The Twin Lakes Community Foundation, an affiliate of Arkansas Community Foundation, recently announced $41,467.00 in Giving Tree Grants for nonprofits in Baxter, Marion, Izard and Fulton Counties. These grant awards were presented on April 26, 2024,at Big Creek Golf and Country Club.
The presentations were made by members of the Twin Lakes Community Foundation Board of Directors and included grants from the Giving Tree Endowment, Stop Hunger Endowment, Early Childhood Education Endowment, Martha Barber Endowment, Future Fund Endowment, Jim and Sally Moore Family Endowment, and other private donations.
“Our Giving Tree grants and others make real change in our communities,” said Kimberly Jones, executive director of the Twin Lakes Community Foundation affiliate. “With a focus on healthy communities, our grants have supported the work of wonderful non-profits in the Twin Lakes Area. Our grants committee has chosen 27 of the region’s non-profits as recipients of grants this year, based on the impact they will have and the number of people they will serve.”
“Our Giving Tree program is our flagship grantmaking program. It represents our commitment to and the importance of local decision making to meet local needs,” said Heather Larkin, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Funding for our Giving Tree grants comes from individuals and familieswithin our affiliate areas who want to improve their community. These endowments provide a permanent source of funding for local charitable causes.”
The largest focus of grant dollars this year was on food insecurity and projects that will support the work of agencies to end hunger. Literacy and health were also major focus areas of the grants. Non-profits and projects receiving grant awards from the Twin Lakes Community Foundation include:
• Norfork High School – To help purchase toiletry items for students. – $ 1,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Melbourne United Methodist Church Backpack Program – To help with the purchase of food and bags for Back Pack program. – $ 2,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Salem UMC Feed our Children – To help with the purchase of food for program. – $ 2,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Serenity, Inc. – To purchase a new washer and dryer for shelter clients. – $ 1,498 Giving Tree Endowment
• The CALL in Marion County– For improvements on the visitation room at support center. – $ 970 Giving Tree Endowment
• The CALL in Baxter & Fulton – To purchase kitchen items, activities, books and educational items for the visitation room. – $ 2,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Mountain Home Christian Clinic – To purchase diapers and baby wipes for Pediatric Outreach Diaper Supplementation Program. – $ 2,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Shining Light Food Pantry – To purchase food for pantry. – $ 2,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Sparks Gamma House – For fee to sell at Farmer’s Market and the purchase of garden needs: plants, seeds, weed control, insecticides, fertilizer and garden tools. – $ 1,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Hackler Intermediate School (MH) – To purchase healthy snacks to distribute to students. – $ 1,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Pinkston Middle School (MH) – To purchase healthy snacks to distribute to students. – $ 1,000 Giving Tree Endowment
• Peitz Cancer Support House – Provide gas cards for cancer patients from Baxter, Marion, Fulton and Izard Counties traveling to undergo treatments. – $ 1,359 Giving Tree Endowment
• Marion County Senior Activity Wellness Center – To replace worn-out kitchen utensils/cooking equipment. – $ 750 Giving Tree Endowment
• Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry – To provide wild game and/or beef snack sticks to schools for children who need an additional food source on weekends in the Twin Lakes area. – $ 2,000; $1000 Stop Hunger Endowment & $1000 ARCF match
• Arkansas State University – Mountain Home – To purchase deep freezers to be able to provide more nutritious food to students utilizing the pantry. – $ 1,000; $500 Stop Hunger Endowment & $500 ARCF match
• Norfork Backpack Program – To purchase the Arkansas Game & Fish meat sticks for the backpack food bags that are sent home with students for the weekend. – $ 2,000; $1,000 Stop Hunger Endowment & $1,000 ARCF match
• First United Methodist Church Backpack Food 4 Kids – To help with the purchase of food for Backpack program. – $ 2,000 Stop Hunger Endowment & $768 Giving Tree Endowment
• Amanda Gist Elementary School (Cotter) – To purchase books for kindergarten -1st grade students for reading program. – $ 1,750; $875 Early Childhood Education Endowment & $875 ARCF match
• Arrie Goforth Elementary Library (Norfork)– To purchase books that will be given to pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade students for summer reading program. $ 1,750; $875 Early Childhood Education Endowment & $875 ARCF match
• Mountain Home Junior Auxiliary – To purchase books for the Reading is FUNdamental project. – $ 1,500; $750 Early Childhood Education Endowment & $750 ARCF match
• Friends of Horseshoe Bend Animals– To provide $15 spay/neuter/rabies vouchers to residents of Fulton and Izard counties. – $ 1,000 Martha Barber Endowment – ARCF
• Lucky Dawg Rescue Inc. – To assist in the cost of vetting and transport or adoption of animals in need. – $ 1,000 Martha Barber Endowment – ARCF
• Twin Lakes Literacy Council– To purchase six iPads and cases for the Barton Reading System. – $ 2,000 Future Fund Endowment
• Cotter School District– To purchase of a mobile activity cart and recess equipment. – $1,500 Jim and Sally Moore Family Endowment
• Cotter Gassville Rural Fire Protection District – To purchase two AED machines. – $1,390 Jim and Sally Moore Family Endowment
• Oakland Area Improvement Association – To help with completion of Food Pantry building. – $2,000 Giving Tree Endowment (and Schliemann donation)
• Schliemann Center for Women’s Health – To purchase feminine hygiene products and hygiene education through our Red Ink Project. – $2,000 Giving Tree Endowment (Schliemann/ E. Rhoades donation)
The Twin Lakes Community Foundation makes grants through the Giving Tree program annually. Since its founding in 2002, more than 1,507 grants have been made by the organization, totaling $5,036,840 from 173 funds the Twin Lakes Community Foundation currently holds. More information about Community Foundation grants is available at www.arcf.org. To learn more about the Twin Lakes Community Foundation, contact affiliate director Kimberly Jones at 870-290-3182 or email TwinLakes@arcf.org
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Arkansas Community Foundation, a statewide nonprofit organization, provides resources, insight and inspiration to build stronger Arkansas communities – communities where our kids will want to raise their kids. The Community Foundation is the largest grantmaker in the state in the number of grants made each year. Since 1976, the Foundation has provided more than $460 million in grants to nonprofits. The Foundation staff works directly with donors, professional advisors and nonprofits to help strengthen Arkansas communities through strategic philanthropy and focusing on local needs. Its assets rank among the top 60 out of more than 900 community foundations in the United States. Serving statewide and local initiatives, the Community Foundation helps connect those who want to give to the causes they care about. Contributions to Arkansas Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 29 affiliates are fully tax deductible.
