April 2011 SatchGrant

We received just five grant applications this quarter.  I'd really love for there to be more submissions.  Though that would make our job more difficult, it's good for us to be exposed to the need in our community.  And that has become the guideline for who we decide to award our grants.  Is the request need based?  Will it benefit the most vulnerable members of our community?  Please consider this not only when writing grant proposal's, but also when submitting them.  Help us understand your organization's specific need.  If you are able to do that successfully, you'll more than likely receive a grant from us.

This quarter we decided to award our three grants to the Displaced Homemaker Program, Buddy Runs Inc. and a teacher at W.W. Irby Elementary School.  The Displaced Homemaker Program offers a multi-faceted and comprehensive program of empowerment and employability skills to help eligible displaced homemakers enter the job market.  Their grant request focused on filling the gap in their clients computer skills.  With our grant, they plan to purchase USB drives as a tool in the computer education process so that clients have easy access to their resume, reference list, practice cover letter, list of local employer Internet sites, job listings and their computer lessons for practice and review.  Buddy Runs Inc. is a non-profit organization that was created to give those that are physically disabled an opportunity to have an experience in which they can participate in runs by being pushed in specially designed wheelchairs.  Their grant request was for cardboard boxes necessary to ship these wheelchairs to races being held in Florida and nationally.  And Ms. Lehtola at W.W. Irby Elementary requested a grant in order to set up a grade level appropriate literacy center at her school.  She will use the grant to purchase monthly books and CD's from Scholastic books to help improve her student's reading skills.

Congratulations to those who received grants this quarter.  Please send information and/or pictures of the program we're funding to satchelsdonation@gmail.com so that I can post it to this blog.  And, as always, we'd like to encourage those who didn't receive grants to reapply for the current cycle with the June 30, 2011 deadline.

Alachua County Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center

EHS Respect Your Date Contest

The Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center spent a week in Alachua County public high schools raising awareness about sexual and interpersonal violence in teen relationships this spring by offering The Fifth Annual 'Respect Your Date Contest'.  They asked for a few gift certificates to give away to students who participated in the contest.  Thanks for bringing this important information to young people in our community.