BLOOMINGTON — The Vespasian Warner Public Library is among 13 area nonprofits to receive grants from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, the foundation announced this week.

The 13 nonprofit programs received a total of $57,372 in grants thanks to the Women to Women Giving Circle and the Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) of the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.

The Women to Women Giving Circle seeks to improve the lives of women and children in central Illinois and has focused its 2022 grants on programs that support post-pandemic renewal and recovery for women and children in our community. Women to Women grant applicants were asked, but not required, to collaborate with another nonprofit on a program addressing the goal.

The Youth in Philanthropy Grants were selected by 19 area high school students and focus on youth-focused programs, with priority given to organizations that include youth in the application process.

The recipient organizations sharing the Women to Women prizes of $47,372 are:

• Autism Collective, in conjunction with OSF Health Care System and Easterseals – $10,000 for Autism Care Coordination provides comprehensive, individualized care and support to families facing or living with an autism diagnosis.

• Children’s Discovery Museum in collaboration with Children’s Home + Aid’s Scott Early Learning Center – $7,200 for “Growing STEAM Potential Through Play” engages children, families and educators in playful learning experiences that build their excitement , their curiosity and interest in STEAM topics helping them to gain confidence in their own ability to learn more about these topics in the future.

• Children’s Home + Aid in collaboration with Chestnut Health Systems – $10,000 for “Early Years Home Visits” aims to provide children with a strong foundation for learning by helping families move from poverty to self-sufficiency ; due to the pandemic, mental health services are a priority under this program.

• Community Health Care Clinic – $10,000 for “CAATCH – Coordinating Affordable Access to Comprehensive Health Care” aims to reduce inappropriate emergency room use for non-emergency conditions and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations connecting at-risk populations with a primary care provider and medical home.

• Milestones Early Learning Center – $3,100 for “Communication & Recovery Post COVID” aims to help the center reopen a second toddler room, hire a qualified DCFS teacher and purchase a new iPad for the engagement app parents allowing connection with families.

• YWCA McLean County – $7,072 for “YWCA McLean County Young Wonders” aims to help children and families recover from the pandemic by receiving additional social/emotional support in the classroom; YWCA staff will receive trauma-informed training; families will have access to resources.

The recipient organizations sharing the $10,000 prize for young people engaged in philanthropy are:

• Girl Scouts of Central Illinois – $1,500 for the “GIRL Outreach Program – DeWitt County” to address challenges that pose an increased threat to girls in DeWitt County, while supporting their journey to achieve their dreams, through activities designed to encourage well-being and build confidence, communication skills and peer collaboration.

• Girls on the Run of Central Illinois – $2,000 for “Power Up with Girls on the Run” to integrate running to transform girls’ lives by helping them build self-esteem and confidence, build relationships healthy and feel good about themselves, inside and out.

• Jump 4 Joy Squad – $900 for “Jump 4 Joy Squad Spring Classes” to teach the sport of jump rope to new youth (ages 4-14) in the Bloomington/Normal area; the grant will help purchase equipment including skipping ropes and athletic flooring tiles.

• Ridgeview Elementary School – $1,605 for “Ridgview Elementary School Sensory Path” to provide emotion regulation support to needy students in school, especially those on the autism spectrum who need sensory breaks; grant will purchase a kit to create a path.

• Sunnyside Community Gardens & Food Forest – $495 for the “Sunnyside Apprenticeship Program” to provide local low-income teens with job skills, community involvement, take-out food and a stipend in exchange for committing to work 100 hours in the garden during the summer.

• Vespasian Warner Public Library – $1,500 for “Access for All: Enhancing Inclusive Collection at the VWPL” to provide a diverse and inclusive youth collection by purchasing books, films and digital content featuring diverse authors, characters and settings.

• Western Avenue Community Center – $2,000 for the Sisters by Chance enrichment program for 8th grade girls that focuses on career exploration with the goal of empowering young people to make wise choices and become who they want to be through knowledge, dedication, respect, hard work, citizenship and fun.

Since 2011, the Women to Women Giving Circle has awarded $424,363 in grants. The group’s mission is to provide education on issues affecting women and provide grants for projects and programs aimed at improving the dignity of women and children in McLean, DeWitt, Logan and Livingston counties.

Since 2014, Youth Engaged in Philanthropy has donated $90,000. As a youth member of our community, YEP strives to connect those who care about youth with the financial means to pursue their vision.

About the Grasslands of Illinois Community Foundation

The Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, now in its 24th year, encourages and facilitates philanthropy in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties by connecting donors who care about them with causes they care about. heart. The Foundation currently manages assets of over $23 million in more than 175 funds, including endowment and donor-advised funds, fiscal sponsorships and scholarship funds. More information is available at www.ilprairiecf.org.