Handbags That Helps Awards $43,000
April 11, 2019
The Handbags That Help women’s giving circle held their annual celebration meeting Wednesday, April 10 and awarded grants totaling $43,600 to five local nonprofits.
- City Mission - $6,739
This grant will support the Family Program at City Mission. The Family Program focuses on families needing housing and support service. Grant dollars will be split three ways: 1. Course curriculum for board and staff development to assist with the recognition of signs of domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, and human trafficking. 2. Funding to purchase wall desks, chairs, backpacks, and school supplies needed throughout the school year as well as furnishings and toys for toddlers to better appoint the reStart family living room. 3. Funding for field trips to provide for the physical and emotional enrichment of the children living at The City Mission. - Findlay Digital Academy - $18,191
The Findlay Digital Academy is an at-risk high school academy that helps 80+ at-risk students graduate from high school. The grant will support hiring two additional mentors/coaches who provide the guidance needed to build on students’ strengths and help them become academically successful. Coaches work one-one-one with students and their parents to support them through their education and connect to services. Coaches meet students at the lab for tutoring and to help with goal setting, developing success plans, etc. with the goal of earning a diploma, maintaining a self-sustaining job and building a strong, stable family within the community. - Habitat for Humanity - $5,054
Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County received a grant to support the critical Home Repair program. This grant will serve 3-5 families by doing urgent, critical repairs on owner occupied properties in Hancock County. The program is an expansion of a program that provides support for low income homeowners who need urgent home repairs such as heating, plumbing, or electrical. The project maintains the fabric of the community by preventing homelessness and by preserving aging homes that are repairable. It strengthens the community by keeping families safely in the familiarity of their own homes and by decreasing the number of blighted structures, condemnations and demolitions. - Hope House - $5,616
Hope House will use its grant money to re-establish the Transportation Fund, which will be used in conjunction with a Vehicle Donation Program (VDP). The VDP accepts donated vehicles to be given to a client or auctioned after examination. The Transportation Fund helps with insurance, license plates, title transfer and repairs. Proceeds from auctioned cars will replenish the Transportation Fund. Having reliable transportation allows individuals to get to work consistently, come in early or work late, have more job opportunities and provides the individual or family with one more critical step toward permanent change and independence. - Jacobs Primary School - $8,000
Jacobs School received funding for intensive on-site teacher and parent training. The purpose of the training is to foster prosocial behaviors and the role models needed to break the cycle of poverty. The two-and-a-half-day training for teachers includes modeling effective behavior modification strategies and individual classroom mentoring. The evening training for parents will teach the skills necessary to bring productivity and peace to their homes. This project builds and expands the foundation established by the student Leader in Me program by providing educators and parents with additional skills and strategies to address volatile student behaviors at school and in the home. The goal of the program is to combine the parent and student training to foster positive and productive relations between families, child, and the schools.
The women’s giving circle is supported by The Community Foundation. HTH is currently accepting memberships for the 2019-2020 year. For more information regarding Handbags That Help, please contact the Foundation at (419) 425-1100 or their website.
