Archive: Around Town

Ithaca, NY - The United Way of Tompkins County board of directors has approved $86,838 in grants to twelve of its partner and affiliate agencies. The Flexible Fund Program was established in 2000 to honor the late T. Merrell Shipherd, a former executive director of United Way of Tompkins County, who believed in providing financial support, to quality programs and services, and to address new and emerging needs in Tompkins County.

More than $32,000 of the fund will contribute toward construction expenses for child care facilities run by the Drop-In Children’s Center, Inc., and Ithaca Community Childcare Center. Both agencies will provide expanded numbers of childcare slots, for after-school care and residents with lower incomes.

Grants totaling $9,000 will fund capital expenses at Challenge Industries, Finger Lakes Independence Center, and Lifelong. For Challenge and FLIC, these capital expenses will help them serve more members of our communities with improved their facilities.

In addition, $35,000 will support new program expenses at the American Red Cross, Tompkins County Chapter, the Human Services Coalition, and The Learning Web. Red Cross will work to expand its reach into targeted communities in Tompkins County to help them prepare for disaster, while The Learning Web will work to increase its economic self-sufficiency with entrepreneurial efforts, and the Human Services Coalition will work to increase the financial strength of health and human service agencies in Tompkins County.

The remaining $10,338 will fund both operating and capital expenses for new initiatives through the Ulysses and Newfield Community Councils, which are volunteer run organizations, to provide emergency utility bill assistance to individuals and families through Catholic Charities of Tompkins County.

The volunteer Flexible Fund Committee, consisting of Phillip McPheron (Cornell University), Steve Adams (Ithaca College), Vicki Kysar (Ithaca Festival), Tara Masters (Tompkins Trust Company), Jean McPheeters (Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce), Barbara West (Community Volunteer, Allocations Vice-Chair), and Lilly Robinson (Cornell University student), reviewed the applications and evaluated them on several criteria, including need, impact, and quality of application.

"The committee, composed of well-informed and dedicated community volunteers, was excited to have the opportunity to consider applications that represented the diverse array of opportunities to help strengthen our local services and programs. We believe these grant awards will make a difference to the people in Tompkins County and the committee members were pleased to have participated in the process," said Flexible Fund Committee Chair, Phillip McPheron.

As United Way celebrates its 85th anniversary, it continues to be at the center of the health and human service network in Tompkins County, helping women, children, and men to improve their lives.

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