With funding from the Marajen Stevick Foundation, the Community Foundation distributed $50,000 in grants to six area nonprofit organizations.
The Marajen Stevick Foundation grants offer funding for nonprofit organizations that provide services in three areas: enhancing the lives of senior citizens, beautification of the Champaign-Urbana and surrounding area, and promoting excellence in reading and writing, as was the wish of Mrs. Stevick Chinigo.
Congratulations to the following organizations on their grants:
- $5,000 to Hope Meadows in Rantoul for removal of several of the more than 30 very large dead trees fallen victim to the emerald ash borer.
- $5,000 to Prosperity Gardens in Champaign for landscaping of the N. First Street site of the former police evidence building, and for establishing a honeybee colony on the Beardsley Park site (within the fenced area).
- $5,000 to WorkSource Enterprises in Danville for landscaping of its new 12,000 square foot developmental training facility being built adjacent to its current facility.
- $7,000 to PACE Center for Independent Living in Urbana for demonstration equipment to allow local low-vision seniors to try out adaptive-technology products not currently stocked in the area.
- $10,000 to Illinois Radio Readers to expand the number of hours of airtime of local/regional news, create podcasts for on-demand options for users, and increase the number of receivers from 500 to 600. (See the new video about Illinois Radio Reader)
- $18,000 to Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center (UNCC) for the Intensive Literacy Intervention and Academic Support Program for students in its Afterschool program, School Out Days and summer session to receive individualized literacy improvement services twice weekly.