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Up to $15,000 available for programs serving Logan County children under 18
Up to $15,000 in grant money is available through United Way’s unique Youth Allocations program to area organizations that provide services to Logan County youths.
Applications are available by contacting the United Way office (937) 592-2886 or visiting www.uwlogan.org. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Jan. 10.
Applications for any program serving the needs of Logan County children under 18 will be considered.
A total of 25 high school juniors and seniors from Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, Indian Lake and Riverside High Schools and the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center are midway through a year-long leadership development program that serves as a mini-version of the United Way volunteer experience.
Students meet once a month throughout the school year to learn about community needs and how United Way works to address them.
With $15,000 from the 2016 fall United Way campaign set aside for them to work with, they then set parameters to determine how to spend the money, accept grant proposals from local organizations, and allocate the funds.
The students spent their first three meetings becoming familiar with the structure of United Way, its role in the community, and some of the over-arching community needs.
Belletech Corporation, and SpartanNash have hosted the youth volunteers, sharing the impact local businesses have in the community.
Discovery Riders, a United Way-funded agency, also hosted the students so they could see the impact of a United Way program firsthand.
The students discussed issues they see affecting lives in their schools, families, and youth organizations. They identified the areas of drugs and substance abuse; family relationships, domestic violence and divorce and mental health and stress as the biggest issues facing area youths.
But they didn’t wish to restrict applying organizations to programming in just these areas.
United Way of Logan County’s Youth Allocations program is the only one of its kind in the region, giving students actual donor dollars to spend to address issues they self-identify as affecting their segment of the population.
It opens their eyes to community needs, allows them to visit area workplaces and service agencies, and gives them the experience of serving on a volunteer board that makes difficult funding decisions.
It is the mission of United Way of Logan County to facilitate successful agency partnerships that enable a safe, healthy and caring community.
More than just a fundraiser, United Way collaborates with businesses, non-profits, government, and civic organizations to help meet the social service needs of the community.
For more information, visit www.uwlogan.org or call (937) 592-2886.