Urgent Needs grants help support Charlevoix County community efforts
CHARLEVOIX COUNTY — The Charlevoix County Community Foundation made 13 Urgent Needs grants to area nonprofits in 2023, totaling $83,447.
For first responders and law enforcement agencies:
Beaver Island EMS purchased a triage kit and wireless headsets, which are improving emergency medical care and response for Beaver Island residents
St. James Township used funds to implement an emergency training exercise last spring, hosted by the Charlevoix County Sheriff's Department with support from 10 other local, state and federal agencies to better prepare for emergencies
BASES provided first responders with acute crisis counseling to lower their trauma response, reduce their long-term stress and increase their job retention
Resort-Bear Creek Fire Department, serving Bay Shore to connect to Charlevoix County, was able to purchase two new AEDs and one new piece of radio communications equipment
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The Urgent Needs grants also addressed food insecurity in Northern Michigan:
A grant to Manna Food Project helped to fund their Food 4 Kids backpack program, which delivered 21,000 backpacks full of nutritional food to kids throughout Charlevoix County last year
The Health Department of Northwest Michigan used grant funds to inform Charlevoix County SNAP participants about using SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks at local farmers markets
Grant funds also helped Good Neighbors Food Pantry purchase a new trailer with a braking system to stock their Boyne City food pantry shelves each week
The Northmen Den Youth Pantries provided access to 360 students at Round Lake Education Center with a reliable source of supplemental, high-quality food for disadvantaged middle and high school youth and their families
Health and human services organizations also got a boost of funding from Urgent Needs grants last year:
The Serenity House - Alano Club of Charlevoix, which serves people of all ages who struggle with addictions, was able to purchase a new AED unit and provide training for volunteers and program participants, to help their clients in an emergency
Grant funds to Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan provided assistance for foster and adoptive children and families as they arose, helping them to maintain or access food, shelter, safety, health care, mental health services, transportation and more
Boyne City Middle School received support for the Winter Outwear Assistance Program to provide warm outwear for students and families in need
The Salvation Army of Petoskey got support for their Emergency Financial Assistance Program to provide aid for individuals or families experiencing a financial crisis by helping with heat, electricity, water, shelter and other basic needs
A grant to Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan for their Family Support Program provided food, lodging and transportation to Charlevoix County families experiencing a health emergency
For more information about the grantmaking process, establishing a fund or making a gift to the Urgent Needs Fund, contact the Charlevoix County Community Foundation at (231) 536-2440, or online at c3f.org.
The Community Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals for the Community Priorities grant cycle. This cycle responds to a wide variety of needs in Charlevoix County and the organizations that make that work possible. Applications for Community Priorities grants will be due on May 1, 2024.
C3F welcomes inquiries about applying for grants anytime by emailing Ashley Cousens at acousens@c3f.org.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Urgent Needs grants help support Charlevoix County community efforts
