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 […]
Dementia Training Helps People Connect
Picture yourself in your home, and count every door and doorway you can think of. Now imagine you have dementia. You’ve waited too long to get up to use the restroom, and you can’t remember which door leads to the bathroom. How do you feel? Frustrated? Angry? Scared? This is one demonstration that Golden Horizons’ […]
Splashes and Fun Coming to Au Gres
Approximately two miles from the shores of Lake Huron lies the Au Gres River and the location of a planned multi-use family park. After acquiring the property from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the City of Au Gres formed a plan for redevelopment as a recreation destination for area visitors and local families alike. […]
Community Leadership: Bay County Roadmap
Community foundations play an important role in creating a vibrant community for future generations to enjoy. By working together with other community leaders, we help initiate new projects and programs that work toward those goals. One such community project was the Bay County Road Map to the Future: Action for Positive and Collaborative Community Growth […]