VERO BEACH — Impact 100, a major grantor to Indian River County non-profits, will host its annual meeting on Thursday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Harbor Club.
“We have reached a new membership high of 429 members enabling us to award four $100,000 grants to the winners and four $7,250 grants to the remaining four finalists,” explained President Jane Coyle.
“This will bring our total contributions to our community of $1,201,000 over the past five years. We have also reached a major goal by putting forth projects that represent all four of our focus areas: Family; Health & Wellness; Education; and Enrichment & Environment,” Coyle added.
The grants that are proposed include:
Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Youth Guidance will collaborate to provide comprehensive mentor training, staff development, and a mentor roundtable facilitation for Indian River County non-profits that are implementing a mentoring program. The grant will provide for the hiring of a trainer/coordinator as well as establishing a resource library.
Camp Haven, the only shelter for homeless adults without dependent children in the county, will provide for newly homeless persons to avoid a rapid spiral into chronic homelessness with case worker support, life skills education and shelter, and meals for county men and women in a supportive living opportunity for those who seek to rise out of homelessness. Their grant also includes a new roof and a small commercial kitchen for their new property, formerly the Citrus Motel.
Early Learning Coalition will provide a comprehensive parent education program, “Ready! for Kindergarten,”which will target 250 parents of four year old children who are enrolled in voluntary pre-kindergarten in Indian River County. Parents will play a major role in supporting their child’s intellectual and social/emotional growth using the training and tools provided.
Environmental Learning Center proposes to buy and install the only children’s interactive environmental exhibit in Indian River County. It will include six professionally designed innovative, interactive museum quality exhibits for children that will employ the whole learning wheel: from goal setting, to experimenting and observing, to reviewing, and finally, action planning.
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, Inc. (in collaboration with Indian River Land Trust) will create a Junior Scientists Fellows Program which will result in an ongoing group of Student Fellows who understand and know how to provide solutions to environmental problems in our community.
Students at Vero Beach High School, Sebastian River High School, and Saint Edward’s School will learn the science needed to manage critical waterfront lands and habitats along the Indian River Lagoon.
Senior Resource Association, Inc. will relocate the Adult Day Care Center (the only one in Indian River County) to the Schumann Center. The present facility is inadequate for bathroom and kitchen facilities.
Funds will be used to relocate from its retrofitted, cramped 1952 house to the adjacent Schumann Center which will significantly increase the number of seniors served daily from 35 to 69.
The vision requires modifications including: remodeled bathrooms, construction of mobile partitions, installation of safety elements and a porte-cochere; addition of a secure outdoor garden, and appropriate health care furniture.
Treasure Coast Community Health, Inc. will provide oral health education and preventative care through the expansion of pediatric services at their Oslo center. The grant calls for converting administrative space to allow for three new dental chairs.
This would result in 5,000 new dental visits a year and cut down on their three month waiting period to be seen. Children six months to four years will receive application of preventative material on their teeth, providing early interventions and guidance.
Vero Beach Theater Guild, Inc., will offer a substantial number of elderly residents musical theatre access with “Project Guild on the Go” providing four musical programs and 96 performances among 24 retirement, assisted living, and nursing facilities.
The purpose is to enrich the lives of thousands of elderly residents who formerly were active contributors and volunteers in our community who now cannot access the theater because of financial, health, and/or mobility problems. The grant would be used to purchase a cargo van, sound equipment, software, and a portable stage.
