Archive: Around Town

The United Way of Tompkins County awarded $5,750 in grants in December 2013 and January 2014.

On December 10, 2013, the Executive Committee of the United Way of Tompkins County approved $4,500 in emergency grants to eight local food pantries and one community meal site. These dollars helped food providers purchase supplies through the end of the year.

This action resulted from United Way’s annual assessment of the state of local food providers. An increase in demand caused many food pantries and community meal programs to run out of funds before the end of the year. The emergency food grants from United Way will bolster the purchasing power of local food providers and enable them to secure essential dairy and protein food stuffs.

Grants were awarded in Tompkins County to: Danby Food Pantry; Dryden Food Pantry; Groton Food Providers; Immaculate Conception Church Food Pantry; Lansing Food Pantry; Baptized Church of Jesus Christ Food Pantry; Trumansburg Food Pantry; McLean Food Pantry; Loaves and Fishes.

These grants were made in addition to the $44,000 distributed to thirteen local food providers through United Way’s 2013 Fall Hunger and Food Security grant cycle. This is part of UWTC’s continued effort to work with community partners to eliminate hunger and food security barriers in Tompkins County.

Additionally, three sets of Christmas Trees were distributed to local agencies through a generous donation from the Target store in Lansing. This is part of Target’s annual Share-a-Tree program in which Target stores nationwide make Christmas trees available to local non-profits through United Way. In addition, over eight large boxes of brand new men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing items were distributed to local agencies through a generous donation from PSP Unlimited.

As a part of New York State’s Volunteer Generation initiative, UWTC and the Regional Volunteer Center of the Southern Tier partners awarded $5,000 in grants to local organizations participating in events during the week of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.  $1,250 in funding was awarded to organizations serving Tompkins County. This diverse group of projects will allow organizations throughout the region to celebrate through community service, volunteer recognition, and education.

Grants awarded in Tompkins County:

• Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga: To have Youth Engagement Services Program participants send cards to Meals on Wheels recipients and volunteer at a community dinner.
• Ithaca College: To host a free lunch with a variety of performances and speakers to celebrate MLK Day in collaboration with the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Cornell University and Beverly J. Martin Elementary School.
• Ithaca Health Alliance: To educate the public about the Ithaca Health Fund and Ithaca Free Clinic in order to help the uninsured and underinsured.
• Social Change in Mind Productions: To host a documentary film screening about bringing positive change to inner city communities.
• Tompkins County Public Library: To have community volunteers and Ithaca College students create an art exhibit celebrating the library’s 150th anniversary.

The Regional Volunteer Center of the Southern Tier is a collaboration which promotes and enhances local volunteer efforts. Working with local nonprofits, the Center’s goal is to build volunteer infrastructure in the region so that more people are able to make a difference. It is led by the Institute for Human Services, United Way of Broome County, and United Way of Tompkins County.

Funding for the MLK National Day of Service mini-grants has been made possible by a grant through the New York State Office of National and Community Service.

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