The Connellsville Rotary Community Fund recently held its 2013 Scholarship Award Presentation.
Recipients of the Scholarship Award included:
This article was featured in the Herald-Standard in February 2013 and is re-printed here with permission.
By: Patty Yauger
Nancy Rossell, Fayette County Career and Technical Institute co-op coordinator, talks about how money awarded through the Chevron Community Fund will be used for a summer reading program at the school. Standing with Rossell is Dr. Ed Jeffreys, school executive director. Photo: Roberto M. Esquivel|Herald-StandardSeveral educational and recreational programs and projects have received a financial boost from a Fayette County business.
Chevron, located in Smithfield, through its partnership with Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC), awarded nearly $50,000 to nine organizations during a ceremony Wednesday hosted by the foundation.
Mikal Ann Zimmerman, Chevron policy, government and public affairs representative, said that the grants allow for the opening of doors and opportunities for young people in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.
“Chevron is committed to contributing and becoming good citizens in the communities where we work,” she said. “A part of that is partnering with organizations to improve the opportunities that are available to the residents.
“You are opening up doors to the youth that were not there before. The more they find out, the more excited they become for what their future holds.”
Larry Kiefer, vice-president of the Albert Gallatin Education Foundation, said that the $5,000 grant will be utilized for its Imagination Library program that provides no-cost books to families within the school district with children age 5 and younger.
The availability of books to the earliest of readers has begun to show results with kindergarten students more familiar with books and reading when they start school, said Kiefer.
“When they come to register for school, they are better prepared,” he said.
An $8,400 grant to the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute will enable young people in grades 6 to 8 to take part in a three-day summer program that introduces them to the available programs at the school, said Nancy Rossell, co-op coordinator.
In prior years, upward of 200 students have participated, she added.
“We impact so many,” said Rossell. “This program is to make the community aware of what we have.”
Linda R. Orsted, Flenniken Public Library librarian and chief executive officer, said that the $1,500 Chevron grant will be used to purchase E-readers to familiarize staff, so that they can then share their knowledge with library patrons.
Many Greene County residents are bringing their readers, tablets, pads and smart phones to the library seeking help to understand the newer technology, added Orsted.
“We want our staff to become more comfortable with the technology so that we can help our patrons more efficiently,” she said.
Beth Reseter, Friendship Hill Association treasurer, said that the $1,900 grant presented by Chevron will be used to purchase several bike racks for those traveling from West Virginia to Point Marion, the gateway to Friendship Hill, the home of Albert Gallatin.
The association has partnered with the borough and its neighbor across the state line, Morgantown, along with other civic groups, organizations and the school district, to draw more visitors to the National Park, said Reseter.
“We are finding that a lot of people ride to Point Marion,” she said.
Other recipients of Chevron grants, included:
German Masontown Public Library, a $3,800 grant to upgrade its technology with the purchase of several computers, said Amy Ryan, library director.
Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, a $5,000 grant to provide scholarships to high school sophomores and juniors in Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties to attend a weeklong conference to develop business skills.
Masontown Matters, a $5,000 grant to develop an entrepreneurial program to spur business growth in Masontown and neighboring communities.
Penn State Cooperative Extension – Fayette, a $8,000 grant to support 4-H day camps for young people. The camps, which include guest speakers, trips and tours, promote land stewardship through its Environmental Awareness Education program, said Christina Becker, extension associate.
Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board, a $10,000 grant to support its career connection center for young people entering the job market.
“We’re very fortunate to have a corporate partner in Chevron,” said Marilyn J. McDaniel, foundation chief executive officer. “They have been exceptional and a vital presence in our community and region.”
“The Growth Fund has been a tremendous support. Without such an organization willing to fund pre-development needs, several projects would have not moved forward at all.” ~ Tami Sealy, President of BARC.
Read the Herald-Standard news story for even more information.
L-R: Brad Clemensen, PA Environmental Council; Donna Holdorf, Nat’l Road Heritage Corridor; Valerie Bacharach, CFFC Board Chair; Kristina Haluska, Brownsville Free Public Library; Beth Reseter, Friendship Hill Association (Photo credit: Patty Yauger)The Community Foundation of Fayette County presented four grants today to local nonprofit organizations working on economic development opportunities and revitalization efforts.
According to Marilyn J. McDaniel, Community Foundation CEO, “We are very excited to support these projects that emphasize collaborations. We have seen excellent results from groups and communities overcoming barriers by working together.”
Awardees in this round include:
In 2008, the first of now nearly 40 Growth Fund grants began to be awarded in Fayette County. Support has come from The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, an Anonymous Foundation, The Eberly Foundation, First Niagara Bank, PNC Wealth Management and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
According to Program Officer, Cathy McCollom, “Projects in five target communities have benefitted Brownsville, Connellsville, Ohiopyle, Point Marion and Uniontown. Funding pre-development needs serves to move projects forward that would have either have been greatly delayed or not viable at all.” Over the years, after initial grants and ongoing technical assistance from the Community Foundation, many of the Growth Fund projects carried forward through leveraging millions of dollars in additional investment from private and public sources.
Below is a view of the design plans for the creation of the Connellsville Area Historical Museum. A collaborative project between the Connellsville Area Historical Society and the Carnegie Free Library of Connellsville, PA is set to open in 2013.
Primary funding for this project was provided by the Community Foundation of Fayette County supporting the feasibility / design study for the room. Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau granted $20,000 to remodel it and a Seed Award of $5,000 from The Sprout Fund of Pittsburgh. Funds raised helped cover costs of a volunteer coordinator, a web designer, and advertising.
Philip J. Savini, Jr., has had a 17 year career in public education, and is currently Superintendent of Schools, Brownsville Area School District. He has served in a number of roles in the Brownsville School District and in other school systems before becoming Superintendent. He is an author, recipient of education and civic leadership awards, and active on boards and advisory groups of many of our leading community service organizations, including Rotary and Chamber of Commerce, and for local universities.
Beth Maruskin, Dress for Success Branch Manager, has had 11 years of experience as a manager for a national retail chain before joining Dress for Success in 2010. In addition to her current work with women to help them in their competitiveness for the world of work, she is active in the community with civic and professional organizations.
Debra Lynn Mason is Education & Training Manager for Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify Program. Her background includes 13 years of award-winning experience in human resources, sales with global, national, and multi-state organizations, diversity training, running her own consulting business, and as university adjunct faculty with a focus on workforce development. Debra has been a speaker throughout the area on diversity and Sexual Harassment.
Kristen Tunney is Theater Manager of the Geyer Performing Arts Center. With educational and professional experience in film and theater, she has been performing for over 12 years, frequently at the Geyer, in addition to overseeing many of the administrative and operational aspects of running the Center.
Erica Miller of the State Theater Center for the Arts has worked her way up over 15 years from starting on technical crew when she was just out of college to theater management to her recent promotion as the Interim Executive Directive. She has been developing programming at the Center for the past several years, including for its 90th Anniversary Season.
Richard D. Watson, Ph.D. Director of ScienceWISE at St. Vincent’s College, has been associated with this college-public school partnership project for a number of years. He was formerly an educator in public schools in the Norwin School District, including serving as Superintendent before coming to St. Vincent’s.
Marilyn Weaver, Executive Director of the Wesley Health Center, returned to Connellsville in 2002. She previously was employed at a NASA facility overseeing a multi-million dollar budget and a 100 person staff. She wanted to give back to her hometown in her retirement which she has been doing as a member of City Council, Lions Club, local authorities and organizations, and as the volunteer executive providing oversight for our region’s only Methodist-church affiliated, free primary care health facility for the uninsured.