OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Richard S. Shineman Foundation has awarded grants totaling $329,000 to 15 nonprofit organizations.
The funded projects “reach a wide range of people” in Oswego County, the organization said in a news release.
The projects represent a “diverse cross-section of community organizations” in community revitalization, education, arts and culture, and human services, it added.
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The Shineman Foundation is located at 116 Sheldon Hall at SUNY Oswego in Oswego.
Grants
Fulton Block Builders secured a $100,000 grant, representing the largest award in this round of funding.
Fulton Block Builders is described as a “grass roots organization.” It initiated a “very successful” healthy neighborhood revitalization program this year modeled after the Oswego Renaissance Association’s program in Oswego.
The $100,000 award is a matching grant payable in the spring of 2018 following completion of fundraising in Fulton.
The foundation allocated a $25,000 community-revitalization grant to the Town of Schroeppel community-services department for resurfacing of the town park’s tennis courts in the spring.
The Shineman Foundation awarded the H. Lee White Maritime Museum a $23,500 grant in support of its long range strategic goal of becoming a nationally recognized museum.
The Red House Arts Center in Syracuse will use a $15,000 grant to help pay for its expansion and move into the old Sibley’s Building in downtown Syracuse.
Symphoria will also use $20,000 for its Dec. 7 performance at St. Mary’s Church in Oswego and its summer 2018 concert at Fort Ontario.
Education/arts grants
The Shineman Foundation also awarded grants to several education/arts and culture organizations “expanding their outreach with and into Oswego County schools.”
The Literacy Coalition of Oswego County will use $31,000 for the launch of the pilot “Read to Them” family-literacy program in the Fulton, Mexico, and Oswego school districts.
The Everson Museum of Art will use a $30,000 award for the expansion of its educational tours and outreach programming to art teachers and their classes.
Merry-Go-Round Playhouse will receive $10,000 for its touring “Sequential Dramatics Program.”
The Museum of Science and Technology has been given a funding award of $40,000 for its “Oswego County on the Go” science program, which will bring a 45-minute classroom-based science demonstration to all 78 sixth-grade classes in 16 school buildings in Oswego County.
In addition, the Research Foundation for SUNY’s “Oswego Kids Tech” programs will use $5,000 for its programs, such as “STEM 4 Kids” for grades K-3 and “Young Inventors” for grades 4-6, taught by pre-service Technology and Engineering Education majors at SUNY Oswego.
Human-service grants
The foundation also awarded human-services grants of $8,000 and $4,000, respectively, to Blessings in a Backpack’s Oswego and Fulton chapters for their work in providing nutritious food on the weekend to any Oswego, Minetto or Fulton school-age child who needs it.
David’s Refuge will use an $8,400 grant for the “continued expansion” of its mission to provide respite/caregiver support to parents and guardians of children with special needs in Oswego County.
Move Along Inc. will use a $5,900 grant award to purchase specialized wheelchairs for use in its newly launched tennis program.
The Oswego County Children’s Fund will use a grant of more than $3,200 to offer a “more efficient and streamlined” online registration process for the 500 families who use its holiday-gift program.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com