Akron Community Foundation's lifetime grant total reaches $200 million

More than $3 million in grants announced this quarter, including grants for Summit County health and human services programs

Today, Akron Community Foundation's (ACF) board of directors approved quarterly grants totaling $3,163,919, including $625,500 in competitive health and human services grants chosen by the foundation's Community Investment Committee. This quarterly grant total brings the community foundation's all-time grantmaking to more than $200 million. The foundation, which was established in 1955, hit the $100 million mark in 2012.

"It took nearly 60 years for the community foundation to grant out its first $100 million dollars, but less than a decade to double that total," said John T. Petures Jr., president and CEO of Akron Community Foundation. "Hundreds of nonprofits in our community benefit annually from the continued generosity of our community members, for which we are incredibly grateful."

This quarter's health and human services funding includes a $10,000 grant to Guy's and Gal's Community Partnership, to provide free health screenings at Hoop for Coop basketball and recreation events.

Guy's and Gal's Community Partnership Executive Director and Founder Jerome Moss named its event after his good friend Kimyatta "Coop" Cooper who died of a heart attack while playing basketball. Hoop for Coop assesses the wellbeing of nearly 600 participants annually, most of which do not have a primary care physician and only seek medical care in acute emergencies.

"Basketball is what gets people in the door at our events," said Moss. "Participants then have to go through several free health screenings before they're provided a shirt and can proceed to the gym. This is more than just playing basketball."

Hoop for Coop events are held at various Akron locations, such as Buchtel Community Learning Center, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, and East Community Learning Center. The organization's 2022 events will include two educational community workshops and serve 750 residents ages 18-50.

An additional grant of $16,200 was awarded through the Health & Human Services grant cycle to the International Institute of Akron (IIA), to support comprehensive legal services for Afghan evacuees resettling to the Akron area. IIA also received a $50,000 proactive grant from Akron Community Foundation this quarter to support this resettlement, part of $75,000 in proactive grant funding which also included a $25,000 grant to the Autism Society of Greater Akron to develop an autism-friendly community program.

By the end of 2021, IIA is positioned to help resettle around 200 Afghan people, with more expected in the new year. These individuals arrive in the United States with temporary immigration status, requiring non-governmental funded individual legal services to achieve citizenship. Through the Afghan Legal Access Project, IIA provides regular legal clinics and information sessions to Afghan nationals in Akron and Summit County.

ACF fundholder and Hungarian immigrant, Jon Antalvari understands the trials and tribulations of abrupt resettlement in the U.S. This quarter, the Antalvari Family Fund supported IIA through the foundation's co-investment program, which encourages the community foundation's donor-advised fundholders to review the board's competitive grant applications and support initiatives that align with their charitable interests.

"In 1957, my family came to the U.S. after the Hungarian Revolution with two shopping bags of clothing from the Red Cross," said Antalvari. "IIA was the first organization we became acquainted with, and it helped us through the naturalization process here. IIA has a new challenge with the Afghan refugees, so my wife and I want to make sure we did our part to help them out with a co-investment grant."

The Howard Atwood Family Fund; Mary K. and Charles E. Booth Family Fund; Rita and David George Family Fund; Summit Portage Area Health Education Fund; and the Tifft Family Fund join the Antalvari Family Fund in this quarter's record $50,550 in co-investment contributions.

The following organizations will receive health and human services funding:

A Kid Again Northern Ohio, to offer destination adventures for families of children with life-threatening illnesses, $5,250
ACCESS, to provide services to women facing homelessness, including short-term secure housing, case management, health counseling and job readiness training, $20,000
Akron Blind Center, to offer programs, resources and classes for blind and visually impaired individuals in Summit County, including Braille, computer literacy, physical fitness, crafts and volunteerism, $10,000
Akron Municipal Court, to host a virtual "Mental Health for Moms Summit" which will address postpartum depression, $2,500
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, to support food distribution in Summit County, as well as the 2022 Feeding Kids Initiative, a backpack and after-school snack program for local children, $51,200
Akron Children's Hospital, to provide specialty adaptive car seats to children with disabilities, $7,500
American Red Cross of Summit & Portage Counties, to support disaster preparedness, response and recovery services in Summit County, $15,000
Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA), to support legal and advocacy services to immigrants subjected to any type of victimization, $15,000
Autism Society of Greater Akron, to support children and adults on the autism spectrum, $5,000
Battered Women's Shelter, to support crisis intervention services for domestic and/or sexual violence survivors, $35,000
Ben Curtis Family Foundation, to address the food insecurity of children and families in Summit County, $2,500
Broken Chains Jail & Prison Ministry, to support addiction recovery, mentoring, and workforce development services in Summit County, $12,500
Buddy Up For Life, to support tiered educational programs for children with Down syndrome through tennis and fitness activities, $2,000
Catholic Charities of Summit County, to support the 2022 Emergency Assistance Program, which offers rent and utility assistance to residents in need, $15,000
Celiac and Allergy Friendly Food Initiative, to support a food pantry serving allergy-friendly food to low-income families, $2,500
Christ Child Society of Akron, to provide clothing for low-income students, $10,000
Cleveland Clinic Akron General, to support improving social determinates of health for inpatients from surrounding zip codes, $11,500
Community Legal Aid Services, to support the HEAL Project, a medical-legal partnership that represents patients and families when issues like education, housing and public benefits threaten their health, $25,000
CORE Furniture Bank, to provide donated furniture to Summit County families in need, $9,000
Crown Point Ecology Center, to support farmer and intern training and increase fresh produce and vegetable plant donations to the community, $7,500
Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy, to support and expand food access programs at Summit County farmers markets, $10,000
Embracing Futures, to provide orthodontic treatment for children in under-resourced families, $4,250
Empower Her Network, to provide financial independence education and programing to survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, $6,000
Family & Community Services, to address senior hunger in Summit County by providing home-delivered and congregate meals through the Mobile Meals program, $20,000
Family Promise of Summit County, to help homeless families with children remain together and achieve lasting independence, $9,000
First Glance Student Center, to support mentoring and outreach programs for at-risk teens in Kenmore, $8,700
Forget-Me-Not Baskets, to provide bereavement items for families who have experienced a loss during pregnancy or childbirth at Akron-area hospitals, $4,000
Freedom House for Women, to decrease addiction and homelessness in Summit County women by providing substance abuse treatment, recovery housing, and support services, $10,500
Girls on the Run Northeast Ohio, to support a physical activity-based youth development program that promotes confidence and healthy choices for girls in high-poverty neighborhoods throughout Summit County, $9,250
Grace House Akron, to support access to end-of-life care for low- to moderate-income residents in Greater Akron, $7,750
GriefCare Place, to provide free support group counseling and other programs for residents grieving the loss of a loved one, $4,000
Guy's and Gal's Community Partnership, to provide free health screenings at Hoop for Coop basketball and recreation events, $10,000
Hope Meadows Foundation, to provide mental health services through equine-assisted psychotherapy, $3,000
IBH Addiction Recovery Center, to track the long-term, post-treatment success of clients who have completed the residential substance abuse treatment program, $12,000
International Institute of Akron (IIA), to support comprehensive legal services for Afghan evacuees resettling to the Akron area, $16,200
Jewish Family Service of Akron, to offer case management, information referrals, counseling and other critical services for older adults in Summit County, $10,000
Let's Get Healthy Cleveland, to support education and outreach programs addressing cardiovascular health, opioid overdoses & vaping issues in Akron, $5,000
Let's Grow Akron, to provide affordable and locally grown healthy food for low-income residents in Greater Akron's urban areas, $11,000
LINKS Community and Family Services, to support the Senior Connection Program, bridging the gap between community connections and services for aging adults, $10,750
Love Akron, to connect, convene and collaborate with other Greater Akron organizations to help the community thrive, $10,000
NAMI Summit County, to provide basic household items to residents with serious mental illness who are transitioning from homelessness, group home living, or incarceration, $5,000
OhioGuidestone, to support trauma-focused mental health programming in Summit County, $5,000
Open Arms Adoptions, to support Keeping Siblings Together by Adoption, a community outreach and education program to increase the rate of sibling group adoptions, $5,000
OPEN M, to support the organization's free clinics and pharmacies for uninsured and underserved residents of Summit County, $18,500
Our Lady of the Wayside, to provide professional care, support and guidance for individuals with developmental disabilities, $1,000
Pegasus Farm, to support rehabilitation, mental health services and additional therapy at the Military Family Center, $2,500
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, to provide women at the Akron Health Center with long-acting reversible contraception, $20,500
Prevent Blindness Ohio, to provide vision care for at-risk individuals in Summit County, $8,500
RAHAB Ministries, to support outreach, mentoring and safe housing for victims of human trafficking, $20,000
Red Oak Behavioral Health, to embed intentional efforts toward justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout its therapy services, $5,000
Ronald McDonald House Akron, to provide a home away from home for families with children receiving care at Akron Children's Hospital or nearby medical facilities, $10,000
Safe Harbor Norton, to offer non-sectarian recovery environment for men in recovery of all ages, $5,000
Second Chance Village, to lease a rest center to provide food, support and hygiene needs for unhoused adults in East Akron, $3,250
Shelter Care, Inc., to support the Safe Landing Youth Shelter Program, providing immediate assistance to youth and families in a time of crisis to prevent involvement in the juvenile court system and youth homelessness, $2,500
Stewart's Caring Place, to offer support groups and educational programs for residents affected by cancer, $6,000
Summa Health, to determine if patients would benefit from a medical-legal partnership (MLP) with Community Legal Aid to address social determinants of health, $7,500
Summit County Fatherhood Initiative, to provide education, legal assistance, mentoring and other support services for fathers in Summit County who have previously been incarcerated or estranged from their children, $15,750
United Disability Services, to provide employment services, including skills assessments and interview training, for Summit County residents with severe disabilities, $15,000
United Way of Summit County, to help residents navigate health and social services available in Summit and Medina Counties through the 2-1-1 information and referral helpline, $17,000
VANTAGE Aging, to help older adults remain in their homes by providing in-home assistance, including personal care, cleaning, grocery shopping and other critical services, $21,700
Victim Assistance Program, to provide 24-hour support and advocacy for victims of crime and sudden trauma, $20,000
Victory Gallop, to support therapeutic horseback riding programs for children with behavioral challenges and life-threatening illnesses, $7,500
Women Revived Ministries, to provide a safe and supportive space for human-trafficking survivors, $2,500
Women's Auxiliary Board, Summit County Children Services, to promote safer sleeping conditions by providing beds for kids in the care of children's services, $6,000