We are pleased to announce awards totaling $150,000 to Cycle 31 Bright Ideas Community Enrichment Fund (BICEF) grant recipients. Since the first grant cycle in 2011, the Bright Ideas Community Enrichment Fund has awarded $4,462,978 to nonprofit organizations that serve Wapello County.
The most recent Wapello County nonprofit organizations to receive BICEF grants are:
- STARR Workforce Inc to assist with a new program to create employment opportunities for the homeless
- Uniting Through History for the Hip History Project Competition that encourages Wapello County students to explore local history and combat racism through lessons on the community of Buxton
- Ottumwa Park and Recreation Foundation to support the construction of a new shower house, office, and parking lot in the Ottumwa Park Campground
- YMCA of Ottumwa to support a coordinator position that will ensure inclusive activities through the Empowered! Youth Adaptive Sports program, as well as a summer camp for children with IEPs
- Food Bank of Iowa to support a new food program in partnership with Wapello County Veterans Affairs specifically for local veterans
- Greater Ottumwa Vocal Arts Project Inc to provide scholarships for local youth to participate in a new year-round children’s chorus
- Ecumenical Lord’s Cupboard to purchase three freezers to be able to start offering perishable items
- Cardinal Music Boosters to assist with the purchase of a stage curtain to replace the current curtain from the 1970’s
- Salvation Army to provide support for the Pathways of Hope strength-based case management program that works to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty
The Legacy Youth Alliance (LYA) has also granted 5 awards totaling $10,000 to nonprofit organizations serving youth-related programs in Wapello County. Since the first grant cycle in 2017, the Legacy Youth Alliance has awarded $82,375. The most recent organizations to receive LYA grants are:
- American Home Finding Association to purchase storage equipment to clear out a room that will be used as a recreation room for Corinthians House residents
- Cardinal Mental Health Team to purchase mental health items for both staff and students including a Calm Down Kit for each classroom
- James Elementary School to create sensory-friendly and safe active space for elementary students
- OHS Best Buddies to assist with Chapter dues and transportation to the Friendship Ball in Des Moines
- OHS Stomp Out Stigma to make a Mental Health Awareness video and purchase bathroom stall frames for mental health flyers
