Foundation grants support three youth-led projects

Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Courtesy photo
Whitney Weinschenk poses with the new boulder sign at Camp Friend which was partially funded with a grant from the Youth Philanthropy Committee of the Putnam County Community Foundation. The design, purchase and installation of the new sign not only identifies the camp location but improves the aesthetics of the property. The project also helped Weinschenk complete her Girl Scout Silver Award.

The Youth Philanthropy Committee of the Putnam County Community Foundation has supported three different youth-led projects in Putnam County by recently granting them $500 each.

Those projects include:

-- A toy drive, which was presented by Mariah Huge for the Cloverdale and South Putnam student councils.

-- Project Pig, led by Hannah Mann and the Cloverdale FFA.

-- The Camp Friend Awareness Project, conducted by Whitney Weinschenk to complete her Girl Scout Silver Project.

The two student councils, along with Cloverdale and North Putnam FAA groups, plan to use the grant money for a toy drive to provide toys and winter essentials to families in the community who are in need.

They plan to give two toys, one hat, a pair of gloves, two books and a stuffed animal to each of their recipients. Their goal is to make the holidays brighter and warmer for underprivileged children.

Meanwhile, the Cloverdale FFA will use the Project Pig grant to help purchase the meat of two hogs to donate to the New Providence Baptist Church Food Pantry.

The large number of students who receive free or reduced lunches prompted the group to initiate this project. The FFA hopes to provide the pork to the food pantry by the end of November to help feed hungry families during the holiday season.

Whitney Weinschenk, a Greencastle High School freshman, has used her grant to help pay for the creation and installation of a sign marking Camp Friend, a site that provides camping grounds, shelters and activities for the youth of Putnam County.

The teenager recognized the need for a sign when she visited and had trouble locating the camp. She used a boulder design for the project and will install plants by the sign as well.

Weinschenk will also make promotional pamphlets to spread across the community to help others realize the benefits of Camp Friend.

The Youth Philanthropy Committee, which consists of 12 youth and four adults, makes grants to charitable organizations for youth-led projects in Putnam County.

Youth with philanthropic projects in Putnam County are encouraged to apply for grants with the committee. Applications and guidelines may be found on the Community Foundation website.

The Putnam County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1985 to serve donors, award grants and provide leadership, enriching the quality of life and strengthening community in Putnam County.

The Community Foundation administers more than 240 active funds and endowments for donors supporting a variety of charities.

To obtain additional information about donating to the Youth Philanthropy Fund or creating your own endowment, persons may contact the office at 653-4978 or visit the website at www.pcfoundation.org.

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