October 2012 Satch Grant

After finally stabilizing following our kitchen fire in late February we are once again able to offer our Satch Grants to community non-profits.  Regretfully the fire caused us to miss two grant cycles - our apologies to those of you who hoped for consideration during that period.

The good news is that we are able to extend the number of grants we've chosen to award from three to five for the third quarter grant cycle due to our increased sales after the fire. 

This quarter we've chosen to award five Satch Grants to the following organizations:

The Repurpose Project, a new creative reuse center that has a Reuse Art Supply Store/Junk Shop, a Repurpose Art Gallery and a Creative Work Space.  The project emphasizes environmental education and it's associated benefits.  The Repurpose Project was seeking funds to establish 501(c)3 status in order to apply for grants to expand their hours and increase services to the community.  Check them out - they're a great asset to the Gainesville community!

Ms. Kimberly Cook from Irby Elementary School to establish a Spanish library so that Spanish speaking parents have the ability to borrow these books in order to read to their children.  Her hope is to foster literacy skills that transfer to English. 

Grow Radio for the purchase of equipment to enable the projects currently being produced for the station.  The equipment will grant Grow freedom to explore and develop more projects like the Conch, Gainesville's storytelling project and Loud in the Library, a program that films and records artists performing live in the music library for Grow Radio.  This blogger just happens to be addicted to Grow Radio.  They are another vital part of the Gainesville community.

Balance 180 to cover part of the expenses associated with organizing the culminating event for their Special Olympics Young Athletes Program.  The goal of the culminating event is to allow the children to showcase their newly learned skills, improve their confidence and raise awareness of disabilities within the community.

The Peace Paper Project that will be facilitated through Shands Arts in Medicine Program the week of October 29 - November 2.  The papermaking workshops will introduce the healing capacity of processing significant or traumatic events related to mind and body health through Peace Paper. 

Congratulations to those of you who received grants this quarter.  Grants will be awarded early next week.  And thanks to all those that took the time to apply.  As always, we encourage you to re-submit grants if you did not receive one this cycle.  We are honored to be a part of the great work you all do for our community.

January 2012 Satch Grant

The three organizations chosen to receive our $500 SatchGrant this quarter are:

*The Center for Independent Living for their group job shadowing event in order for their students with disabilities to take tours of the Hippodrome State Theatre and The Florida Museum of Natural History so that they can gain experience with jobs in the arts and communication field.

*The Sequential Artists Workshop to furnish their workshop so that they can provide a space to educate students in the art of visual storytelling, support creative investigation, exploration and excellence in cartooning and to promote literacy in sequential art.

*The Center for Breastfeeding and Newborns for their workshop series at their Eastside Family Practice Clinic on Waldo road in order for them to provide attendance incentive to African American women that attend their clinic.

Thank you all for your applications.  We love the opportunity to be a part of such great organizations working for positive change in our community.  The organizations listed above will receive awards next week.  And as always, we encourage those organizations that did not receive an award to apply for our upcoming quarterly grant due on March 31, 2012.