By Steve Ferris sferris@heraldstandard.com Herald-Standard
Chevron Corp. awarded $45,300 in grants to workforce development, education and health care programs in Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties on Wednesday.
The grants came from the Chevron Community Fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation of Fayette County. This is the third year Chevron has provided grants to nonprofit organizations.
“It’s not just for today, but for generations,” Chevron spokeswoman Mikal A. Zimmerman said about the company’s commitment to organizations that help people improve their lives.
The Redstone Foundation, Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) and Community Action Southwest received $10,000 grants, the American Heart Association received a $7,800 grant and Fay-Penn Economic Development Council received a $7,500 grant.
The Redstone Foundation, the nonprofit branch of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, is using its grant to pay for two programs aimed at helping students in Fayette County schools find jobs in the county, said Muriel Nuttall, executive director of the chamber.
Half of the grant will fund the efforts of the Fayette Business Education Partnership, a joint venture between the chamber and Fay-Penn, Nuttall said.
The partnership identifies jobs that students can obtain after graduating from high school and works with schools to develop programs that teach students what they need to get those jobs, she said.
One of those efforts, the Eighth Grade Career Awareness Fair at Laurel Business Institute, is taking place today. Nuttall said 100 employers are attending the fair.
The other half of the grant is paying for a new business showcase kiosk that the chamber plans to take to schools during parent visitations. Chamber staff will talk to parents and distribute information about career training and jobs, Nuttall said.
WCCC is using its grant to buy equipment for the 70,000-square-foot Advanced Technology Center the college is building at the former Sony plant in East Huntingdon Township, said Daniel Obara, WCCC president.
The center will teach machining, welding, robotics and other in-demand technology-driven job skills, Obara said, adding that an associates degree petroleum production and processing program will be taught at the center.
“We view this as a regional asset,” Obara said. “It’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility that will serve the entire southwestern Pennsylvania area.”
Fay-Penn is using its grant for a business calling program in which staff will visit 50 businesses to conduct a survey on their workforce needs and share the results with businesses, said Dana Kendrick, economic development manager at Fay-Penn.
The money also will be used for Fay-Penn’s business retention assistance program, which helps businesses find new sites, helps arrange financing for buying equipment and trains workers.
“Our small businesses are the innovators. They are job creators of the future,” Kendrick said.
The American Heart Association is using its grant to bring its national CPR Anytime program to the Albert Gallatin Area School District.
Tricia Desavarro, the heart association’s Fayette County division director, said the program teaches cardiopulmonary resuscitation to students and they would have the opportunity to teach it to their families.
“Kids are willing to learn,” Desavarro said.
Each CPR Anytime kit, which contains an instructional DVD and an inflatable mannequin, must be purchased, but every student that takes one home teaches CPR to an average of three family members, she said.
“This will have a great impact on making our community healthier,” said Randy Wilson, principal of Albert Gallatin North Middle School.
Community Action is putting its grant money toward its new Chevron Barrier Elimination Fund, which is designed to eliminate barriers that prevent people from obtaining employment, said Jeffery T. Fondelier, vice president of operations.
He said the program will help people pay for General Education Development (GED) tests, work boots and other basic necessities they need to get jobs, but can’t afford.
Chevron selected the five grant recipients from 60 applicants.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Renee Couser, the foundation’s grants coordinator.
