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Millennium Fund for Children awards $40K in grants

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Akron Community Foundation's Millennium Fund for Children recently awarded 24 grants totaling $40,300 to children's programs throughout the Greater Akron area. The community foundation's board of directors ratified the grants at its Dec. 3 meeting, bringing the Millennium Fund's cumulative grantmaking to nearly $900,000. 

A partnership of the Akron Beacon Journal and Akron Community Foundation, the Millennium Fund for Children began in 1999 when local residents donated their last hour's pay of the millennium to support children's causes in the next century and beyond. Since then, thanks to gifts of all kinds and sizes, the endowment has grown to nearly $1.3 million and awarded more than 580 grants to programs that meet children's basic needs, teach important life skills, enrich students' lives through visual and performing arts, and much more. Grants support children's programs throughout the Beacon Journal/Beaconjournal.com's audience coverage area. 

To donate to the Millennium Fund for Children, visit www.akroncf.org/give/millennium. Or, for information about making gifts of appreciated securities, real estate, retirement assets or life insurance, call Akron Community Foundation at 330-376-8522.  

The following grants were awarded from the fund this year: 

  • ACCESS, to support the Focus on the Future Program, which builds individualized success plans for children living in the organization's shelters, $2,000 
  • Art Sparks, to support summer pop-up classes for Akron and Cuyahoga Falls families, $1,000 
  • Battered Women's Shelter, for the Youth Advocacy Program to reduce the traumatic impact of this crime on children through specialized crisis intervention and a continuum of enrichment activities, $2,000 
  • Bhutanese Community Association of Akron, to support a public speaking program for Bhutanese youth in Summit County, $1,400 
  • Caring for Kids, for the STARS (Special Thanks, Accolades and Recognitions) program to provide foster children with special recognition during birthdays and achievements, $2,000 
  • CASA Board Volunteer Association, to provide winter coats for abused and neglected children in Summit County, $2,000 
  • Christ Child Society of Akron, for the Layette Program, which provides new mothers with educational materials and basic needs for newborn care, $1,000 
  • Forever R Children, to provide Innes Community Learning Center students with backpacks for school supplies, $1,600 
  • Good Samaritan Hunger Center, to expand the Kids Bag Program and provide nutritional meals to 12 additional Akron Public Schools, $2,000 
  • Jump On Board for Success, to create an early childhood education program to provide job training and child care, $2,000 
  • Leadership Medina County, to support the Junior Leadership Medina County program to engage high school students, $1,000 
  • Limitless Ambition, to provide at-risk girls in Summit County with Dream Kit care packages, including educational materials for self-empowerment, $2,000 
  • Live Inspired, to provide early learning specialists for Medina County children and parents in need, $1,300 
  • Medina County Police Activities League, to offer field trips to 3rd-5th grade MCPAL participants, $1,500 
  • Rape Crisis Center, to support trauma therapy for sexually abused youth, $2,000 
  • RePlay for Kids, to provide remote learning toys and therapy to disabled children in Summit County, $1,000 
  • Ronald McDonald House Akron, to provide boxed lunches to parents of children being treated at Akron Children's Hospital, $1,000 
  • South Street Ministries, to support The Bike Shop, which allows youth and adults to earn a bike by repairing donated bicycles, $2,000 
  • Stewart's Caring Place, to support the Kids Cancer Wellness Art Program, which provides children on their cancer journey with art and art projects, $2,000 
  • Students With A Goal (SWAG), to provide collaborative, out-of-school mentoring for students in grades 6-12, $2,000 
  • Victim Assistance Program, to support 24/7 crisis intervention for children victimized by crime and trauma, $2,000 
  • Victory Gallop, to replace 20-year-old playground equipment used for equestrian therapy for children with special needs, $1,500 
  • Weathervane Community Playhouse, to provide theater program scholarships for students from low-income families, $2,000 
  • The Well Community Development Corporation, to provide Mason Community Learning Center students, families and teachers with year-round academic, housing and career programming, $2,000 

About the Millennium Fund for Children
The Millennium Fund for Children is a permanent endowment that was founded in 1999 as a partnership between Akron Community Foundation and the Akron Beacon Journal. It supports arts, civic, education, and health and human services projects for children living in the Akron Beacon Journal/Beaconjournal.com's audience coverage area. Its mission is to make grants where even a small amount can make a difference. Since its establishment, the Millennium Fund has grown to nearly $1.3 million and awarded nearly $900,000 in grants. Last year, contributions totaling more than $50,000 from hundreds of generous donors added to the fund. For more information, or to contribute to the Millennium Fund for Children, visit www.akroncf.org/Millennium, text Millennium to 41444, or call 330-376-8522.  

About Akron Community Foundation 
Celebrating 66 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of nearly $290 million with a growing family of more than 760 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation's funds have awarded more than $201 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.akroncf.org

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