Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Greene County Senior Citizens’ Services Tax Fund Board announced a new partnership that will create an $80,000 grant pool to fund projects or programs that will improve the health, nutrition and quality of life for Greene County residents ages 60 and above.

The grant cycle is open to agencies with 501(c)3 or equivalent non-profit status, such as faith-based or government organizations. Applications may be made for any amount up to the full amount of the grant pool. Grant applications will be considered each quarter with the first deadline at 5 p.m., Thursday, March 15, 2012. The grants will be awarded on Monday, March 26.

The Greene County Senior Services Fund Board was created after county voters in 2005 approved a levy of $0.05 per $100 of assessed valuation to provide services to residents aged 60 and over. The Tax Board is using $40,000 of its overall revenue to partner on this grant round. The CFO is matching those funds with $40,000 in private charitable dollars designated by donors for similar grantmaking goals for seniors.

The application form and instructions are available at: http://www.greenecountymo.org/senior_fund.

This grant cycle represents a new partnership between the two organizations. Preference will be given to proposals for innovative projects to improve the well-being of seniors in Greene County, said Denny Pilant, vice-chair of the Greene County Senior Citizens’ Services Tax Fund Board. The seven-member Tax Fund Board, which is appointed by the Greene County Commission, will consider the proposals each quarter as long as funding remains available.

About 30 residents of southern Missouri’s Ripley County kicked off their “Strengthening Our Communities” project this week with a frank discussion about how to balance growing the local economic base with maintaining the character that draws people to the heart of the Current River.

The civic leaders and interested citizens hold dear the heritage of the river, protected as a national treasure for its wide, clean waters that draw paddlers and create a tourism base. They know some residents in Doniphan and the surrounding area would just as soon leave things as is. But they also want to stem the population losses in recent Census reports, and the loss of talented young people, by creating more jobs and opportunities.

That’s why a group of Ripley County leaders applied for the CFO’s new “Strengthening Our Communities” initiative in which two communities were selected for a 12- to 18-month strategic planning process that will yield a blueprint to move the community forward. The CFO is partnering with University Extension and the USDA Rural Development, which will guide Ripley County and a Joplin-area coalition through this planning process.

As they talked about their reasons for wanting to participate, the residents said they want to create a better environment for their kids and grandkids so they’ll consider staying around after high school, as well as improve the standard of living for those living in poverty and the high seasonal unemployment related to River tourism.

“We’ve got room for improvement,” said Russ French, an insurance agent who is helping coordinate the meetings. “We need to figure out how to maximize ourselves without stepping on toes.”

Mary Ann Curry, who is being honored as Doniphan’s Citizen of the Year this week, moved to the area from Los Angeles in 1974. She and her husband raised Charolais cattle, later moved to Arizona,  and then returned to Doniphan in 1997 where they opened up an eight-lane bowling alley.

She said she personally went around to recruit participants for this week’s initial meeting for the project. She wants to see more join the effort because she thinks Doniphan has a lot going for it if it will make this effort.

The next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m, Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Chamber of Commerce office.

It’s common for grandparents to financially help their children and grandchildren when needs arise. Sam and Missy Frink of Hermann, Mo., are taking the help a step farther and establishing a fund that will help autistic children through the Gasconade County R-I School District, to be administered by the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area, Inc.

Sam and Missy Frink present a $10,000 gift to the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area at a recent luncheon. At right is Dr. Chris Neale, superintendent of Gasconade County R-1 Schools and chair of the CFHA board.

Sam and Missy have a grandchild, Wyatt, who resides in Texas and is autistic. He has very supportive parents and is in a good school district, so there isn’t much more they can do to help. So they decided to help locally. The Frinks are establishing Wyatt’s Fund, which is designated to support the Gasconade County R-1 School District. The fund will provide financial assistance for services for children with autism spectrum and/or sensory integration disorders.

In addition to the $10,000 gift to establish the fund, the Frinks have also put up a $5,000 1-to-1 matching grant for the fund, for a total of $20,000.

Gasconade County R-1 Superintendent Chris Neale, who is also Board Chair for the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area, Inc., told the local paper, the Advertiser-Courier, that the district is grateful for the Frinks’ thoughtful and very personal gift. You can read the Hermann Advertiser-Courier story here.

Sam Frink is a former Gasconade County School District board member, Missy is a former teacher, and Sam was also involved with the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area at its inception.

Wyatt’s Fund is a component fund of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area, Inc., an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.