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(Nelsonville) – The African American Community Fund (AACF) has awarded 17 grants, totaling nearly $58,000, to advance projects and programs serving African American individuals throughout Appalachian Ohio’s 32 counties.
“Appalachian Ohio’s pioneering and rich history includes many notable contributions by the African American community,” said Ralph Smithers, AACF committee member. “These grants, funded by AACF supporters and our dedicated partners, will not only preserve that history but build upon it, creating better lives and opportunities today and stronger communities for generations to come.”
Earlier this year, AACF, in partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and FAO’s I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund and with support from the AEP Foundation, invited Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit and public organizations to apply for grants benefiting African American communities in the region.
Seventeen grants were awarded during the 2022 funding cycle:
- Black in Appalachia: Research, Education and Support for “A Liberated Landscape: Photographs of Black Appalachian Ohio,” a photo exhibition highlighting the stories and experiences of the Black community in Gallia and Lawrence counties. The exhibit will travel the region in advance of the 2023 Appalachian Studies Association Conference in Athens.
- Books with Badges for start-up funding to create a leadership academy and afterschool mentoring program, serving young people in Belmont, Guernsey, Jefferson, Monroe and Muskingum counties.
- Carver Community Center for its Incubator for Success Leadership Program, a personal finance education program serving youth in Ross County.
- Dress To Succeed to provide monthly clothing and hygiene items to individuals in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties transitioning to life after incarceration.
- GO Community Development Corporation for its Warm Feet program, which provides boots, socks and coats to those in need in Ashtabula County.
- John Gee Black Historical Center for its Digitizing Gee project, which is capturing voices and oral histories, creating supplemental learning materials for the center’s visitors and assisting in the expansion and reach of its programming in Gallia County.
- Kool Boiz Foundation for its Young Men’s Empowerment Series Mentoring Program, serving boys and young men of color in Youngstown.
- Lawrence Funderburke Youth Organization for its Closing the Opportunity Divide Initiative that is engaging, equipping and empowering youth and their caregivers with life skills to increase resiliency and financial literacy in Athens, Hocking and Ross counties.
- Minority Business Resource Network for the third volume of its “Archives of the People” collection, which is raising awareness and preserving the historic contributions of African Americans to the Zanesville community and Muskingum County.
- Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society to assist in preserving and telling the story of this historically Black church and other moments in Black history in Athens through the installation of art murals on the church’s windows while they are being preserved.
- Muskingum County Social Justice Coalition to support two summer 2023 Career Connections Camps for 50 junior high school students, exposing African American male and female students to career pathways.
- Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council to support the development and maintenance of its corporate supplier diversity programs, serving as a bridge between its corporate members and minority-owned businesses across the region.
- Promised Land Project’s “Lancer Pride: Honoring Local History,” which is capturing the oral histories of people of color through an alumni website, hosting a local history day and sharing curriculum lessons for students in Pre-K through 12th grade that will promote local history, provide tools to discuss race and advance anti-bias education in Athens County’s Federal Hocking Local Schools.
- RISE Community Youth Group for its Each One Teach One Mentoring and Community Development Outreach, which will provide one-on-one mentoring and other academic, behavioral and life goals support to young people in Belmont and Jefferson counties.
- Tablertown People of Color Museum to support the rebuilding of the Tablertown community by developing programs that celebrate and share its culture and history in Athens County.
- Youngstown Lifeguard Academy Planning and Advisory Board to support the training of lifeguards as scuba divers and members of the County Search, Rescue and Recovery Team, serving residents of Mahoning and neighboring counties in emergency situations.
- Zanesville Civic League to help implement its World of Art Expression, offering art sessions in diverse forms as a means of expressing thoughts and feelings while building confidence and resilience.
Donations to the AACF help fund these annual grants that meet communities’ greatest needs and most promising opportunities. Thanks to a partnership with FAO’s I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund, dollar-for-dollar matches are currently available for gifts to the AACF. To learn more about African American Community Fund and how to support its work, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/AACF or contact FAO at info@ffao.org or 740.753.1111.
