On a glorious Friday afternoon, members of Head, Heart & Hands of Indian River Club presented grant checks totaling $153,134 to 20 local nonprofits during its eighth annual Grant Award Ceremony.
Recipients received awards ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 for programs supporting children, education, senior care, services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the homeless, and career mentorship for those segments of the population most in need.
The outreach program was developed so that its residents could gain a deeper understanding of the issues affecting the local community, particularly those in the south county area where the Indian River Club is located, with the ultimate goal of offering financial and volunteer support.
The funds are raised through donations from Indian River Club residents and a golf tournament that also features an auction and raffle, explained Ed Perry, HHH president.
Perry said that the 2022 fundraising effort was one of the most successful to date.
“When we did our first grant program in 2015, we were extremely excited by how successful it was,” said Perry. “We gave eight grants for $40,000.”
Including this year’s grants, their community outreach program has awarded more than $1 million to nonprofits through more than 100 grants.
Members of the grant proposal committee introduced nonprofit representatives, highlighting the work each one does within the community, before presenting them with a check and allowing them to share information about their overall mission and the individual programs the grants would fund.
Grants were provided to the Alzheimer & Parkinson Association of Indian River County, The Arc of Indian River County, Bike Walk IRC, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Childcare Resources, Crossover Mission, Economic Opportunities Council of Indian River County, Hibiscus Children’s Center, Hope for Families Center, LifeBuilders of the Treasure Coast, Literacy Services of Indian River County, Miss B’s Learning Bees, Pelican Island Audubon Society, SafeSpace, Senior Resource Association, Special Equestrians of the Treasure Coast, The Source, Sunshine Physical Therapy Clinic, United Against Poverty and the Veterans Council of Indian River County.
“We’d really like to say thank you to the organizations for all of the work that they have been doing. You are the ones that are out there taking care of the needs of so many people in Indian River County,” said Steve Corrick, HHH vice president and grant chair, after thanking everyone involved in Head Heart Hands.
“It’s impossible to really comprehend how much is going on in this county and how much need there is. The money is great, but the people in the organizations and who are leading the organizations, that is what’s really making a difference in this county,” added Corrick.
Photos provided
