Racine Community Foundation awards $91,000 in grants

The Board of Directors of the Racine Community Foundation recently announced the fourth quarter grants to area organizations totaling $91,503.

The Racine County Historical Society and Museum, Inc. received a grant for the development and acquisition of educational program materials and exhibit structures in support of the Racine Heritage Museum’s 2010-2011 curriculums, with an emphasis on land, water and sky. The exhibits will include large-scale transportation technologies—autos, tractors and boats.

A partial grant was made to Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC) to assist in a planning project that will be used toward the purchase and implementation of the business retention and expansion software, "Synchronist." The process concentrates on Plan Challenges that impact job creation through, entrepreneurship, business attraction, and the growth of existing businesses.

The Jane Cremer Foundation received a grant to be used toward the 2010 Racine Women’s Cancer Awareness and Education programs. These free programs will include a community-wide event, a program for the Hispanic community which will be conducted entirely in Spanish, and a program for the African American community which will focus on health issues specific to this ethnicity. Since 1998 approximately 6,300 women and over 1,000 healthcare professionals in Racine County have benefitted from 45 programs to date. Their mission is to educate and empower women to be proactive in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Human Capital Development Corp., Inc houses the First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship Training (FCPAT) is a local collaborative effort to recruit, train and prepare individuals with barriers to employment opportunities, in the building and construction skilled trades for the apprenticeship qualifying test (AQT). FCPAT and the Racine County Workforce Development Center will identify persons to be enrolled in programs offering soft skills and technical training. The ultimate training goal is to place individuals (women, minorities and others) in building/construction trade positions at a family sustaining living wage.

The John XXIII Educational Center received a grant to support a new after-school support program for middle and high school students and their families. The over-arching goal of the support programs, in partnership with the parents, is to enable Racine’s economically challenged students to develop personally socially, emotionally and academically so that they can graduate from high school and be prepared for success as life-long learners and leaders in the Racine community.

Family Service of Racine received a grant to be used specifically for the One Thousand Words, veteran’s art therapy program which supports the healthy recovery of veterans in our community. This program allows any veteran in Racine County to attend weekly, three hour art sessions that include instruction at Spectrum Art Gallery, free of charge. A State-certified, master-degreed therapist works directly with the participants during the sessions to address a number of stress issues. Outcomes of the program are coping skills, the ability to acquire and maintain employment, maintain positive relationships, steady income, appropriate housing and benefits for at least 50 per cent of participants.

Over Our Head Players, Inc. received a partial grant to assist with a project of a Dinner Theater at Festival Hall, Racine, for the production of “Leaving Iowa.” The specific objectives of this grant is to raise awareness and increase attendance during this season, to expand the theatrical experience for their patrons, and to provide the community with a new entertainment experience and partner with and utilize other downtown Racine facilities and organizations.

Racine Montessori Society, Inc., also know as the Racine Montessori School, located in the inner city, received financial support to be used toward the purchase and installation of signage that identifies the Nature Center to the public, seating, as well as matching signage for the solar greenhouse. The school students plan to plant, care for, and maintain the Nature Center to enhance the academic, social and community aspect of their curriculum.

At the request of 211 Racine Information & Referral, City and County of Racine parole & probation officers, and RUSD teachers/guidance counselors, to provide intervention, information, counseling services, a partial grant was made to LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin to be used toward educating, supporting and providing a safe environment for those seeking help in their struggle with their sexual orientation.

A grant was approved to Matthew 25, Ltd – Casa Cesar Chavez toward the support of disadvantaged young people by helping them to better fit into society by introducing them to reading, films and photos. The goal is to enhance their ability to see the world from a different perspective from what they are normally accustomed to see in new images so that their thinking calls much of everything into question.

A grant was awarded to The Racine County Youth Coalition (RCYC) to conduct “profiles of student life: attitudes and behavior survey” from the search institute. This survey will be administered to a maximum of 15,000, 7th through 12th graders in Racine County.

Royal Friends’ Club received a grant to support an ongoing mentoring program specifically for children, ages 7-11, in foster care in Racine County. Royal Family Kids’ Camp (a five day camp in existence for eight years) and Royal Friends’ Club, allow the children to have a sense of hope, purpose and knowledge that people love them. The children are eligible to stay in both programs as long as they are in the foster care system. It should also be noted that both programs are provided free of charge to the children, the foster parents and to the foster care system.

The Town of Norway, located in Western Racine County received a grant to be used toward the continuation of the 10-year Master Plan for Meyer Park. The current projects include a Picnic Shelter and completion of our baseball field backstop with additional tree planting for the spring of 2010. The construction of both the shelter and backstop are planned for spring of 2010. The shelter size is going to be approximately 40 feet by 40 feet which would be used by our summer playground staff as a center of activities to monitor the 150-180 children at summer playground ages 6 to 10 year old.

In other business, Marge Kozina, Executive Director, reported that as of November 30, 2009 the assets of the Racine Community Foundation were $28.8 million. The Board of Directors approved contributions, memorials new funds established and additions to existing funds and other additions totaling $222,358.33. In addition they approved advised, designated, field of interest, scholarship, organization endowment and unrestricted grants totaling $268,267.00.

The Racine Community Foundation, Inc. is a publicly supported, tax-exempt charitable organization formed in 1975. “The mission of the Racine Community Foundation is to encourage and provide opportunities for charitable giving, to manage and distribute the funds in a responsible manner and to enhance the quality of life for the people of Racine County.”

Information about the Foundation and the grant application procedure are available by contacting the Foundation at 262-632-8474 or it’s Website at www.racinecf.org.