Medina County Community Fund awards $45,700 in grants

Grants support local causes that enrich the quality of life for all Medina County residents.

The Medina County Community Fund of Akron Community Foundation recently awarded $45,700 to 15 local nonprofit organizations. This year’s round of grants represents the largest amount awarded in a single year by the fund, bringing its cumulative grantmaking total to more than $600,000.

This year’s funding includes a $5,000 grant to Medina Cares to support underserved residents with temporary financial assistance during medical crisis situations. Medina Cares provides aid for expenses including rent, utility bills, transportation, medicine, groceries and more. The current pandemic has created an overwhelming need for the organization’s services.

"Throughout the next two years, this funding will allow us to increase our financial support by $250 for 15 clients," said Gregory Nichols, president of Medina Cares. "The additional aid will help pay for important expenses during these difficult times."

In addition, the fund awarded an impact grant of $13,060 to the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits of Akron Community Foundation to rapidly provide flexible resources to area nonprofit organizations that are working on the front lines of educating, engaging and supporting individuals impacted by COVID-19, including Medina County residents.

To date, the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits has rapidly granted more than $450,000 to community-based organizations, including $33,000 to Medina-specific nonprofits such as Cathy’s House, the Lodi Family Center, Medina Creative Housing, Operation Homes, Project: LEARN of Medina County, and Recovery Center of Medina County.

"Funding from the Medina County Community Fund has allowed us to bolster our COVID-19 relief efforts within Medina County," said John Garofalo, vice president of community investment at Akron Community Foundation. "We’ve also benefited from the fund’s community knowledge and funding recommendations for grantees in the Medina area."

Other grants from the Medina County Community Fund this year will support local causes that enrich the quality of life for all Medina County residents. The following is a full list of organizations receiving grants in 2020:

• Autism Society of Greater Akron, to support activities, workshops, community-based engagement and more initiatives for Medina County individuals and families affected by autism, $1,000
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina & Stark Counties, to support one-to-one community and school-based mentoring for at-risk Medina County children, $1,000
• Child Guidance & Family Solutions, to support the Toddlers & Preschoolers Succeeding (TAPS) Program in Medina County, $1,500
• Community Response Fund for Nonprofits of Akron Community Foundation*, to rapidly provide flexible resources to area nonprofit organizations that are working on the front lines of educating, engaging and supporting individuals impacted by COVID-19, including Medina County residents, $13,060
• Community Legal Aid Services to support critical, legal assistance to underserved Medina County residents, $5,000
• Friends of Medina County District Library, to support youth literacy in Medina County through summer reading programs, $1,500
• Main Street Medina, to raise visibility and awareness of Medina County nonprofit and social service agencies, $1,500
• Matthew 25 Coalition, to support the transportation assistance program, providing auto fuel vouchers, vehicle repairs, assistance with insurance fees and more services for underserved Medina County residents, $4,000
• Medina Cares, to support underserved Medina County residents with temporary financial assistance during medical crisis situations, $5,000
• Medina County Arts Council, to support Arts Week 2020, providing unique, engaging and culturally diverse art experiences for attendees of all ages within Medina County, $1,000
• Medina Raptor Center, to support nature-based education programs for Medina County youth, $2,000
• Oaks Family Care Center, to support youth outreach and family building programs for Medina County residents, $3,140
• ORMACO, to provide free, after-school music programs in conjunction with the Medina County Police Activities League, $1,500
• Stewart’s Caring Place, to support cancer wellness services for Medina County residents, $2,000
• United Way of Medina County, to support the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library program to increase youth literacy in Medina County, $2,500