Community Foundation of the Ozarks

In an effort to help more Joplin tornado survivors return to permanent homes, the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri today opens applications for a $2.5 million grant cycle with a priority on affordable housing proposals.

The CFSWMO, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, will give preference to proposals that will increase the availability of new or rehabilitated affordable housing located in Joplin or Duquesne.

The application form is available online at: www.formstack.com/forms/CFO-cfswmotornado. The application deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. Applications for other proposals also will be accepted, with preference given to housing needs. The application process is open to 501(c)3 and other IRS-recognized non-profit and charitable groups, such as faith-based organizations.

This grant cycle is made possible by the generosity of donors to the Joplin Recovery Fund administered by the CFO and CFSWMO; the Lilly Endowment, Inc.; the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation; and a $500,000 grant awarded Wednesday evening by The Home Depot Foundation in conjunction with the re-opening of the Joplin store destroyed in the May 22, 2011 tornado.

“The survivors of the May tornado cannot continue their journey toward recovery if they are still living in government-provided trailers or doubling up with family or friends,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “With thousands of homes destroyed on May 22, we recognize that affordable housing is one of the highest-priority needs and one where philanthropy can help address that particular gap in the housing market.”

This is the second grant cycle available for the Joplin Recovery Fund, which the CFO/CFSWMO opened on May 23 to accept donations for mid- to long-term recovery needs. Since then, $300,000 has been awarded to 18 non-profit agencies.

For more information about the Joplin Recovery Fund, and other funds established by private donors for Joplin’s relief and recovery efforts, visit: www.joplinrecoveryfund.org. Donations to the Joplin Recovery Fund can be made online at: www.cfozarks.org/donate; or by mail to: Community Foundation of the Ozarks, P.O. Box 8960, Springfield, MO, 65801.

Joplin residents celebrated another milestone on their journey toward recovery with a grand re-opening of the Home Depot store, one of the sites hardest hit on May 22 when the tornado claimed the lives of an employee and several customers and destroyed the store.

Just as the Atlanta-based retailer had resolved to rebuild its own store, it also reinforced its commitment to rebuilding Joplin with The Home Depot Foundation awarding a $500,000 grant to the Joplin Recovery Fund. That funding will be included in a new housing grant cycle to be announced Jan. 12  by the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc., the CFO’s largest affiliate.

“On May 22, we had a disaster that struck this community and we are part of this community,” said Ann Marie Campbell, president of Home Depot’s Southern Division. “As leaders and managers, there is no script to deal with that size of disaster. It continues to be one of the toughest things we’ve had to deal with as a company.

“That’s why we’re here today because of the spirit of this community that says there is hope; there is resiliency,” she said.

CFSWMO board members and CFO staff associate Michelle Ducre accepted the ceremonial check for $500,000 before store manager Steve Cope led the “ribboncutting” – actually powersawing a long board functioning as a ribbon.

“Wow, a half million to our community along with the commitment to come back,” Ducre said, in thanking Home Depot.

With flourishes including cheerleaders, a drum corps, a Color Guard, Home Depot leaders treated customers a a drop of hundreds of balloons filled with slips of paper to redeem for gifts, cupcakes, and grand re-opening sales throughout the store.

But the tragedy won’t stay far from the minds of employees and customers; at the store’s front entrance is a fountain and a stone marker “in remembrance of the lives lost, and to a future of rebuilding in their memory.”

Kids in all-day kindergarten and first grade at four Springfield schools will now have an afternoon milk break to help maintain their energy for learning through the pilot “Healthy Half Pints” project funded by a philanthropic coalition.

“Healthy Half Pints” will provide a half pint of milk each afternoon to about 420 students at Sunshine, Delaware, Mark Twain and McGregor elementary schools. These schools have at least 50 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced- price lunch and do not currently offer an afternoon snack program.

The Musgrave Foundation brought this issue to the attention of a coalition of private Springfield philanthropic foundations convened periodically by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. After planning with Springfield Public Schools during the fall semester, Musgrave, the Pendleton Family Foundation, North Point Church and the CFO agreed to fund the $10,000 cost to pilot the four-school project during the spring semester beginning this week. Read more… »