Baylor University students in the fall “Philanthropy and the Public Good” class presented $54,000 in grants to 10 local nonprofit organizations during a ceremony Tuesday at McLane Stadium.
Each fall and spring semester since fall 2014, and in partnership with dozens of inspiring social sector organizations, the students have stewarded and given away a total of $331,835 in grants to more than 40 local nonprofits.
The following are the nonprofits who received a check:
World Hunger Relief, Inc. ($4,000): This grant will go toward a renovation of the Veggie Van, WHRI’s mobile market, which brings fresh produce to food deserts throughout the Waco community. This renovation will provide the Veggie Van with a cooling system, which reduces waste, along with a walk-through space for customers to shop inside the van. WHRI hopes these improvements will enable them to serve more customers, more efficiently.
Mission Waco ($6,000): This grant will go toward Mission Waco’s Urban R.E.A.P. (Renewable Energy and Agriculture Project) initiative. This program is designed to train the public on health education, agriculture, and stewardship of natural resources. Mission Waco will build a greenhouse and aquaponics system next to the Jubilee Market, its nonprofit grocery store, that will educate food insecure residents while also providing a local source of fresh produce.
Texas Hunger Initiative ($10,000): This grant will fund a graduate researcher who will focus on the emerging issue of food insecurity on college campuses. This research will be included in THI’s guidebook for hunger-free communities, equipping communities with information and strategies to assist an overlooked population of food-insecure residents.
LIT Waco ($2,760): LIT Waco works with students at Waco’s Carver Middle School to improve literacy. This grant will fund an online curriculum, along with books, to use with students who are at risk of falling behind.
Talitha Koum Institute ($7,240): This grant will fund part of Talitah Koum’s NEWTAC (neurologically effective ways to treat trauma-affected children) program, which places an interventionist at La Vega Primary School to help trauma-affected children develop coping strategies that will help them succeed.
Creative Waco ($5,000): This grant will commission 52 local artists to create a Waco-inspired playing card, which will be part of a deck of cards to generate revenue for Creative Waco’s AMP fund. The AMP fund will, in turn, support numerous artistic and arts education programs throughout the community.
Youth Chorus of Central Texas ($2,200): This grant will provide new equipment, along with 3 full scholarships for children participating in the YCCT.
Cultural Arts of Waco ($2,800): This grant is seed funding for ArtPlace, a new arts space on Waco’s Elm Ave. The space is designed to provide opportunities for arts education and community development in East Waco, while also serving as a safe and creative meeting place for children and adults in the community. This grant will go toward conceptual design plans for the building.
Family Abuse Center ($2,500): This grant will go to start a new fund at the Family Abuse Center to provide women and families with money needed to pay court fees. This will allow women to seek legal outcomes they need without having to pay.
The Cove ($11,500): This grant will enable The Cove to build a new industrial kitchen. The Cove works with high school students who have become homeless, providing them with a place to belong. This new kitchen will help The Cove in three important ways: 1) They can rent the kitchen to food vendors during times when children are not present, thereby generating revenue needed to fulfill their mission; 2) The kitchen will streamline the process of providing meals to students; and 3) The kitchen will help students develop marketable training and skills, such as catering and culinary arts, that will serve them well into the future.
Students who are part of the Philanthropy and the Public Good class apply to be a part of it. Each semester students who are interested submit an application and a couple of short essays explaining why they want to be part of the class and what giving means to them.
December 7, 2016
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