Community Foundation for 2023 is September 15th at 4PM. Please visit https://albionfoundation.org/grants/ for more information about applying.
