By Sue Moore
Once again, the Vicksburg United Way campaign was successful, according to Laura Howard, chair of the allocations committee. “We are happy to be able to grant awards to six local agencies who provide services to south Kalamazoo County residents, with allocations of $13,640 total,” she said.
The largest grant was to South County Community Services (SCCS) for its pilot outreach to township residents. Danna Downing, executive director, said she was pleased with the $10,000; SCCS can now extend services to an even larger population through expansion of its transportation and intake programs.
Troop 251 of the Vicksburg Boy Scouts will utilize its $420 grant for hardship assistance for Scouts, so they can attend summer camp, pay annual dues, and purchase uniforms, according to scoutmaster Kevin Borden. The Vicksburg Community Schools’ Community Education scholarship program has again received $500 to allow local children to take part in summer recreation classes, according to Tonya Nash, program director. The summer reading program, sponsored by the Vicksburg District Library, has historically been allocated $300 to sponsor this effort that keeps young people busy reading books during the summer.
A second year grant went to the Vicksburg Rocket Football program to purchase football helmets. The $420 allocation will be utilized for the “Heads Up” program, which supplies helmets to low-income families and teaches safety to all boys enrolled in rocket football.
Generous Hands, Inc., received $2,000 for its backpack food program. This money will feed four children over the course of a year via their weekend backpacks.
“A big thanks goes out to the greater Vicksburg community for its support of local endeavors,” Howard said. The 2013 campaign raised over $31,715 from generous corporations, businesses, school employees, and individuals. “This money supports the many agencies throughout the county who provide services to Vicksburg area residents.”