NORWICH – The Chenango County Youth Philanthropy Council announced its annual allocations on Wednesday, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to making a positive change within the local community.
An awards ceremony was held Wednesday evening at the Norwich Jewish Center to present this year’s allocations which totaled $11,500. Each year, the Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC) is given funds to allocate by the Chenango County United Way, with additional support from the Foundation for South Central New York, in the amount of $10,000. YPC also received a $1,500 boost this year from the 2014 class of Leadership Chenango, which awards local organizations with funding of its own every year.
“This year, when we sat down to think of how we can give our money and have it make the most impact and stay in Chenango County, we decided that giving it to Youth Philanthropy was the best option,” said Leadership Chenango participant Kendall Drexler.
Focus for the this year’s YPC awards was on Chenango based organizations assisting in the areas of environment and arts, as well as health and human services. Students received 26 applications and after a thorough review process, visited eight organizations throughout the county. In the end, only five organizations received funding.
The Wolf Mountain Nature Center in Smyrna, an organization committed to educating locals about wolf, coyote, and arctic fox-related issues, was awarded $2,000 to help fund an arctic fox habitat expansion project. According to YPC, the project will go a long way in teaching future generations the importance of wildlife preservation.
“What made this proposal strong was how important the task is of building the enclosure and how strongly the people at the center believe in their mission,” said YPC member Tess O’Brien.
The Chenango County WIC program received $2,200 this year. Money is earmarked to promote dental hygiene, particularly among children in the county. WIC hosts a number of services that promote health and well being of children and mothers, and is “a true inspiration,” said YPC member Shane Reynolds.
The Norwich Family YMCA received a $2,200 allocation to be used for the purchase of equipment at its summer camp facility, Camp Thompson. The Y recently invested in two new piers, a floating pier, and a fishing dock at the campground.
Said YPC member Jake Klockowski, “Of course, these piers alone provide little without the equipment like fishing rods, canoes and kayaks to use on them.”
Another $3,000 was allocated to The Impact Project in Greene, an organization that helps low-income families maintain and stabilize their housing situation through repair and rehabilitation projects. According to Marybeth Ward, another member of YPC, The Impact Project “represents all the characteristics needed in a hero.”
“The organization poured its heart and soul into fixing our less fortunate citizens’ homes and going above and beyond to do more,” she added.
Lastly, Friends of Rogers, the volunteer-driven environmental education center in Sherburne, received $2,100 to help fund school field trips to the center.
“Due to the lack of environmental education in Chenango County, the Friends of Rogers made it their priority to continue and grow their environmental education programs,” explained YPC member Phoebe House. “Unfortunately, it’s become extremely difficult for schools to justify transportation and program expenses due to economic challenges that have faced our area.”
The Youth Philanthropy Council, under guidance of the Chenango County United Way, has been available to students in the Norwich High School for ten years and has seen more than 250 students participate. Its intent is to promote leadership, volunteerism, and of course philanthropy among young individuals, and encourage them to continue these characteristics well into adulthood.