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Horizon Foundation Announces $308,500 in Grants

(The Business Monthly) -- The Horizon Foundation, a $91 million philanthropy, has announced the award of $308,500 in Strategic Initiative Program (SIP) grants to local organizations and agencies in the nonprofit and public sectors. The awards are intended to stimulate positive changes in major health and wellness issues that affect Howard Countians.

Several of the grants are directed at programs that support the healthy development of young people in the community. Among the grants is one to the Korean American Community Association to develop a culturally-based program using the developmental asset framework to address relationship issues between Korean youth and their parents.

Another, to St. John Baptist Church, funds mentoring efforts aimed at students in three Columbia villages. And the Howard County Library received a grant to expand its Health Information Center to include materials for children and adolescents about wellness issues.

SIP grants for 2007 were made to:

- Alpha Achievers Program - $3,500

Alpha Achievers of Oakland Mills received a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for the 2007-08 school year in order to increase the number of youths and the time they spend focusing on activities and issues related to the youths' growth and development.

- Autism Society of America, Howard County Chapter - $20,000

The organization received funding to build on the "Best Buddies" peer-to-peer mentoring program at Atholton and Oakland Mills high schools to provide an after school peer mentor so students with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disability may participate in after school, extra-curricular activities.

- Columbia Foundation - $30,000

The Columbia Foundation received funding to purchase the Foundation Information Management System (FIMS), an integrated software package that has been designed specifically for charitable foundations.

- Department of Citizen Services - $50,000

This proposal provides funding in support of a joint effort of a number of human service providers to provide needed services in the North Laurel-Savage area using a multi-service center approach.

- Department of Fire & Rescue Services - $10,000

Funding supports the translation of basic emergency questions and responses to Chinese, Korean and Spanish and equips each piece of fire apparatus with a Visual Language Translator communication device and a set of language communication cards.

- Department of Health Services Administration - $25,000

The University of Maryland received funding to bring the award-winning Legacy Leadership Institutes to Howard County.

- Howard County Library - $12,500

Funding will expand the Health Information Center to include age-appropriate materials for children and adolescents on wellness issues such as physical activity, nutrition, substance abuse and a variety of other lifestyle choices impacting on their well-being.

- Korean American Community Association - $20,000

Funding was awarded to develop a culturally-based program using the developmental asset framework to address relationship issues between Korean youth and their parents. The Korean American Community Association will partner with two local faith-based organizations serving the Korean community: Bethel Presbyterian Church and the Korean American Church of Philippi.

- Lazarus Foundation - $10,000

Lazarus Foundation received funds to develop an educational program for children, adolescents and their parents that addresses cyber-safe practices and user responsibility.

- National Council of Jewish Women, Howard County Chapter - $7,500

The chapter's Breakfast Buddies program will provide food year-round for children from the Dasher Green Head Start Center, who are potentially food-insecure during the weekends when they are not in school.

- NeighborRide - $22,500

Funding supports the upgrade of in-house hardware, software and database systems to support their matching of senior passengers with volunteer drivers.

- Northfield Elementary School - $7,500

Funds continue the development of an after school, intergenerational mentoring program where adult mentors work developing thriving behaviors in at-risk students, who will then instill thriving behaviors in students school-wide.

- St. John Baptist Church Mentoring Program - $20,000

Funding seeks to establish a "Mini-Village Mentoring Program," framed within the context of the developmental assets to support youth from low-income, single-headed households in the villages of Wilde Lake, Harper's Choice and Oakland Mills. The organization is committed to maximizing the experience of the mentee by making the developmental assets a way of life for the entire congregation.

- The Arc of Howard County - $30,000

Funding supports the continuation and expansion of the volunteer development efforts benefiting consumers of The Arc's services and supports.

- Volunteer Center Serving Howard County - $20,000

Funds will further enhance the ongoing disaster volunteer initiative.

- Winter Growth - $20,000

Funding supports the development of new software to meet the requirements for reporting and tracking the numerous regulatory and funding agencies involved in the provision of their varied programs.