Little Rock, Ark. (June 1, 2015) – The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation (ABHOF) announced a total of $32,470 in grants for 16 projects benefitting minority and under-served communities across the state. The grants, administered by Arkansas Community Foundation, will support projects focused on education, health and wellness, youth development and small business/economic development.
The grants were presented in a ceremony at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center on Tuesday, May 26.
ABHOF Foundation Chairman Charles Stewart said, “Each year we are inspired by the quality and impact of the project proposals that we receive. We are pleased to be able to provide funds to help to bring these community projects to fruition. We endeavor to reach many more organizations as they seek to improve education, youth development, health and wellness in black and other under-served populations throughout Arkansas.”
Over the past 11 years, ABHOF has awarded more than $440,000 through its annual grant program. This year’s recipients will use their grant funding for projects ranging from mentoring and financial literacy classes to a theater production and summer music camp.
This year’s grant recipients are:
- ACANSA Arts Festival (based in Little Rock) – to present the play “Blood at the Root” by Dominique Morisseau, a drama inspired by the events in Jena, La., in 2003 (also known as the “Jena Six”). The play interweaves theater and dance to explore social injustice and racial double standards.
- AMDPA Foundation, Inc. (based in Little Rock) – to support the annual Student Symposium, which engages high school students from across the state in lectures, breakout sessions and networking events with top doctors, pharmacists, dentists and healthcare professionals to give the students insight into career opportunities available to them in the healthcare field.
- Arkansas Hospice (based in North Little Rock) – for a pilot program to increase outreach to African American patients and their families in the Jefferson County area to increase the quality of end-of-life care.
- Aviate Through Knowledge (based in Mabelvale) – to pilot the RESPOND-I-BILITY program, consisting of workshops and mentoring to improve communication between young minority males and law enforcement officers.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas, Inc. (based in Fayetteville) – to recruit Big Brothers for African American and multi-racial boys awaiting mentors in Washington and Benton Counties.
- Community Church of the Nazarene (based in Pine Bluff) – to implement a wellness program in Pine Bluff, including education on exercise, healthy cooking and grocery shopping on a budget.
- Dare Dreamers Teen Girl Mentoring, Inc. (based in Jonesboro) – to provide mentoring to at-risk teen girls in Jonesboro
- Delta Circles (based in Helena) – to provide books and classroom supplies for two 10-week financial literacy coaching courses.
- Familie Tiez Corporation (based in Jonesboro) – to provide mentoring for teens in Craighead County.
- HOPE Preschool (based in Conway) – to implement the Imagination Library program, which provides a free, age-appropriate book each month from birth up to five years of age for children enrolled in the program.
- Literacy Action of Central Arkansas (based in Little Rock) – to expand outreach at Pulaski Technical College to provide free, one-on-one adult basic literacy (ABL) and English as a second language (ESL) tutoring to 100-200 students in the coming school year.
- Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (based in Little Rock) – to support the Lorenzo Smith Music Camp, a four-week training program for talented young musicians in grades 3-12.
- Museum of Discovery (based in Little Rock) – to provide 40 weekly hands-on science, technology, engineering and math activities to underserved African American students enrolled in the Vine & Village Aviators after-school program in Southwest Little Rock.
- Pulaski County Youth Service Conference for At-Risk Males (based in Little Rock) – to support the annual overnight youth leadership empowerment weekend, a bridge to a year-round mentoring program for at-risk males aged 11 to 19.
- Timmons Arts Foundation (based in Little Rock) – to host the Cultivating the Arts Youth Summer Camp, a no-cost program focusing on visual art, instrumental art, vocal performance, dance, fashion and health/fitness.
- Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services (Little Rock/Monticello) – to support academic achievement programs for foster youth living at Vera Lloyd Children’s Home in Monticello.
The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation aims to provide an environment in which future generations of African American achievers with Arkansas roots will thrive and succeed. The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame honors the contributions of African Americans through its annual Black Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and awards grants to support charitable endeavors in the Black community. Learn more at www.arblackhalloffame.org.
Arkansas Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fosters smart giving to improve communities. The Community Foundation offers tools to help Arkansans protect, grow and direct their charitable dollars as they learn more about community needs. By making grants and sharing knowledge, the Community Foundation supports charitable programs that work for Arkansas and partners to create new initiatives that address the gaps.
Since 1976, the Community Foundation has provided more than $314 million in grants and partnered with thousands of Arkansans to help them improve our neighborhoods, our towns and our entire state. Contributions to the Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 29 affiliates are fully tax deductible.