The
GM Foundation today donated $75,000 to 11 nonprofit organizations in the Bowling
Green area, making this the fifth consecutive year
the foundation’s Plant City Grants are being awarded in the home of the iconic Chevrolet Corvette. In the last five years, GM Foundation
donations in the region totaled $325,000, including Plant City Grants and a
fully-funded Habitat for Humanity project in 2014.
“General Motors is committed to supporting the
communities that our employees call home,” said GM Foundation Vice President
Lori Wingerter. “This year, the GM Foundation plans to provide $2 million in
funding to hundreds of organizations across the country that provide critical
resources that families and neighborhoods rely on every day.”
The
grants were announced and presented at the Boys & Girls Club of Bowling
Green, where 24 GM employees spent their day volunteering to clean and organize
the facility, room by room. In fact, a total of 80 GM employees from sites across
the U.S. converged in Bowling Green this week to provide ride and drive
opportunities and community service work as part of GM’s Outreach Program. In
addition to the Boys & Girls Club, service projects included work at St.
Vincent DePaul, New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding, the International Center of
KY and KY Legal Aid.
The 2015
Bowling Green grant funds will
support the following organizations and community programs:
Barren River Area Safe Space, Inc. – The grant will be used for emergency assistance,
resources and programs for regional domestic violence and homeless shelter
residents.
Boys & Girls Club of Bowling Green – The donation will support reading programs to help ensure all Club members
are on track to graduate from high school and are ready for college, trade
school, the military or employment.
·
The Friends of the Lost River, Inc. – Funds will be used to purchase a compact
dump trailer to improve efficiency and sustainability, as well as tandem
kayaks, allowing two people to travel in one kayak. These tandem kayaks will
make the cave’s kayaking program safer for minors and those with impairments.
·
Public Theatre of Kentucky – Funds will be used for the Sunburst Youth Theatre educational
programming, including day camps where children ages 7-12 build their own
props, do scenic painting, sound, lighting, costuming and acting, monologue workshops
for 13-18 year-olds and other productions.
·
United Way of Southern Kentucky – Funding will be used to provide help in the areas of education, income
and health & safety net for Warren County residents. It is clear that these
issues are fundamentally connected; when one area is impacted, others may be
impacted indirectly.
·
Family Enrichment Center – The grant will be used to provide more full-time childcare services to
children whose families put them at risk.
·
African American Museum – Funds will be used to purchase electronic equipment and software that
will enable audio/video, interactive and multimedia displays, along with other
display essentials including stanchions, fiberboard display panels, mannequins,
pedestals, stands and easels.
·
Bowling Green Alliance for Mentally Ill – The grant will be used to train two PTSD dogs and two veterans through
the PETS-4-VETS (Providing Effective Therapy through Service Dogs) program,
providing recovery support for veterans and their families.
·
CASA – Funds will be used to
train 20 new volunteers, enabling them to serve 20 new families including
approximately 30 or more dependent, neglected, abused and sexually abused
children.
·
Center for Courageous Kids – The grant will support the Summer Camp Program for Critically Ill
Children. The program is a traditional overnight camping experience held during
9, one-week sessions, where children meet other children living with the same
condition and learn self-care skills while engaging in activities such as
horseback riding, swimming, bowling, theatre, woodshop, boating, fishing and
archery.
·
Recovery Kentucky Foundation, Inc. – Funds will be used to support their computer labs in western Kentucky
recovery centers. These computers, printers and IT support services help
residents complete their GED as well as develop skills related to job
applications, resume writing and information technology.
“Through the GM Foundation Plant City Grants, these vital
community organizations will be able to fund critical programs that help so
many local families,” said Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Assistant Plant
Manager Nora Roper. “We couldn’t be happier to support
these local organizations.”
