Grant Awarded to Improve Writing Skills in Bay Area
Community members of all ages and backgrounds now have free access to one-on-one tutoring sessions and group workshops aimed at improving their writing. Individual sessions focus on any form of writing, and workshops focus on topics such as scholarship essays, résumés and cover letters, and creative writing. Since it opened this September, the center has […]
A Safe Space for a Home-cooked Meal
The Bay Area Women’s Center strives to make its emergency shelter feel as much like a home as possible. But after 15 years of constant use from families, the residential style kitchen was no longer the safest and most efficient option. BACF granted $10,000 from the Community Initiative Fund and $15,000 from the Herzog Family […]
Adaptive Play Climbing Wall as a Therapy Approach
The new climbing wall at Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum allows Bay County children with disabilities to work with their therapists in a safe and fun environment. For children, a trip to the museum is playtime. For their occupational, physical, and speech language pathologists, that playtime means so much more. With play-based therapy, “the children don’t realize […]
Preserving Arenac County’s History
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, Omer’s Ye Olde Courthouse has withstood a tornado, two devastating fires, a heavy flood, and a disastrous ice storm. It’s a piece of local history that the community is very proud of, and a group of dedicated volunteers has stepped up to ensure it will always withstand […]
Elizabeth J. Husband Fund Provides Holiday Cheer
During the 2018 fall semiannual grant season, Bay Area Community Foundation awarded a $1,000 grant the CAN Council of the Great Lakes Bay Region to throw a holiday party for the kids they service. This grant from the Elizabeth J. Husband Fund will provide new clothing, toys, and a nice meal for children who are […]
Bringing Sight to Vision Issues in Children
Nearly 10% of all preschool age children in Michigan have an undiagnosed vision disorder that, if left untreated, will affect their ability to learn and develop normally. Identified early enough, vision abnormalities can be treated, but if they go undetected, a child’s vision can deteriorate and vision loss can be irreversible. Last year, the Youth […]
Letter of Intent Forms Now Available for Healthy Living Fund
In June 2018, the Bay Area Community Foundation was a proud recipient of $1 million from The Dow Corning Foundation alongside Midland Area Community Foundation and Saginaw Community Foundation for healthy communities. The $1 million to BACF has created our Healthy Living Fund which will award grants to projects that provide recreation and healthy experiences […]
Women’s Philanthropy Circle Helps New Moms in Bay County
In 2017, the infant mortality rate—the rate of infant deaths per 1,000 live births—was 6.9 in Bay County, much higher than neighboring regions. Educating mothers and supporting the safety of the child can greatly reduce this rate. That’s why the Women’s Philanthropy Circle recently awarded a grant to Great Lakes Bay Health Centers’ women’s care […]
Swim Classes Prevent Drownings and Build Character
For ten years, Rob Hendry, aquatics director at Dow Bay Area Family YMCA, wanted the local elementary schools to add swimming and water safety classes to their curriculum. Drownings are the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury death, making it important that children learn early on how to be safe around water. Unfortunately, the schools […]
New Van: More Accessibility
Area 9 Special Olympics offers opportunities for support, growth, and social interaction for so many children and adults in Bay and Arenac counties. Athletes commit to hours of practice as well as tournaments and competitions leading up to the State Games. For the volunteer coaches, this means figuring out transportation around the state. It was […]
I am proud to serve my community through my role at BACF. As a Program Officer, I collaborate with nonprofit, government, church, and school partners in Bay and Arenac counties to navigate our grant opportunities and find the right funding alignment. From project conception to post-award, I am your main contact for all things grants. Connecting organizations and donors who share the same vision and passion is at the heart of my work.
