Recipeints are:

• Southside Lower Elementary School-Creating a “Sensory Smart” Classroom.  An environment where all children with or without a specific disorder can address all their sensory needs.
• Central Elementary-”Making Reading Central” To design a reading room to increase comprehensive and fluency rates for the students.
• Poplarville High School-Starting a School Based Enterprise-To provide students with the opportunities to gain realistic, marketing competencies in a unique “hands-on” learning environment.
• Jackson Elementary-”Bananas Over Books” to order more books for kindergarten and first grade students to increase the amount of words read.
• Educational Support Organization Inc-Enhancing After-School tutoring program.  To assist students in improving their reading and math skills to age and grade appropriate knowledge and skill levels.

The recipients are:

• Walter Anderson Museum of Art-”Summer on Horn Island:  The Art of Nature,” based on WAMA’s exhibitions, addresses the incredible work created during Walter’s travels to the Gulf Coast barrier island.
• Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art-Building Social Capital in East Biloxi.  To support field trips to the Museum.
• Community Of Christians Helping Youth-The Positive Path Program:  An Ongoing Program for afterschool and summer learning and enlightment age groups K-6th.

Recipeints are:

• Hancock Resource Center received $1,200 for the Hancock Youth Leadership Academy, participants will develop confidence and basic leadership skills, work together in teams to plan and implement a community-wide service plan and will self-identify as leaders. 
• Camp Wilkes received $1,200 for the Summer Day Camp, A 5 day outdoors educational experience to the youth of the area, they will emphasize on health, exercise, nature, leadership, teamwork and volunteerism adn fun. 
• Boys & Girls Club received $1,200 for Soaring through Summer with Peter Pan.  They will partner with Lyn Meadows WINGS program, to enrich club members arts education opportunities and to learn about the production of a play, set and costume design.

Pictured above, Paul Guichet, GCCF President of the Board, Army Specialist Christopher Ladner and Lisa Schonewitz, Ladner’s mother.

Army Specialist Christopher Ladner a Gulf Coast native, presented a special gift to board members of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

While Ladner’s troop was serving in Afghanistan, GCCF sent care packages to the unit.  In appreciation for the support, Ladner presented GCCF with a flag that had been flown over a battlefield, and two decorative coins.

Lis Schonewitz is a staff member of GCCF.

A guide to services for people impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.  A section of our website has been created as a resource for individuals and families, who need assistance as a result of the spill.  Contact information has been provided for the organizations supported by this Fund.  Please call organizations directly to receive additional information regarding program guidelines and elgibility requirements.  Learn more about “the Fund”.

Fund for Gulf Communities Grantees

GULFPORT, MS – Gulf Coast Community Foundation awarded $1,139,684 from the 3^rd round of grants to fourteen coast non-profit agencies through the Fund for Gulf Communities to assist coast non-profit agencies meet the unmet needs of families and individuals affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  A check presentation ceremony was held on December 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM in the Knight Non-profit Center in Gulfport
Grant Recipients included:

Each ticket holder had a chance to win a trip for two to Paris, France.  Congratulations to Annie Nguyen the winner of the trip.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation awarded $2,300,000 in grants to twelve coast non-profit agencies through the Fund for Gulf Communities to assist coast non-profit agencies to meet the unmet needs of families and individuals that were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Grant Recipients included:

• Bethel Free Health Clinic, $201,534
• Coastal Family Health Center, $240,500
• Digital Opportunity Trust-USA, $100,000
• Habitat for Humanity MS Gulf Coast, $118,000
• Hancock County Food Pantry, $75,000
• Hope Community Development Agency, $160,745
• IRD/Youth Build, $250,000
• Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Foundation, $228,617
• Mercy Housing and Human Development, $200,000
• MS Center for Justice, $250,000
• St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy, $218,920
• United Way of South MS, $250,000

GULFPORT, MS – The $4.0 million grant is part of the Fund for Gulf Communities (the Fund) created by an anonymous donation to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to enhance the resiliency of the Gulf Coast’s diverse communities and address some of the unmet needs of individuals, families and children significantly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath.  The Gulf Coast Community Foundation will achieve this by working with and funding South Mississippi nonprofit organizations providing direct services to people in need.

The beneficiaries of the first round of grants in the amount of $250,000.00 include Back Bay Mission, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Non Violence and Asian Americans for Change.  These agencies were selected for their on the ground experience assisting and addressing problems in their communities in the wake of our region’s societal and economic challenges.