The scholarship program offers a renewable annual $3,000 scholarship for Saugatuck High School graduates. In addition, two scholarships annually are awarded to LGBTQ students attending GVSU. These programs are managed through an endowment held by Allegan County Community Foundation. The scholarship board is developing a ten year plan to build the fund into a permanent scholarship endowment fund.
For over 80 years, West Michigan has looked to Arbor Circle and its predecessors to address issues surrounding trauma, mental health, addiction, poverty and stigmas. Arbor Circle’s Mission to transform the lives of children, adults, and families facing mental health, substance abuse and family concerns in a caring partnership with our clients and diverse community. This grant will fund a project consisting of comprehensive initiative to recruit, retain and support LGTBTQ foster and adoptive parents, and to support LGBTQ+ youth in their welfare program.
For over 40 years, Center for Women in Transition has provided a safe place for thousands of individuals and families. The Center for Women in Transition is dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence. They offer support, services, and safe housing to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, and they provide programs to engage and educate.
The mission of Children First Lakeshore is to feed all children in Allegan County who are in need of food without exception. The Children First Lakeshore goal is to drastically reduce the number of students in need of food by creating sustainable backpack meal programs within the schools we align with. Children First Lakeshore supports weekend backpack meal programs at Douglas and Fennville Elementary Schools. They are currently feeding approximately 170 students ranging in age from preschool to 6th grade.
The OutCenter of Southwest Michigan, LGBTQ+ embraces both the work of charity and the work of change – responding to the needs of LGBTQ+ people and their families, helping to make sense of the world we live in now, and mapping the way toward a more equitable, diverse and inclusive future. The funds will assist them in meeting their mission to serve the Southwest Michigan LGBTQ+ community.
Wings of Hope Hospice Mission:“We provide compassionate care in the later stages of life and support through the grief experience for individuals and families.” The goal is to help patients cope with the pain and symptoms that accompany these illnesses. This is accomplished through the use of medications, oxygen, medical equipment and supplies especially tailored to the needs of each patient. Wings of Hope Hospice provides compassionate care to patients and their families regardless of whether they are insured or uninsured. The funds will assist in their ongoing operation and delivery of services.
