The city of Akron and Akron Community Foundation recently announced matching grants totaling almost $220,000 to 56 community-based programs through the Neighborhood Partnership Program.
The 17-year-old program provides grants to small, neighborhood-based organizations throughout Akron that must match the grants through in-kind and volunteer services, as well as cash donations.
Neighborhood clean-up projects, festivals and youth programs are among the types of initiatives that receive funding.
Grants for 2013 were awarded to the following groups:
Beautification initiatives
• Braewick Drive Club, for beautification efforts at Braewick Circle Community Park in West Akron, $2,500.
• Centenary United Methodist Church, for Operation Springboard, a beautification project for vacant inner-city homes and land, $1,500.
• Downtown Akron Partnership, for flower planters and baskets, $3,000.
• Downtown Akron Partnership, for Green & Clean Day 2013, $3,000.
• Ellet Woman’s Club, for flower baskets and a community sign project, $7,500.
• Firestone Park Home and Garden Club, to amend, plant and maintain the Firestone Park Peace Garden and the newsletter for the garden club, $500.
• Leadership Akron Alumni Association, for a joint beautification project in the Summit Lake neighborhood, $7,500.
• Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry, for a beautification project at OPEN M in South Akron, $3,711.
Community gardens
• Brookshire Garden Group, to establish a community garden in West Akron, $4,000.
• Crestland Park Neighborhood, for a rain garden in West Akron, $3,000.
• Edgewood Village Resident Council, for a community garden, $1,500.
• Let’s Grow Akron Inc., for three youth gardening projects in South Akron, $7,500.
• Living the Legacy, for a food pantry and market garden in University Park, $2,000.
• Ms. Julie’s Kitchen, for a garden project in South Akron, $5,000.
• NEOhaus Institute, to expand the community garden program at Mason school in University Park, $5,000.
Community building
• North Howard Block Watch, for meetings and annual events, $1,000.
• Residents Improving Goodyear Heights Together (RIGHT), for the bimonthly community newsletter and various events, $7,500.
• United Way of Summit County, to cultivate skilled leaders through the Neighborhood Leadership Institute, $7,500.
• West Hill Neighborhood Organization, for neighborhood beautification project, two community events and newsletter, $5,000.
• Williams Challenge, for the Man2Man Program, a fatherhood initiative in West Akron that promotes male responsibility to the family, $2,500.
Festivals, events
• Akron African-American Cultural Association, for its 33rd annual festival, $7,500.
• Akron Community Service Center and the Akron Urban League, for Elegant Evenings, a dinner-dance for senior citizens that spotlights assistance programs in the community, $3,000.
• Blessed Trinity Parish, to create Senior Community, a program of activities and meals in North Hill, $3,000.
• Canal Park Condominium Owners Association, to host a community picnic Sept. 14, $500.
• Caring and Miracles Ministry, for a community outreach parade and festival at Hawkins Park in West Akron, $3,000.
• Charisma Community Connection, for DeBord’s 18th annual Community Halloween Party in Kenmore, $2,000.
• Ellet Woman’s Club, for the Community Summer Festival, $5,000.
• Greater Akron Laos Association, for two Laotian community events in South Akron, $2,500.
• Greater Bethel Community Development Center, for “Past Unforgotten IV,” an African-American musical, $6,000.
• Greater Bethel Community Development Center, for a community jubilee celebration in East Akron, $7,500.
• Heart 4 the City, for a community lunch and free clothing in Goodyear Heights, $1,000.
• Hereford/Highland Block Watch, for a newsletter and community-building events in the Highland Square neighborhood, $3,000.
• Kenmore Board of Trade, for community, holiday and seasonal events, $5,000.
• Kenmore Community Council Inc., for the 22nd annual Kenmore Community Days Festival, $5,000.
• NEO Jazz Orchestra, for a jazz music education and performance series in West Akron, $2,000.
• North Hill Community House, for a neighborhood National Youth Night Out Against Crime event Aug. 6, $2,000.
• Truly Reaching You Ministries, for the Night Out Against Crime event in Highland Square, $2,000.
• Visitation of Mary Parish, for a community health fair in Goodyear Heights, $2,000.
Youth programs
• Alchemy Inc., for school/after-school programming and Summer Mentoring Camp at inner-city schools, $3,000.
• Case Elementary Parent Teacher Association, to provide after-school special programs for grades K-5, including special needs children, $2,000.
• Christian Fellowship Basketball League, for a community youth basketball program in Kenmore and West Akron, $5,000.
• College for Kids, to introduce inner-city youths in grades 4-6 to career curriculum and professionals, $6,000.
• First Presbyterian Church of Akron, for AMPLife Sports Camp, for children ages 8 to 13, $3,000
• Leggett Community Learning Center, to purchase bikes for students with perfect attendance at the North Hill school, $2,500.
• Litchfield Middle School, for the Dancing Classrooms program for eighth-graders, $3,000.
• Miller Avenue United Church of Christ, for TNT Balanced Literacy Tutoring Center in South Akron, $2,500.
• Mon Community of Ohio, to promote good behavior among inner-city youths through Mon literature, language and culture, $2,500.
• North Hill Community House, for enrichment activities for youths ages 6 to 18, $7,500.
• Pearl Foundation, for the Akron Kids Achieving tutoring program at Schumacher Community Learning Center in West Akron, $2,000.
• Project GRAD Akron, for the 2013 Expo for Success event and the Snacks and Educational Fun with Santa program, $6,750.
• South Street Ministries Inc., for an incentive-based education and recreation program for South Akron youths that includes tutoring, gardening and bike riding and repair, $5,000.
• Tennis AllStars Inc., for its 2013 Summer Enrichment Program to teach youths in North Hill the importance of exercise, academics and positive decision-making, $5,000.
• Tennis AllStars Inc., for its 2013 Summer Theater Program, which helps build self-esteem and citizenship among youths living in North Hill, $5,000.
• University Park YMCA, for Make a Splash, a water safety program for youths ages 8 to 12, $6,500.
• West Akron Little League, for the 2013 season, $2,000.
• Woodland United Methodist Church, for the iStrive after-school program in West Akron, $7,500.
For more information about Akron Community Foundation, or to learn more about creating a charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.akroncf.org.