Hillsboro Community Foundation board members presented grant checks totaling a record $16,900 Feb. 20 to 11 area organizations and programs serving Marion County children and families.

The presentation occurred during halftime of the Hillsboro High School boys basketball game with Hesston.

Of the total, $13,400 came through the Hillsboro Area Impact Fund and was distributed among eight recipient groups; $3,500 came through the Kansas Health Foundation Fund and was awarded to three groups.

Through the eight years HCF has provided grants, $96,200 has been distributed. This was the third year grants were awarded through KHF, which was established about five years ago.

Following are the recipients of this years grants, with an explanation on how the money will be used.

Impact Fund

• Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Marion County: $1,500. “Bigs in Schools” is a program matching children kindergarten through eighth grade who face adversity in their daily lives with carefully screened volunteer mentors. They meet weekly.
• Circles of Marion County: $2,000. An initiative to eradicate poverty by building relationships across class lines, Circles defines persons caught in poverty as leaders, and trains them to lead their families out of poverty.
• Families and Communities Together (FACT): $2,000. The Hillsboro Area Family Financial Assistance Fund serves families that reside in the USD 410 district. Payments will be provided for utilities, rent, medical services or other critical services.
• Chess Guild, kindergarten through 12th grade: $500. The Chess Guild provides students with chess lessons from a chess master, and encourages students to grow in their chess skills. The grant will provide the means for students to compete in area tournaments.
• Hillsboro FFA: $900. The grant will help to fund FFA blue jackets for members. This will allow students access to jackets to wear at chapter banquets, leadership activities, career development events, state and national conventions.
• Main Street Ministries, Inc.: $2,500. The funds will go toward the food bank that serves people less fortunate in the community and surrounding area. Food is provided by donations and purchased at our local grocery store. Records are kept on the families who receive food and recipients are allowed to receive food once every four weeks.
• Parkside Homes, Inc.: $2,500. The grant will fund implementation of an interactive, adaptive computer system that provides person-centered experiences and enhances quality of life utilizing an “It’s Never 2 Late” computer. Residents will use technology that increases social activities, improves staff interaction, stimulates memory recall, and shares information with caregivers. iN2L is designed to inject joy, fun, adventure, challenge and learning into activities and therapy.
• Tabor College, Signature Campaign for The Arts Center: $1,500. The funds for the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts will meet the needs of the college and community as a place of learning, a worship center and enhance the liberal arts education for students.

KHF Fund

• USD 410 After School Program: $1,000. This program is available for first through sixth grade. It provides healthy, enriching and emotionally developing activities for at-risk students who may be without adult supervision.
• City of Hillsboro Recreation Commission: $500. Funds will be used to upgrade summer volleyball camp by purchasing volleyballs that are 25 percent lighter. This will make it easier for beginning volleyball campers.
• Hillsboro Senior Center: $2,000. The funds will be used to replace the heating and air conditioner for the main part of building. The Senior Center serves meals five days a week, averaging 1,823 meals a month.

Don Ratzlaff / Reprinted from the Hillsboro Free Press

Hillsboro Community Foundation board members presented grant checks totaling nearly $16,000 Feb. 14 to 13 area public-service organizations and causes.

The presentation occurred during halftime of the Hillsboro High School boys’ basketball game against Hesston.

This was the second year grants were awarded through the Kansas Health Foundation Fund, which was established about four years ago and has grown through annual contributions to the required $150,000.

The other 10 grants came through the Hillsboro Area Impact Fund.

Following are the recipients of this year’s grants, with an explanation from each organization about its work and its intention for the money.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County, $1,000. Bigs in Schools is a one-on-one mentoring program that matches at-risk children with carefully screened, caring volunteers, many of who are high school students.
• Circles Marion County, $2,000. This initiative to end poverty through relationships between those with low resources and those with adequate resources will establish a second Circles site in 2014.
• City of Hillsboro youth/bowling center, $1,000. The goal of the project is to provide a venue for community youth to spend free time in a safe environment. It also will provide a home for the Tabor College inter-collegiate bowling team and a facility for community bowling leagues.
• Families and Communities Together, $1,000. Through Hillsboro Area Family Financial Assistance Fund, FACT provides emergency financial assistance to families that reside in the USD 410 school district. Payments are used for utilities, rent, medical services or other critical services.
• Hillsboro Elementary School after-school program, $1,000. The program provides healthy, enriching and emotionally developing activities for at-risk students between first and sixth grade who may be without adult supervision. The grant will help continue this service and provide financial assistance for students to participate in community activities.
• Chess Guild (kindergarten through 12th grade), $250. The funds will cover the entry fee for 12 students to participate in the state championship chess tournament.
• Hillsboro Elementary School / Tabor College School-to-Farm, $2,000. This project will serve three student populations: elementary, high school and Tabor College. The funds will help get the project started and acquire a portable henhouse to be able to introduce chickens as the initial farm project.
• Hillsboro Museums, $1,200. The funds will provide “A Day in the One-Room Kreutziger Country School” experience for teachers and students in grades three and four as they study a unit on prairie pioneer days.
• Hillsboro Police K-9 Unit, $500. The funds will be used to pay vet bills, shots, checkups and dog food. The canine plays an important role in fighting crime and battling drug use and sales in Hillsboro and surrounding communities.
• Hillsboro Senior Center, $2,500. The center serves the communities of Durham, Lehigh and Hillsboro. These funds will be used to replace old counter tops in the kitchen. Meals are served five days a week.
• Marion County 4-H Council, $500. This grant will provide funds to send older 4-H youth to a leadership workshop. This will enable the older youth to help the younger 4-H youth develop new skills.
• Marion County 4-H Endowment Fund, $500. This grant will offer larger scholarships enabling more youth the opportunity to attend camp. This will especially help families with multiple children.
• Hillsboro Recreation Commission and Tabor College, $2,500. This grant through the Kansas Health Foundation Fund will provide a touch-pad timing system for the Tabor swim team and Hillsboro Recreation Commission summer youth team. The two entities are working together to purchase the system for practices and meets of both programs. The HRC program serves youth within a 10- to 30-mile radius of Hillsboro. The program normally enrolls 40 to 75 youth for swim team. With the touch-pad system, HRC will be able to host swim meets with fewer volunteers.

Don Ratzlaff / Reprinted from the Hillsboro Free Press