The Outer Banks Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved $47,700 in community enrichment grants in the first quarter to four nonprofit organizations, supporting addiction treatment and recovery, youth and youth programs. education, historic preservation and children’s health and welfare.
This is the first of four rounds of Community Enrichment Grants awarded this year; over $200,000 in funding is available through this grant program in 2022. Applications have been received from the Saving Lives Task Force, OBX Go Far, Ocracoke Preservation Society, and Water’s Edge Village School. All four nonprofits have secured funding.
The Saving Lives Task Force has operated since 2014 to address substance abuse and addiction, tackling the problem strategically in five areas: assess, prevent, reduce harm, connect to care, and track and measure. The non-profit organization received a $2,950 grant from the Community Foundation to provide weekly life skills training workshops to people in recovery. Life skills training offers tools and information to build self-esteem and achieve greater independence, which can help prevent relapse. This training series is a new program for the group. Topics will include nutrition, stress and pain management, finances and healthy relationships. The task force indicated that there is a lack of insurance and other forms of support for life skills training.
OBX Go Far’s volunteer mentors help children learn to run and compete. Their six-week programs for elementary and middle school children also include life lessons on responsibility, goal setting, attitude, commitment, and respect. A Community Foundation grant of $19,750 will allow the group to reach more Dare families by supporting an updated bilingual website and covering program costs for many participants. “Due to the pandemic, the majority of our families are now in need of help, and we are here to serve them,” wrote Samantha Brown, Executive Director of OBX Go Far/Director of Dare County After-School Enrichment.
Ocracoke Preservation Society is restoring the historic Odd Fellows Lodge, a 1901 two-story wood frame building located on an acre of land near the center of Ocracoke Village. The lodge has served many purposes over the years, including as the island school, US Navy lookout, and most recently as the Silver Island Inn. The Society’s vision is for the first floor of the restored pavilion to serve as a welcome center for visitors to the island; the second floor will house non-profit administrative offices. A $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation for the renovation of the roof will help support the restoration project.
Water’s Edge Village School in Corolla teaches 44 children, promoting learning in this small community and saving students more than four hours of daily commuting to other schools in Dare and Currituck. The school has a student waiting list, but lacks space to accommodate more students and is undertaking a fundraising campaign to increase capacity. A $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation will help the growing school purchase technology and equipment for the classroom.
“The Community Enrichment Grants process offers nonprofits the opportunity to apply for funds from an unrestricted grant pool that has grown significantly over the years,” said the President and CEO. Community Foundation executive, Chris Sawin. “We encourage nonprofit leaders to contact us any time of the year to discuss their plans, so we can work together to address both urgent needs and promising opportunities.”
Grant applications are submitted to the Community Foundation via an online grants link. Organizations interested in applying for grants should contact Sawin to discuss their project before submitting an application.
The next round of Community Enrichment Grant applications are due before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 29.
For more information, visit obcf.org or call 252-261-8839.
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