The Akron Community Foundation has announced $50,000 in new grants that will benefit projects related to the city’s On the Table Greater Akron event.
The event, held in October, gathered thousands of community members to discuss local concerns over a meal.
John Garofalo, vice president of community investment at Akron Community Foundation, said last year’s event invited participants to discuss solutions to five previously identified key issues, including poverty and addiction.
“So when we looked at the grants, we really looked at what organizations were – came up with some pretty unique ideas on how to address those areas, and how do we really bring people together, to kind of continue the conversation forward, which is really what we wanted to do,” Garofalo said.
Some of the nonprofits awarded grants include the Akron Area YMCA, the Autism Society of Greater Akron, the Summit Food Coalition and the West Creek Conservancy.
A full list of grant recipients follows, as outlined in a press release from the Akron Community Foundation.
Akron Area YMCA, for a career exploration program for summer day camp participants in sixth through eighth grade, $2,000
ARC Recovery Services, to provide child care for children whose parents are attending recovery meetings, $2,000
Autism Society of Greater Akron, to provide sensory-friendly movie viewing opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities, $2,000
Better Block Foundation, to encourage cross-cultural connections through a two-part community meal featuring translated panel discussions, $2,000
City of Cuyahoga Falls, to celebrate the diverse cultures of those who live, work and play in Cuyahoga Falls by adding a multicultural festival to the Falls Downtown Fridays event series, which already includes the popular Oktoberfest, Irish and Italian festivals, $2,000
Collide: Cuyahoga Falls, to display curated works by minority artists in local businesses throughout the month of July as part of The Prism Project: Awakening Cuyahoga Falls Through Art, $2,000
ConxusNEO, to work with a consultant who has successfully rehabilitated back into the workforce to identify best practices for hiring candidates with criminal backgrounds, $2,000
Engineers for a Sustainable World, for the development of a bike-powered renewable energy project, $500
Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ, for the Flags of Diversity project, which will celebrate Flag Day in June by covering the church’s yard in flags that represent the ethnic, sexual and gender diversity of people in the community, $2,000
Friends of Metro Parks, to support “Many Voices, One Akron,” a Kenmore program aimed at making the city more welcoming and inclusive, $2,000
Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, for monthly community gatherings in the Middlebury and University Park neighborhoods, $2,000
LEOnARTi LLC, to support neighborhood block parties in Summit Lake, $2,000
LINKS Community and Family Services, for Middlebury Drug Reprieve Day, which will provide a safe space for individuals struggling with addiction to receive resources, on-site counseling, a clean needle exchange, free clothing and personal hygiene items, and a hot meal, $2,000
Main Street Wadsworth, to launch a downtown art mural project, $1,500
Norton Firemen's Association, for the Panther Project, which will bring students together for after-school activities in a safe environment, $2,000
Portage Path Behavioral Health, to create a peer-led outreach program in economically challenged neighborhoods about the benefits of mental health and substance abuse treatment, $2,000
Project GRAD Akron, to support the Bridge to Technology program, which will help parents and caregivers better understand the technology used in schools, $2,000
Proyecto Raices, to empower the voices of refugee and immigrant children through a collection of poems that explore cultural identity, connections to family, and more, $2,000
Revere Community C.A.R.E., to support mental health awareness and substance abuse prevention programs in Revere schools, $2,000
Salvation Army of Summit County, for the Family Engagement: Healthy Eating program, which encourages families to eat nutritious meals by providing them with fresh produce and healthy recipes, $2,000
South Street Ministries, to partner with Conxus to engage local manufacturing, construction and technology companies in conversations about re-entry hiring practices, $2,000
Steel Academy, to partner with Ohio State University Extension, Let’s Grow Akron and Ohio Construction Academy to build an urban garden that students, parents and staff will plant, grow and maintain, $2,000
Summit County Community Partnership, to provide free training sessions for small-business owners that will equip them to identify and support employees with mental health and substance use disorders, $2,000
Summit County Court of Common Pleas, to create an educational video about addiction, its effects on the body, and the stigmas surrounding this issue, $2,000
Summit Food Coalition, to partner with AxessPointe Community Health Centers and Countryside Conservancy to develop a menu of budget-friendly recipes and fresh, local food resources families can use to incorporate nutritious foods into their diet, $2,000
West Creek Conservancy, to identify and revitalize priority green space locations throughout the City of Akron, $2,000
