Berrien Community Foundation awards $190,000 toward community projects

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. - The Berrien Community Foundation (BCF) awarded $190,000 in grant money for projects benefiting families and communities across the county.

BCF's For Good Grant aims to support community needs, ranging from children and education, to libraries and environmental sustainability.

Applications are reviewed by community volunteers and BCF's youth advisory committee T.E.A.M. (Teens Exhibiting Able Minds).

Below is the full list of grant recipients for the most recent cycle:

• Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation— Funding summer camps in 2023
• Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety — Purchasing equipment.
• Berrien County Blanket Brigade — Funding for blanket-making.
• Berrien County Cancer Service — Funding for supportive resources.
• CASA of Southwest Michigan, Inc. — Providing transportation assistance to local CASA volunteers.
• Citadel Dance & Music Center — Supporting musicians, scholarships and Kindermusik program.
• City of Buchanan/Buchanan Tree Friends — funding for a 300-gallon water trailer to water trees.
• City of Watervliet and Paw Paw Lake Rotary Club — Funding for a community dog park.
• Feeding America West Michigan — Supporting the mobile food pantry program.
• First Congregational UCC — Funding supplies for food packs (books, snacks).
• Friends of New Troy —New Troy Community Center renovations.
• Harbor Country Emergency Food Pantry — Funding for emergency rent and utility assistance.
• Harbor Country Opera — Supporting the Christmas program.
• Harbor Impact Foundation, Inc. — Funding renovation, construction, and provision of learning materials for classrooms
• Harbor of Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church — Supporting "Beyond the Game Character & Leadership Program.”
• PACE of Southwest Michigan — Funding for employees' advanced education.
• Present Pillars — Supporting 2023's "Summer with Dad" program.
• Redbud Area Ministries — Supporting "Art for RAM Kids" program.
• Region IV Area Agency on Aging — Supporting local theater initiatives raising dementia awareness.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Indiana-Michiana — Funding for cleaning equipment.
• Senior Nutrition Services/Meals On Wheels of Southwest Michigan — Supporting seniors with supper packs.
• Southwest Michigan Planning Commission — Supporting the production of educational signage.
• Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra — Supporting outdoor concerts in Southwest Michigan
• Spectrum Community Services — Supporting the maintenance and refurbishment needs across licensed homes.
• Temple B'nai Shalom — Funding to stock the Diaper Bank.
• The Region of Three Oaks Museum — Supporting expansion of artifact storage areas.
• Watervliet Free Methodist Church — Funding to stock the Food Pantry.

T.E.A.M. awarded grants to the following:

• Lincoln Township Library - To start its "library of things" for hobby lovers, like tools and cookware
• OutCenter Southwest Michigan - To fund mental health programming for LGBTQ+ teenagers

Grants are awarded twice per year. The deadline for the next cycle is February 28, 2023.

For questions or more information, contact BCF Program Director Susan Matheny at [email protected].